Trollheart

If you chance to look at the second post on this thread you'll see a question by Unknown Soldier, wherein he asks if I have listened to this album yet, and tells me that until I do, nobody here will take me seriously, sort of the same kind of disbelief that I hadn't heard it/didn't worship it as was engendered when I revealed I had never heard a King Crimson album.

Look, I won’t try to pretend it’s not a classic album, and deservedly so, but I have never been sufficiently impressed by this opus to understand how it consistently and constantly comes top of every god-damn poll regarding “greatest prog albums” or whatever. I know, all of you out there, particularly Yes fans, are thinking the same thing, while lighting up the torches;

And it does seem to be regarded as blasphemy to even mention the words “less than perfect” when talking about the album, but what can I do? I’m not known as a bandwagon-jumper, and I’ve lurched on to the beat of my own drum for so long now that I’m really unlikely to start falling in line at this late stage. I know the respect the album commands, and I’m sure it’s merited. I just wish I could share it. I’ve only listened to the album a couple of times, but neither of them have made me feel I was in the presence of greatness. This could be due to my less than fawning attitude towards the band, or maybe I really just don’t get it.

So I’ll try again.

Album title: Close to the Edge
Artist: Yes
Nationality: English
Year: 1972
Chronology: 5
The Trollheart Factor: 5

One of the things that turns me slightly against this classic album is, I suppose, the fact that it has really only three tracks on it, even if two of them run for over ten minutes, and the third only misses that by seconds. But the main suite, the title track, comes in at over eighteen and kicks off the album. Now I have a major problem with seventies Yes - I just tend to be bored mostly by what I’ve heard of it to date - but I’ll try to put that aside and view this, if possible, through the eyes of someone coming to this album for the first time.

So we have a sort of birdsong and sound effects thing to open then Steve Howe’s busy guitar bursts upon the song, going a bit wild while Rick Wakeman wibbles away on the keys and then Jon Anderson gives a loud “Aaaah!” a few times, Biff Bruford in his last appearance with the band making sure his presence is felt from the beginning. The first part of the suite is called “The Solid Time of Change” and other than those expostulations from Anderson seems to be mostly an instrumental intro to the piece, then Anderson comes in with proper vocal as the tempo picks up in what is presumably the second part, “Total Mass Retain”. Always hard to delineate parts of a suite if they’re all shown as one track so I’m guessing here, though aficionados of the album will no doubt tell me if I’m wrong.

Okay, now I hear the lyric “I Get Up, I Get Down” which seems to be the third part, but we’re only seven minutes in, so I doubt we can be there already? Maybe the lyric is used in one of the preceding parts? Maybe I should just stop trying to figure out where the parts change over. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Anderson is singing in full voice now, the guitar a kind of jazzy, funky riff carrying the tune, some very nice bass from Chris Squire merging with Hammond from Wakeman as we hit the tenth minute and then it stops on sighing guitar, all percussion fading out entirely as the tune begins to drift like a gentle wind. Nice piano bringing in vocal harmonies, very low and quiet, then rising as a kind of choir, and despite what I said above I think this may be “I Get Up, I Get Down”, which has now taken us into the eleventh minute. Very relaxing.

Has a very Beatles/ELO feel about it, this part of the suite, Anderson’s voice easily rising above everything as he displays his powerful range and then a deep church organ comes in sonorously to take over proceedings as Jon steps back, allowing Wakeman to shine. Anderson drifts in and out during this sequence, perhaps like a leaf borne on a wind, occasionally landing, then flitting back up into the sky, but this part is all Wakeman. Howe then lends a hand as, I assume, we head towards the final part, “Seasons of Man”. Some fine lively arpeggios from Wakeman, attended by Squire, as we move towards the sixteenth minute, Anderson coming back in with the vocal just before the end and then it just all sort of fades out.

The other suite is “And You and I”, which is also broken into four parts, the first being “Cord of Life”, which opens with gentle acoustic guitar from Steve Howe, then Anderson pairs up with him as they sort of stride along together before the rest of the band come in to flesh out the melody. In the sixth minute then it drops back again to Howe on the acoustic solo, very introspective, then it picks up a little again as Anderson returns, and Wakeman adds his own touch though mostly, to be fair, he’s conspicuous by his absence on this track, which I find odd as there are only three on the album. It is quite a whimsical tune, I guess: might not benefit from bombastic Hammond or Wurlitzer or pounding piano maybe.

And now we’re into “Siberian Khatru”, which I’m afraid I will never grow to love. I don’t even like it. Bugs me. And there’s nearly ten minutes of it. It does have to be said that it’s the most uptempo and rocky track on the album, another vehicle for Howe’s guitar, though here Wakeman gets plenty of real estate too. Sounds like some brass in there too, not that I care. I really do not like this track.

Track Listing

1. Close to the Edge
- i. The Solid Time of Change
- ii. Total Mass Retain
- iii. I Get Up I Get Down
- iv. Seasons of Man
2. And You and I
- i. Cord of Life
- ii. Eclipse
- iii. The Preacher, the Teacher
- iv. Apocalypse
3. Siberian Khatru

And so it ends. And so I remain skeptical. Call me a heretic, say I’m not a true prog head. Burn my effigy in the town square - hey! I said my effigy! I’m just never going to get it. It’s not that I consider this a bad album, but I don’t see the fuss. I just don’t. The greatest prog album of all time? Why is this better than, say, Trespass? Or 2112? Or even In the Court of the Crimson King? Sure, it has two suites but so what? Lots of prog albums have those - Yes may have been the first to do this, although I doubt it. But it’s a competent album, in my opinion, and not one I’d be spinning much if at all.

As Homer said about the Farside calendar: I don’t get it. I don’t get it. I don’t get it. I…. don’t get it.

Not close enough to the edge for me I guess.

I won’t insult anyone any further by rating it.

Now... now come on! No need to be like that!

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Anteater

There's a lot of deep analysis and material out there already that break down why Close To The Edge is highly regarded, so if you ever want to go learn more about "why" then you shouldn't have much trouble. None of the other prog bands (or otherwise) sounded like what Yes were doing in '72, so it isn't hard for me to see why it made a big impression personally.

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Trollheart

Uh-huh. The thing is, I've never liked being told what to like, or why such an album is a classic. I understand things like people citing it, influences it has on other artists, sales, longevity, innovation etc and that's all fine. But just because an album is a classic doesn't mean I automatically have to like it, and I just don't. I mean, I don't not like it; I just don't see any justification for its place at the apex of prog rock. To me, there are far, far better albums both before and after CttE that deserve the title. But I know I'm in a minority. I did try - god knows I tried, in case somehow I was missing something, but I just don't see anything special there, not for me.

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Trollheart

One more to go before we sail out of January



Title: The Seven Deadly Sins
Artist: Humanity Gone
Nationality: American
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Release date: January 16 2021
Album number: 1
Familiarity: Zero
RYM Rating: n/a
ProgArchives Rating: n/a

Again I have to assume this is the band’s debut album; Glass Kites are the only artist with new album out this month that I have come across who are even known anywhere, so there’s nothing to contradict or confirm my supposition. I find it rather interesting that this is supposedly a prog metal band but they don’t have a keyboard player. We’ll see how that plays out. I also assume, given both the title of the album and that of the tracks, that this is a concept based on (anyone)...?

It kicks off with “Pride”, a sort of a slower, almost doomy feeling to it, vocalist (and drummer) Angelo Rivera clear and strong, if a little nasal, while Thelmo Rago thumps out the guitar chords like hammer blows. Some sort of spoken recorded track where someone speaks through a loudhailer, some pretty good soloing, then rather surprisingly “Wrath” is a more laconic sort of tune, when I would have expected Rivera would have been growling all over the place while Rago beat his guitar to death. I mean, it’s heavy, no doubt, but more grindy than I would have thought it would have been. Getting even more introspective now for “Gluttony” - kind of hard to imagine how that could be represented musically, if this is what Humanity Gone are trying to accomplish here.

I must say I very much like the vocal on this one, and how the guitar just punches your face in then flies into one heck of a solo but still manages to somehow keep it down, as it were. I definitely hear the prog metal in this. “Lust” is up next, should be interesting! Opens with reflective guitar, almost acoustic then kicks up hard and heavy, the lyric seems to make a very clear distinction between love and lust, drawing a comparison with violence and abuse. Rivera’s vocal is dark and slightly manic, I like the guitar histrionics here, almost neoclassical in nature against a slow, pounding drumbeat. Quite atmospheric. Staggered guitar riffs opening “Sloth”, which again belies its title by not dragging slowly along in funereal pace, but in fact thumping at a decent pace with snarling guitar and a tripping drumbeat.

“Greed” ups the tempo, bringing a heavier feel to the proceedings, and the album finishes on “Envy”, which also keeps things heavy with barking guitar and a rocking tempo, quite the air of menace about it.

Track Listing

1. Pride (7)
2. Wrath (7)
3. Gluttony (8)
4. Lust (7)
5. Sloth (7)
6. Greed (7)
7. Envy (7)

It’s certainly a competent album, and an interesting idea, however if the band intended to represent each of the Seven Deadly Sins through musical interpretation, I’d have to say that for me they failed here. At best, I think each sin is used as a general theme for the song built around it, but there are areas where I think they could have approached some of them differently. Perhaps that’s a good thing: they didn’t take the obvious route (angry on “Wrath”, slow on “Sloth” etc) but in the end I think I’m left with a feeling of what was the actual point?

I think the jury may remain out on this one for some time, but for now

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Trollheart

After nearly two years, welcome back to the Fortress of Prog!


Has two years living here alone sent me crazy? Again? Maybe.

Seven years ago, almost to the day, I attempted to undertake a humungous project under which I would listen to the discographies of over sixty artists - and I mean every album. This I entitled The Great Discography Project. It ran for just over a year, and to be fair, I made a decent dent in it, but I was never going to finish it. One of the main problems was that I had, somewhat foolishly, agreed to accept suggestions and so had been bombarded by bands and artists I either did not know or had no interest in hearing.

So this time it's different.

The Great Prog Discography Project

Natch, it will only be prog artists - but they can be prog rock or prog metal, or a bit of both - and only ones I know and like. If you have a prog artist you want to suggest, keep it to yourself. No, seriously, sorry, that's rude isn't it? I meant to say fuck off. Look, if you really HAVE to have this artist reviewed try your luck, but the final say lies with me and I have no intention of taking on the discography of some artist just so you can giggle at me. So, you know my tastes: if you want to suggest something, put some thought into it. Ideally though, don't bother: I'm going to have enough to do here as it is.

Another difference is that this time I won't be doing one discography to the end and then another; I'll be going from one to another to another, chronologically of course, but it won't be the same artist all the time. This will give me a little scope for variety and ensure I don't get bored.

So for now anyway, the list looks like this. I will probably add others as they occur to me. No Genesis, Marillion or Yes albums, for obvious reasons.

Current list (to be updated with albums and later links as albums are reviewed)

Arena
The Dear Hunter
Fish on Friday
IQ (maybe)
Jadis
Kamelot
Millennium
Mostly Autumn
Pallas
Pendragon
Red Sand
Shadow Gallery
Spock's Beard (maybe)
Threshold

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Trollheart

Coming soon(ish)-ish!

Trollheart's Top 100 Prog Albums

Feel free to suggest albums to me; I will try to listen if I don't know them already and will, if I feel they merit a place, add them into the rankings. Or just sod off, it's all the same to me.

Oh, I should make it clear this is not 100 Prog Albums You Need to Hear Before That Guy with the Chainsaw and the Odd Laugh Cuts Your Legs Off, or The Greatest Prog Albums - Ever! It's merely the 100 albums I think are the best, in my opinion; the 100 I enjoy most. So, eh, probably don't expect to see that one here. Unless I can really overcome my aversion to it, which is unlikely.

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Queen Boo

Siberian Khatru is my favorite Yes song but we can still be friends I guess.

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Trollheart

That's an affirmative. I can't take SK seriously because I always hear "Siberian Quatloo"!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkxGQJWZDEw

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Trollheart

Okay then, time to check out another of the Progsphere discs.

Which as you can see, is number 19 in the series. So let’s see what’s on it.

(Videos where I can find them...)

Track 1: “Pulse” by Death of an Astronomer
Sounds a bit like a metal Status Quo if I’m honest; quite catchy in a harsh sort of way. Now it’s sped up and I would not be at all surprised to hear death vocals, unless this is an instrumental, which it may very well be. Yeah I think it is. Pretty damn good I have to say. There’s a “Balance” in brackets in the title, but I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean. I don’t see the artist on ProgArchives, nor on Metal Archives, so no idea what they’re supposed to be. How about Discogs? No, nothing there either. Quite enjoyed that actually. Good start.

Rating: 7/10

Track 2: “Harbor City” by Victor Lee

Another guitar-centric tune, and I would say again instrumental. And again I don’t see him on PA, nor MA. Good kind of guitar virtuoso style of thing with some keyboards too, and this certainly sounds a lot more progressive than just about anything I’ve heard on either of these discs to date. No information on him anywhere.

Rating: 8/10


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laQWdpf0ibU

Track 3: “Straws” by Joviac

Another sense of if not quite heavy metal then hard rock, with a driving beat and growling guitar, and indeed the first vocals on the disc. Ragged, raspy voice but not anywhere close to death vocals. Quite AOR in its composition; good harmonies, nice hook, like this one a lot too. Sort of reminds me of a slightly heavier Magnum maybe? Well okay: for once this guy is on PA - hold on, guy or band? Band, it would seem, from Finland. This is from their second album, Here and Now, released in 2020. Good stuff, very catchy. PA calls them heavy prog, but I would not agree: this is far closer to AOR than anything else, maybe melodic rock.

Rating: 9.3/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74szjFyLMmw

Track 4: “Shadows of the Past” by Infirmum

Death vocals here in a dark, doomy style of music which ambles along slowly like maybe Pallbearers or something. The vocal is raspy and next to unintelligible but not aggressive, almost whispering in a way. Great guitar work. I imagine I’ll find these guys on MA? Yep, there they are: doom/death metal it says, so what that has to do with progressive rock or metal I don’t know, but this is from their debut album, the cheerily-titled Wall of Sorrow. It’s all right to be fair. Another Finnish band, and seems like it might be a one-man one.

Rating: 7 /10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sHME_i3hBA

Track 5: “Boisterous Silence” by Fate of Faith

Now this sounds straight metal to me. Sharp bouncy guitar, kind of a hoarse vocal, chugging and shredding abound. Kind of sounds a little like something from the late seventies. The guy isn’t much of a singer I must say. Closing track from their debut album, Black Heaven. They’re Swiss, in case you care. I don’t.


Rating: 4/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbn0UxUOuzs

Track 6: “Show Your Temper” by Gone Are the Days

Sounds more hardcore or post-hardcore or some fucking thing with hardcore in it somewhere. A little limited in the lyrics department, basically the title repeated over with a lot of shouting and growling. Not for me. Guitars are good, but if this is progressive I’m off to compete in Miss World. Gone Are the Days of good music, if left to these guys. Sorry.

Rating: 3/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4iuLuloBPk

Track 7: “Deadlock” by Conflict

Feel like I’m listening to the Pet Shop Boys when this starts. Darkwave? Gothic rock? Gothic Metal? Metal Hardcore Gothic Death Rock? Certainly, again, not anything I could consider in the least progressive. The singer is decent - the one doing the clean vocals, if we assume there are two. If not, then he’s VERY good. Too many bands using the name Conflict, and I’m really not that bothered. Good instrumental passage in the middle, shows they can certainly play. Love the piano piece and the whole atmosphere that builds around it as they head back to the main melody. Actually, that will raise its rating considerably. I was about to dismiss them but this is another level, unexpected.

Rating: 8.4/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B80oh5FKGBY


Track 8: “My Sexual Tool” by NUDZ

Now before it even starts this sounds more like a hip-hop/gangsta band/song, but to be fair when it does start it’s pretty bitchin’ (Copyright The Batlord, MMXV) with a real groove about it, though whether it’s djent or stoner or what the hell it is I don’t know. See if I can find out. Ah. Stoner says Discogs. Also grunge. So tell me what that has to do with being prog rock? Hello? Hello? Is there someone there? From Brazil apparently, and from their one and only album.

Rating: 5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMszsF7sdA8

Track 9: “Svalbard” by South Harbour

Well this sounds more like it. Chingly guitar with a female vocal, soft but I don’t think a ballad. With a title like that I’m assuming Scandinavian? Yeah: Danish. Kicks up after about a minute into almost a post-rock style of guitar, better and better. This is from also their own album, A Withered World in Colour. Says on PA they’re experimental/post-metal. I’d listen to more of this, for sure.

Rating: 9.7 /10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wot5efc4x20
Overall average rating for this disc: 6.8/10

Better than the last one we looked at/listened to, but there’s still far too much metal and basic rock here that to me makes no sense to call progressive. There’s nothing wrong with the bands or artists, but I feel their inclusion is denying exposure to perhaps better bands, or at least those with more claim to prog credentials.

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Trollheart

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.

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