(13 May 2006) One of the challenges with a live concert DVD is that it is very difficult to capture the atmosphere of the concert itself when the footage is edited. This will have been a consideration for the wonderful Iona, whose music is very dependent upon the ambience it creates. The venue has been a major part to play, and the decision to use an intimate, small hall at the University of London has turned out to be an excellent one. And packed audience gives the music a very special boost. It was a long time from recording that very rainy night in November 2004 until release in the spring of 2006. We review Iona - Live In London (Open Sky Records / Voiceprint (UK) OpenskyDVD2, 2006) below.

We will deal with the programme itself in chronological order, and begin with the Special Features disc. While there are no other features than some relatively brief interviews, the main part of the disc is given over to the band's charming opening acoustic set. Thankfully, much of the between-song chat has been preserved, with Troy Donockley particularly funny, adding to the relatively relaxed feel of this section. The lovely "Chi-Rho" from "Book of Kells" kicks things off, with Troy and Dave Bainbridge on guitars and Frank Van Essen supplying percussion, before the ambience of "Greenfields of Canada," one of the pieces Troy and Dave play as a duo, with Uilleann Pipes featured for the first time. The subtle changes in Dave's synth sounds are also impressive here, and the piece segues into the lovely "Edge of the World," originally from Beyond these Shores. The serenity lifts slightly for some jigs, with Troy moving from Cittern to Low Whistle, while Frank doubles the melody on violin. "Today," which closes this 30-minute set, is given a near-perfect acoustic treatment, a programmed rhythm allowing Frank to solo on violin and with Joanne, as always, singing beautifully.

On to the main feature--and what a delight the electric set is. This section opens with two familiar pieces from Open Sky. The fabulous instrumental "Woven Chord" with its unison guitar / Uilleann Pipes is up first. This is a trademark Iona piece, beautifully performed, while the glorious "Wave after Wave" continues the set. "Inside my Heart" is up next, humorously introduced by Joanne and Troy. This is a personal favourite-- the tension of the acoustic section leading into an astonishingly powerful and dextrous guitar solo from Dave. Joanne’s keyboards are crucial, here, as they so often are when Dave is occupied on guitar.

Three new pieces continue the concert: "The Wind off the Lake" is strongly rhythmic and very Celtic, with Troy's pipes prominent before a chanted vocal section and a final guitar / low whistle coda. Next up is the charmingly gentle instrumental "A Dhia Ghleigil" featuring Troy on low whistle, while "The factory of magnificent Souls" is a more straight forward song, beautifully sung by Joanne and with Dave doubling on bouzouki and lead guitar.

The lengthy, multi-layered progressive classic "Encircling" from Journey into the Morn is next, followed by the final new song, the dynamic "Strength" which builds from a sparse beginning towards a hard-rock, emotional climax. The up tempo pop song "Treasure" continues the set, which is brought to a close with the stately "Castlerigg" leading into the high-energy "Reels" section which allows all members of the band to let off steam, with more superb unison pipe / lead guitar work. There are four encores, the delightfully tuneful "Irish Day," the rhythmic "Bi-Se I mo Shuil Part 2," the lead guitar led instrumental "Flight of the Wild Goose" and the classic ballad "Murlough Bay."

Throughout, the camera work is tasteful and accurate, and the occasional cuts to black and white are nicely handled. The sound mix is first rate, and the performances are superb. It looks like very little "patching up" has been done, though some keyboards sound like they may have been added, though may have been pre-programmed by Dave on the night.

Each member plays his part: Troy shows his amazing versatility on a variety of instruments despite a heavy cold, while Dave's keyboard playing is matched by his astonishing virtuosity as a lead guitarist. Joanne's voice remains as stunning as ever, and Frank Van Essen is that rarest of things--a violin playing drummer, who could find a place in any band on either instrument. Phil Barker's bass playing is also remarkable throughout.

The audio track from the concert is also captured on a two-CD set. Iona Live in London (Open Sky Records (UK) OPENVP12CD, 2008) was actually released two years after the DVD. Perfectly recorded with a full color booklet that includes stunning individual and group photos from the gig taken by Tim Martindale. It is a superb album.

Iona – Live in London (DVD) has only a few bonus features, but as a live recording of a brilliant band at their very best, this long awaited live performance on DVD is superb.--Stephen Lambe in Cheltenham, England and Russ Elliot in New York

(03 July 2006) The stunning seventeen track various artist compilation, Covered (Op(iii) (USA), 2006), has been issued by October Project to help finance the band's next full album. This tremendous album includes sixteen tracks by artists covering the songs of Emil Adler and Julie Flanders. Many favorite October Project classics are included--some are performed true to the original incarnation while others vary off the mark significantly. October Project provide the track "Always A Place" as the bonus and seventeenth track. We'll comment on the uniqueness of each of the songs below.

The album opens with Julian Coryell's rendition of "Adam & Eve." Arranged similarly to the OP original, the track features Julian's male vocal in contrast to OP's female texture, but it works real well. Joy Askew's version of "If I Could" is dramatically different with her evocative vocal rising atop light electronic instrumentation.

The first of the album's standouts is Sylvia Tosun's unique treatment of "Wall Of Silence," vastly rearranged as contrasted to the original. The orchestral instrumental washes provide a foundation for Sylvia's searching and airy vocal. As expected by Sylvia's fans and Musical Discoveries visitors, percussion and richer guitar and bass instrumentals add texture to the material as the track develops. Laura Berman, also reviewed here at Musical Discoveries presents a lovely interpretation of the classic "Deep As You Go," arranged similarly to the OP classic. Berman's sensually delivered vocals perfectly suit the band's hit song.

Richard Barone recorded a lovely electronic- and acoustic guitar-based version of "One Dream," and his multi-layered vocals work well with this alternative interpretation of the track. The keyboard washes work exceptionally well. Gabrielle (Gerwitz) presents a light version of "The Mind's Eye," carried primarily by her sensually sweet vocal delivery. Acoustic guitar perfectly underscores the lyrical passages in the song.

Another album standout is Amelia Dream's powerful rendition of the October Project hit "Be My Hero." Amelia's vocal delivery is as powerful as OP's original recording and her range perfectly suits the arrangement. Vocal harmonies in the chorus add tremendous October Project flavors. A dramatic guitar solo, reminscent of OP's live performances inserted during the instrumental mid-section is fantastically performed. Swanky Hotel have recorded a lovely version of "Reason To Forgive." Francene Wheeler's soprano works well in this folky alternative to the original the song.

The Feathermerchants recorded a tremendous cover of OP's hit "Where You Are." While Shannon Kennedy's airy voice works well in the verse, she clearly soars with the best of them in the choruses atop broad guitar excursions in the powerful instrumental arrangements. The guitar solo in the song's mid-section is just tremendous. With one standout after another, the album proceeds to the a capella version of "Bury My Lovely" by Lisa Piccirillo & The Skidmore Dynamics. This stunning choral arrangement of the huge OP hit will produce chills in the most immune listener!

Alice Ripley's evocative version of "Ariel" from the motion picturer The Adulterer (2000) performed with Jesse Harris on acoustic guitar is another excellent OP cover. The bluegrass-tinged version of "Johnny" is powerfully delivered by Allison Cornell, whose powerful fast-paced solo voice perfectly reproduces the lyrical message. Harmonytryx--Jodelle Boorady, Erica Cohn, Callie Hershey, Chris Krupka, Angela Marcone and Jennifer Staff--deliver a lovely capella, complete with percussive vocalisations, version of "Sunday Morning Yellow Sky." The track is a certain standout.

Gregory Douglass' evocatively delivered male vocal interpretation of "A Lonely Voice" is backed by Emil Adler on piano. Harmonies provided by OP's Marina Belica and Julie Flanders add to Martha Colby's cello work to produce a lovely texture in this live-to-disc recording essentially by Douglass and the OP lineup. Listeners will be enthralled with the rich Celtic-influenced and emotional interpretation of "Return To Me" by Frederik Doci and OP alumni Urbano Sanchez, Martha Colby and tender layers of backing vocals by Sylvia Tosun. It is clearly the most richly arranged number on this album.

The unique and gentle almost Japanese-flavored instrumental by Pete Dringle of "Something More Than This" draws little similarity to the original number but serves as an excellent conclusion to the various artist portion of the album. October Project concludes Covered with a 1999 recording of "Always A Place" featuring Marina Belica soaring on lead vocals self-backed and joined by Julie Flanders for spoken word. Acoustic percussion and keyboard complete the rich arrangement. It is a stunning conclusion to a tremendous and value-packed alblum. Obtain your copy via October Project's website.

(08 July 2006) Glass Hammer's The Compilations 1996 to 2004 (Sound Resources (USA) 2006) is a digital release available for enthusiasts from iTunes. The album is comprised of seven tracks recorded but not previously released. The earlier material spanning the period from 1996 through 1998 featured Fred Schendel (keyboards, vocals), Steve Babb (bass guitar, vocals), Walter Moore (guitar, drums, vocals) and David Carter (guitar).

The two studio tracks from 2004 were recorded by a slightly different lineup: Fred Schendel, Steve Babb, Walter Moore as before but with the addition of Matt Mendians (drums), Susie Bogdanowicz (vocals), Laura Lindstrom (vocals), Bethany Warren (backing vocals), Eric Parker (acoustic guitar) and on "Heroes and Dragons," The Adonia String Ensemble.

According to Glass Hammer, "all tracks included [on the album] either never made their way to an official album, were recorded for tribute albums, or were part of compilation projects that indluded many prog artists." The material is available exclusively via Apple's iTunes music store.

The album opens with a live rendition of the band's enduring piece "Time Marches On" recorded live at ProgDay 1997. Not only is this a faithful arrangement of the original, but the recording quality is completely stunning. Glass Hammer are largely a studio band so live recordings of their material are rare--this epic 10:41 piece is just superb.

A year earlier the band recorded "Air Born" for the Camel tribute album. This progressive piece features tight instrumentals with keyboards and guitar working well together underscored by tight percussion. Harmonious male vocals produce a tremendous arrangement of the Camel classic. We especially enjoyed the instrumental work and solos by Glass Hammer's artists.

"The Narrow Way," recorded in 1997 is completely representative of Glass Hammer's sound between Perelandra and On To Evermore with a timeless quality today although it was recorded nearly ten years ago. Listen for strong allusions to Yes and ELP both in guitar excursions and massive keyboard riffs. Although the vocal harmonies are tremendous, don't expect female vocalists. The band's progressive prowess is evident in the track, setting the stage for much of what would follow in the band's history. "A is A" is a heavier and shorter piece from 1998, dominated initially by thick guitar and contrasted by memorable male vocal harmonies.

The symphonic arrangements and fast paced keyboard in "The Morning Song" recorded in 1998 clearly illustrate the artist's virtuousity. Virulent guitar solos are contrasted by warm keyboard washes and vocal harmonies in this most accessible progressive rock number apparently, at least from the lyrics and overall sound, from the On To Evermore sessions.

The compilation includes a stunning rendition of the band's well-known "Heroes and Dragons" from Lex Rex and a timeless number the band have also performed on stage. The album features a symphonic version recorded for CPR Volume II in 2004. The arrangement is extremely tasteful and is certain to appeal to all audiences.

The album concludes with the epic (21:30) number "In The Court Of Alkinoos" recorded in 2004 for The Odyssey Project. While the tracks that precede this one are each great it their own right, this concluding track is clearly the standout for Musical Discoveries. It opens with a lovely and extended female vocal solo by Laura Lindstrom. Susie Bogdanowicz joins the passage in a lovely duet.

The track develops into an elaborate progressive rock suite and ultimately includes the range of Glass Hammer's sounds. We especially enjoyed the way female vocals were included throughout the piece. Individual contributions by Susie and Laura are superb and a careful listener will recognize Bethany's backing vocals especially in the soaring vocalise passage two thirds of the way through. Enthusiasts will adore Babb's Squiresque bass lines and Schendel's Yes/ELP-like keyboard work. Walter Moore does the band proud with vast guitar excursions.

The Compilations is available strictly as a digital release from iTunes at this writing. There has been no indication by the band that a physical release of this album is planned. For those unfamiliar with iTunes purchases, the digital download can be burnt onto CD-R and artwork created by the software. This album is an extremely good value priced at two thirds that of a physical release. Complete your Glass Hammer collection with The Compilations.

(08 July 2006) The Live At Belmont Sound Resources (USA) SR-1726, 2006) double DVD is clearly the most ambitious undertaking by Glass Hammer. The DVD includes the latest rendition of the band's lineup: Steve Babb (bass), Fred Schendel (keyboards), Matt Mendians (drums), David Wallimann (electric guitar), Carl Groves (vocals), Susie Bogdanowicz (vocals), Bethany Warren (vocals), Flo Paris (vocals) and Eric Parker (acoustic guitar, steel guitar). Also appearing on the DVD are The Adonia String Trio: Rebecca James (violin), Susan Hawkins (viola) and Rachel Hackenberger (cello). As a bonus, Belmont University's 150+ member choir also performs on selected tracks.

Glass Hammer are largely a studio band so the recording of a live performance is a huge treat for those that love the band's material but are not fortunate enough to catch one of their rare live performances. This release is superbly mixed in 5.1 surround sound and is overflowing with excitement, full of personality and emotion, expertly performed and will command the attention of all that view and listen to the project. The sound and camera work are both excellent with cuts typical of music videos not being overly intrusive.

The first DVD is comprised of the complete live performance while the second DVD contains a vast array of bonus features we'll discuss later. The opening number, "Long And Long Ago" from The Inconsolable Secret is masterfully performed by the band with their rock instrumentals blended perfectly with and suitably offset by the string section. Flo Paris delivers a heartwrenching and totally stunning vocal solo.

"One King" originally appearing on Lex Rex is up next by the electronic band and ladies of Glass Hammer alone. Vast progressive instrumental riffs are washed with the ladies' vocals but the piece is vocally dominated by Carl Groves, an outstanding addition to the band. Pay particular attention to Suzie's dramatic backing vocals in the piece. Matt Mindians opens the stunning "Run Lisette" from Shadowlands with a drum solo. The strings return in this vocally-laden piece, clearly showing the virtuousity of the three ladies'--especially some of the breaks with the strings and solos that follow. Bethany's superbly executed solo backed by Susie and Flo is breathtaking.

The DVD continues with "Farewell To Shadowlands," a dramatic progressive instrumental never leaving the band's ELP or Yes allusions far behind. However, dense vocals continue to illustrate the range and power of the women of Glass Hammer fill the track's main passage. Flo, Bethany and Susie begin the vocal line together before Susie takes the lead in a tremendous solo. David Wallimann's excellent guitar solo echoes before the vocals return, everyone singing in perfect harmony as the song concludes.

Fred Schendel's lovely keyboard intro to "Through a Glass Darkly," a tender ballad originally from The Inconsolable Secret precedes a warmly arranged string passage. But clearly it is Susie Bogdanowicz' powerfully- and emotionally-delivered solo vocal performance that is the highlight of this track. Carl Groves joins vocally transforming the song to a dramatic duet. Excellent video editing brings the two together on screen.

The string section opens "Knight of the North" before the dynamic progressive instrumentals set in and join the band's arrangement. Lush Glass Hammer male-only harmonies produce the lyrical passages. David's rapidfire electric guitar solos perfectly contrast Fred's ELP-style keyboard riffs. The tempo changes across the piece add substantial drama to the arrangement. A wide range of solos fill out the concluding passages of the track; a Steve Howe-style steel guitar solo is also superb.

The DVD begins to draw to its dramatic conclusion with the glorious track "When We Were Young" (from Lex Rex)as the choir quietly assumes their position, while Fred Schendel and David Wallimann perform glorious keyboard and guitar solos respectively. Steve Babb's and Fred Schendel's lead vocals are performed wonderfully between thick and melodic synth and guitar riffs. The powerful 150+ person choir joins at mid-track adding vocalise and lush texture to the progressive arrangements. The power of this huge ensemble is perfectly captured in video as well.

The band continue with the choir continue their performance with the epic number "Having Caught a Glimpse," that also concludes The Inconsolable Secret. The memorable theme is introduced on keyboard and echoed in guitar. Flo Paris delivers a tremendous vocal solo--captured wonderfully in video--at the beginning of the track in a duet with Carl Groves. The rich choir textures, bass, guitar, string and numerous keyboard solos and further harmonies from the ladies create significant interest in this epic. The audience's standing ovation clearly demonstrates the ensemble's successful performance.

The album concludes with the group's encore, a robust rendition of "Heroes and Dragons" (the concluding song from Lex Rex)performed by the entire cast. Vocally rich, the number is sung by Carl Groves and backed by the ladies. Thank yous, bows and credits conclude the live performance and the DVD.

The second DVD in the set is full of interesting bonus material. Each accompanied with slide shows, there are stunning 5.1 surround mixes of "Tales Of The Great Wars" (a remix of the track originally appearing on Lex Rex) and "Lirazel" (a remix of the track originally appearing on The Inconsolable Secret) and a range of two channel stero features. Here you'll find an incredibly indepth slide show with commentary full of pictures of all of the artists and the most incredible collection of the Glass Hammer ladies every published. There is also a Behind-The-Scenes video, a rehearsal video, and a 2003 concert appearances video (don't expect much of this set though). The DVD concludes with the everso intriguing trailer that launched this DVD set.

Clearly Live At Belmont illustrates Glass Hammer at their very best. A strong lineup, lots of female vocals this time and equally powerful material deliver a tremendous performance. The double DVD is great value and provides the world a chance to see one of the rare live performances of this progressive superpower. Read further reviews and order the DVD set at amazon.com or from the band's website. The DVD set is a progressive rock masterwork.

(23 July 2006) ChimpanA is an unique musical hybrid, bringing together the talents of multi-instrumentalist Rob Reed (Magenta, Trippa) with vocalist Steve Balsamo (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Storys) and Rob Thompson (the Storys). The self-titled album (F2 Music (UK) 200608, 2006) was first conceived when Reed was working on some techno tracks. Thompson and Balsamo, who knew Rob as part of the South Wales musical scene, heard what he was doing and loved it, so the trio began working on some songs to give further structure to the project.

The next step was bringing in some key collaborators, with the band using their acquaintances from the UK music scene to flesh out the sound. Nigel Hopkins provides the string arrangements, while Steve's lead vocals are complimented by Sam Brown (Dave Gilmour, Jools Holland, Solo), Christina Booth (Magenta, Trippa), plus famed backing vocalists Margo Buchanan and Aitch McRobbie. The project's three secret weapons, however, are: Sian Cothie, the esteemed Welsh classical soprano, DJ Bluey on decks and the magisterial Tony Dallas, a London based poet and storyteller, whose remarkable spoken-word passages provide the album's heart and soul.

This 60-minute masterwork is beautifully constructed around its songs, and the quality of the song writing is astonishingly high throughout. Although Balsamo sings the majority of the lead vocals, each piece is delightfully varied and amazingly detailed. Sometimes it is the instrumentation that provides the variation, sometimes it is the vocals and on three key tracks it is the sampling that contributes towards giving the song that special moment of magic. While the songs themselves are hugely accessible, in a style that will please fans of Balsamo rather more than those of Reed, the music is so progressive in spirit that it is sure to win admirers amongst all kinds of music fans. Indeed half a dozen of the songs exceed 6 minutes without ever outstaying their welcome, and several are structured like progressive rock pieces, segueing from one section into another seamlessly, with several different moods per song.

"A time for passion, a time for truth. A time to blink and feel alive."

So announces Tony Dallas in the albums opening piece "Theme from Chimpana part 1," a short orchestral vignette which also includes a personal welcome from Dallas's to the listener, setting out the "mission statement" of the entire album. A brief synth fanfare gives way to a very familiar piano riff-–momentarily we are in Magenta territory, before Bluey's decks and some insistent guitar from Thompson introduce the first song proper "It's Only Sin" a typically strong piece of smooth pop/soul with Balsamo's vocals featured--here reminiscent of George Michael. The song also features two other strong traits of the album – compressed, megaphone-style vocals and strong, ambient orchestration from Hopkins, particularly in the song's more gentle moments.

The slower-paced "You move in me" features some lovely acoustic guitar, some great synth and what may or may not be a theramin solo--later repeated on guitar--a moment of wonderful instrumental detail typical of the whole album. Christina Booth makes a featured appearance, singing a lovely harmony to Balsamos lead. The brief "Future 1" introduces an orchestral theme to be used later on the album, before a very familiar theme--Mike Oldfields "Tubular Bells"--introduces the marvellously catchy " A Secret Wish." Where some musicians would rely on the sample alone to provide the main melodic thread for the song, the band have taken Oldfield's famous tune and built a memorable song around it. Balsamo's vocal is spine-tingling, too. Expect a single release of this track later in 2006.

A smooth jazz intro leads into "Sam's Song," with lead vocal from Balsamo giving way to a beautifully sung chorus by Sam Brown at her soulful best. Listen out for Reed's understated piano, Fender Rhodes and organ here. After the second chorus, Reed plays a lovely, jazzy synth solo, before the songs moves into a delicious, choral, gospel section and another upliftingly positive Dallas spoken word section. "Future Love Games" is another catchy chill-out classic, with Balsamo strongly featured, and just as the listener thinks they know where the song is going, Sian Cothie makes her first appearance with a spine tingling, operatic interjection. "The Last Night on Earth" is the main showcase for Dallas, his voice intoning over an eerie electronic backing, before a moment of Bach pastiche from Reed's piano brings in the soprano of Sian Cothie again. As the drums kick in and the vocals become more urgent, all of the sudden we are faced by a wall of guitars, teasing at first over another Dallas spoken section, then riffing like a gothic metal album--almost Nightwish territory!

"The Thief" has a still, beautiful opening--a lovely, soulful female vocal combines with a sample from British composer John Tavener's choral piece "The Lamb", before Balsamo's breathy vocal carries the track through to a dreamy conclusion. Another Tavener sample--this time "The Annunciation"--gives way to a techno drum track, and another, more urgent Dallas showcase with "Are You with Me". Real drums provide further urgency later in the song, before a charming Rhodes outro. "I came to say…" is another, more conventional song, though one with lots of gentle charm, combining Balsamo's lead vocal with another catchy chorus. The entirely orchestral "Theme from ChimpanA 2" concludes the album in downbeat, dreamy fashion.

On first hearing this material several months ago, our one concern was that the songs that the album is built around--and indeed Steve Balsamo's vocal performance of them--were a little too close to bland, mainstream "boy band" pop. However, having absorbed the album we have to admit to having been won over entirely. The songs may well be aimed at the pop market, yet they are first rate in composition and execution. Our admiration at the sheer creativity and detail which has gone into the arrangement and construction of these pieces of music--for which Rob Reed must take the lions share of the credit--knows no bounds. Indeed, the risky choice of collaborators--especially Tony Dallas, Sam Brown and Sian Cothie--works spectacularly.

ChimpanA is a masterpiece of an album, which is hugely commercial as well as artistically satisfying. It should sell millions, if there is any justice in the world.--Stephen Lambe in Chippenham, England and Russ Elliot in New York

(23 July 2006) Everything Nothing (AKH Records (Netherlands) AKH 07041-2, 2004) is the soundtrack to a dark, brooding David Lynchian drama that has yet to be made. Or is it in fact more of a black comedy? Singer, diva and leading actress Stella Bergsma sometimes brings her lines quite serious, leaving the viewer in vein, but sometimes too, she utters her dark unpenetrable words claerly with a tongue-in-cheek. But when she is serious, something in her voice sounds rather light, almost incidentally, possibly as a way to bring some kind of balance between song and that which is sung. Or spoken for that matter. Or whispered. In any case, the audience goes a little astary, gets lost in the entanglement of form and substance--something any good film noir should accomplish.

Iuno, the two-person-formation (Mr. Steven de Munnik, arranger / producer; aforementioned Miss Stella Bergsma, vocalist) is seeded in the heart of Holland's midtown Bussum, and garantees moody, atmospherical and dank nightclub vocals, playful but razorsharp lyrics (often on the brink of being self-destructive and mirror-like confronting), and mesmerising music that is a perfect blend of dark ambient, soundscapes and experimental sound fx. E-jazz for the lost and mentally homeless.

But Steven and partner-in-crime Stella are not all alone out there. They are backed up by The IunoLab, an diverse ensemble of artists, like a violin player, and technicians, who, together, pull out all the stops in offering you a dark trip straight down the mental spiral. As tender as it is merciless, as erotic as it is psychological horror. Perhaps mindbending is the best term to use, with a little more emphasis on a kind of Cronenberg-like audio-physical deformation as a result.

Soundeffects are used extensively, original in one take, otherworldy if you wish, and on other occasions deliberatly cheesy; everything for a digital Grande Guignol; atonal, cinematic and filled with flares of the melancholy, the weird and the awkward. It’s originallity hidden behind pastiche, and pastiche hidden behind originallity: a truely greater festival of masks.

Take for instance the opening track: "Everything": I can see / everything is beautiful / but me ... the abandoned, battered diva, (who apparently stepped straight out of a Edward Hopper painting) sings these lines with a clear voice--almost too clear; never has a woman sounded so self asured when it comes to selfloathing.

"Baby, just sing to me only with labyrinthian eyes..." I keep thinking. But the singer doesn’t hear me. She just sings, breathing heavenly, like she’s masturbating, while, at the same time, she's sticking out her tongue in the mirror to the person she regretfully sees before her. Steven de Munnik's lazy, deliberatly paced drums, that accompany her on this trip, are in straight line with the drugged organ tunes and the obligatory B-movie sound fx.

The singer sings: "Ocean's waves / Coral caves / Poet's skies / Lover's lies / Young men's eyes ... so in the end the battered, shadow-covered nightclubsinger is also a poet, albeit one with a tongue that tastes like accid.

Iuno has always stated that they were and still are being influenced by soundtracks of horror movies and psychological thrillers, and that's fine, just don't expect a happy Hollywood ending here with these guys.--Yorgos Dalman in The Netherlands and Russ Elliot in New York

(08 July 2006) Helene is a band fronted by vocalist Helene Dineen, and made up of Graham (guitar, vocals), Ian (guitars), Annemarie (bass) and James (drums). They are clearly a band on first name terms.

Routines (Series 8 (UK) SER001CD, 2006) is the band's second album following their 2002 debut Postcard, a disc Q mentioned in the same breath as Mazzy Star and The Velvet Underground. So it's perhaps surprisingly that following such an accolade, the new CD shows a marked change in direction with much more of a country feel to a number of the songs, and some pared back arrangements all of which serves to throw Helene's soft, childlike voice even further to the fore than was the case with their debut.

Where the simple arrangements work, say on the spooky and intimately hypnotic "Routines" the result is impressive, and the country-tinged songs like the short opener "First Last Forever," the slide guitar washed "Could I Go Backwards," and "Nothing To You" are pleasant enough, and "This Is All We Have To Know" has a gorgeous little chorus.

Certainly fans of Helene's voice are going to enjoy this album immensely. But that doesn't hide the fact that there's a problem underlying the whole album, and that's the arrangement of the songs. It's said that whilst a good arrangement can rescue a poor song, a poor arrangement can bury the very best written work.

As an example, "Apostille" is the strongest piece of writing on the disc by some distance, a really impressive song, but sadly it's rendered virtually unlistenable by the dreadfully repetitive 4:4 rhythm in which every instrument just pounds away on every beat throughout. It's one of the most ill-judged arrangements in a long, long time, and the sin is repeated on sections of both "Forever In A Day" and on "O Tina." Elsewhere, a number of the songs remain dynamically flat because there's no variation of arrangement within a piece. A song starts, continues in exactly the same way, and then just stops.

Whilst the band should be applauded for trying something new and not simply repeating their debut album, greater thought and imagination with the arrangements, could well have made this something special. Their shift of musical emphasis has basically proved successful as the country tinged tracks are among the most enjoyable on the disc, though perhaps more Cowboy Junkies than Mazzy Star this time around.

You can order this CD directly from the label here. Ultimately, whether you get on with Routines will largely depend on how you feel about Helene's voice.--Jamie Field in Hereford, England

(04 July 2006) When I heard the repeated guitar line in the opening bars of the Beangrowers latest CD Dance Dance Baby (Series 8 (UK) SER003CD, 2006), it plunged me back 25 years or so to the first time I came across The Sound, one of the finest of the post-punk British bands. It's as much a rhythmic as a melodic device and hooks one into a song immediately--and that's literally just the beginning as Dance Dance Baby is laced with such terrific lines.

With such distinctively British references in their music, it's perhaps surprising to find that the band come not from the UK at all, but from the Mediterranean island of Malta, where the trio--vocalist/guitarist Alison Galea, bassist Mark Sansone and drummer Ian Schranz--were all born in 1977 in St Julian's. Keyboard duties are actually shared among all three) Dance Dance Baby is their third album following 48K and Beangrowers. It is the first to get a wide release.

The sparse guitar-hook opening to the album's opening track "The Farewell Party" only heralds a bigger hook in the chorus where the guitar line is cleverly used as a descant to Alison's voice and the whole thing surges along mightily under the driving power of Mark and Ian's rhythm.

"I Like You" and "You Are You Are" both rock like a runaway train. There's even a moment in the latter when Alison wails like a train whistle!. And there's a touch of P.J. Harvey in the vocals here and the chorus is another nailed on winner. And, as the man says "the hits just keep on coming," the chorus of "Star In Monaco" is like Saint Etienne but with all the musical edges left natural, raw and unsmoothed.

"Dance Dance Baby" is an irresistible invitation to do exactly as the title suggests.Then just when you think you're getting a handle on the Beangrowers, they throw in a song like the beautiful "Waiting." If there's reference here, it's probably The Cardigans, with Alison more than matching Nina Persson for that 'innocent yet sultry' vocal tone.

The darker, brooding "Waltz" creates just the right mood and feel, and "The Priest" continues the variety with its seedy, throwaway vocal until, that is, we get to the chorus which is absolutely magical–-both powerful and memorable, arguably the highlight of the disc. Wim Wenders knew exactly what he doing when he used the song in his recent film Land Of Plenty.

If there is a slight weakness in the album, it's that the final two tracks fail to match up to what has gone before, although everything is relative. The mostly instrumental "Lucky Luka" seems lightweight by comparison, though it's saved somewhat by the lovely vocal coda. The closing piece "Analyze" is rather ponderous in execution despite a gargantuan vocal from Alison. It's a song that's probably stunning live, but hasn't quite made the translation into the studio.

Whilst the music's attitude is defiantly alternative and distinctly retro in feel, in addition to the references above, there are hints of Joy Division, early Blondie, The Cure and shades of both punk and goth. The band's sound is in no way derivative. Their trump card is the way they've managed to combine these darker influences with some sublime choruses and melodies that at times are nothing short of joyously uplifting. Dance Dance Baby is a fabulous album, involving and infectious. You can order this CD directly from the label here. Alternatively,read further reviews, listen to soundbites and order the album from amazon.com. Get yours today.--Jamie Field in Hereford, England

(03 July 2006) Esthetic Pale is a six member progressive rock band from Germany. Fronted by lead vocalists Katrin Litty and Claudia Speicher, the band's lineup also includes Claus Peter Fuhurman (keyboards), Joachim Habernoll (drums), Matthias Ibelshauser (guitars) and Andreas Vohringer (bass). Their latest album Long Forgotten Words is the fourth full length album by the band. The lyrics from the track "Frozen Phoenix" are taken from Hamlet by William Shakespeare; the rest of the lyrics were written by Matthias. The album is stunning and represents significant growth for the band. It will enthusiasts of to Flamborough Head, Renaissance, Yes and Karnataka.

Esthetic Pale's debut release The Art Of Development (1994) drew attention of the progressive rock community. Their second album Tales From An Ancient Realm (1996) was a more complete project and expanded the band's audience outside of Europe. The album Hope (2000) was released outside Europe and drew attention from Renaissance fans in North America. Their long awaited follow-up Long Forgotten Words (2006) is a masterful project balancing gorgeous vocals with in depth progressive rock arrangements and first class production.

Long Forgotten Words is comprised of five long playing progressive pieces and one much shorter interlude. From the first notes of "Phonecall 4AM" it is evident that the band is deeply rooted in progressive music. The new album has a somewhat harder edge than the band's former releases, however richly arranged keyboard textures demonstrate the artists' long dedication to the genre. Katrin's and Claudia's vocals are most often sung together with lush harmonies delivering the lyrical messages.

Lead vocal solos demonstrate each of the vocalist's sensuality. Such is the case in the alternating leads in the 12:03 opening track. One can only imagine to two ladies performing live evocatively the material. Instead of the multi-layering required by other bands, Esthetic Pale's two vocalists produce their harmonies working together rather than alone. A tremendous yet unpretentous instrumental mid-section illustrates the band's extraordinary virtousity.

In "J.C." the band continue to explore the realms of progressive music with the ladies' vocals soaring vocals soaring over orchestral arrangements. In stark contrast to the verses, guitar-laden themes develop in the faster paced chorus. We especially appreciated the mixing on this track with vocals never being outweighed by the instrumentals. Gorgeous guitar solos appear between the vocal parts.

The 5:42 long track "God's Nation" is a lighter folk rock-oriented track. The stunning vocal harmonies are sung over acoustic arrangements. A stunning piano solo echoes the song's theme in the instrumental mid-section of the song. "As Far As I Can Tell" is the shortest track of the album with a running time of under two minutes. It is entirely constructed as an acoustic guitar interlude and is masterfully performed.

Two extended progressive rock tracks conclude the album. "Frozen Phoenix" picks up where the instrumental theme in "Phonecall 4AM" leaves off but with a harder guitar-driven edge. As the track develops thick percussion and bass join the guitar and eery keyboard arrangement. The steady return to the instrumental theme is contrasted with a densely sung vocal duet. We especially enjoyed the sharp contrast between verse and chorus and the instrumental breaks between the sections of the track.

The album concludes with "Ophelia's Last Word." Vast guitar excursions are offset by synthesizer and crisp percussion as the theme develops. The track is certainly the heaviest on the album, guitars working against dueling keyboard washes. The track's vocals are stunningly delivered with Katrin and Claudia's crystalline vocal harmonies working well together continuing to soar above the symphonic instrumentals. The number builds to a tremendous climax with a powerful guitar solo before the final vocal passages are delivered.

This long awaited fourth album from Germany's premier progressive act will draw significant attention from enthusiasts this year. Read further reviews and order this Esthetic Pale album and the band's former release Hope Kinesis CD in the USA. Order the albums from the band's website in Europe.

(24 June 2006) Have you ever come across an album by an artist you've never heard of recorded way back when, and upon listening to it find yourself pleasantly surprised at how good it is and wondering why the band never came to your attention when they were around? Well, the self-titled Harlequin Mass album (Mellow Records (Italy) MMP 236, 1994) by this remarkable progressive band hailing from Portland, Oregon, is just such an album. It was originally released in 1978 on Mass Productions Records on LP as MAS 333. The material is available online from John Reagan's Big Balloon Music here.

Suffice to say that those of you who, like this reviewer, have a penchant for progressive rock bands with female lead singers, the album should be right up your alley. The self-titled Harlequin Mass CD is actually the work of two bands with more or less the same personnel. The first seven tracks are from the late 70s band Harlequin Mass, and the final four were recorded in the early 80s by Stubborn Puppet.

Harlequin Mass admits in the CD liner notes that they were heavily influenced by Yes' Close to the Edge, and this is apparent in most of the first seven tracks. The really wonderful thing is, however, that although they copied Yes' epic, multi-dimensional, upbeat style, they managed to forge a sound that is all their own.

Lush acoustic instrumentation alternating and in tandem with electric arrangements and tinged with synthesizers abound. It's worth noting that the band somehow always seems to come off sounding energetic, even in the more acoustic-oriented moments. The often intricate songs are never boring and hold up very well under repeated listening.

Also, you prog fans who, like this writer, grow tired of the current wave of prog rock bands emulating the dark, nihilistic, despairing outlooks of the great seventies prog bands (ELP, Genesis, Pink Floyd, etc.) should be delighted with Harlequin Mass' optimist, upbeat approach. In the words of the great progster Neil Morse (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic), "Beware of Darkness."

Singer Nancy Kaye is simply marvelous, and her alto voice is in exactly the right range for progressive music. She particularly shines in the beautiful, mostly acoustic "Loss of a Friend" with its haunting melody and Yes-like background vocal chants. Further, although this reviewer has heard a lot of female prog rock singers, no comparisons between Nancy Kaye and other singers comes readily to mind. Ms. Kaye was perfect for the band's style, both in the 70s and 80s material, and it's hard to imagine another singer doing the material better.

Prog fans will adore the Harlequin Mass epics "Love and Death" and "Skycaller". In fact, the latter piece is quite possibly the purest Yes tribute ever. It is very dynamic, melodic, contemplative, and serious, but like Yes always manages to stay positive and upbeat. The band's arrangements and Nancy's singing in "Skycaller" are superb. This piece is the Yes style done right.

The short "Space Cats" is an interesting interlude and harks back to King Crimson in their less serious moments. "One Step Home" is also very enjoyable in spite of the fact that it is not sung by Ms. Kaye. The song is reminiscent of some of the better works of the Moody Blues; another band that Harlequin Mass lists among its influences.

If the album has any weak points, it would be that the 70s Harlequin Mass songs are on the whole better than the 80s Stubborn Puppet material. The 80s songs remind this writer of the prog band Renaissance's attempt to go punk in the early 80s, and like Renaissance, some of the songs work better than others.

Stubborn Puppet's "Fabulous Angel," however, is, well, fabulous; a nice, warm melody, beautifully sung by Nancy and backed by a sensitive electric arrangement. "Meantime" also stands out as one of those songs that, though the listener may not like at first, grows on you after repeated listenings. It's a rather catchy tune, and hearing it now in the context of the early 21st Century it comes off sounding like a humorous send up of the 80's punk and yuppie scenes.

Harlequin Mass is one of those curious footnotes in prog rock history; sort of a magnificent might-have-been. If they didn't do better when they were together and recording, it was most likely due to a timing issue. When they came on the scene in the late-70s, progressive rock was definitely on the wane with the record buying public in general and the music critics in particular. Still in all, the one CD we do have from Harlequin Mass is an absolute gem.--John Rodda in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

(24 December 2006) Oom, from the southern English coastal town of Brighton are Debbie Clare on vocals; Ed Chivers on electronics, guitar accordion and broken toys (presumably on the song of the same name); Alex Hay on guitars and Darren Lindridge on drums. Their debut album Dead Analogue (Series 8 (UK) SER 004 CD, 2006) comes from an excellent independent British label, who are gathering a fine roster of alternatively minded artists under their logo and whose first tranche of releases includes The All Electric Amusement Arcade the new CD from Norwich's staunchly left-field Magoo; the truly wonderful Beangrowers disc Dance Dance Baby and Helene's Routines, the follow up to their much vaunted debut album Postcard

Series 8 describe Oom's music as "a mix of dark ambience, distorted beats, beautiful vocals and noisy guitars." What they're apparently too modest to say is that Oom cook those ingredients up a storm to create something really rather special. The focal point of the band is undoubtedly Debbie's unique voice. Vocally, she appears to have numerous personalities, slipping easily from one to another, continually catching the listener off guard. There's an uneasy edge to the music too which, like good horror movies, results in one literally holding one's breath at times without realizing it.

"Drive" opens with a bouncing guitar line over which Debbie glides a gorgeous vocal melody. When the band kicks in it's like you've been admiring a beautiful sunset whilst, unnoticed, storm clouds have been building behind you, suddenly the power of a darker world is unleashed upon you. It's awesome. One of the songs of the year.

"Paranoia" finds the band in Bristol territory with the opening trip-hop beat hinting of Portishead. It's easy to understand why Massive Attack invited Debbie to guest on a the song "Joy Luck Club" which appears on CD2 of their Collected album. There are further nods to Portishead--the long introduction to "Twisted Way Of Thinking" for example.

Oddly, another band that came to mind more than once while listening to this was Led Zeppelin. The opening of vocal and guitar phrases of "Rest" for example have definite Plant/Page overtones (oh, and prepare your stereo for the introduction of the bass!)--and the album opener, the extraordinary beast that is "Poison" builds from it's Bjorkish opening to assault you with an intensity redolent of "When The Levee Breaks" with Debbie wheedling and snarling like Altered Images' Clare Grogan's evil little sister. There's even a chilling little nursery rhyme effect slipped into the song – a brilliant piece of thinking. Another of the songs of the year.

In other places, "Black Heart" and the gorgeous closing track "Sweet Hurricane," for example, the band reign in the power for the most part, giving us relatively understated pieces serving to frame and highlight Debbie's beautiful and character filled vocals.

With the presence of such exceptional tracks as Drive, Paranoia, Black Heart, Sweet Hurricane and the extraordinary "Poison," it perhaps not entirely surprising that some of the other songs on the album pale a little by comparison, but it is only by comparison. On occasions the song arrangements do tend to follow a similar pattern, though with different and endlessly inventive sounds and perhaps the album might have benefited from an occasional change of pace, though equally this might be to the detriment of the intensity the album builds up over its 50 minutes length which is integral to the effect the music has for, in the best sense, this album is an emotionally exhausting listen.

This is an exceptional debut--there's only one word that truly describes this music. Immense. --Jamie Field in Hereford, England

(30 December 2006) Asrai are a female-fronted goth rock/metal band much in the same vein as other female-fronted bands in that genre, but Asrai seem to capture that gothic label many of those other bands tout a lot better. Asrai formed in 1988 by sisters Margriet (vocals) and Karin Mol (drums) and even back then their sound was very melancholic and dark, though with a more punk, new wave vibe to it (think L7 meets Bauhuas). For a band that has been around for almost 17 years you'd expect them to have released more than two full length albums. Unfortunately the band has been more of a demo band so their earlier work--the pre-debut, As Voices Speak, material--is very hard to come by. Luckily, though, what is easily accessible is pretty damn good!

Admittedly this album did not do much for me on the first spin. I liked it, but wasn't blown away and the album was thus placed in shelfcore status. Fortunately I pulled it off the rack a few weeks later and gave it another spin, but this time much more to my delight. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I first listened to it, but my opinion changed drastically. All of a sudden the album was a very nice piece of work.

Touch In The Dark is not your typical goth rock/metal band. This is due to the extremely intelligent placement of pop and dark, moody new wave elements throughout the album. Musically the band is similar to a band like Flowing Tears who's synths and more power chord-oriented approach--typical of the goth rock/metal genre--gives the rhythm section a much bigger boost than a band like Sinergy whose lead guitar is much more in the forefront. Vocalist Margriet is an accomplished singer with a solid mid- to high-range vocal style (more mid than high), she will neither disappoint nor blow you away, but she does carry the songs well. There are no male vocals on this album except for the robotic-like ending to "Shadows," but you won't find anyone screaming or grunting on this album.

The album starts off with their second single "In Front Of Me," an appropriate pick for a single as is the second track, "Pale Light," the first single released. The next four tracks--"Whisper," "Restless," "Touch In The Dark" and "Tower"--follow suit leading into some of the slower moments of the album. It picks back up on track seven, "Dream," followed by the album's heaviest track, "Child." The album finishes in style with two more mid-tempo tracks, "Garden" and "Shadows" (an acoustic version of "Shadows" is included on some versions as a bonus track).

In conclusion this CD is recommended to fans of the female-fronted goth rock/metal genre, or metal in general. You'll read a lot of reviews comparing Asrai to Lacuna Coil which is the "acceptible" comparison for a metal reviewer similar to how Lacuna Coil are compared to Evanescence in the mainstream reviews. Neither are true and both are simply cop-out comparisons given because the reviewer knows no other band who is similar. Asrai are a good, solid band that deserves attention. They're not groundbreaking by any means, but they are far from undeserving. Check out their website for sound samples throughout their history and hear for yourself.--Kenneth Wood in New Hampshire