Issue 2025-034
Edensong — Our Road To Dust
American heavy-proggers Edensong are one of the many American heavy-prog bands whose careers have survived the decades with an intermittent supply of albums. You hear nothing from them for years. You think they've split, and then they appear with a new album. Quality, not quantity seems to be the approach to having a long lifespan.
This band traces its roots back to the meeting of two students at the Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 2002. Drummer Matt Cozin, and singer/songwriter James Schoen later joined forces with guitarist Ben Wigler, a childhood friend of Schoen's, under the name Echoes of Eden. After a while they changed their name of Edensong.
Over the ensuing decades, Schoen has said goodbye to both Cozin and Wigler while the band has released just two studio albums and a live/studio compilation. Their debut, The Fruit Fallen and 2010's Echoes of Edensong: From the Studio and Stage received less-than-favourable reviews on this site.
However, their most recent release won more favour. Years in the Garden of Years2026 came out in 2016 and stands as one of my favourite American heavy-prog albums.
With nine years to create a follow-up, I was curious to see what the third chapter of Edensong would sound like.
Edensong. Promo photo by Kelly Robertson
The Road To Dust follows a similar path to its predecessor, I guess mainly due to it involving a largely unchanged line-up. Schoen still handles guitars and vocals, TD Towers is on bass and vocals, Barry Seroff is the flute player, and Nick DiGregorio is responsible for drums and percussion. Only keyboardist Stefan Paolini has left the fold since the last album, although he contributes piano on one song here.
It's an album of contrasts. An opening acoustic guitar piece recalls family camp fires at The Waltons, then within a semi-quaver we plunge into the heaviest song the band has ever written. The Illusion of Permanence is where math-metal meets prog-metal whilst some ethereal growls lurk behind a long line of delightful harmonies. Solos are swapped swiftly between flute and guitar. The rhythmic twists and turns are insane. It verges on the avant-garde ... but not quite. I'm thinking of a more proggy Karcius or Enchant. Or a less guitar-oriented Ice Age. A minimalist cymbal and bass ending then adds another layer of contrast.
And that pretty much sets the scene for what follows. Variety being the spice of my life, I love every minute of it.
Floods of wonderful vocal harmonies offer the focus for the art-rock of These Old Wounds, while Black Crow takes us into electro-fumed alt-pop. The memorable Hall Of Statues seems to owe a big big debt to the Canterbury prog of Big Big Train. On Book of Complaints I'm reminded of German heavy art-proggers The Cryptex, while the title track is the most obviously proggy number.
It's been released on the ever-reliable American Lasers Edge label, so the production is top-notch. The whole thing has a beautifully crisp and open sound. Despite all the variety, the compositions are never cluttered.
It's pretty much an essential listen to all fans of heavy-prog. And anyone who thinks the flute should be an essential component of every great prog band, needs to rush out to their record store of choice and grab a copy of this. The playing of Barry Seroff is a central component of every song, yet only on the fiery instrumental, Wykkr Bäsct, does it sound anything like Jethro Tull!
I am also a fan of albums with great singers. Edensong has two of them. No song-by-song vocal credits are given, but I presume lead and backing honours are shared between Schoen and Towers. Several female guest singers bring added layers and textures. It works a treat.
Being critical I could have used a few more memorable hooks and refrains to give the songs a specific focus and to keep me hitting the repeat button. I feel it also needs one or maybe two more songs. I'm no big fan of filling up the whole CD with music but if you take away the two short, acoustic, instrumental refrains, then this is under 40 minutes of music. At least it keeps me wanting more. Hopefully we won't have to wait another nine years for the fourth chapter in the Edensong career.
Great Wide Nothing — A Shout Into The Void
Great Wide Nothing's A Shout Into The Void is the Atlanta trios' fourth album. But only the last one, 2023's Hymns For Hungry Spirits, Vol. II has been reviewed in these pages. They describe themselves as a prog-punk band. The punk side of that is manifest in the high energy levels, rather than the 1-2-3-4, two chords, all over in less than three minutes of classic punk-rock. The prog side, and happily the most dominant, is a neo-prog like focus on melodic songwriting with strong choruses. Though the line-up (bassist/vocalist/lyricist/de facto bandleader Daniel Graham, keyboardist/engineer/arranger Dylan Porper and drummer Jeff Matthews) may bring to mind ELP or other symphonic style bands. However, Great Wide Nothing instead, give the neo-prog leanings a keyboard and bass heavy prog bashing, and in doing so have produced some cracking music.
The lyrics look at what Daniel Graham considers the horrors of 21st century American politics and culture, the devaluing and commodification of art, and his struggles with mental illness and intimations of mortality.
The album opens with the shouty punk-prog of Utopia that settles into a forceful heavy prog. Changes in volume and tempos, Hammond organ, loads of synths and piano driven by forceful bass and clipped drumming keep the prog-ear more than engaged. After this the album becomes more powerhouse prog. assort of Rush with little or no input from Alex Lifeson. Rules Of Engagement is a perfect example of this, with a terrific synth solo, Hammond and piano.
They follow this with the heads down prog-rock of Chain Of Command that has masses of keyboards. The piano led Brain Of Fire dials down the intensity a notch with a piano solo and a commercial melody that never fails to interest me. The three part instrumental One Thousand Eyes goes from more massed keys and throbbing bass through a fusion section and into a bass solo and a synth one too, this is splendid music.
The punk energy returns on Parting Of Ways where the long synth solo almost drifts into self indulgence, but I bet it would be fantastic live. There is a Muse alike melody on You're Not In. The closing title track opens as a Todd Rundgren style piano ballad, as its pace increases it continues in a Rundgren vein which is, for me, all to the good.
Great Wide Nothing's A Shout Into the Void is a fabulous album driven equally by the three musicians involved. As Jerry said at the end of his review of their previous release, "Time for me to check out their previous albums!"
Imaginaerium — Siege
In 2022 the band/project Imaginaerium released their debut album The Rise of Medici. The project is built around Eric Bouillette (Nine Skies, The Room, Solace Supplice), Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Shadowland, Arena) and Italian singer Laura Piazzai. Shortly after releasing The Rise of Medici, Eric Bouillette sadly passed away. Clive Nolan and Laura Piazzai decided to continue Imaginaerium with the album Siege, with fewer musicians/vocalists than on their previous release. The discography of Clive Nolan is filled with rock/metal operas with many different vocalists. The Rise Of Medici is more in line with those albums. However, although Siege has a lot of Clive Nolan sounds, it does take a slightly different path. Not a handful of vocalist, but it is only Laura Piazzai and Clive himself providing some vocals.
The sound on Siege is bit more folky than its predecessor. Opener Cry Boudica! combines that with a lot of bombastic music. A lot of tribal like sounds but still room for a fiery electric guitar solo. The Final Redoubt and Footprints continue in this style with the bombastic parts in The Final Redoubt and more singalong parts in Footprints.
On the next couple of songs there is room for the piano. On All There Is To See the piano is very dramatic and intense, Clive is really hammering on the keys. When My Eyes Are Closed reminds me of the music on Hound Of The Baskervilles (Nolan/Wakeman). The same I have with To The Victor Go The Spoils — some familiar Nolan keyboard licks. The song To The Victor Go The Spoils is a bit too long for what is happening, a bit too repetitive.
The more folk influences can clearly be heard on Never Burn The Cakes. I know some fans like folk-inspired prog, but in this case, at least to me, I think the song is as ridiculous as its title. Fortunately for me, The Last Arrow is back to the rock opera music. This time with Clive Nolan on vocals. This is a good example of songs that just stick in your head. A lot of keyboards melodies and bombastic parts, but above all a chorus that is really hard to shake off.
After the short mellow song Deep it is Blood Moon that closes the album. The first part sounds very tribal and scary and at the end of the song there is an eruption of music with a lot of electric guitar solos.
Some editions of Siege come with a bonus disc with some alternate recordings, acoustic songs with only piano/guitar and vocals or a re-visit.
So here we have another fine album by Imaginaerium. With fewer personnel than on their debut, Imaginaerium starts to sound more like a band than a project. I am a big fan of rock opera albums, so I was a bit underwhelmed after the first spins, but that was mostly my own expectations. Setting my personal taste aside, I do feel this is a very good album, and if you like the more folky approachto prog, then Siege is an album will have many elements to love.
Kayak — Back To Shore - The 2022 Farewell Tour
Sometimes the prog junkie in me has to come clean. Not from the addiction of prog itself, which is impossible. But to confess. This time around involving Kayak whose music I've been familiar with ever since a close friend introduced me to them some 45 years ago. But unlike him, their music never managed to fully rock my boat (read another disclosure in my review of Reappearance). As a result, I mostly watched the band from far shores in all their years of existence.
This all changed on March 2nd of this year, when I suddenly found myself surrounded by 200+ devoted Kayak fans to witness the band in action during the release party of Back To Shore - The 2022 Farewell Tour at the Azotod venue in De Meern. An event described by founding bandleader Ton Scherpenzeel as "a reunion, birthday bash, and funeral all in one" during his introductory interview with music journalist Wouter Bessels.
I used the term "in action" rather loosely there. Although every member of Kayak's final line up — Ton Scherpenzeel (keyboards, vocals), Bart Schwertmann (vocals, guitar, bass, percussion), Marcel Singor (guitar, vocals), Kristoffer Gildenlöw (bass, vocals), and Hans Eijkenaar (drums, sequencer) — did attend the event in the flesh, they didn't perform any music. Instead, they proudly experienced what everyone else was exclusively treated to during the relaxed and beautifully organised meet-and-greet — the world premiere of Back To Shore on the big screen.
And what they saw was a tightly operating unity of gifted musicians. Not just go out with a bang, as they barged with passionate determination through a well-balanced set replete with oeuvre highlights. But to actually see them rewrite the very definition of it, through high energetic deliveries, masterful agility, and utmost joy. As first impressions go: rarely have I seen a concert so captivating, engaging, thrilling, and compelling from the get-go, as the one immortalised on Back To Shore.
What struck me the most of the recordings, captured by the team of John Vis over two nights at De Boerderij (Zoetermeer) and De Vorstin (Hilversum), is the fantastic energetic upgrade that every composition has been injected with. Without exception, these criminally well-executed songs sound so much more dynamic, rocking and powerful than their studio counterparts. It's close to a miracle there were no actual doping-related arrests to report when Kayak crossed the ocean on their farewell tour.
This mammoth metamorphosis in sound, combined with the band's magnificent potent performances and Schwertmann's outstanding "right-man-for-the-job" vocal performance, makes Kayak classics like Merlin, Starlight Dancer, Niniane, and the timeless Ruthless Queen now fully resonate with my inner sound system. The latter less so, as I probably heard it too often, but still.
The same exalted experience also takes place with deeper cuts like Alibi, Said No Word, Chance Of A Lifetime and Mammoth. That last one hears Schwertmann actively adding additional low-end bass, while Singor takes over on lead-vocals. As well as every song taken from Kayak's latest two studio offerings that are thoughtfully spread across the set-list. A few compositions, the more pop-influenced Waiting and Cary for instance, do admittedly prevent me from giving full marks to the generously rewarding song collection. But this is merely down to personal taste as these well-written, melody-heavy songs are also exceptionally well interpreted and feature, as so often on the night, delightful moments of wonderful guitar extravaganza by Singor.
Offering a grand diversity of excellently executed symphonic prog that furthermore includes spectacular instrumentals (Theme From Spetters, Kaja), touching ballads (A Million Years, Still My Heart Cries For You), and many other fan favourites (e.g. Daphne, Seagull), there is the slight all-encompassing retrospective matter that Bert Heerink, Cindy Oudshoorn, and Edward Reekers years (2000 - 2014) remain ignored. As a newly converted Kayak follower, this, however, suits me just fine.
Especially if this decision also resulted in the monumental masterpiece of La Peregrina to be still part of the set. In a "pinch me, I must be dreaming" moment, this phenomenal epic composition truly sets my we-want-more prog heart aflame through enthralling melodies, beautiful symphonic arrangements, divine harmonies, classical influences and theatrical heavy bombastic prog. Elevated by magical interplay and elements of AOR/melodic rock, I find this gobsmacking composition to be fully worth the price of admission for Back To Shore's luxurious prog cruise alone. What a magnificent, mind-blowing composition!
Completed by two brand-new studio tracks that continue the musical style as explored on Out Of This World, the short conclusion after all this is that the championing Back To Shore sings to me in many more enchanting ways then the beautiful swan song that it represents. As a clear must-have for Kayak fans, I therefore cannot do anything other than heartily recommend every progressive rock fan out there (yes, that means you!) to add this overwhelming CD/DVD year-list combo to your collection now. One last question, though, does someone have a time machine that I can use for a return trip to the afternoon of May 15th 2022, destination De Vorstin, Hilversum? Please, pretty please?
Malabriega — Frippada Andaluza
After reading a bit of hype about this band and being from a region that has delivered a stunning array of excellent prog bands and albums, naturally my interest was piqued by the positive comments I had been reading about their latest album. So let's see if all the public verbage about the album justifies its apparent popularity.
The band consist of Juan Castro (vocals), Joaquín Sainz (electric guitar), Manuel Soto "Noly" (Spanish guitar), Sergio Carmona (bass) and Raúl Gómez (drums). One of the stand-out features of the band's music is the power and emotional strength of their vocalist. His voice is really strong and is so suitable for the style of music that the band has created. It really is a match made in heaven.
To kick things off, acoustic guitars are assisted by a soft drum beat that eventually builds to a steady pulse and which pulls the listener in quite quickly. Vocals chime in with an ever-increasing level of emotion and being the backbone of the longest song on the album, underpins exactly where the band are heading with the ideas yet to unfold. Tu pelo is again underpinned by strong vocals and a catchy riff, also embellished with some biting lead guitar.
El duelo is the first indication that the band really possess a lot of flamenco flair as the acoustic guitar is overtaken by some clever arrangements along with Juan's powerful singing. The remaining songs are full of many acoustics flourishes that typify the Spanish sound so listeners should know what to expect in this area. The vocals are also very prominent in the mix and while I wouldn't suggest they're overdone, you know you have a strong vocalist with a definitive Spanish accent firmly holding the microphone.
The drumming on the album is also strong, and while nothing sounds overtly flashy, the steady and confident driving beat helps to keep things in check along with some smooth bass lines that add nicely to the underlying rhythms. Lead guitar breaks, when used, are full of venom and punch, so keep your seatbelt fastened. The overall strength of the album clearly falls into the lap of their singer who never loses control or pitch. He has a great voice and is one singer who I am sure will help catapult the band even further into the future.
Will the band break into the prog mainstream and challenge some of the bigger names in the business? Probably not, but for the good folks in the western lower part of Europe, I can see the band gaining a lot of local support from Spain and Portugal where this style of music reigns supreme. My experience with prog bands from this region consists mainly with those acts that were active in the 70s and 80s. Some of the more successful names include Triana, Mezquita, Crack, Gualberto, Atila, Gotic, Guadalquivir, Canarios, Iman Califato Independiente, Cai, Maquina!, Granada, Itoiz, Pan & Regalitz, Medina Azahara, Fusioon, Bloque, Musica Urbana, Iceberg, Amarok and a few lesser known acts.
Sadly, many of these bands were a one-and-done affair as they disbanded shortly after due to a general lack of record sales or lost impetus. Consider that 40 or more years ago, music from this region was never going to smash sales records when global acts like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull were holding the reins. This could also be said of many other areas of central or Eastern Europe as the word rarely escaped the borders of many of these countries due to language or other cultural differences. This was a tragic loss to the world as the often brilliant music emanating from these lesser known areas was only widely discovered by the western population after the advent of the internet made searching for more obscure prog music, a lot easier. I sincerely hope that Malabriega don't fall between the cracks as they are certainly a talented band with some solid ideas coupled with boundless energy and ability. Keep up the great work!
Robert Reed — Sanctuary IV
There's a unique kind of anticipation I feel whenever Robert Reed releases a new Sanctuary album. It's not just that I expect finely crafted, melodic progressive music but that I know I'm about to experience something relevant, transportive, and deeply personal. With Sanctuary IV, Reed has not only met those expectations, he's surpassed them, achieving something that goes beyond homage to Mike Oldfield. He's captured the elusive essence of what made Tubular Bells so groundbreaking and emotionally resonant, yet shaped it into something fresh, heartfelt and undeniably his own.
Let's not be mistaken: Sanctuary IV is not a derivative work. Yes, Reed openly wears his influences on his sleeve, particularly the structural grandeur and harmonic storytelling of Tubular Bells. However, the beauty here is that he doesn't imitate so much as inhabit Oldfield's spirit. Where Oldfield was often raw, exploratory, and youthful in his risk-taking, Reed here is mature, precise, and orchestrally grand. This album is like looking through the lens of Oldfield's 1973 debut with the benefit of 50 years of hindsight and musical evolution.
From the very opening phrases of Sanctuary IV, there's a clarity and warmth to the production that immediately sets the tone. Reed has always been a master of layering with each melodic idea building upon the next with clockwork precision. You'll hear lush, interweaving motifs that evolve with surprising restraint. Themes return just as you've begun to miss them and counterpoints dance around in harmonic dialogues. It's an album that rewards repeated listening.
The instrumentation is astonishingly rich. The core remains centered on multitracked electric and acoustic guitars, played by Reed himself with remarkable finesse. The tone choices feel deliberate, crystal-clear clean electric leads reminiscent of Oldfield's classic Fender Telecaster sound, set against pastoral nylon-string passages, mandolins, and piano / keyboard textures. I recently emailed Rob to ask exactly what instruments he used on the album to which he responded: Piano, keyboards. mandolin, recorders, classical guitars. acoustic guitars, electric guitars, baritone guitar, bass guitar, bodhran, glockenspiel, Roland Sh2000 synthesiser along with a veritable assortment of extras. But where this album steps up from its predecessors is in its orchestration.
The significant use of tuned percussion all lends the album its characteristic sonic fingerprint. Piano and electric piano (likely a Fender Rhodes or similar voicing) add warmth and movement, while lush keyboard sounds, strings and choral pads deepen the emotional atmosphere.
What really brings this album to life, though, are the contributions from other musicians. Simon Phillips on drums is, quite simply, a masterstroke. His playing here is not flashy, despite being allowed a short interlude in which he obliges with a short, sharp and snappy drum solo. Nice! His stylistic contribution is deeply musical—his phrasing and sensitivity add natural propulsion to even the most complex time signatures. You can sense his understanding of space and silence; he doesn't dominate but lifts the entire ensemble with subtlety and grace.
Les Penning's woodwinds add a folky, almost medieval hue, just as he did with Oldfield during the Ommadawn era. His recorder work brings warmth and familiarity, bridging the emotional world of pastoral English folk with a contemporary progressive structure.
The inclusion of choral voices elevates the album's most cinematic moments. Their presence is never overbearing, but when they enter, particularly during key modulations and climaxes, the emotional payoff is deeply felt and instant.
Like Tubular Bells, Sanctuary IV is constructed as a long-form suite, split into multipart sections. Rather than being a series of disconnected movements, each section flows seamlessly into the next, tied together through thematic development and subtle reprises. The harmonic language leans heavily on modal interchange, shifting between major and minor modalities to create that sense of wonder and melancholy so characteristic of Oldfield's best work.
Polyrhythmic layers abound, whether from the all-encompassing guitar / keyboard flourishes or the gamut of tuned percussion used throughout. These aren't just technical embellishments; they serve the music's emotional arc. Reed understands how to build tension, how to craft a slow-burning crescendo and how to release that tension with beauty rather than bombast.
Perhaps what moves me most about Sanctuary IV is how personal it feels, not just to Robert Reed but to me as a listener. The album taps into a deep nostalgia, not in a kitschy way but in a way that recalls the awe and curiosity I first felt listening to Tubular Bells as a teenager. There's a sincerity to Reed's composition that's rare today. It's as if he's taken the torch from Oldfield, not to replicate but to carry forward the ideals of melody, craftsmanship, and emotional storytelling through sound.
This isn't music for passive consumption. It's music to sit with, to immerse yourself in. You can analyze the arrangements and time signatures, or you can simply let it wash over you. It works on both levels. Reed understands that great instrumental music doesn't have to be cold or cerebral—it can be alive with feeling and ethereal in its delivery.
Is Sanctuary IV an album worth having? Unequivocally, yes. If you're a fan of Mike Oldfield, of course this belongs in your collection. It's the most authentic continuation of that musical world I've ever encountered. But even if you're new to that lineage, Reed's work stands tall on its own. It's rich, immersive, and endlessly rewarding.
In a musical landscape often saturated with formula and noise, Sanctuary IV is a sanctuary in the truest sense—a place of melodic refuge, crafted by a composer who clearly loves, understands and respects the emotional power of instrumental storytelling. It's delightfully melodic, ever-changing and far more engaging compared to so much musical dross that pervades the airwaves these days. For that reason alone, I'll return to this album again and again. Easily worth three glasses of my favourite Shiraz — all righty then, you win — the whole bottle! Cheers!