Issue 2026-008

Daal — Live: Waves From The Underground

Jan Buddenberg

9 March 2020, Covid-19 had started ravaging the Italian town of Bergamo, home of Daal. Davide Guidoni (drums, percussion, noises, samplers) and Alfio Costa (Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, Polymoog, Minimoog, Mellotron, modular synth) reflected upon this with intense emotion through the breathtaking Daecade(nt) from their compilation album Daecade. These horrific images and heart-wrenching experiences of misery again come back to life with opener W.F.T.U. 09.03.2020 (45°41'42''N 9°40'12''E) of this, their ninth album. Or number eight, since it was released on the exact same date as Decoding the Emptiness, reviewed by my colleague Sergey some time ago.

The date and GPS coordinates are incorporated in the song title. This second reconstruction of the tragic Bergamo events brings an equally moving invasion of swooping sequences, dark mystifying atmospheres, rattling rhythms, and disturbing sound effects that hover in and out over sinister Mellotron-soaked melodies. It conceptualises a grief-stricken, lifeless wasteland, and beats with recollections of Andrei Tarkovski's psychological sci-fithriller Stalker.

Recorded during improvisation sessions in Rome in the fall of 2023 with Daal regulars Ettore Salati (guitars) and Roberto "Bobo" Aiolfi (bass), the same kind of effect also appears in W.F.T.U. 20.07.1969 (8°30'N 31°24'E). This abstract and mysterious but also captivating soundscape suitably strikes the imagination with impressions of Aldrin and Armstrong landing on the moon. The ethnic-enhanced melodies, Costa's sunburning synths, and Malakal's given location in the South Sudan desert, creates a flashback to Capricorn One, a film about faking a landing on Mars, inspired by moon-landing conspiracy theories.

This track is placed between two newly interpreted Daal tracks. The melancholic Daeconstruction Brain Melody, originally released on Disorganicorigami, would be a perfect fit for a film that thematically explores topics such as sorrow and transience. Several influences of Pink Floyd come to mind. Daeconstruction Decalogue part. I, taken from Decalogue Of Darkness and excellently performed with plenty of drama, Mellotron, venomous guitar melodies, raises the question when Daal will take their songs to the stage. This sublime reinterpretation comes uncannily close to its mesmerising studio counterpart.

In W.F.T.U. 15.09.2008 (51°30'N 0°11'W), Daal pay a visit to Hyde Park on the day of Richard Wright's passing with beautiful restrained drumming support and emotionally touching performances that frequently echo with melancholic sorrow of Pink Floyd. The experimentally improvised soundscape W.F.T.U. 26.04.1986 (51°23'21.98''N 30°05'57.01''E) follows with an unsettling sequence of rumbling rhythms, alienating vintage keyboard sounds, and Russian spoken sound fragments. This efficiently transports the troubled psyche to the alarming stages of Chernobyl's meltdown.

An arduous and full on arresting listening experience thus far, the lounge jazz of W.F.T.U. 01.09.1928 (51°31'2"N 0°10'23"W) offers the perfect relief with understated performances, soothing melodies, and a heavenly cleansing conclusion of melodic formulations that neatly correspond to the portrayed story of Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming's 1928 penicillin discovery at the St. Mary's Hospital in London.

The two closing tracks represent very defining moments in Italian history, both of which took place in Rome. Picking up the pace with drum rolls and a subsequent quarry of E.L.P. ivories that eventually bring the motion picture Logan's Run into view. W.F.T.U. 02.06.1946 (41°53'35'N 12°28'58'E) concerns the founding of the Italian Republic in 1946. A joyful event following the fall of the fascist regime in Italy in 1943. The uplifting conclusion W.F.T.U. 25.07.1943 (41°53'46.32''N 12°28'53.4''E) is a nod to Nodo Gordiano.

As with the astonishing Daedalus effort, the songs on this album persistently offer new visual insights and ever-changing musical attraction after several months of deep exploration. Six months in, sorry guys, I fully intend to explore some more. Because overall the memorable Live: Waves From The Underground is a highly immersive experience that mightily entertains, enticingly compels, emotionally stirs, satisfyingly unsettles, sensitively stimulates, eclectically excites, rewardingly touches, ingeniously challenges, mysteriously marvels, and captivates from start to finish with exceptional music and impeccable performances. Need I say more? Highly recommended!

Flight Recorder — Sirens

Edwin Roosjen

Flight Recorder are a collaboration between Marcel Singor and Robin van Vliet. Marcel is the guitar player on the last two albums by legendary band Kayak, Out Of This World and Seventeen. Marcel also played on some Ayreon tours and can be heard on the live recordings of those tours. Marcel also played on the Lucassen/Soeterboek project Plan Nine.

Robin van Vliet is a multi-instrumentalist and he is a member of Slagerij van Kampen, a band from the Netherlands that comprises mostly percussionists. Robin also played keyboards for Dutch rock singer Anouk and worked with Racoon, also well-known artists in The Netherlands. Marcel plays guitar and Robin plays piano/keyboards but both of them can be regarded as multi instrumentalists. Both of them provide the vocals for their debut album Sirens.

What a wonderful thing that two musicians who operate mostly in the commercial music business chose to make a progressive rock album. The two were meeting up to prepare for a Todd Rundgren tribute show and one thing led to another. They wrote one song and after that they continued with a plan to create an eighteen-minute suite. To most progressive rock fans that would sound like a very good plan.

The music of Flight Recorder is progressive rock hinting a bit towards the early eighties. They are not looking for overly complex structures and their music is very pleasant to absorb, with lots of piano/keyboard melodies and melodic guitar solos. For comparison, I am thinking of Mike + The Mechanics, John Whetton, Blackfield and also some popular music like Toto and Mr. Mister. Melodic rock music with a lot of layers and a fair amount of Pink Floyd-like guitar solos. Throughout the whole album the keyboard tunes of Robin and guitar melodies of Marcel bring a very warm familiar sound.

The album starts with the lengthy suite they intended to write. It did not make it to eighteen, but Future Now Suite is still over fifteen minutes long. What a way to start an album. This interesting composition has a lot of things going on and contains many layers of lovely melodies.

I Still Do and Grazing Light Loudness are slower songs, but the flow of the album gains energy in the heavier Into A Monster, with some great guitar solos. The composition that started the Flight Recorder project is Everything Changes When You Turn It On. Halfway in, the melodies are building up and these boys have the guts to turn the mood around with an ominous twist. The song takes a turn to a darker sound for a few bars and after that they turn the mood back, all in a natural flow. Everything Changes When You Turn It On and the epic opener I feel are the better songs on Sirens.

A song like Passing Through is not a filler but the other songs bring more to the table. Sirens Of Love is gradually joining the list of my favorite songs on this album. Great Pink Floyd-like guitar solos on this song. Maybe Sirens is an album that has a different favorite song from time to time.

Flight Recorder is a welcome addition to the world of progressive rock. Nice to see that musicians like Marcel Singor and Robin van Vliet chose to create an album like this. I hope we will hear more from Flight Recorder.

RaraOvis — Ne Sveleremo l'Essenza

Thomas Otten

Founded in 2021, RaraOvis is the studio project of Italo-Australian writer and composer Leonardo Pegoraro, who launched his debut album Ne Sveleremo l'Essenza (We Will Reveal The Essence) in 2025. While Leonardo composed the music and arrangements, plays keyboards and wrote the lyrics for the entire work, he created his album in collaboration with Matteo Ricci, who contributed the electric guitar and acted as sound engineer. Art director of the album is Fabio Zuffanti, a veteran of and an iconic name in Rock Progressivo Italiano and known amongst others for his involvement in bands such as Finisterre, Höstsonaten, La Maschera Di Cera, and La Coscienza Di Zeno.

While these names belong to the inner circle of my prog rock favourites, I had not heard of RaraOvis prior to writing this review.

Leonardo clearly calls the shots on this album, but it's not a one-man show. Twelve musicians contribute. Pianist Luca Scherani, and drummer Andrea Orlando have both worked with Fabio Zuffanti in other projects.

Not having found any information in the web neither on RaraOvis as a band nor on Leonardo as an individual musician (maybe I did not search carefully enough), and not understanding the lyrics (although I love Italian as a sung language), I have to rely on information provided by the record company.

With respect to the concept of the album, it "transforms the theme of love into a journey articulated in five stages (five tracks) that elevates the experience to a philosophical ascent. The choice of genre is no coincidence: the nature of prog, with its contrasting, evolving, and transcending themes, musically mirrors the path of Eros itself".

So far, so good. What does this mean for the music on this album?

One thing is for sure: given the fact that this project is under the artistic supervision of Fabio Zuffanti and taking into consideration his name and footprints in the Italian prog scene, the music on Ne Sveleremo l'Essenza is pure RPI. But not for imitating the sound of the style-defining bands of the "golden seventies". The characteristic elements inherent in this musical genre are present: mediterranean mood and atmosphere, analogue sounding instruments, inspiration by classical music, symphonic song structures, catchy melodies albeit with a degree of melancholy, romanticism, a certain gloominess and theatricality.

But RaraOvis show their originality by blending these elements with folk, ambient, electronic and some minimalism. The music borrows heavily from classical music and thus seems very "composed" note by note, without sounding sterile nor cold. On the contrary, it is full of emotion. The extensive presence of flute, violin, and bassoon (in particular in the final epic track), the use of both female and male vocals, sometimes within the same song, and decent theatrical elements are a proof of RaraOvis' individuality.

Speaking about the vocals: both Fabio and Irene give an outstanding performance. However, for me, Fabio's singing takes some getting used to, because he often uses it in the theatrical passages, where he sometimes appears to employ his head voice or an almost whispering style. Irene seems to be responsible for singing the more upbeat passages - which are a bit scarce in number in my opinion, though. Given the theatrical elements being quite pronounced, RaraOvis also brings Italian peers such as Museo Rosenbach, Osanna, Il Balletto Di Bronzo, and, because of its melodic harmonies, Locanda Delle Fate to my mind.

RaraOvis' music is sophisticated, varied and characterised by a high level of skill. However, this music is not about impressing with sheer virtuosity and polished soloing, but rather with atmosphere, depth, variedness, originality, finesse, and emotion. An example of this which I particularly liked is how this album begins with Primi Passi. Voices, soundscapes and instruments meander and drip intimately, tentatively and ethereally. At first, it seems as if they are still lost and searching for the chords and harmonies they are part of. But then they somehow flow into each other and, at the latest with the introduction of the flute, they form a sad and harmonious melody that still seems fragile. Grand piano and synthesizer take up this melody, and the track develops into a fully-fledged melancholic RPI song, calm, with an unexpected outburst during its last 20 seconds. The three tracks that follow basically continue in the same vein and captivate listeners with their successful combination of complexity and multi-layeredness on the one hand and accessibility on the other.

My favourite is I Contorni Dell'Alba, with its melodic choral-like singing from Fabio and Irene, and beautiful acoustic guitar, piano and synthesizer work - I felt like I was listening to an early PFM record.

The epic title track that closes the album is a musical "tour de force", full of breaks, changes of mood and atmosphere, with drama, passion, lots of motives borrowed from classical music and a special focus on wind instruments. For me, it bears the characteristics of a mini rock-opera. This piece is not easy listening, because compared to the rest of the album, it seems less melodic and accessible to me. I cannot discern a common thread between the somewhat disjointed components, that means that this song requires the undivided attention of the listeners from beginning to end. The reward for doing that is the opportunity to appreciate an RPI track at its best.

I very much enjoyed listening to and reviewing this album - that is the essence I revealed. RaraOvis' music is so subtle, yet so powerful. Nothing that overwhelms you from the outset, but something than unfolds its beauty the more often you listen to it. It is the kind of music that grows upon you and gradually displays its variedness. Hence, a wear and tear effect does not take place, and new facets appear during each spin. If I had come across and reviewed this record last year, it would have ended on my "top 10 albums of 2025"-list. Highly recommended to fans of RPI and to those who look for varied, complex, but accessible music with strong melodies. My "inner circle" of favourite (RPI) bands just increased by one name and I already look forward to their forthcoming release.

Sic Mundus — Universum

Jan Buddenberg

A little over two years ago, Sic Mundus sure made the world of progressive rock more beautiful with their excellent debut Illusions. Attractively packaged with artwork by steampunk painter Jaroslaw Jaśnikowski that suitably completed the well-composed neo-prog/prog-metal songs on display, this album has since then made countless rounds in my CD player. Even more so, if you also count the indulgent hours when I Bandcamp-streamed the music at work. When Sic Mundus released their second winning combination of exceptional artwork and music, this situation completely changed in Universum's favour.

It features Jaśnikowski's uniquely transfixing artwork again. It imbues the music with cinematic expressiveness. This sophomore effort perfectly illustrates that the saying "never change a winning team" doesn't always hold true, as several changes have taken place.

Sic Mundus have grown from a project led by founders Andrzej Sesiuk (music, arrangements, keyboards, programming) and Artur Placzyński (lyrics, bass) into a full-fledged band. Singer Mikołaj Krzaczek, Michal Kaszczyszyn (guitars) and Torsten Bugiel (drums) were promoted from participators to members. Iga Kałuża (backing vocals), Mykhailo Kobets (trumpet on M.A.D.), and Sunday Bayode Emmanuel (trumpet on Agartha) are now participators.

Another major change is the increased role of singer Krzaczek, whose expressive and distinctive voice is now heard on every song, except one.

The Road To Nowhere wastes no time in applying the gripping attraction. A clear recognisable sound similar to that of Illusions, and a sequence of tightly executed, dynamic melodies driven by funky bass and atmospheric synths. Those at times still envision Porcupine Tree. The Hammond-like parts, Krzaczek voice, and the excellent guitar solo ultimately make the sole surviving impression that of Sic Mundus themselves though.

The Wheels Of Time brings rumbling bass and challenging rhythms with swooping atmospheric shifts complemented by a symphonic middle section. It builds toward a grand finale that awakens memories of Last Son Of Eve. The pop-influenced In The Deep displays an extremely beautiful alternation between grand and small musicianship, with a gorgeous synth bridge that leads into an overwhelming guitar solo in spirit of Riverside.

Three winners on their hand so far, Sic Mundus then play the first of several trump cards in form of M.A.D.. Ominous, powerful and complex, with throbbing bass. It reminds of Pain Of Salvation, prog fans would be a fool to let this track slip their attention. The middle section that leans towards prog-metal, recalling the instrumental tracks on Illusions.

The lyrics of Digital Slave surely don't paint a happy picture of the future. Gloomy and with dark melodies and a doom-laden riff bring Threshold to mind. It is loaded with drama, dynamic arrangements, exceptional guitar work, and various mood swings, brought to life by vocals in the finest Daniel Gildenlöw tradition. This excellent composition certainly demonstrates that Sic Mundus have a clear and bright future ahead of them.

The highlight of Universum lights up the sky with emotionally stirring guitar and reassuring string melodies that ultimately create a sense of divinity. The rhythmically controlled Empire's Fall returns to prog-metal in recollection of Dreamscape.

The largely instrumental track Agartha, possibly named after a legendary kingdom said to be located deep in the Earth's core, closes the first CD on a triumphant high. This adventurous composition is full of elegant symphonies and flowing guitar, and briefly explores a jazz inspired realm with supporting trumpet. After a vocalised passage, it rests in a symphonic prog realm of unparalleled beauty that touches deep within.

Look Into The Inner Self is added as a bonus on the second disc. It is really in a league of its own. Inspired by Jaśnikowski's eponymous cover art, this venturesome opus starts with futuristic, Berliner Schüle EM sequences that sparkle with the cinematic appeal of Vangelis. This is picked up by groovy bass, intensifying rhythms and haunting guitar by Greg Davies, which briefly envisions P'Faun. After revisiting some previous motifs, tt slowly morphs into a danceable techno beat where Alessio Castaldi's saxophone dictates the melody. It ultimately reaches its introspective destination through melodies, sound effects, and a recurring presentation of themes and sequences, as satisfying as the inspirational artwork is stunning.

I reckon that expressing my heartfelt recommendation to check out this impressive album is not needed. With immaculate production values and outstanding song material executed with perfection, Sic Mundus have successfully slayed the dreaded sophomore monster by delivering a wonderfully adventurous and thoroughly engaging album that modern prog fans simply can't ignore. This magnificent album is a must-listen.

Solaris — Archive 3 / Los Angeles 2026 (Official Bootleg)

Owen Davies

It is perhaps fitting, that in the months preceding Solaris 45th anniversary concerts in March 2026, that the band have decided to release the third CD of their archive recordings. The completion of their trilogy of historic archival releases covers an important era of the band's history. The album contains recordings, demos, and cassette recordings of concerts from 1984 to 1990. It also presents an interpretation of a well-known Solaris piece from the band's 1990 album A kigyo Szive (Heart Of The Snake) dating from 2021 and performed by the András Sturcz String Quartet.

The previous two archive releases covered the years 1980 to 2000 and 1980 to 2005.

While the sound quality of the release is variable, it is never substandard. The content of Archive 3 is without doubt, an essential addition to the bands discography, as it shows how the band evolved after its Martian Chronicles debut album. The informative sleeve notes which accompany the release set out the context of the archive recordings and their place in the bands development and history.

Archive 3 is an album that has many appealing things to absorb and take in. It was fascinating to listen to the demo version of Solaris epic Los Angeles 2026 composition and to hear an early alternative version of Wholesome Optimism (Egeszseges Optimis).

The story of how Solaris morphed into the successful pop band Napoleon Boulevard is covered in the sleeve notes and is also touched upon in a 2015 DPRP interview with flautist Attila Kollár.

Briefly, the bands demo of Los Angeles 2026 was rejected by the state record company, and they were asked to create music with a more popular appeal. After the success of Napoleon Boulevard, Solaris were in a position to record the music they wanted to and the result was their 1990 album which included a newly recorded studio version of their wonderful Los Angeles 2026 composition.

I really enjoyed the demo version of this superb piece. It has a rawness and spontaneity that is enthralling and appealing. However, some of the instrumental parts are markedly different. For example, there is a noticeable and dramatic organ flourish that literally shakes the curtains and vibrates the floor. In addition, some of the breathy flute parts are markedly quicker and consequently this creates a different ambience to parts of the piece. Nevertheless, for the most part, the main ingredients of the tune remain and are easily discerned.

In the DPRP review of 1990, I wrote: "LA 2026 contains a diverse mixture of styles. Erdész' piano parts and Kollár's pastoral interventions create a variety of reflective moods upon which, the band develop and expand upon. Each part has its own charm and identity. Many false starts and surprising detours occur in the various movements, before the band finally and inexorably charge towards the compositions impressive finale. In the final phase, there are numerous examples of blistering ensemble playing where each individual player complements the other."

I could easily say the same about the demo version. It's that good!

The stringed interpretation of Heart Of The Snake offers an atmospheric set of tones and hues that are quite different to the original. The Sturcz quartet provides a sort of majestic gravitas to the whole composition and surprisingly exudes a pulsating collective energy. I was reminded of the excellent Polish band Volosi and the exuberance that they bring to the table in their stringed compositions.

András Sturcz is no stranger to prog music though and it is little wonder that his interpretation of A kigyo Szive is so engaging. After all, he made an important and sensitive contribution to Solaris' Martian Chronicles 111 release and in the past his Quartet also appeared on Jethro Tull's First Snow On Brooklyn tune and on Ian Anderson's Rupi's Dance release. A video of their performance of Heart Of The Snake is on YouTube .

Józsi goes to Mátészalká is a vibrantly performed piece. It begins with a fluid guitar part and transforms into a riff dominated piece where flute , guitar trade licks and respond to each other in an imaginative manner. It has all the hallmarks that makes Solaris music so instantly identifiable.

Józsi goes to Mátészalká is notable as some of its themes were later expanded by the band. Hints of them occur in some of their later recorded tunes. The bass playing of Tamás Pócs is particularly impressive in the ensemble parts and his wholesome tone is certainly one of the most enjoyable aspects of the piece. The latter half of the tune spotlights drummer Gömör, László's proficiency behind his kit as the piece features an extended drum solo.

I particularly appreciated the way The Task evolved. This improvised piece showed just how dynamic Solaris could be in concert. It is a great showcase for the talents of the much-missed Cziglan Istvan. His ethereal tone fills the higher registers and his measured control of his instrument is a joy to listen to. At times his playing was full of subtle sustain and magnificent menace. This brought to mind aspects of Robert Fripp's style. The guitars interaction with Erdész' pulsating keyboard as the piece marches towards its conclusion is simply excellent.

Perhaps one of the most interesting pieces on the album is The Last One. This piece was only performed once in concert and was one of the last occasions when that line up of Solaris shared writing credits hence its apt title. The tune is designated as electronic pantomime music and I can understand how it obtained that moniker. It has many different moods and themes, some of which sounded familiar and I think were later developed and used in part, in some tunes of side 2 of the bands 1990 album.

I hope that this archive series continues. It would be fantastic to hear some demos, and perhaps some unreleased live performances from the bands later repertoire.

I know Solaris fans would agree!

Hans Spitzen — About Time

Ignacio Bernaola

I wanted to like this album more than I actually did. Not because it's bad. Far from it. But because it feels like the kind of elegant, long-form prog record that should become one of those small discoveries that I occasionally find. And for me, it stayed more in the solid and enjoyable zone.

A decade after his debut, About Time is a pretty fitting title, considering the gap between albums. Hans Spitzen is a Dutch multi-instrumentalist with prog experience under his belt, and About Time is his second solo album. Long tracks, careful arrangements, and a clear intention to tell a story instead of chasing quick hooks.

He's also the guitarist in Flamborough Head, and you can hear that melodic, neo-symphonic mindset here. Think Camel and Marillion warmth rather than anything heavy. As I usually say, I'm not very good at giving references so feel free to discover them for yourselves.

What works best is the overall craft. The instrumentation is consistently good, and the melodies land more often than not. There's a sense of taste in how the parts are built: changes feel planned, not random, and the music usually moves forward with purpose. I also like the general elegant vibe. This is prog rock that prefers clean lines over chaos.

That said, it didn't hit me as hard as I expected. The sound is good (clear and well-balanced), but I wouldn't call it jaw-dropping or addictive. Same with the songs: they're well written and pleasant to follow, yet I rarely got that moment where I thought, okay, now we're talking. My main issue is with the vocals. I don't think Hans is a terrible singer, but his delivery feels monotone to me, and it doesn't match the variety happening in the instruments. When the music shifts moods, different melodies, different passages, different dynamics I wanted the voice to react with more shades: more tension here, more warmth there, more personality in the phrasing, or something. Instead, it often stays on a similar emotional setting, and that flattens the impact.

So I end up with a slightly frustrating conclusion: there's a strong album in here, and the musical side is already doing most of the work, but the singing holds it back from becoming truly memorable (at least for my taste). Verdict: classy, well played symphonic prog with good melodies, but not a winner for me, mainly because the vocals don't bring enough nuance. Recommended if you're in the mood for elegant and calm long-form prog; less so if you enjoy some emotions here and there. I'll still check what he does next because the foundations are clearly there. Hope Hans can find the time to release the new one.