Scot Lade 
JPLSapiens – Chapitre 2/3: Deus ex MachinaQuadrifonic Records [2021] Coming in hot after last year’s Album Of The Year designation, JPL has unleashed part two of his Sapiens space rock opera and it hits hard and fast. The pressure of repeating a classic album is nothing new to Jean-Pierre Louveton though. Back in 2006 his … Read more
TransatlanticThe Absolute UniverseInside Out Music [2021] For fans of Progressive Rock the name Transatlantic resonates like few others. They need no introduction to the faithful but to the rest of the world they better known by their day jobs: Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard), Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) and Pete Trewavas … Read more
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Dickens himself couldn’t have explained this year any better. With a global pandemic virtually shutting the music industry down artists had to rely solely on non-touring revenue; and the bulk of that for Prog bands these days is physical record and CD sales … Read more
The Flower KingsIslandsInside Out Music [2020] A global pandemic may not be the most pleasant of origin stories but the new double album from Sweden’s The Flower Kings argues that from great struggle often comes greater returns. At this point in his career Roine Stolt (the band’s leader, singer, songwriter, guitarist, etc.) has absolutely nothing … Read more
Neal MorseSola GratiaInside Out Music [2020] If the idea of religion as subject matter for progressive rock seems a little ridiculous at first then I completely understand. I do. But in all actuality nothing could be better suited for the complexity and grandiosity of the genre. Certainly bands like Yes always had a spiritual quality … Read more
Back in the early nineties progressive music was on life support. Grunge was King and the thought of someone starting a Prog Rock band in that era was insane. Utterly. But that is exactly what Neal Morse did when he founded the legendary Spock’s Beard and the band released their debut album, The Light, to … Read more
JPLSapiens – Chapitre 1/3: ExordiumQuadrifonic [2020] The first thing you hear is the devil’s interval – the tritone being playing by a French Horn that just seems too appropriate. It’s little more than a nod to Tales From Topographic Oceans but it sets the stage for everything to come. Jean-Pierre Louveton (known simply as JPL) … Read more
The apocryphal, and often repeated, origin story of Prog has it that in 1969 King Crimson released In The Court Of The Crimson King and a new genre had been born. This of course ignores the fact that Yes’ debut came out two months earlier or the contribution and influence of acts such as Pink … Read more
Guided By Voices Warp And Woof GBV, Inc. [2019] Fire Note Says: After a couple recent near-masterpieces, Guided By Voices release the uniquely-curated album Warp And Woof! Album Review: As I sit here on a beautiful spring day in Bellefontaine, Ohio my mind keeps wandering. How do cell phones work? Why do people watch Fox … Read more
The Neal Morse Band The Great Adventure Radiant Records [2019] Fire Note Says: American Prog warriors unleash sequel to 2016’s The Similitude Of A Dream in convincing fashion. Album Review: Prog is a tough sell and, especially in the US, the market for it is extremely limited. There are, however, a few brave artists who … Read more
Guided By Voices Zeppelin Over China GBV, Inc.[2019] Fire Note Says: Guided By Voices’ latest effort is a 32 song, double album behemoth. But is it any good? Album Review: After dedicating all of last year to the release and support of one (just one) album, the late-career masterpiece Space Gun, Robert Pollard and his … Read more
Deerhunter Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? 4AD [2019] Fire Note Says: Rock’s last great hope? Deerhunter makes a strong case on their eighth full-length. Album Review: Deerhunter saves the world! Wouldn’t that be nice? All the ragged dreams of a future in which guitar-driven rock music rules the airwaves rest on the shoulders of just … Read more
As another calendar year comes to an end it seems like 2018 was full of yardmarkers – elections, mass shootings, North Korea, etc. But it will be remembered in the Prog community as the 50th Anniversary of some of the genre’s most beloved acts: Yes, King Crimson and Jethro Tull all turned fifty this year … Read more
Guided By Voices Space Gun GBV, Inc. [2018] Fire Note Says: Robert Pollard and his band of merry men use every trick in the book and create a masterpiece. Album Review: I have been a fan of Guided By Voices since I first heard Bee Thousand way back in 1994. It seemed timeless yet still … Read more
Guided By Voices Ogre’s Trumpet GBV, Inc. [2018] Fire Note Says: The latest incarnation of a legendary band proves they’re still a deadly live act. Album Review: Sometimes bands release live albums as nothing more than sleazy cash grabs or they may be bankrupt of new and original ideas so they endlessly repackage past glories. … Read more
Progressive Rock is not dead. It’s been relegated to the back of the line but it refuses to go away. And this is the time of year I get to reflect on all of the previous twelve month’s worth of proggy goodness that my ears have received. Yeah, it’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta … Read more
Bully Losing Sub Pop Records [2017] Fire Note Says:The sophomore slump stings Nashville band – despite the band’s good intentions. Album Review: Nostalgia is a tricky thing. Go too far in one direction and you’re a tribute act, not far enough and you’re panned for being too derivative. There’s a delicate balance at play. Bully … Read more
Yes Featuring Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman: Fraze Pavillion, Kettering, Ohio – Sept. 12, 2017 The “New” Version of Yes hit all the right notes! As a newly-minted member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame you would think that all would be peace and love in Yes world. In case you haven’t been following … Read more
Deerhoof Mountain Moves Joyful Noise Recordings [2017] Fire Note Says: The more things change the more Deerhoof stay kind of the same. Album Review: The headline above should in no way be read as a slight against the seminal noise-pop pioneers. In the twenty years since their first album, Deerhoof has been one of the … Read more
Guided By Voices How Do You Spell Heaven GBV, Inc. [2017] Fire Note Says: The revamped Guided By Voices continue their hot streak with an instant classic. Album Review: You can be forgiven for missing some of Robert Pollard’s output – the discography is indeed deep and daunting. That said, let me put this right … Read more
Waxahatchee Out In The Storm Merge Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Katie Crutchfield continues to impress with a tight and inspired set. Album Review: If you don’t know the names Waxahatchee or Katie Crutchfield don’t feel too bad. Now you do and, if I’m right, so will a large swath of the music consuming public. … Read more
The Mountain Goats Goths Merge Records [2017] Fire Note Says: John Darnielle tweaks his approach for his 16th proper album. Album Review: As story tellers go, John Darnielle has few peers: Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Sufjan Stevens, maybe a handful of other names, but the league to which he belongs is exclusive indeed. For the … Read more
Guided By Voices August By Cake GBV Inc. [2017] Fire Note Says: Robert Pollard’s 100th album is also one of his best. Album Review: Releasing a shit ton of music is in Robert Pollard’s DNA. Even Captain Obvious knows this. And no, he does not hold any kind of record for most songs written or … Read more
Once & Future Band Once & Future Band Castle Face Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Oakland band strives to make Prog cool again. Album Review: The first thing that catches one’s attention is the label. What’s an unabashedly progressive rock band doing on John Dwyer’s Castle Face imprint? Known more for promoting Bay area neo-psych … Read more
It’s been a rough couple years for Prog with the losses of Chris Squire of Yes, Keith Emerson and Greg Lake of ELP, Nektar’s Roye Albrighton and Daevid Allen of Gong. The heroes of the Golden Age of progressive rock are entering their twilight years. Along with that comes the realization that anyone born after … Read more