Issue 2025-048

Baro Prog — Prog-Jet IV: Aionverse

Thomas Otten

The man behind Baro Project, bassist, guitarist, singer, keyboarder, and composer Alberto Molesini aka Baro, is active inside the progressive rock scene since the late 70ies. His first musical appearance started with the band La Sintesi, formed at the end of the 70ies and disbanded some 10 years later without leaving any released material from that period. However, Baro had been busy writing and recording music during that time, which remained unpublished until the year 2019, when Baro decided to fulfil his dreams and ambitions under the name of Prog-jets. Lucillo & Gaida and Topic Würlenio, composed as live material for La Sintesi and having stayed in hiatus for almost 40 years, are released in a double package to form Prog-jets I and II, with Utopie, needing a facelift which does it justice, comes out in 2021 as Prog-jet III. The way I understand it, Aionverse - Prog-jet IV - is the first of Baro's releases containing music written in the recent past.

Aionverse, which is synonym of a dimension of eternity, takes the form of a rock-opera with eight different singing characters. It would go beyond the scope of this review to describe the plot in full detail. I understand Aionverse as a concept album dealing with eternal life from a religious point of view with some esoteric traits. The release comes with a 20-page booklet, which gives a complete outline of the full story, which the listener is guided through by a storyteller, a description of the characters and the full lyrics (plus an indication who play which solo at what point in time). I also recommend having a look at some of the video clips offered on YouTube in that respect.

I admit that both sources (booklet and YouTube) have not contributed to me fully understanding the concept, but I found access to the music all the more quickly, and that is what I attach a higher degree of importance to. The songs are composed and arranged by Baro, who plays bass, guitars, keyboards, and assumes the vocals for two of the characters of the story. His "core band" include Gigi Murari (drums), and Elena Cipriani (backing vocals). The further music collective that accompanies him is made up of guest musicians on guitars, piano, and violin plus various male and female vocalists taking the roles of the individual characters. Amongst them are Andrea Vilardo (Blind Golem), Iacopo Meille from heavy metalers Tygers Of Pan Tang, and Heather Findlay, formerly with Mostly Autumn.

The music on this release is yet another striking example that today's technical possibilities in producing and recording basically can provide for a single musician's composing, arranging and playing capabilities to sound like a full band. (I am not sure whether I really appreciate this development, though, but this does not play such a big role here anyway.) In any case, although most of the instruments are played by Baro, it is the prolific contribution of the additional musicians on piano, guitars, drums and violin plus the homogeneous interaction of the various singers that contribute to the versatility of this work.

The roots of Baro's music lie in traditional ("old school") 70ies-influenced prog, without being a mere clone of that period. Besides, there are some jazz-rock influences, especially when the piano comes into play. As one would expect from a rock opera, a lot of emphasis is put on the singing, and we are faced with multi-part vocal harmonies. However, this does not happen at the expense of the instrumental parts which fully come to their own.

This music is bursting with breaks, polyphonic vocals and instrumentation, and variety from the first to the last note. Changes of mood and atmosphere, alterations of acoustic and electric passages, softer and harder parts, crisp and clear bass lines and drumming, great variety of keyboards used, virtuosity of soloing - it is all there. Whilst being musically and technically ambitious (in line with the story), it neither is gallery play nor l'art-pour-l'art. Despite its complexity, it stays accessible, whereby the sung parts appear to be a bit more catchy than the instrumental ones.

Aionverse is not intended for casual listening but demands the audience's full dedication and attention. In return, it will keep them on the edge of their seats for the entire running time.

From a comparison point of view, Baro Prog not only remind me of Yes, Gentle Giant, ELP, Starcastle, and UK, but also revived the sound of some of the 70iest Italian prog veterans, such as Nuova Era, Le Orme, Maxophone, Il Balletto Di Bronzo, and Banco. Speaking of more recent peers, I realized the instrumental abundance especially of the keyboards of some Scandinavian bands such as Brighteye Brison, and Wobbler. Input and inspiration may come from all of these bands, but the excellent quality of the music mostly is the merit of Baro's composing and playing skills.

I very much like this release which is exactly my preferred prog. Highly recommended to fans of classical 70ies inspired prog with some jazzy elements, looking for contrasting melodies, musical variety and complexity and a strong emphasis on vocals. I did not have this musician on my radar so far, from now on, I will.

Belling The Tiger — Let The Rain

Jan Buddenberg

In the long run towards the release of their sophomore album, Belling The Tiger recently released their third consecutive EP Let The Rain.

On this EP, which comprises four BTT reimagined versions of songs co-written with songwriter Jeax Couvade, the band continues to draw on their unique eclectic sound that meets the likes of Genesis, Tiles, Relayer, and Galahad like neo-progressive rock. This time, however, also supplemented by a slight psychedelic pop-prog atmosphere that at times gives the music an even bigger 70s appeal than usual.

The EP kicks off with Dream Bear. A compact musing composition that, in true BBT fashion, dynamically challenges the senses with ethereal vocals and sharp guitar parts, supported by strong melodic interplay. Devil's Lure shows the same attraction as the preceding Listen. It draws listeners in with engaging melodic complexities and vibrancy in performances. Underscored by spirited guitar work, expressive emotional vocals and melodies that culminate in a superb guitar solo, this composition is another captivating example of Belling The Tiger's musical promise and one that generously rewards upon repeated listens.

The same goes for Let The Rain. A composition that perfectly matches the EP's bleak artwork with contemplative lyrics and a refined acoustic drizzling of moving melodies which, set in a singer/songwriter environment and emphasised by mournful trumpet, drips with palpable melancholic memories of Nightwinds and Aragon. And the concluding In My Dreams where catchy alternative pop-styled melodies decorated with temperamental serenading acoustic guitar and emotive vocals intricately merge into an enchantingly comforting musical whole.

Perpetually carving out their own unique identity, Let The Rain is, therefore, another very pleasing collection of high-quality compositions by Belling The Tiger that I highly recommend everyone to check out. But can we please have that long-awaited second album now, please?

Discipline — Breadcrumbs

Greg Cummins

Having been a fan of Discipline since I stumbled across their second album Unfolded Like Staircase from 1997, I was surprised to see that the band had not disappeared off the prog radar but have returned with a new and revitalised sound which offers fans a slightly different perspective on what would normally be expected. I've been spinning Breadcrumbs almost nonstop since it dropped and noticed there's something intoxicating about its layers, both textural and emotional. As a fan of the band's earlier work, with the exception of Chaos Out Of Order, I've always appreciated their willingness to challenge conventional rock idioms with a progressive, sometimes avant-garde sensibility. Breadcrumbs, however, hits me at an even deeper, more resonant frequency.

Right off the bat, the guitars feel richer, particularly during the latter minutes of the opening track and are much more harmonically adventurous. I also detect a stronger jazzy vibe to this body of work that works really well. This is perfectly evidenced with the use of violin on the track, Aloft. Vocally, the performance is both more intimate and more commanding. There's a contrast between hushed, almost whispered sections and sudden, impassioned deliveries. I love how that shift plays into the arrangements—when the voice softens, it draws me in; when it crescendos, it hits me fully.

On Breadcrumbs, the compositions feel less tethered to predictability whereby you enjoy extended instrumental sections that build and unravel in unpredictable arcs—almost like living, breathing organisms. The pacing keeps me on my toes. One minute there's this anchor of a riff, the next there's a drifting ambient breakdown with shimmering delay and compelling atmospherics. I'm getting echoes of ambient and post-rock sensibilities woven in there, but grounded by the raw energy that has always defined Discipline.

Lyrically, Breadcrumbs feels more introspective than earlier works. Instead of overt narratives or abstract imagery, I sense a fragmented, dreamlike exploration, catching snippets of images or emotions rather than laid-out storytelling. It's like the album isn't handing me Breadcrumbs to follow, but rather dropping fragments of memory you have to piece together yourself.

It's easy to say the newer album is more “mature” or “experimental,” but that feels reductive. It's less about maturity and more about evolving: it's like I can hear the band deliberately teaching themselves—and me—new ways to inhabit their sound.

This album is perfect for listeners who are drawn to intelligent music that doesn't shy away from complexity but also appreciate bands that blend progressive tendencies with ambient and noise textures. It's an adventurous and compellingly addictive album that keeps delivering with repeated listens.

Fans of Echolyn, Tiles and Salem Hill will find much to like with this album. Best song - Aria. Over 10 minutes of mellow, sonic bliss!

Gods and Punks — Holograms

Jerry van Kooten

Gods and Punks are, according to the press info, a "stoner prog band". To me, someone who listens to and likes music in both genres, I find the progressive parts hard to find. Does that take anything from the total enjoyment of the EP? Nope. But a review is trying to tell a reader what they can expect so I thought I'd mention that.

It's less drone-y than some stoner, a bit more psychedelic in the guitar solos, and more variation than the stereotypical stoner. Ah, a touch of progginess there, then.

Although advertised as "dynamic, fast-paced" and "inspired by Black Sabbath and Kadaver", it never gets that heavy, really. The vocal lines have a strange melody, maybe that is the proggy part? Repetitive, according to the stoner rules, but variation comes in several other sections.

Destiny Room is half-acoustic in an almost Hawkwind style. There is an unexpected prog reference there: Marillion 1980 (so basically Silmarillion). The vocal lines and voice in the acoustic end part really remind me of Silmarillion's Lady Fantasy.

The production is warm and a bit fuzzy like you would expect from stoner albums, a little too damp to my taste, to be honest. I am browsing through their other albums on Bandcamp, I see the band have released large number of EPs, but also already five full-length albums, most of them in beautiful covers! I don't really get the idea behind EPs so I am going to check out the albums now, there is a lot to discover and I already found several things I really like.

Grabriel Keller and Friends — Live - La Rotonde

Calum Gibson

Gabriel Keller comes to the world of prog from the land of France. Dropping his debut, Clair Obscur in 2022, he returned in 2024 with Hope Despite Everything. Described as melding the realms of dark, metal-influenced prog with gentler acoustics, it sounds like a good mix to me. This release, Live – La Rotonde is, if you can believe it, a live album recorded at La Rotonde and features numbers from both albums, and his previous works with Hegoa.

From the start, it is clear there is a wide variety of influences in Keller's music. We go from playful passages, through dark guitar works and softer cleans, backed up by Charlotte Gagnor's soaring vocal work. There is a lot of comparisons between Keller's work and that of Steven Wilson's various outputs, but I'd say this is a far more eclectic and interesting mix. Porcupine Tree for example forms structured, almost predictable prog – While here we weave and flow through many styles, often within the one track.

It occasionally sounds a bit disjointed, when fun guitarwork then takes a sudden dive into heavier riffs, and then leaps back up into an emotional or blues-based solo. It is undeniably prog, with unexpected twists and turns coming frequently, but seamlessly. Throughout it straddles the fine line between structure and chaos, while maintaining an underlying sense of controlled experimentation. Most styles of music are showcased at various points, pop sensibilities slide into place along side Opeth styled heavy riffing, and these as well rub shoulders with the occasional bout of jazz and classical patterns.

It is an interesting and emotional album, and while the frequent style, tempo and time signature changes don't make it an “easy” listen as such, it is still an enjoyable one.

Fans of Wilson's works will still like this, as would fans of bands like Rush and Yes, as well as more modern prog like Caligula's Horse and similar.

Moon Letters — This Dark Earth

Jerry Kranitz

Moon Letters are a guitar, bass, keyboards, drums/percussion, vocals, trumpet, flute quintet from Seattle, Washington. The band formed in 2016, released their debut album, Until They Feel The Sun, at the 2019 Seaprog festival in Seattle, and their second album, Thank You From The Future, was released in 2022. This Dark Earth is their latest and my introduction to the band.

Energy Of The Heart opens the set. After an easy paced intro, Moon Letters launch into the high octane instrumental gymnastics that characterize the set. It's like a less metal brand of Dream Theater. After a few minutes the music becomes more sedate, with atmospheric guitar, haunting keys and passionate vocals. Michael Trew is an exceptional singer, and with multi-tracking and harmonies the vocal production is stellar.

Silver Dream is a lighter tune with a beautiful swooning sway. I hear touches of Genesis, though the music is heavier rocking and the semi-operatic vocals give the music a distinctly Moon Letters flavor. Island Of Magic Mirrors rocks out while veering into multiple compositional directions, including some swinging segments. Lonely Moon is a brief, pastoral acoustic interlude before the chunky hard rocking In The Catacombs, with its head spinning instrumental interplay. Wrapping up the set is the 17-minute Dawn Of The Winterbird. It's a three-part epic that begins with an almost Caribbean vibe, but soon settles into a stretch that reminds me of IQ. And on we go through a variety of passages, from salsa swing, to cosmic space, dreamily melodic prog-pop, symphonic majesty, and more.

The promo sheet describes Moon Letters as 'psych/prog'. Truth in advertising on the prog part, though I don't hear anything I'd describe as psych. But no matter. Moon Letters hit multiple marks on the Prog-o-Meter. Intricately composed music... check. Myriad thematic twists and turns... check. Eye popping musicianship and vocals and tight as a knot ensemble performance... check. Toss in craftsmanship production and This Dark Earth is a Progtastically adventurous yet eminently accessible set that will make fans of classic progressive rock drool. Imagine a blend of Dream Theater and Echolyn with Gentle Giant looking approvingly over their shoulder.