Discography

Hell's Kitchen (90) Fade (96, Compilation) Dorian Gray (Completed around 2003, but never released)

Reviews

From an old article on their web site: [Facade's music is loosely described by singer Jon Paradise as "the dividing line between rock and metal, and the balance between commercial and progressive." Influences range from "progressive" (Kansas, Saga, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Rush) to "alternative/grunge/metal" (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Metallica, Dokken) to "adult contemporary" (Sarah McLachlan, Toad The Wet Sprocket).]

Hell's Kitchen was never released beyond a few demo tapes, and is of a quality considered "unreleasable" by the band, at least in its current condition. Fade is a compilation of demos recorded between 1991 & 1996. Facade appeared on a few compilation albums including E-Progeny (an album put together by the E-Prog web site and still available at M&M Music) and a Kansas tribute CD. They have a (relatively) new rock opera named Dorian Gray which is finished but unreleased at this time. Due to its length and "complications with some of the contributors", it may never be released. Facade is still around as a part-time studio recording project, and you can download and listen to a few of their songs on the web site listed below. None of their albums are in print at this time. -- Fred Trafton

Links

Click here for Facade's web site

Discography

Facedancers (72, re-released on CD in 2005)

Reviews

Worthwhile early US prog with psych touches, with influences from early Gentle Giant and touches of Yes. [There is] an MP3 soundfile of them from the Synton site [see link below], so you can see whether you agree. This is one of the tracks that sounds like a mixture of Acquiring the Taste with something from early Yes. -- J.K. Alexandridis

Links

Click here to order limited-edition CD from Synton Archive Productions, and to hear the MP3 mentioned in the review.

Discography

Jak spelar dik matt (92)

Reviews

Trying to obtain information on Fafner from the internet has proven to be an interesting piece of detective work. Jak spelar dik matt was released on the Norwegian label Colours, and some mail-order houses such as this one list them as a Norwegian band. However, they are not listed in the "Norwegian GEPR" (http://www.progrock.no), but their Swedish counterpart (progg.se) does list them. Our best guess is that Fafner was a Swedish band whose album was released in Norway. Add to this the fact that the RockDetector web site lists a Swedish Fafner as well and things start getting even clearer ... until you realize that this Fafner is a black metal band and never released an album named Jak spelar dik matt. If anyone out there knows the story of the Fafner that released Jak spelar dik matt, we would be pleased to hear about it. -- Kai Karmanheimo/Fred Trafton

[OK, I'm breaking a GEPR rule here. You'll know which one when you get to the last paragraph. But I think you'll agree it's worth it. -Ed.] On the Internet I stumbled upon GEPR. And to my surprise I found an entry about Fafner. Yes. It was a Swedish band (Luleå - way up north) on a Norwegian label. They played together for many years, recorded the one album Jak spelar dik matt, played together for yet some years (in various constellations). They did record a bunch of stuff, some of it quite good. And were then filed in the archives of obliviance. I haven't heard the album for maaaany years, but if I were to review it I would say it has it's moments, and a nice sound, but it really would have needed a producer. The guy with the label Colours still has a homepage on the net. His name is Jorn R. Andersen and the site is called "Living in the Past" or something like that. [I was unable to find it. - Ed] How do I know all this? Well I live and work as a joiner/cabinet maker in Stockholm, but I was born and raised in a little cold town up north called Luleå, and I used to be the drummer / "singer" of a little old band called Fafner. -- Johan Lindmark

From Home to Home (70)

[See Kaleidoscope]

Discography

Fairport Convention (68) What We Did On Our Holidays (69) Unhalfbricking (69) Liege and Lief (69) Full House (70) Angel Delight (71) Babbacombe Lee (71) Manor (72) Rosie (73) Fairport Nine (73) Live - A Movable Feast (74) Rising For The Moon (75) Gottle O'Geer (76) Chronicles (76) Live At The Troubadour (76) Bonny Bunch Of Roses (77) Tippler's Tales (78) Farewell Farewell (79) The Airing Cupboard Tapes (81) Moat On The Ledge (82) AT2 (84) Live At Broughton Castle (85) Expletive Delighted (86) Gladys' Leap (86) House Full (Live in L.A.) (87) In Real Time - Live '87 (87) Heyday - BBC Radio Sessions 1968-69 (87) The History Of Fairport Convention (88) Red and Gold (89) Live Convention (90) The Five Seasons (90) The Woodworm Years (91, Compilation) 25th Anniversary Pack (92, Compilation) 25th Anniversary Concert (93, 2CD) Jewel In The Crown (95) Old New Borrowed Blue (96) Smiddyburn - Flittin' (96, as Dave Swarbrick) Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (97) Encore, Encore (98) Close To The Wind (98) Fairport Unconventional (02, 4-CD Box Set) Plus many other live albums, compilations and re-releases w/ bonus tracks

Reviews

Fairport Convention - Winter 2002 Fairport has a sound that has pretty well established the british folk-rock scene, along with the Strawbs, Steeleye Span and others. Although not really progressive in the strict sense, they have strong personell connections to nearly every band around, including King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Strawbs, and others, and influence has been carried in both directions throughout their career, and thus they may be of interest to readers interested in exploring this area. My highest recommendations go to three of their albums, Unhalfbricking and Liege and Lief from the early period (both featuring Sandy Denny), and In Real Time, a live one from [slightly more] recent years.

Early albums were pretty much straight ahead folk music, but as more members of Jethro Tull were added, FC's sound became more rock-oriented. Still probably classified as folk music, make no mistakes, but the more recent stuff is certainly apt to appeal more to fans of Tull and the like.

Buy Liege and Lief. I love it, and I hear that nothing else quite measures up to it (and nothing else that I've heard from them does). It's kind of a Celtic folk progressive album (maybe a bit weak on the progressive part, but it has some good cuts on it).

Links

[See Denny, Sandy | Jethro Tull | Pickett, Philip] Click here for Fairport Convention's web site

Fairy's Moke (75)

Fading Beauty (73), Back On My Hill (80)

Apparently this band has a slug of albums out, but Lasers Edge re-released their first, most progressive album Fading Beauty on CD. There's lots of lengthy instrumental passages, heavy Hammond organ, Mellotron and decent guitar, but overall it sounds very dated (73, but sounds more like something from the end of the 60's) and tends to ramble on endlessly and pointlessly over it's three long tracks. File under: Goes nowhere.

German progressive rock released by Laser's Edge, Fading Beauty draws comparisons to mid-period Eloy. The music can be described as full-sounding symphonic rock, and consists of two long tracks that go through a variety of moods, with enough Mellotron and guitar-drenched instrumental passages to keep the listener content.

Fading Beauty is a rather somber work from The Laser's Edge. Originally released in 1973, the title comes from the first part of the two part "Autumn Fantasia" suite, which deals with waning years of our lives. "Tharsis" is a 21 minute tale of a bird whose egg is our own earth. If the egg hatches, our earth is destroyed, but the only way to prevent the brood from hatching is by atomic explosion. An interesting story, but the music fails to carry it along very well. Plenty of organ and guitar abounds, but the music fails to get the listener involved.

[Note: The Sky-label albums, with the possible exception of Back On My Hill, are heavy-metal, so beware!.]

Discography

With Thessalonians: Soulcraft (93) Solaristics (05) With Heavenly Music Corporation: In a Garden of Eden (93) With Spice Barons: Unidentified Floating Ambience (94) Future Perfect State (95) With Melting Euphoria: Through The Stands of Time (94) As Spaceship Eyes: Kamarupa (97) Truth In The Eyes Of A Spaceship (98) Of Cosmic Repercussions (00) With Gary Parra's Trap: Beyond the Status Quo (97) With Spirits Burning: New Worlds By Design (99) Reflections In A Radio Shower (01) Found in Nature (04) Alien Injection (06, Scheduled release) With Quiet Celebration: Quiet Celebration (00) With Fireclan: Sunrise to Sunset (04) With Weird Biscuit Teatime: DJDDAY (05) With Steve Palmer Gothic Ships(06, Scheduled release)

Reviews

Don Falcone Don Falcone is a keyboardist who has recorded with a number of spacey bands, including Fireclan, Spirits Burning, Trap and Quiet Celebration to name a few, and he was one of the original members of Melting Euphoria. He has also recorded several solo albums as Spaceship Eyes, sometimes with guests from the above bands. His style is usually in the broad category of space rock, though he also has played with bands in a more RIO style (i.e. Trap). For the complete list, see the discography above. For reviews of albums, see links below to individual band names. -- Fred Trafton

Links

[See Fireclan | Spaceship Eyes | Spirits Burning | Quiet Celebration | Trap ] Click here for Don Falcone's Noh Poetry Records web site

Cold Nose (75)

In this period he played in Sensation's Fix too. This album is a soundtrack.

[See Sensation's Fix]

Discography

La Famiglia Degli Ortega (73)

Reviews

The 12 players in this band were all of the same family. The sound is a mix of popular music and vanguard music.

Band members were a part of a true blooded family. Their self-titled album is quite uneven and contains some excellent Italian melodies of the best kind mixed with below average dated hippie-type ballads (ie, "Give Peace a chance"). The female singers are gorgeous and half of the tracks are a must hear with etheral melodies. What destroys it are the male vocals and the songs that are dominated by the male singers. Still an album worth listening to as I really like half of it quite a bit. -- Betta

Music In A Dolls House (68), Family Entertainment (69), Anyway (70), A Song For Me (70), Old Songs New Songs (71), Fearless (71), Bandstand (72), It's Only A Movie (73), From Past Archives (80), The Peel Sessions (88), BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert (91)

Seminal folk-hard-rock-prog band fronted by Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney. Their music was instantly recognizable due to Chapman's unique and grating vocals. Musically they covered a wide range of stuff, all condensed into song format and generally accessible, but still very progressive for its time. Fearless is probably their best album, which also features a budding John Wetton on bass and backing vocals. Many people swear by A Song For Me as well, but I cant say cuz I haven't heard that one.

Family existed from early 1967 until late 1973. During this period, this UK band from Leicester were festival staples, and covered a lot of musical ground, touching on '60s psychedelia (esp. Doll's House); breezy acoustic passages; hard progressive rock (esp. Song For Me and Anyway); jazz-flavorings ; and in their final stages, a laid-back, "good-time" brand of rock and roll (It's Only a Movie). All of this was anchored by the axis of Roger Chapman (aka Chappo) on vocals, and Charlie Whitney on guitars. Chapman is thought by many to have the most unique voice in rock: alternately down-home and soothing, to outright manic and throat-wrenching. Whitney was an under-rated player being most proficient on twelve-string guitars, acoustic and electric. Family also included a couple of famous alumni, namely Ric Grech, who went on to Blind Faith; and John Wetton, future star of King Crimson, UK, Aisa and others. -- Patrick Little

Great underestimated band from late sixties, early seventies with the distinct vocals of Roger Chapman and subtle guitar playing of Charles Whitney. Most of the songs are penned by these two although other members write the odd number. First album Music in a Doll's House still very much in the vein of Sixties psychedelia and has dated somewhat over the years. Not the best introduction to the band. Second album Family Entertainment is a classic of Progressive Rock, All songs seem to be influenced by a number of styles including Carribean to up tempo boogie-woogie. The first two tracks - "Weaver's Answer" and "Observations from a Hill" are timeless in their beauty and show diversity of instruments which enhances the multi layers of melodies. After this masterpiece two key members leave the band (Rick Grech moves on to Blind Faith) causing a redefinition of song and sound structure. The first half of Anyway contains four live songs (the only official ones) and shows the band at its loudest. Not a bad album but the production leaves much to be desired. A Song For Me has some great songs but on the whole seems uninspired. Before Fearless John Wetton joins the band but his influence is neglible, I don't think he sings a lot on the albums but it does seem that the zaniness which from the earlier albums is slipping away. Fearless is nevertheless is a good album although it could do without some of the last songs. Bandstand is maybe their best album of the second phase (the original album sleeve is a beauty) the songs show a maturity with again a number of styles all mixed into the typical Family sound - no band sounds the same as them, although it seems like a number of new British bands also grab this eclectic background but of course without Chapman's rasping vocal chords. Again two members leave before It's Only a Movie, a more groovy album where the keyboards are more predominanly evident. The group is after all these years not very well known in the States and it seems that Chapman and co. give up. They'll try again in the form of a band called Streetwalkers which does sound more American AOR and therefore a lot less interesting. Luckily a live album from a BBC concert has came out in the early '90s, performed just after It's Only a Movie but with a wide variety of of their album songs. It shows the band at its best with great improvisations and exquisite keyboard and guitar duels, very highly recommended. -- Eric Hermans

[See Asia | Atoll | King Crimson | Wetton, John]

Record (81)

With Erik Lindgren, in between work with the Space Negros and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic.

[See Birdsongs of the Mesozoic | Space Negros]

Discography

Weak Waving (89) King's Journey (92) The Sheltering Sea (94)

Reviews

Italian neo-prog band.

Gack! Italian neo-prog band on Musea. Of their first album Weak Waving, it has to be one of the worst things musea has ever put out. Weak is right !!! The vocals are insipid and the music is wannabee neo derivative but not quite up to it. Awful!

Fancyfluid are an Italian band, and King's Journey is their second release, on Musea. Their sound has matured well in comparison with their debut, Weak Waving, and the result is a presentation of symphonic progressive rock along the lines of Galadriel, Nuova Era, etc., with conceptual pieces composed around a lush base of keyboards and guitar. The vocal and guitar work is somewhat influenced by early Marillion, and is very well executed. Comparisons may also be drawn with Italian counterparts Arcansiel. If you enjoy the work of the bands mentioned, and wish for something along those lines, this release should be a worthwhile investment.

Links

Click here to order Fancyfluid titles from Musea Records

Discography

Music From The Blackboard Jungle (80) Some Brighter Stars (82) Migration (86) The Wolf At The Ruins (89) World Diary (92) Folklore (95) The Blind Messenger (97) Aquarium EP (99, EP, as Spirit Oscillator) Gongland (00)

Reviews

Forrest Fang creates a sort of ambient music using predominantly acoustic instruments, all played by himself (Piano, Mandola, Bandurria, Violin, Synthesizers). His earliest releases are more ambient in nature. Of his third Migration: This music just gradually flows from one track to the next, exploring various dreamlike and meditative soundscapes in the process, with enough variety from one track to the next to keep it interesting, and regular dynamic and texture changes to hold the album together well. Interesting use is made of the absence of sound: there are a couple spaces between tracks that exceed 20 seconds or more, but fit well with the nature of the music. Of his later releases Wolf At The Ruins and World Diary: the music tends to be more melodic and far-eastern influenced than the early stuff, the "side-long" "New China" suite on World Diary being a good example. All are great. Start with either of the last two. [When this article was written, "the last two" were The Wolf At The Ruins and World Diary. -Ed.]

Links

Click here for Forrest Fang's web site

Fantasia (75)

Symphonic prog private-release rarity.

Roine Stolt/Fantasia (80), Fantasia (82)

Roine Stolt's first project after leaving Kaipa. Fantasia is described by Roine Stolt as a "more commercial sounding album."

[See Flower Kings, The | Kaipa | Stolt, Roine]

Discography

Paint a Picture (73) Beyond the Beyond (92, recorded in 1974) Vivariatum (94, recorded in the '70's)

Reviews

Another early British band in the vein of Beggars Opera, Cressida, Cirkus, and Spring.

Said to be highly regarded. Much Mellotron.

The band Fantasy are one of the most impressive "lost" bands of the early seventies. Based In England, the band, originally called FireQueen, suffered a terrible set back with the death of an early member. Core members Paul Lawrence (vocals, guitar), David Metcalfe (keyboards), and Dave Read (Bass) comprised the nucleus of the band who signed to Polydor and recorded their first album Paint A Picture (reissued on Si Wan). This album, as debuts go, has much to offer. Primarily song based, (all 4-7 min), its an interesting melange of prevailing musical styles. There is a lot of folk-prog guitar, reminiscent of Mellow Candle and even Trespass-era Genesis. The track "Widow" contains some beautiful rippling piano work, cello & acoustic guitar. In contrast there is some great Hammon organ and heavier electric guitar on "Circus". Also Andrew Pryce Jackson, an ex-member of Chris Squire's pysch band The Syn, does some orchestration. Overall though, a mellow acoustic vibe prevails. Superb harmony singing, lush Mellotron backing, warm full organ tones. All the hallmarks of a band finding their style and improving instantly on it can be found on Paint A Picture. But their second LP, Beyond The Beyond, proved straight away that Fantasy had something really special. This 1974 LP had, unbelievably, remained unreleased until 1992 (by Audio Archives). An absolute crime in my mind!! From the baroque opening bars of cathedral organ its obvious the potential evident in the first LP has been greatly surpassed. Beyond the Beyond is really a lost gem!! (an over used phrase I know but relevant here). The title track is incredibly catchy, reminiscent of the great Hammond and Mellotron of Greenslade. "Reality" is another great 3 minute acoustic ballad that Fantasy definitely had a knack for. But the nine-minute mini-epic "Alandarie" provides the highlight. A brooding, mystical, multi movement piece, it sees Fantasy delving into something more "definitively" progressive. Choral and string Mellotrons dominate the piece and Paul Lawrence proves himself a worthy singer, impressively stretching his range. "Church Clock" the closing track is one of the most pastoral sounding prog tracks I've heard, with a stange Syd Barret vibe. Its a pity Fantasy were never given a chance at a side-long epic. The English prog scene of the early seventies that never got a chance; Spring, Gracious!, Titus Groan. And yet I would unhesitatingly recommend Fantasy first and foremost above all these. -- David Abel

Paint a Picture (Polydor/Edison ERC-29229) is a typical specimen of the soft-end British early-prog in the vein of Moody Blues and Cirkus (in contrast to the more strident sounds of Gracious! or Raw Material). Chiming acoustic guitar strums are omnipresent, as is the air of melancholy that can get pretty dark at times, but mainly in the resigned-and-anguished rather than razor-blades-through-the-arteries way. To balance this is the strong and steady axis of electric guitar and alternatively cathedral and lavatorial organ, while a quasi-orchestral sound is provided by that totem of progressive rock, the Mellotron. The arrangements are strictly song-oriented, wrapping themselves around the lead vocalist's confident, often multi-tracked voice and keeping rhythmically well within the four square box, but allow enough ornamentation and experimentation to rise above the run-off-the-mill rock mannerisms; the most memorable examples are the dexterous organ/guitar interplay on "Circus" and the gorgeous vocalise/acoustic guitar/Mellotron episode near the end of "Gnome's Song". In terms of melodic sensibilities, Fantasy are among the best of the early-prog crowd, and their approach is compact and punchy in a way that the often dawdling Moodies' is not. For those unfamiliar with the scene, this could be an excellent place to start. The band recorded a follow-up, but their contract was terminated before its release and subsequently they terminated their own activities. Beyond the Beyond only saw release in 1992 (Audio Archives AACD 001). Many consider it an improvement on Paint a Picture, but I have to disagree. The highlights are the nine-minute "Alanderie", notable for its expansive chorus melody and the extended middle section that is their most obviously progressive moment on record, and the catchy rocker "Worried Man", propelled along by its infectious, folk-tinged guitar hook. The rest of the songs, however, offer little improvement on the first album and many actually sound diluted in comparison. The regular album ends rather limply with the maudlin "Church Clock", whose sentimentality is as overbearing as its music is scant (though the clock-like percussion ticking is a nice touch), but there are five more bonus tracks, three of them harder rocking tunes in the Deep Purple mold, not the kind of material to endear this album to me. The fans of the first album should still enjoy this. A more thorough sweep at the bottom of the archives dredged up enough material for another album, hence the release of Vivariatum (Audio Archives AACD 004) in 1994. I have not had the opportunity to hear this one, but apparently it contains four tracks recorded by the band's early line-up in 1970 and six more from a 1976 reunion. The latter are said to be poppier than the prime material, while the former resemble Uriah Heep - which would be an excellent reason for not going anywhere near this album. -- Kai Karmanheimo

Discography

Far Corner (04) Endangered (07)

Reviews

Far Corner - Craig Walkner (drums), Dan Maske (piano, organ), Angela Schmidt (cello, flute), William Kopecky (bass) Excellent Cuneiform band who bill themselves as a "chamber rock quartet". Their first eponymous album mixes modern classical, fusion and prog rock in a unique and very appealing way. I might call it "classical music that rocks" and give a general idea of the sound. Not as "avant wierd" as many of the acts on the Cuneiform label, they are nonetheless very experimental and unique. They're all instrumental, and the instrument line-up is the traditional rock quartet with cello replacing guitar. You need have no concern that this makes the music sound "wimpy" in any way ... if the guys from Apocalyptica hadn't already proven that cellos can rock, Angela Schmidt certainly proves it here. Bassist William Kopecky is also a member of Kopecky, a prog-metal band with his two brothers, and is also the bassist for Pär Lindh Project. His bass work here in Far Corner is excellent ... I personally like the fretless work better than the "fretful" (his joke, not mine) sounds, but both are great. The songs are mostly composed by keyboardist Dan Maske, who disdains synths and other fancy stuff for piano and organ only, and with compositions this interesting and playing so skillful, you won't miss the glitzy sounds a bit. A great album. Far Corner's second album Endangered has a very different sound. Far more into the "modern classical" regions, it still rocks from time to time but is further into Univers Zero or Present territory than the first album. However, the uptempo sections here have more of a jazzy feel and a less rock feel than Univers Zero or Present, largely I think due to Kopecky's snakey fretless bass work. There's also a bit of cinematic "movie soundtrack" feel. Dan Maske expands his instrumental palette to include trumpet and melodica while Angela Schmidt also plays violin. Endangered is a very fine album in its own right, showing a band that isn't interested in staying with a single, static sound from one album to the next while maintaining a definite sense of musical identity. A neat trick. Both albums are available from Cuneiform Records. -- Fred Trafton

Links

[See Kopecky | Lindh, Pär] Click here for Far Corner's web site Click here for Far Corner's MySpace site Click here for Far Corner's page on the Cuneiform Records web site

Discography

Cave Down to Earth (75) Nipponjin (75) Parallel World (76) Tenkujin (77)

Reviews

Japanese prog/space band with Kitaro in it.

I have their Parallel Worlds album and it's a *fantastic* space album, if you're into that genre. Upon first listen, I thought to myself, "Ash Ra Tempel on keyboards!" More specifically, it sounds like Rick Wright, of Pink Floyd fame, in a space jam with Klaus Schulze. Speaking of, though Schulze doesn't play, he produced this album and his wizardry is evident throughout. Kitaro is also said to play on this album but the line-up isn't given. If you are into the long space jams ala Ash Ra Tempel, except with keyboards, you'd love this album. The drummer is Schulze-inspired and he's all over this place. Often, it's the drummer and bass carrying the tune while the keyboard provide an astoundingly mesmerizing backdrop. If you're a space traveler, get this 60+ minute CD, of which half is the 30+ minute title track.

This Japanese band has unleashed many a new-age synthesist on the unsuspecting world: Kitaro, Fumio Miyashta, Akira Ito... Their first album was issued under the band name Far Out, and is these days a rare collectors' item. The first proper FEFB album, The Cave Down To Earth, did not appear until 1975. It attracted the attention of Klaus Schulze, who collaborated with the band on the first European release. That album, Nipponjin--Join Our Mental Phase Sound, consisted of re-recorded selections of the two aforementioned albums. Schulze collaborated with the band again on the 1976 album Parallel World. Tenkujin, the band's lone U.S. release, finds the band a trio of Miyashta (vocals, synths, guitars, bamboo flute), Hirohito Fukushima (e-guitar, koto, vocals) and Yujin Harada (drums, percussion) plus a guest bassist. The sound is wonderfully spacy, heavy on the synthesizers, and featuring some clear-toned Hillage-influenced guitar. Vocals, alternately in Japanese and English, are subtle and not unpleasant, reminding one of Camel. Pink Floyd is another obvious influence, but there are definitely Japanese themes running throughout the album, from the koto and bamboo flute on "From Far East" to the cuckoo/waterfall/heartbeat sounds at the beginning of "Nagare." A very good album which really grows on you.

I've seen Nipponjin not only spelled Nepporjin and Nihonnjin, but also have seen the latter variant attributed to Far Out in a mail order catalog. However, two books list it as a FEFB album. I've also seen Tenkujin spelled Tenkeyin. If you know the definitive history of this band, please contact me.

Links

[See Far Out]

Discography

Attraction of Fire (99)

Reviews

I love and appreciate practically equally all the three 'Whales' Progressive Rock stands on - Art (Symphonic) Rock, Prog Metal, and Jazz-Fusion. But, unfortunately, representatives of the Prog Metal genre aren't frequent visitors at ProgressoR. Frankly, waiting for the first promo package with two CDs from from the French "Brennus" label (the 'metallic' division of Musea yet with its own separate economy) I didn't expect to hear such high-quality music as Far'n'High. Since this band was formed about a decade ago its members had time enough to develop their music, to make it solid and mature already on the debut album. As I've heard too little contemporary bands of the genre for the two and a half years of my work on ProgressoR (so I don't have too many examples to compare Far'n'High with), this review doesn't look, maybe, as precise as the others, so I am sorry in advance. Well, listening to Far'n'High I find their instrumental structures original and very interesting. While the album as a whole demonstrates the united stylistics, the songs, taken separately, show quite a traditional way (the majority of melodic - not like Voivod, etc, - Prog-Metal bands go) of constructing (and producing in some ways) the album itself. This, however, almost always doesn't mean at all that the bands with the similar album "schemes" are also similar stylistically, etc. Back to the heroes of these lines, they first of all have just a brilliant instrumental intro which would proudly crown any album of the genre Far'n'High work in. It is really impressive when such a short piece contains a wide-variety of different themes within itself: electric guitar riffs, acoustic guitar and keyboards passages, touching and aggressive bass lines, gentle percussion and bombastic drumming; tempos and moods change one another kaleidoscopically! The guys were incredibly effective jumping "Out of Fire" to ask each other (well, and) "How Do You Feel" (now)? They felt very good throughout the album. Most of the other songs were composed, on the whole, the same way as in case of "Out of Fire". All the "metallic" songs consist of diverse, thrashing or 'simply' heavy guitars riffs, blistering and slow, but always delicate, electric guitar solos, rich and varied arrangements of keyboards, wonderful passages of semi-acoustic guitar and a tight and very precise work of the rhythm-section. Yeah, of course, as I said before, here is some "essential", quite a widespread kind of a resting room, on the album too. It's hard to imagine some aggressive bombastic heavy track with a title like "Our Love". This is a nice ballad with some touches of Progressive, but in my view, there should not be place on such a wonderful album for such a banality. Another point that "ate" a star from the album's overall rating together with the previous one, is the fact that Damien (just) sometimes (but obvious) copies the method of the singing of Geoff Tate of Queensryche. In particular, I hear these similarities almost in all harmony vocal parts, whereas when Damien sings alone, without over-dubs of his own, as I guess, voice, I like his vocals very much. Well, this is just the band's debut on a Prog-Metal scene, and this debut is excellent. I sincerely want to believe in the bright future of this talented French band because Far'n'High potentially has it. But in my view, all the interesting French Prog-Metal bands need at least a good promotion throughout the world. And the "Brennus" label itself - in company with a few of its best "performing examples", though - needs a kind of self-advertising in such a strong magazine as Progression (the Journal of the Genre). It's a usual yet highly effective (and inexpensive) way, by the way. -- Vitaly Menshikov

Links

Click here for Far 'n' High's page on the Brennus web site (in French) Click here for an interview with Far 'n' High

Far Out (72)

Far Out were the Far East Family Band in an early incarnation. Some say that Nihonnjin is a Far East Family Band album that contains one Far Out song and one FEFB tune. This was released on CD as a Far Out album though so I'll submit it under that band. Nihonnjin does indeed contain two songs, the 18 minute "Too Many People" and the 20 minute title track. "Too Many People" starts with spacy electronics that lead into electric guitar. Soon vocals, in English begin to sing and the guitar has mutated into a "sitar" type of sound. Other than the opening, keyboards are rarely at the fore again. Instead, the guitar and drums are important to creating the atmosphere which is somewhat akin to Pink Floyd circa Saucerful of Secrets. As a matter of fact, the ending of "Too Many People" is pretty similar to the ending of the song "Saucerful of Secrets" with the chorused "oohs." The next song, "Nihonnjin," continues in the same style of "Too Many People." This time the ending is the melody played on Japanese wood flutes for several minutes. To me, the two songs sound very related and not as if one came from Far Out and the other came from Far East Family Band. Right now, the only FEFB I've heard is the very spacy, Klaus Schulze produced Parallel Worlds which is dominated by spacious synths. Perhaps earlier FEFB is different. Either way, Far Out is a classic of the early spacy, Japanese psych scene and definitely worth an audition for fans of early Pink Floyd.

[See Far East Family Band]

Seasonal Man (75)

Prog-folk. Has been compared to Mellow Candle.

Rock Fantasia (83)

Complex prog.

Discography

First Light (02) Grace (03) From Dreaming to Dreaming (04) Cold Star Quiet Star (08)

Reviews

Farpoint 2006 - Dean Hallal (vocals), Frank Tyson (bass), Mike Avins (guitar), Jennifer Meeks (vocals, flute), Rick Walker (drums) and Kevin Jarvis (keys, guitars, vocals) Farpoint's debut release, First Light, has a light, accessable sound; almost the sort of thing you might expect to hear at a Renaissance festival, with lots of acoustic guitar (especially 12-string) and medieval flavors. There are two vocalists who can hardly be more different from each other; Dana Oxendine's clear soprano versus Clark Boone's husky whisky-voice (his voice reminds me of Ritchie Havens' vocals on "How Can I?" and "Icarus Ascending" from Steve Hackett's Please Don't Touch). On First Light, I sometimes find this to be a strength of the band and sometimes the two styles seem to be struggling to work together. Farpoint seems to draw a lot of inspiration from early, pastoral Yes material; in fact, there's an acoustic guitar section on First Light that encourages me to begin singing "A man conceived a moment's answers to the dream ... staying the flowers daily, sensing all the themes" ("And You and I"), which fits right in with it for awhile before it goes off into its own territory. But there are other influences here as well, including the previously mentioned medieval feel on many songs, with acoustic instruments and flute to the bluesy folk rock of the lengthy, heartfelt but somewhat predictable "To the River", sung by Boone with Oxendine providing backup "ooh's and aah's". Grace is Farpoint's second CD, and is a wonderful example of how far a band can come in a year. The Yes influences are still there, but muted to the point where there's nothing that really sounds derivative. There's still plenty of acoustic orchestration using pianos and acoustic guitar, but no more medieval flavors. Dana and Clark have really figured out how to sing together without sounding strained - Dana is more relaxed, and Clark has removed some of the "huskiness" from his vocals, making the two blend together much more evenly. The compositions are overall much stronger on Grace ... more progressive and at the same time less self-conscious about "trying to be progressive". In many ways, this is more like a '70's rock album with lots of prog touches than a "Progressive Rock" (note capitals) album. The recording quality and execution in the instrumentals is also noticably better than on First Light. Grace is a far more mature and enjoyable album in every way. One of my highest recommendations for this album is that I've listened to it about five times now, and I like it better each time I hear it. That's the hallmark of good prog rock. Although it was clear on First Light that Farpoint is a christian band, they didn't smack you around with this in their lyrics. Grace is a lot more overtly christian in its themes, from a depiction of a descent into a dark Hell to the simple statement of faith in the title song, "Grace". Yet, still, I wouldn't call the lyrics "preachy", the distinction here being that they are talking about what they believe rather than threatening me with dire consequences if I don't share their beliefs. Let's just say that they haven't crossed the line where I would find it objectionable or offensive. From Dreaming to Dreaming, Farpoint's third CD, continues the evolution in the first two albums. The "bookend" pieces of the album (the first and last songs) are called Lux Universum, Parts I and II. Part I is light, new-agey space rock and instrumental. Part II adds Dana Oxendine's voice, sounding like a chant or prayer on top of the droney electronics. The lyrics remind me of my own christian prog band, spiritual without being preachy or even specific; "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Breathe Deep, Breathe Light, Breathe Love, Breathe Life, Universal light." Nice. And, in typical prog style, they are a reprise of the lyrics in the fourth cut, "Universal Light", which isn't space rock at all, but a pretty straight rocker, though with a nice Starcastleish guitar solo in the middle of it. Boone uses his Richie Havens voice again for Anything at All, a ballad about a "haunted man" named Syd (Barrett?). "Crying in the Rain" is probably the most typically progressive song on the album, with some nice Steve Walsh type organ work, skipped or extra beats added to some measures to create odd meters (hmm ... hope that's not my CD player), some prog metalish guitars, a pitch-bendy synth solo in the middle and nice vocal harmonies from Boone and Oxendine. The "prog factor" in many of these songs is not that high, but you can still hear prog influences everywhere in the solos, the organ playing and some of the lyrical content. Farpoint knows they're not a purely "prog" band, but are proud of their myriad influences, of which progressive rock is but one. Farpoint might be better characterized as "70's Classic Rock" than "Prog", but From Dreaming to Dreaming is still a good listen. My guess would be that many die-hard prog fans would consider First Light to be a bit too lightweight and accessable for them, but it is a nice album of good songs that have progressive touches running throughout. Grace shows the band growing more mature and self-confident. If you like Glass Hammer, you should like Grace too, for lyrical content, spiritual orientation and musical stylings, though not as complex or blatantly "prog" as Glass Hammer. From Dreaming to Dreaming is perhaps less proggy still, but is nevertheless a well performed and recorded album with much to recommend it. -- Fred Trafton Addendum 4/1/06 This from the band's web site: "In the last months of 2005, due to a combination of internal and external pressures, Farpoint disbanded. However, Rick and Kevin continued working on material that had been slated for the next Farpoint release and they began looking for musicians to help complete the album. By February 2006, both Mike and Frank had expressed interest in continuing to work on the material, and in March Farpoint was complete again with the addition of vocalist Dean Hallal and flautist/vocalist Jennifer Meeks. At this time work has begun on the new CD which will hopefully see release by the end of 2006." My personal observation: the departure of Boone and Oxendine will doubtless change Farpoint's sound quite a bit. Time will tell whether it will change for the better or worse. -- Fred Trafton Addendum 2/29/08 A bit later than the above estimate (not the first time you've ever heard that, right?), Farpoint's new album was released in February of 2008. Entitled Cold Star Quiet Star, this is my favorite Farpoint album to date. The Yes influence has returned, though it would be pretty hard to say that Cold Star Quiet Star sounds like Yes, except maybe for a few of the synth solos. It just has the feel of Yes; upbeat and optimistic, even in the heavier sections, but without being maudlin. New vocalist Dean Hallal is a definite plus for the band, and the compositions here are far less compromising in their "progressiveness" than before, though without venturing too far into the bizarre realms. Jennifer Meeks' flute is a nice addition, though her lead vocals on "Cold Star" are a bit tentative-sounding compared to Hallal's on other songs. But not terrible. Her vocals on "Blue Shift (Home)" are better ... possibly because of the background harmonies that "pull" the vocals into pitch even when her vibrato amplitude is more intense than I'm comfortable with. The comparison to Glass Hammer is even more appropriate now, and since GH's new album Culture of Ascent made #1 on my "best of 2007" list this year, you might guess that I find this closer comparison to be a distinct improvement for Farpoint. You should also take note of the fact that I reviewed this release on the day I received it, which is unheard-of, and speaks to how impressed I was by it on first listening. One other thing I need to mention -- and I hope the band takes this as the compliment it's intended to be -- though the CD rests in a holder emblazoned with the words Soli Deo Gloria, that's about the only reference to Christian beliefs you're going to hear on this album. The lyrics seem to be loosely about a trip to another star, the cold loneliness found there, and the joy experienced upon returning home. If there's a story here, it's a pretty loose one, but there's noting preachy about it at all. I imagine some of their Christan listeners might berate them for this, but as far as I'm concerned, this is great, and I hope they continue to use this philosophy of non-preachiness in future albums. But more importantly, I hope they continue to use the current musical philosophy in future albums, because I think they've finally found their sound on this album. Great stuff, and welcome back, Farpoint! One more bit of news ... guitarist Sam Sanders, who plays "additional electric guitar" on two of the songs on Cold Star Quiet Star, has since become a full band member, and will be heard playing on future albums and for Farpoint's live dates. -- Fred Trafton

Links

Click here for Farpoint's web site Click here for Farpoint's MySpace page

Discography

Night on Brocken (84) The Spectre Within (85) Awaken the Guardian (86) No Exit (88) Perfect Symmetry (89) Parallels (91) Inside Out (94) Chasing Time (95, Compilation) A Pleasant Shade of Grey (97) Still Life (98, 2CD) Disconnected (00, scheduled release date July 25, 2000)

Reviews

Fates Warning - Jim Matheos (Guitars ), Ray Alder (Vocals), Mark Zonder (Drums), Joey Vera (Bass) Perfect Symmetry is good, lots of neat time signature changes and rythms, reminds me of a complex Queensryche sound but without keyboards. Kind of depressing sounding and mellow, no real intense, adrenaline pumping kick-butt moments. Took a little while for them to grow on me.

Progressive metal, of course. Sort of a sister group to Dream Theater, but more metal than progressive. Shifting time signatures, pretty good lyrics, but IMHO the vocals aren't that great. This is based on Perfect Symmetry, though, that's all I've heard.

Fates Warning is one of the milestone bands in progressive metal music. 1996 marks the ten year anniversary of Awaken the Guardian, the band's first truly progressive album (the previous two, Night on Brocken and The Spectre Within are more traditional heavy metal and, while good, are of interest more to fans than casual listeners). Awaken the Guardian is a brilliant album, and shone like a diamond on the 1986 metal scene. Singer John Arch's penetrating vocals (love them or hate them, no in between) wailed on topics ranging from witchhunts to teen angst to Oscar Wilde's "The Selfish Giant." The album is dense and thickly layered, and takes many, MANY listens to sink in. Like King Crimson, the evolution of Fates Warning can be split into many different periods. With their next album, No Exit, FW refashioned itself as a faster, leaner, more ambitious metal band. New vocalist Ray Alder joined the band for this album, which contains a 21-minute epic called "The Ivory Gate of Dreams." This is an excellent album, but extremely heavy - a plus for some, a minus for others. Perfect Symmetry is regarded by many to be FW's best and most progressive album. Deep experimentations in syncopation and shifting time signatures abound. The album also contains "At Fates Hands," a largely instrumental piece with guest keyboards by Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater). After Perfect Symmetry, Fates began to become more commercial-sounding. Parallels, which also featured a guest appearance from Dream Theater (this time James LaBrie) was a satisfying if not downright pop album. After that came Inside Out, an even more mellow and radio-friendly disc. Both albums are excellent, but extremely different from the old stuff. The compilation, Chasing Time, is a great place to start. Not necessarily loved by everyone, Fates Warning has been largely responsible for the infusion of progressive thinking into heavy metal music. -- James Bickers

Links

[See Dream Theater] Click here for Fates Warning web site

Discography

Faust (71) So Far (72) The Faust Tapes (73) Faust IV (73) Outside the Dream Syndicate (73, w/ Tony Conrad) Slapp Happy with Faust (73) The Faust Tapes (73) Faust IV (74) Return of a Legend: Munich and Elsewhere (87, Compilation of unreleased material) The Last LP (88, a.k.a. The Faust Party Album, Compilation) Concerts Vol. 1 (92, Live Rec. 1990) Concerts Vol. 2 (92, Live Rec. 1992) Rien (95) 71 Minutes of Faust (96, CD, formerly Last LP when released on vinyl, Rec 1971) Untitled (96, comilation of live & studio material) Peel Sessions (96) You Know Faust (97) Edinburgh 1997 (97, Live) Faust wakes Nosferatu (98, in completely different CD and LP versions) Revvivando (99) Land of Ukko & Rauni (00, Live) Faust/Faust So Far (00, Compilation of first 2 albums) The Wumme Years: 1970-1973 (00, Compilation) BBC Sessions + (01, Compilation) Freispiel (02, Remixes of Revviviando) Patchwork (02) Derbe Respect, Adler (04, w/ Dälek) Patchwork 1971-2002 (04, Compilation) Inside the Dream Syndicate (05, w/ Tony Conrad)

Reviews

Wild, trippy, far-out German weirdos whose first two albums are landmarks of the German experimental scene. Just from looking at the first album, you know it's not going to be like anything you have ever heard before. Clear vinyl encased in a clear plastic sleeve with an X-ray of a fist printed on it, and even including a see-thru plastic lyric sheet with red lettering! The music is a totally original mix of electronics, tape effects, hard rock, semi-symphonic passages and light folky guitar pieces. It's impossible to predict in what direction they'll move next, they always move contrary to your expectations. Three tracks that all sort of run together. Highly recommended to the explorative. So Far way well be better and more varied than the first album. The opening track: "It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl" is almost simplistic, with single-drum pounding, jagged guitar strumming, bouncy organ tooting and vocals chanting the title over and over, yet it builds to something surprisingly multilayered, with synthesizers and a good sax solo. "No Harm" starts with a passage with prominent trumpet and organ, and sounds not unlike something from Zappa's orchestral period. Then it bursts into a whirlwind of rock fury. The title song is a 7/4 vamp around guitar picks and trumpet blasts in a maelstrom of electronic swooshes which leads in to the chilling "Mamie Is Blue", with dramatic, thunderous electronic effects. Awe-inspiring stuff, and recommended even more than the first. I also heard Faust 4. Still pretty varied, but nothing quite so original as their prior stuff. In fact, they even do an extended version of "Picnic On A Frozen River" from So Far. Fanatics need only apply. -- Mike Ohman

German free form psychedelic/experimental band from the early 70's. What I've heard (71 Minutes and The Faust Tapes) has not impressed me very much. I'm sure I could take a bunch of LSD with my non-musical friends and we could grab some instruments we don't know how to play, and come up with something just as noisy. Somebody once told me that these two albums are just rubbish that was never intended to be released, and their first two are much better.

Faust were one of the seminal German bands along with groups such as Amon Düül II and the like, who incorporated the idea of structured dissonance into music. To those who enjoy the style of those early "psychedelic" groups, their first and So Far are worthwhile discs to explore.

I have Faust IV which is a really good Krautrock album. In fact, the first track is called "Krautrock"! The album goes from noisy jams to really nice melodies with nice keyboards. Re-released by Virgin in 1992.

Links

[See Alcatraz] Click here for an excellent Faust fan web site, or here for another

Parents Tend To Oxygen First (1985)

A New York four piece working within a pop song format, their sound falls somewhere between the electronic keyboard-driven 90's-period Saga and 80's pop bands like Tears for Fears. Lead singer Pat Walsh is first rate, and the rest of the band pulls plenty of punches, with excellent songs and some clever hooks. I get the feeling these guys had no intention of ever trying to be any sort of progressive band, but because they sound so much like Saga ...

Things are More Like They are Now Than They Ever Were Before (80)

The duo of Steven Feigenbaum (guitars, bass, percussion, tapes, electronics, etc.) and Tom Scott (reeds, keyboards, percussion, etc.) recorded one great album for the "Random Radar" label. Tom Scott was a member of the Muffins, who recorded for the "Random Radar" label, and whose drummer (Paul Sears) also appears on this recording, along with wind synth player Barney Jones (of Mars Everywhere) and several others. Things..., besides having a great title, is a great album and should be an instant hit with fans of groups like the Muffins, Curlew, Soft Machine and Henry Cow. Besides several wonderful jazzy-weird Canterbury-ish/Muffins-ish bits (e.g. the title track) there are some very fine acoustic guitar and reed duos, some noisy/spacey avant-garde stuff, an acoustic guitar quartet, a piece that sounds minimalistic, but is much more interesting than anything any minimalist ever did, some demented Dixieland stylings, and much more. As fine as this album is, Steven Feigenbaum's greatest contributions to music are his music distribution company (Wayside Music) and the "Cuneiform" label, both of which succeeded in carving out a very distinctive niche in the music world. Through Wayside and Cuneiform, hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of us were introduced to the Muffins, Curlew, Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, Nimal, Debile Menthol, and countless other strange and wonderful sound artists. Thanks, Steve! -- Dave Wayne

[See Chainsaw Jazz | Mars Everywhere | Muffins, The]

Discography

Fermáta (75) Piesen Z Hol (Song from Ridges) (76) Huascaran (77) Dunajská Legenda (The Danubian Legend) (80) Biela Planéta (The White Planet) (80) Generation (81) Ad Libitum (84) Smile ... (91) Real Time (94)

Reviews

A Czech* group that has released 5 LP's of instrumental prog rock. The music tends to be a little oblique, with unusual chord progressions. The emphasis is on piano/keyboards. The LP's are entitled Biela Planeta ("The White Planet"), Dunajska Legenda, Huascaran, Generation , and, Piesen Z Hol ("Songs From Ridges"). A comparable group would be The Nice. * Editor's Note: I suspect that when this was written, "Czech" was intended to be simply a contraction of "Czechoslovakian". Thanks to Rastislav Galia for pointing out that Fermáta is a Slovakian band, not a Czech band, though they once were a Czechoslovakian band. -- Fred Trafton

Fermata have released at least six jazz-rock albums. Along with the ones mentioned in the upper paragraph is their debut Fermata and a symphonic styled eighties album that came later. I keep finding these guys lumped with Finch and Camel, yet they are much more in the jazz realm than any of these bands, and are basically just another fusion band with an experimental edge.

Huascaran was supposedly inspired by the 1970 tragedy in Peru when an earthquake-triggered avalanche from the Huascaran mountain killed nearly 80,000 people. However, this isn't readily apparent in the music offered by the album's four long tracks, which is essentially instrumental fusion dominated by the occasionally melodious but generally pyrotechnic solos and exchanges between Frantisek Griglák's guitar and Tomás Berka's electric piano and synthesizer. Here and there, however, the band introduce more progressive elements into the mix: a stately piano/cello duet, some vocalise on a folkish melody, a wailing, synth-harmonised guitar solo against a spacey string-machine scenery. The fusion sound is still the dominant throughout, with Ladislav Lucenic's funky bass and Karol Oláh's driving drumming providing smooth vamps, over which guitar and keyboards can work through the standard and also a few slightly exotic scales. However, unlike Iceberg whom Fermata have sometimes been compared to, the symphonic or ethnic flavours are much less prominent on Huascaran than on the Iceberg albums I have heard. Fusion fans will quite probably love this, others should perhaps test waters before buying. The fusion sound asserts itself completely in the three bonus tracks, which are all pretty standard and non-descript jazz workouts. Ad Libitum tries to incorporate vocals and more conventional pop elements into Fermata's symphonic-flavoured fusion recipe, but the result is a bit stale and confused. "Posledné Tango Na Vajnorskej Ulici" is probably the album's most successful amalgamation: two spacey synthesizer solos bookend an unremarkable but enjoyable rock tune with symphonic keyboard arrangements and instrumental sections somewhat reminiscent of late-1970s Genesis. For most of its duration, however, the album serves up slick but faceless fusion and half-hearted attempts at mainstream rock ballads or anthems with vaguely Jon Anderson-like vocals by Juraj Bartovic. The production doesn't help either, as there are a few too many glib guitar riffs, whiny solos and shallow synthesizer pads to lend the music additionally lustre. The rather tackily packaged Open Music CD re-release also seems to be from a vinyl source. -- Kai Karmanheimo

Links

[See Collegium Musicum] Click here for a Fermata web page evidently maintained by a japanese fan

Discography

Motivos Para Perderse (96) Dead Tongues (96, w/ Alquimia) Extractos (97) (ProgressoR Review) Sol Central (00, w/ Margarita Botello) (ProgressoR review) Dicen Que Somos Dioses Y Nos Soñamos Hombres (00)

Reviews

The hero of this review, whose full name includes another two words [actually only one - Ed.] (they do it like that - sometimes they give the full name), and who has in reality something in common with Columbus, because he with his creation does no less than discover new territories for progressive rock, put out, together with singer Margarita Botello, his second album in general and for the excellent Mexican label Luna Negra in particular. Generally, however, the music and the singing are here so independent from everything heard before, that only a person who knows our genre inside out will realize why for example an apple tree has among other apples not even a pear or a pineapple, but something totally unknown, wonderfully delicious, and the taste is completely new. Still, the "insider-out" sees that this strange fruit grows on the apple tree, he just sees it. And though the taste tells something different, even contradictory, turned upside down and dusted with powdered sugar, the "insider-out" feels that the powdered sugar, like sand in the eyes (and this to him?), clouds his sight of the apple tree, but his memory is good, thanks to God, and he trusts it not to lie to him. -- Vitaly Menshikov

Links

[See Alquimia] Fernández Ledesma doesn't seem to have a web site, and Luna Negra's site appears to have gone offline. Click here for more reviews of his CD's on the E-Prog web site

Diario Di Viaggio Della Festa Mobile (73)

PFM sound alikes, Festa Mobile were a little heavier than their more well-known counterparts and the keyboard player happened to be more of a virtuoso than PFM's but the effect is close. Although FM's singer may be a little less melodic than PFM's, the music is just as interesting and a little bit more involving.

Italian band from the mid-70, their one self-titled album is quite good, but not an essential classic. A folkish influence driving, lots of piano, organ.

Discography

Zece Pasti (75) Zi Cu Zi (77) Un Joc (81)

Mi Scorri Nelle Vene/Cerchi (70, 7")

When the band was dissolved Federico Stefani went to play with L'Uovo di Colombo and Reale Accademia di Musica Henryk Topel and Piero Pavone with the Reale Accademia di Musica The song "Mi Scorri Nelle Vene" is the italian version of the song "Soldier In Our Town" by Iron Butterfly.

[See Reale Accademia Di Musica | Uovo Di Colombo, L']

Discography

fi'-bo-na'-chez (82) Slow Beautiful Sex (83, EP) Terror Vision (86, Soundtrack) Civilization and Its' Discotheques (87) Repressed (92)

Reviews

The Fibonaccis circa 1986 - Tom Corey, John Dentino, Magie Song, Joe Berardi Imagine if you will, 4 very unique individuals whose collective fascinations include Fellini movies (and their Nino Rota soundtracks), circus music, poetry, biting humor and satire, Kabuki cabaret, Bernard Hermann film scores, assorted geniuses and sociopaths, various struck metallic objects, pop culture at large and Civilization and Its Discotheques, and you can begin to get an idea of what drove The Fibonaccis. Back in the fashion obsessed 1980's (when bad hair, cheesy synth driven music and trendy superficiality were the natural order of things), four brave souls dared to challenge the cultural status quo of their native LA and beyond. Taking their name from an Italian mathematician (Leonardo Fibonacci) from the 14th Century who had a jones for number sequences, The Fibonaccis pulled together the above mentioned elements and began their conquest. The lineup was: Magie Song: Lead vocals, Theatrics, Percussion, Dancing John Dentino: Piano, Synths, Casio Keyboard, Mellotron, Vocoder Joe Berardi: Drums, Percussion, Vibes, Various Metals, Fake Electric Cello made from a cheap old electric guitar. Ron Stringer: Guitar, Some Bass, Angular Dissonance The resulting sound of this daring foursome to my ears was a tempestuous mix of progressive rock, film soundtracks, waltzes and circus music, Talking Heads-like funkiness, spaghetti westerns, Zappa-esque biting humor and may other exotic musical colors. This definitely was not Flock of Seagulls, Frankie and the Knockouts or whatever cheesy 80's band comes to mind. It aimed straight for the gray matter, and you could dance to it as well (In fact, Magie STRONGLY encouraged the audience at their live shows to do just that)! Flying in the face of what was critically and commercially acceptable (anything with more than 3 chords, complex rhythms and intelligent lyrics was violently disdained back then by the so called critical intelligentsia and major record companies), The Fibonaccis released their first record in 1982 on the local Index label, titled fi'-bo-na'-chez. On this, they definitely wore their influences on their sleeve, but also showed a very strong developing personality all their own. John Dentino's menacing Mellotron and piano figures provided a wonderful foil for Magie's swooping voice, Joe Berardi's percussive colors were sheer propulsive delight, Ron Stringer's piercing, angular Surf-meets-Ennio Morricone inspired guitar gave the music a cool edge as well. Plus, John is the only keyboard player I have ever heard that could make a cheesy Casio keyboard sound cool! Soon, their reputation as a live act on the LA club scene began to grow, even garnering rave notices in local music publications. It was a wonderful refreshing alternative to the synth-drenched mindless dreck of the time! Not only was their original material inspired, but they also delighted audiences with a hilarious, twisted version of "Purple Haze" and a spine-chilling reading of the theme from Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". In 1983, The Fibs released an EP on the Enigma label called Slow Beautiful Sex, (the title cut was a ferocious jab at Yuppie consumerism and decadence, featuring lines like "Pour me some Giacobazzi / And tell me you're a Nazi"). The back cover was a hilariously doctored version of the liner notes from an old John Coltrane album (most likely "Giant Steps") with a B&W photo from "Psycho" to boot. It was also at this point that Tom Corey came into the Fibonacci's fold wielding a bass, a mandolin, a voice, and a lot of biting humor of his own. The Fibs undertook a number of select live appearances (mainly in the LA area) , as well as occasional festival and radio appearances. It wasn't until 1986 that anything in the way of another recording appeared (save for some appearances on compilations like "The Radio Tokyo Tapes"). By this point, changes in the band were happening. Guitarist Ron Stringer resigned, and Tom Corey assumed some guitar duties. The Fibs wound up being asked to write music for a Horror-Comedy movie called TerrorVision. At last, they thought, this was the break they were waiting for! Alas, the movie (and soundtrack) didn't do quite the booming business that was hoped for. Undaunted, the Fibs redoubled their efforts to produce what was to be their last recording, Civilization and Its' Discotheques. in 1987. The period in its production was marked with so many flubs, false starts and difficulties with record industry people, that the Fib's mailed a box of corn flakes to a particular person to emphasize their feelings about how he was handling things. They also appeared in a movie called Valet Girls in a party scene, under the name of "Sex Holiday". In 1988, frustrated and weary of dealing with an unsympathetic music biz, and the grind of trying to tour and be noticed, The Fibonaccis bowed out for good. In the 90's, Restless Records issued a fabulous compilation CD called Repressed which gave an excellent overview of what The Fibonacci's were all about. It also included never before released recordings from a radio show. It doesn't seem likely that the Fib's will reform, but there are certainly some great recordings to remember them by, and those of us who were fortunate enough to see them live will always treasure their inspired lunacy and musical adventurousness! If you see any recordings, DON'T HESITATE TO GRAB THEM!! You'll be glad you did! -- Phil McKenna

Links

Click here for Phil McKenna's Fibonaccis web site, from which the above review was lifted (with permission) Click here for Craig Unkrich's Fibonaccis web site

Discography

DNA - The Brain - The Universe (02)

Reviews

I've just checked out a band called Fiction, which includes Tony Hill of High Tide on guitars and vocals. [This] entry on the GEPR [is] for the sake of warning people that, despite Mr. Hill's background, this new band is not prog in any sense of the term. -- Robert Orme

Links

Click here for Tony Hill's Fiction web site

Discography

Fields (71)

Reviews

A somewhat obscure band which featured Graham Field (founder of Rare Bird), Andrew McCulloch (appeared in King Crimson's Lizard, and worked with Dave Greenslade, Greg Lake, etc.), and Alan Barry (guitarist with Pete and Mike Giles, of early King Crimson fame). The music is guitar/organ based rock, similar to groups of that era, such as The Nice (Keith Emerson's group before ELP). Some songs feature the Mellotron, and help round off the "prog sound."

Progressive group formed by the combination of Graham Field (ex-Rare Bird; organ and pianos), Andrew McCulloch (ex-The Shy Limbs, ex-King Crimson, later of Greenslade; drums and other percussion), and the obscure and IMO rather talentless guitarist Alan Barry (bass,guitars,vocals). However, fully half of the 10 tracks on their sole album are rather dull standard rock numbers, not prog at all. Another track, "Not So Good", is pleasurable with mournful organ touches, but really is pretty standard prog. In their best moments ("A Friend of Mine" and "Over and Over Again"), Fields sounds like a poor man's Greenslade. "The Eagle", a co-write between Barry and Field, is a fantastic instrumental. "Slow Susan", which is predominately organ and electric piano, covers a fascinating set of emotions and seems to be woven from childhood memories -- an interesting listen. Overall, though, there's little good on the album Fields, so I would generally not call it a good buy (particularly at the heavy prices that seem to go with it). It should be of interest for serious Greenslade fans, though, both for Andrew McCulloch's membership and the startlingly Greensladish moments on it. Also might be considered a good album if you're trying to tentatively introduce a friend to progressive music. Fields also released a single, "A Friend of Mine", which consists of two tracks from the album. -- Robert Orme

Links

[See Greenslade | Kingdom Come | King Crimson | Rare Bird]

Discography

Dawnrazor (87) The Nephilim (88) Elizium (90) Laura (91) Earth Inferno (91, Live) Live in Concert (92, Live) Revelations (93, Compilation) From Here to Gehenna (01, Compilation and previously unreleased material) Mourning Sun (05) Note: There is a 2 CD set entitled Memoriam being offered at online auctions. As near as the band can determine, it was probably a soundboard recording of a Fields of the Nephilim show from 1990. The band has stated that, "because the seller has not manufactured the CD's himself and as long as the seller sells the remaining limited stock to private buyers only, we have decided not to take further action against the seller himself in this particular case". However, this is a bootleg album and the band earns no royalties from it.

Reviews

Fields of the Nephilim (an early promo shot) Often cited as the core "gothic" band by a lot of people, FOTN are were/are a great band which have matured considerably over the years. They sort of split up a couple of years ago with the lead singer and luminary taking the name with him. As far as I know, the rest of them became Rubicon and I've heard dire things about them. Anyway, this is quite a depressing band that plays really atmpospheric material. Not so much sound effects oriented, their power lies in their ability to write songs with a real dark, powerful feel. Dawnrazor is pretty good and shows promise from a pretty young band but The Nephilim and Elizium are fine pieces ... particularly Elizium. The Nephilim has the moody "Celebrate" consisting of mainly just vocals and bass with a few effects in the background that sounds like anything but a celebration. This album also contains "Love Under Will" which has a nice haunting guitar line. The vocals are sort of low and nearly spoken but suit the music perfectly. Elizium is just 4 long tracks and a very fine album. Highly atmospheric and really nice guitars combined with superb structure and that 200 - year - old - house - on - a - dark - stormy - Sunday - afternoon ambience. They are very Lovecraft inspired (yes another one!) and there are constant references to "Ktulu" and "Dead but Dreaming" etc. If you're going to dabble, get Elizium. Laura is, I think, some older material (at least it sounds that way) and isn't particularly good. I think it was compiled from archives ... there seem to have been a huge number of live/compilation albums after Elizium and the split.

Updated 12/10/01: After the breakup of FOTN, Carl McCoy went on to record another gothic/darkwave album under the simplified and re-spelled name The Nefilim. He has since put together a new version of FOTN. They have a new album in the works, though it's scheduled 2001 release has been pushed into the future. "Unforeseen forces had cursed the new album," to quote McCoy. -- Fred Trafton Updated 9/4/07: The new album Mourning Sun was released in 2005. -- Fred Trafton

Links

[See Nefilim, The] Click here for Fields of the Nephilim's official web site Click here for a fan web site which contains lots of information, but is now pretty outdated Click here for some now-outdated info on the Jungle Records web site

Cauldron (68), I've Paid My Dues (70)

San Francisco hippie band that dabbled with proto-electronics and dissonance. One band member played audio oscillators only, male-female vocal harmonies. Their album Cauldron is pretty good if you ignore a couple of pop covers.

Fili D'Erba (72)

The album is half Italian and half in English. Not really a very interesting band.

Discography

Channel 8 (87, Cassette) The Time Has Arrived (89, Cassette) Redress the Balance (91) Quest (92) Stand Up (97) Hindsight (03) Simple (06)

Reviews

Final Conflict 2007 - Brian Donkin (guitars/vocals), Steve Lipiec (keyboards), Henry Rogers (drums), Andy Lawton (guitars/vocals) and Chris Chalk (bass) A new entry into the world of the neo-progressive, Redress the Balance, their debut CD is best described as a cross between Saga and the UK band Galahad. The music is, as was the case with the recent Galahad CD, a case of art rock meets AOR. The music itself is very listenable, dominated by keyboards and guitars, and will appeal to those who enjoy the music by the other bands mentioned above. Harder edged neo-prog five piece from the UK. The band is blessed with two outstanding vocalists in Andy Lawton and Brian Donkin, who are both coincidentally excellent guitarists also. The sound is rounded out with keyboards, and the competent rhythm section led by bassist Dave Bridgett. Musically their sound may remind of Marillion or Egdon Heath, lots of accent and color, with solo guitar outbursts, shifting rhythms and excellent guitar-keyboard correlations. Fans of the aforementioned should enjoy these guys a lot. Added 10/19/01: I've heard two of Final Conflict's CD's, namely Quest and Stand Up. Both are pretty good in their own way, but are quite different from each other. Quest is a concept album about ... uhm ... would you believe crossword puzzles? I don't know if this is a true story or not (it sounds like it), but the concept is that during World War II, military secrets were allegedly being given away in a newspaper crossword puzzle. When the government investigated, they discovered that the whole thing was an incredible coincidence. Quest explores this story by drawing parallels between crossword puzzles and life ... you try to solve the puzzle, but sometimes you just don't know the words, or the answers don't make sense, etc. An interesting concept, at least. The musical style on this album is quite simple but lush, well done yet accessable. Their style reminds me a bit of Iluvatar if that helps, particularly their vocalist, but also in the melodic arrangements. The CD also features a cool piece of related cover art that is reminiscent of the style of Kim Poor's cover art for Steve Hackett's Please Don't Touch, plus an insert that is (of course) a crossword puzzle. Stand Up is quite different. After a 5-year gap between releases, the band has retooled their style quite a bit. This album begins to venture somewhat into a "world music" style, in fact the title song "Stand Up" would not be at all out of place on a Peter Gabriel album, circa So or Us. The vocalist even sounds like Gabriel, especially on this cut. They don't use a lot of ethnic percussion, however, so don't think "world music" in that sense. There's also a definite Floydian vibe going on for the rest of the album. Overall, this is a more laid-back album than Quest, and less "proggy" in the retro-70's-prog sense. I think I also like it better than Quest in spite of that. Or maybe because of that. I don't consider Final Conflict to be among the premier prog bands by any means, but their music is definitely enjoyable and well performed. It's just a bit derivative and unchallenging. That's not always a bad thing ... I do get tired of being challenged all the time. Sometimes I'd rather just listen to something that's not too difficult, but not simple pop either (is that what some people mean when they say "neo-prog"?). These guys are a good listen when you're in one of those moods. -- Fred Trafton

[Do not confuse with different Final Conflict (country unknown) who have a release entitled Ashes to Ashes. They are punk/hardcore.]

Links

Click here for Final Conflict's web site Click here for Final Conflict's MySpace page

Glory Of The Inner Force (75), Beyond Expression (76), Galleons Of Passion (77)

One of the top twenty progressive bands ever. Imagine Focus at their most kick ass, add a symphonic edge and a tendency to change beats every four to eight measures and you have the instrumental rock band Finch. All of theirs are good, but I'd look for Glory Of The Inner Force or Beyond Expression first.

This was an excellent Dutch progressive rock band that made three albums instrumental prog rock. Galleons Of Passion is probably the "best known" of the bunch. Their music has the melodic sensibility of Camel, with a harder edge.

Absolutely phenominal fusion band. Very tight. Experiment with various tempo and mood changes. Glory of the Inner Force is highly recommended.

Finch was an outstanding Dutch instrumental band who released four(?) albums between 1973 and 1977. The sound was replete with soaring melodics throughout, tight rhythm changes, flashy pyrotechnics, and enough excellent musicianship to blow away most other bands of the time. If this sounds like a description of some very hot fusion, well...that's not too far off the mark, but blend it with the color and subtle passion of Camel or Focus and you're halfway there. Beyond tends to be a little more spacy and fluid, while Glory, arguably their most powerful, has a lot more flair and a higher energy level. Galleons was their last, and most accessible, but not as challenging as the early stuff. I've not heard the first album, in fact I don't know anyone who has!

They're loud, they're fast, they're Caribbean lounge music with synths. :-) Well, that was my first impression anyway. "Paradoxical Moods" has organ, bass, drums, and guitar, playing furiously with callipso undertones. The overall sound is similar to an extended Djam Karet instrumental -- this is both good and bad -- with hints of Led Zeppelin in a mellow mood. The guitarist is quite decent. The keyboardist is quick but his solos don't have much harmonic content. The beat is strong. However, the first 2 minutes of the piece contain a total of TWO chords. You've got to be pretty damn great to keep people's interest with two chords, and Finch isn't it. As the music continues, there is a HEAVY emphasis on the tonic. If you pick a random spot on the CD and press "play," there is a good chance that the band will be playing a tonic chord. In summary: decent performers playing harmonically dead music.

Glory of the Inner Force will appeal to both fans of Steve Howe and Focus. The guitar player, Joop Van Nimwegen will remind you of a cross between Steve Howe and Jan Akkerman of Focus. The music itself is derivative of neither, though certainly closer in style to Focus than Yes. Four long songs that are sure to please fans of guitar. There's also some nice organ soloing. Highly recommended to Focus fans.

The best thing to come out of Holland since Dutch chocolate! Finch was primarily the vehicle for Akkerman/Howe influenced guitarist extraordinaire Joop Van Nimwegen, who composed nearly all of Finch's material. The other three members are awesome players as well. Cleem Determeijer is a chamaeleonic keyboardist who is able to change styles with the greatest of ease. Peter Vink is a stunningly nimble bass player, his lightning arpeggiations often give Chris Squire a run for his money. And Beer Klaasse keeps up the tempo in always interesting ways with his superb drumming. Glory Of The Inner Force is easily a classic of the Dutch scene. "Register Magister" is an incredible, relentless dynamo of progressive energy, while "A Bridge To Alice" builds beautifully to a climactic ending. The rare second album, Beyond Expression, includes just three songs, the side-long "A Passion Condensed" is another classic with non-stop energy. Considering Galleons Of Passion was recorded with a different keyboardist and drummer, it probably outlived the expectations of many, as Finch managed another excellent album. "Unspoken Is The Word", the three-part "With Love As The Motive" and the classic "Reconciling" make this well worth your time and money. Hampered only by a couple of short, undeveloped songs at the end of the A-side. Finch are one of those bands who managed to enter and exit the prog world without making one bad album over the course of their brief career. Not many bands can say that. -- Mike Ohman

[See Rainman; An Australian hard rock band called Finch released one self-title album in 1974.]

On A Day of Crystalline Thought (74)

Folk-prog compared to Renaissance.

Discography

Finisterre (95) In Limene (96) Höstsonaten (97, as Finisterre Project) Live - AI Margini Della Terra Fertile (98, Live) In Ogni Luogo (99) Live at Progday 1997 (00, Live) Storybook (01, Repackaged re-release of Live at Progday, Live) (Progressive World review) (ProgressoR review)

Reviews

Finisterre - Fabio Zuffanti (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals), Andrea Orlando (drums, percussion), Agostino Macor (keyboards, guitars, mandolin), Rafaella Callea (lead vocals, flute), Sergio Caputo (violin, percussion), Stefano Marelli (guitar, vocals) Finisterre is an impressive debut for this group. Basic instruments include guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, flute and few vocals (in Italian) but saxophone, violin and a choir can also be heard. Faithful to their national tradition, the group blends rock, jazz and classical elements to produce a music that stays fresh through repeated listening. The compositions show originality and offer a certain variety of arrangements that transit smoothly from intense electric guitar solos to quiet piano-flute melodies. An ambitious production that's surprisingly solid for a first release. Regarding In Limine: This Italian band is back with its guitars, keyboards, flutes, vocals (in Italian), bass, drums and percussions. Guests are present on cello, voice, violin, trumpet, clarinet, choir, saxophones and flutes. The style remains a tasteful mix different elements (rock, jazz, classical, folk) but themes sometime develop slower with more emphasis on atmosphere. Arrangements involve much flute often accompanied by acoustic instruments but also include jazzier (rhythms), more rock (electric guitar) or ambient (electronic) developments. An excellent production, solid performances and a certain variety of moods. Regarding Höstsonaten: The solo project (composer, arranger and producer) by [Finisterre bassist Fabio Zuffanti] involves numerous collaborations. Present are members from Finisterre on bass, guitars, keyboards, flute and drums, as well as other guests on keyboards, sax/flute (Eris Pluvia), and vocals (in English). The style is a tasteful blend of acoustic and electric elements in a simple and light symphonic rock. We then find delicate acoustic arrangements with a 70's flavour and others, more electric, closer to the symphonic rock of current British bands (Marillion, Pendragon). An excellent production where the simplicity of the compositions give way to strong melodies, rich arrangements and coherent performances. -- Paul Charbonneau

Links

[See Maschera Di Cera] Click here for the Finisterre official web site. Appears to have gone offline

Discography

Yellow (94) Green (96) Pictures (01) 4th (04)

Reviews

A very good (to me) Belgian Cantebury-and-beyond-inspired band. I've heard parts of Green, and it sounds much like Hatfields devoid sense of humour. Indeed, everything together sounds like Hatfield and the North infused with light doses of Art Zero school and experimental dark wave or neofolk art, eg. Tuxedomoon, Vidna Obmana or even Dead Can Dance. Head of Finnegans Wake, Henry Krutzen have worked with J.L. Plouvier from Univers Zero. So it's really no use wondering why these Belgians lean towards dark in music. Despite somewhat depressed outcome, I find everything heard cool and well-worth the investment. Perhaps not essential, but also not to be missed. -- Nenad Kobal

I must admit that my first few listens to Finnegans Wake's Pictures left me a bit cold, but this album really grew on me after half a dozen listens. It's not that easy to listen to, I would definitely have to put this album into the RIO category, albeit with more melodic content than some of the other bands give that apellation. The first cut, "Downtown", is a Henry Krutzen composition, and sounds like his solo stuff, with a neo-classical chamber orchestra playing notes that sound as if they were generated by random dice rolls than any usual melodic technique. In other words, it reminds one of Univers Zero. But then it stops and a mellow, very straitlaced drum and bass line begins, and suddenly you think you're listening to Steely Dan or Mannheim Steamroller. But just when you thought it was about to get boring, the chamber music returns juxtaposed with this easy-jazz rhythm section. The result is quite a contrast, a study in tension and release happening simultaneously. Quite interesting. "Pictures (Suite for 5 Painters)" features more of these non-melodies, this time reminding me of Gravity-era Fred Frith, but there's also a scat singing section sung over burbling sample-and-holding synths, plus a sort of a beat poetry spoken section over a velvety synth chord. This piece clocks in at over 16 minutes and features movements written by most of the band members. The third cut, "First Blow" is an almost Glassian exercise in trying to sound like human sequencers, with variations for each circuit thru the 14-beat sequence. Then it switches to a similar sequence, this one 10 beats long, with screeching guitar synth improvs over the top. I'm again reminded of Mr. Frith. Strange, hypnotic and compelling. The remainder of the album is similar, save for a vocal section in the last cut which would have been quite at home on a Hatfield and the North album. In fact, I might describe this whole album as sounding like Hatfield and the North, but with a lot of RIO and modern classical influences thrown in as well. If you like this sort of music, Finnegans Wake's Pictures is a must. After the release of Pictures, Krutzen moved from Beligium to Brazil, and for awhile Finnegans Wake's future was uncertain. But with the release of their new album, 4th, it's obvious that they have not let the distance between band members stop them. 4th is a 2-CD offering packaged in a handsome 3-section digipack. If anything, it's even better than Pictures, using the same sort of combination of prog rock, avant jazz and modern classical music blended together in a very classy and intellectual amalgamation of styles. Knowing what to expect this time around, I was able to appreciate this album on the first listen, though the complexity tells me that subsequent replays will only reveal even more interesting details that were missed on the first spin. The addition of many excellent Brazilian guest musicians playing clarinet, flute, violin, oboe, cello and various ethnic instruments really broadens the palette of timbres and styles even further than in Pictures. The music is mostly instrumental, though there are two short vocal cuts featuring the twisted verse of Richard Redcrossed. There isn't a piece on the 2-CD set that isn't fantastic, but standouts for me are "Mercurial", which sounds like a twisted and elaborated version of the theme from the original The Twilight Zone TV series (Krutzen tells me this was not intentional, but admits that "unconscious" tributes are always possible) and "Tapioca com Pimenta" which departs from the avant-jazz/classical sound of the rest of the album by sounding like Deep Purple ... though with an organ solo that Jon Lord can only wish to be able to play. This album is very cleanly recorded and expertly mixed, starting in Brazil and finishing in Brussels, Belgium. It should see a lot of crossover interest from the avant-jazz crowd. At least, it will if life is at all fair. Also, they have swtched labels once more, from the Gazul sub-label of Musea Records to Guy Segers' (Present, Univers Zero) Carbon-7 label, which is where Finnegans Wake really belongs. Krutzen agrees, and thinks Finnegans Wake will have no further need to switch labels, and even implied that Segers may participate in the next album ... someday. If you're a fan of the Art