I dunno....it may be slightly fewer bands....and as all the Canterbury bands claim, it was never a conscious scene...but I always thought there should be a defined 'Welsh Scene' that tended to radiate from Man usually. It has a definite sound and vibe ....and guess what, it is exemplified on this second and final album from Neutrons.

The jamming stoned feel reeks of patchouli and other substances. The good time hippy groove of the opener here No More Straights is infused by Mans C'Mon (with past and future Maners Phil Ryan and Will Youatt on board are we surprised...oh and see just like the Canterbury Scene, revolving door band members!) and guitar interplay throughout is very Jones/Leonard. I have to be honest, I find Caromay Dixons vocals a bit fey and folky and they don't quite work for me. The keys intro to The Jam Eaters is top draw prog but it then flows into the Welsh Scenes (did you see what I did there?) laid back atypical 'which band is it' style. Welsh R Blunt gives the 3 main players chance to shine and you even hear slight hints of Steely Dan.

All in all a Sunday afternoon at the Roundhouse 3rd of a 5 band UA/Welsh Scene bill. And all the better for that too!

I picked this up very cheap at a car boot when I realised Rose Kemp was very much 'a relation' and it surprised me when I gave it a spin....but in a good way! I guess we shouldn't be taken aback that she started out having been steeped in mum and dads influences (is that dads violin in Dirty Glow?)...and I still maintain there are 'folk' stylings in some of the songs here...Milky White and its use of eastern scales meets old school prog/folk with a hint of kraut drone as one example. But, to my ears, the overall feel is of Jeff Buckley (Bitter and Sweet especially) fronted...ok, ok a solo artist can't be fronted...by the singer/s from Mostly Autumn on a very heavy prog day....having just listened to Jan Dukes de Grey....and this is no bad thing. Just don't expect any acoustic interludes and fingers in ears but lashings of a darker more gothic atmosphere....and next to zero 'space rock/psychedelia'...what's that categorisation all about?!

A fine album that blends influences into a coherent whole and better than the early average rating it has (currently 3.18) but I can't quite give it a 4...it is more a 3.5 ish.

The fourth installment in the universe of French zeuhl / heavy avant-proggers UNIT WAIL offers surprises for the first time in the band's complex and noisy career. Escaping the colorful psychedelic album cover art that the previous album "Beyond Space Edges" offered, UNIT WAIL once again reengages the black and white abstruse business of the album covers that began its career. ÉGARÉS has numerous meanings in French ranging from lost, missing, distraught and wild-eyed to simply referring to an ashtray! However i think the definition that fits best is "haunted" as UNIT WAIL's musical approach has always taken on a spookier than average mix of sonic experiments designed to startle and titillate as well as just pummel your senses with unceasing chaos and discord.

There has been a major disruption of the band at this point with ex-Shu-Niggurath founder Franck Fromy being relegated to a mere two tracks (designated merely as the soloist) on the album with keyboardist and main songwriter Vincent Sicot-Vantalon picking up the vacant guitar slot only not really performing up to Fromy's high energy standards. In addition ÉGARÉS finds the surprise addition of ex-Art Zoyd trumpet player Jean-Pierre Soarez The album features nine tracks that clock in at around 46 minutes and despite the continuation of the basically stylistic approach laid down on "Pangaea Proxima" which showcases the band's unique mix of Shub-Niggurath, Univers Zero, heavy 70s King Crimson varying traces of zeuhl inspired rhythms, ÉGARÉS is a noticeably less impactful album in relation to the excessive wildness the previous three efforts.

Noticeably absent are the excellent guitar contributions of Fromy and while Vantalon can get the job done as far as keeping the rhythmic aspects going, his forte clearly isn't in the guitar playing department. It's clear the band is giving it their all in crafting an album as worthy of soaking in as the previous three but the quality marker has clearly fallen a few notches despite a noble effort to spice things up with more clever moments of psychedelic keyboard events, moments of super funky bass and excursions into where the sonic textures of the trumpet can lead but none of it seems as satisfying as the unabashed noisy skronk-fest that constituted the band's first three albums. While not inherently bad per se, ÉGARÉS very much feels like a band that lost a key member and is grasping at straws in how to fill the void. Unfortunately the void wasn't filled. The album is noticeably tamer with less freneticism and more moments of just straight forward avant-prog moments. The guitar tones that Vantalon implements are also much softer and tame in comparison which makes the album feel like its lost that edge.

OK, i see that perhaps i had it all wrong and that the title ÉGARÉS actually refers to LOST after all as the band truly does sound like it lost some ground and is struggling to regroup. It could be that the band's formulaic run has simply run its course and Fromy lost interest as any particular band sound especially of the instrumental ilk does become stale after a while if considerable effort into reviving and infusing new creative efforts aren't pursued. On ÉGARÉS the members of UNIT WAIL seem like they're all basically performing business as usual and the moral has been upset in a major way. This is definitely the least compelling album of the band's four album run in their canon and more easily understood once it becomes clear of the crack in the chemistry that made UNIT WAIL an extremely well-oiled machine. It's an OK album that is perfectly listenable but in comparison to its predecessors seems like the band has lost its footing in many ways.

The only album cover to so far be released in color, BEYOND SPACE EDGES was the third release by UNIT WAIL and came out in 2015 two years after the previous "Retort." The album features 11 tracks at around 46 minutes playing time and features all the same members as the first two releases only this time UNIT WAIL offers some new sounds to the mix with guest musicians. Ana Carla Maza delivers some cello performances and although the band is an instrumental one, Sam Benzo guests on voice.

Not deviating significantly from the previous releases, BEYOND SPACE EDGES offers some new synthesizer tricks that sound inspired by Ozric Tentacles and bassist Adrian Luna offers a return to some of the Jannick Top inspired zeuhl bass grooves more prevalent on the the debut than the sophomore release. Once again this is dark sinister sounding noisy affair with Franck Fromy offering his best Frippian guitar antics in conjunct with the sporadic drumming frenzies, dueling synthesizer motifs of atmospheric construct and strange keyboard dominated extravaganzas.

As unpredictable as ever UNIT WAIL delivers a never-ending series of musical variations and not necessarily on a theme. This band seems to have mastered the art of random steering through the chaosphere of sound and simply tames it as it haphazardly navigates through it. Somehow these five members always find the exact proper way to simply dive into a groove or a riff or a sustained atmospheric presence and then just decorate around the edges until a bonafide avant-garde composition is born. "Polymorphous The Wise" offers something completely new for the band however with the addition of vocal contributions albeit completely nonsensical and in the context of a knotty avant-prog darkness that represses the gloomiest and darkest chapters of Fromy's Shub-Niggurath days.

While any UNIT WAIL album is a veritable smorgasbord of strange crazy complexities that deliver nightmarish atmospheres, time signature crazy complexities with guitar riffs and fireless bass grooves whizzing any which way along with the percussive paradigms of post-apocalypse pandemonium, BEYOND SPACE EDGES seems just a tad more in the arena of psychedelia as evidenced by the trippy album cover and wailing synthesizer tones and oscillations that seem to lurk around every corner but once let into the forefront offer a freaky cosmic venture into the early world of Krautrock. However like other UNIT WAIL albums, BEYOND SPACE EDGES also engages in the skronky guitar, bass and drum interplay that continues the frenetic display of organized chaos.

With another round of ingenuity wrapped into a ceaseless fire of chaotic bombast, psychedelic escapism and the pulsating pummeling of the senses, UNIT WAIL delivers yet one more installment into its ceaseless explorative nature where seemingly no time signature is left untapped and no contrapuntal weirdness has been not considered. The band's explorative nature is taken even further with the closing "I See Earth" which offers guest cellist Ana Carla Maza to delivers some of the most riveting and nerve-wracking sounds ever crafted on an instrument that is more often known for its stabilizing effect on a song structure. Once again UNIT WAIT delivers a successful batch of bantering little scalawag deviant mutants of sonic creation that will surely please the most adventurous music listeners out there. Demanding as hell and as cuddly as a porcupine, UNIT WAIT dishes it out with gusto!

After delivering their debut dose of high octane zeuhl meets heavy avant-prog with "Pangaea Proxima," the five-man instrumental band UNIT WAIL followed suit the very next year in 2013 with its sophomore release RETORT which turned up the energy level a few notches. While the debut delivered a veritable dose of Magma inspired zeuhl wrapped up in Franck Fromy's dark and macabre Shub-Niggurath days accompanied by sprinklings of guitar angularities in the vein of Robert Fripp, RETORT takes things into stranger, more surreal and at times heavier musical territory.

Once again all the music was written by keyboardist Vincent Sicot-Vantalon but the overall equation has been skewed with a greater variation in keyboard tricks and atmospheres and what seems like a greater effort to offer more extreme variations of avant-prog time signature workouts. Likewise the guitars are set to a heavier riff oriented mode instead of being confined to the odd background instrument that delved into complex contrapuntal weirdness. With an already demanding and varying debut, RETORT shows just how creative this team of imaginative musicians really was to craft a continuous flow of spicy tracks that offer so many differing stylistic approaches.

Featuring 10 tracks at around 43 minutes of playing time, the tracks are generally set to about 4 minutes but each delivers an array of intricate ideas crammed into each and every cadence. Each instrumentalist has his moment to shine whether it be the guitar-drenched opening "Kakdamon" or the bass slapping ferocity of "Numinosity." Noticeably more subdued is Vantalon's keyboard style this time around and even though it permeates every nook and cranny of the band's overall sound, the keys and synths just seem to take less prominence overall with the lion's share of emphasis going towards Fromy who delivers a veritable mix of mid-70s King Crimson and 90s Anekdoten under one roof.

Perhaps another aspect of RETORT that sets it apart from its predecessor is the fact that many tempos have been increased to make this a truly heavy rock experience for the majority of the album rather than the occasional deviation. It's clearly the same band as the chemistry seems locked in with each instrumentalist finding his way throughout the mix. Somewhat less active this time around is drummer Philippe Haxaire whose drumming seems a little bit more kept on the leash. While not completely devoid of throwing out some serious chops here and there, his role seems to have gravitated more towards rhythm keeper. In fact the entire band sound seems just a little more honed this time around.

There aren't a substantial number of differences to distinguish this album from the debut but they are noticeable to an attentive listener. It goes without saying that if either of these albums appeal to your sensibilities then the other will although having a preference is understandable and personally i think i slightly prefer the debut for whatever reason. It seemed a little more free in its approach whereas this one carries a bit more structure. Of course that all depends on tastes but overall the musicianship is basically delving out the same avant-prog splendor only with less traces of zeuhl this time around and more emphasis on Crimsonian guitar heaviness with discordant feedback and all the strange soloing techniques Fromy can muster up. Overall RETORT is a deliciously dark example of deviant rock that suits my tastes quite well and an excellent followup to its already irresistible debut.

''Extremely heavy and equally dense''

Croatoan is the third album by the band Starkweather, one of the pioneering bands in Metalcore, after the hiatus since 1997 with Into The Wire, my first contact with this band was with the EP ''Nightmare Memory'' from 2013 and I absolutely loved it. insanely heavy and diverse sound, and after listening to the whole album, I say without a shadow of a doubt that Croatoan is one of the best things to come out of the genre, one thing I like about Starkweather and that remains here is how insanely heavy the songs are but in no way do they end up becoming cheesy, which ends up happening a lot in bands that want to be as extreme as possible, the mix is strident and with a lot of identity, the riffs are memorable by Todd Forkin and Harry Rosa drums are simply mind-blowing, and the songs are not only heavy and catchy, but also present diversity and very progressive aspects, Silken Garotte has a very tribal session, Taming Leeches With Fire and the constant change of riffs along with Liam Wilson groovy versatile bass, and so on. The way these elements fit together with how powerful the composition is is very unique.

and what can we say about this album without mentioning Rennie Resmini vocals? I love them, not because they are beautiful, in fact, it's just the opposite, it's raw, strange and Rennie sings with a lot of pain and despair even in the softest sessions, Rennie is the one who gives Starkweather the most identity and it's difficult to think of a work by band without him, are vocals above all, organic and unique and that fit perfectly into the painful atmosphere that the band wants to convey, however, Croatoan doesn't completely work, at times it falls into the trap of falling into cheesiness due to wanting to have a heavy sound, Taming Leeches With Fire is fantastic, but the part where Rennie repeats the name of the song doesn't sound very good compared to half.

Silken Garotte sometimes sounds pretentious, and in general, it's a material that has its moments that don't do justice to the highest points, but in no way do they end up detracting from the experience and they still sound cool, but as a whole, Croatoan is incredible, a must have for those who like extreme metal, extreme prog metal, metalcore, and experimental music, Starkweather cruel universe is not for everyone, but for those willing to give it a chance, you may come across one of the densest and heaviest albums that has already emerged in the Metalcore scene

9/10

(Note: I recommend that moderators change incorrect information that is -The bassist on this album is Liam Wilson, not Vince Rosa -The order of the songs is wrong)

One of my favourite albums of all time but it isn't quite jazz/rock. It is also one of the few albums I own in two formats as on the CD version I have, the bonus track (Hanging Rope) is worth the price of admission alone...and it is this version I am reviewing.

Patto was the singer (Mike) but he was outshone, intentionally or otherwise, by the genius guitar of Ollie Halsall. I like Pattos phrasing/voice and if you imagine a far less overwrought Joe Cocker but with a conversationalist/story telling style then you are in the same room.

The opening track (The Man) is subtle as. A deceptively relaxed feel is offset by unexpected progressions and inverted dyad chordings from Halsall before a vibes section (very Family) lulls you back ...although they don't settle for anything as bourgeoise as repetition of a riff/theme because sudden time changes and stops behind the vibes throws it slightly off kilter. Your attention should be grabbed already. Hold Me Back offers surprising modulations in the verse and then back down for the chorus, Time To Die is the acoustic track and suits Pattos vocal style. Anyhow, it was practically the law in 1970 to have a hard/blues/rock track or two on a long haired album and Patto do it in style with Red Glow and Halsalls solos are enhanced by the odd jazz run rather than blues bends and are casually faster than say an Alvin Lee...as if speed matters. They throw in a rock n roll pastiche on San Antone but with that knowing wink of jazz progressions tossed in when least expected. Money Bag is the 'take notice' track. Halsall goes full jazz rock re his guitar and leaves ...looking at the date...say Larry Coryell and others in the dust (I confess off hand I don't know what Holdsworth was up to in 1970 post 'Igginbottom) and the nearest I have heard is a current PA artist omission Ray Russell and his '71 album Rites & Rituals where a free jazz/Ornette Coleman styling is included. This continues to the bonus track of Hanging Rope where a near 6 min Halsall jazz rock guitar fest introduction is offered up before the verse/chorus before 'back to you Ollie' for another 5 mins then a reprise of v&c and 'the end'. 15 minutes of laying untouched and unheard in the vaults for 25-30 years heaven.

I understand why it appears to be a 3.85 average rating as it isn't out and out whichever section you want to file it under. But 45 years of listening (a mates older brother gave me the album 'cos its cr*p' in '79ish....I know a Vertigo swirl in great condition but worth about two pence back then!) and discovering the subtleties and understanding the guitar especially and now having (or had and got rid of enough) 1970 contemporary albums to compare it to...it still grows in my estimation.

FRAGILE were a Jazz/Fusion band from Japan, a trio of guitar, bass and drums and these are players! And what a nice career they had, releasing ten studio albums and one live record over a 15 year period. We're missing their studio album "Phantom" from 2006 on the site here. My favourite of what I have is "5" from 2000, "Handle With Care" is an early one, their second from 1997.

The first four tracks are very solid, no complaints really but that fifth number called "Discus Discussion" the second longest one on here is what I call a throwaway, but listening to that synth guitar and djembe from the drummer is not a change in direction I appreciate. Island sounds abound. Two tracks I do really appreciate are "Mysterious Region" and "Brain Thinks Body Electric" and we know where the title from the last one comes from. The bass on both tracks are outstanding while the guitar gets a little jazzy on the latter before letting loose. Then there's the closer where I'm waiting for Frank Sinatra to start singing. No.

So a little too hit and miss for my tastes but this is a high quality band who haven't released a bad album.

This is a worthy followup to "Sheet Music" in fact it feels like they have become even more adventerous even though I still prefer "Sheet Music". "The Original Soundtrack" was released in 1975 and featured maybe my favourite ballad called "I'm Not In Love". This is a band who could write great lyrics and this song can certainly boast about that. The atmosphere, electric piano but those words. Nothing else the band did sounds like this and certainly not on this record.

Two of my biggest "take aways" in checking out 10CC's music was one, just how much humour there is in it. I mean I thought of Zappa a lot when I checked out "Sheet Music" but there's less of that Zappa sound here. The other thing that surprised me was how much the vocals and arrangements screamed QUEEN. Contemporaries all the way so it's interesting. That QUEEN flavour that was on "Sheet Music" is blown up here, it's all over "The Original Soundtrack". They are an interesting parallel QUEEN and 10CC with of course one being more Rock and the other more Pop, but I'm betting if you were a fan of one, you were a fan of the other.

"I'm Not In Love" is the outstanding track on here, I'm not huge on anything else including the opener that sounds so much like QUEEN and I've just never been the biggest QUEEN fan. The piano and harmonies bring them to mind and this does get theatrical including some silliness. Oh man disco came to mind with "Blackmail" no thanks, and while I like track four, the lyrics not so much. Sugary vocals on "Brand New Day" and QUEEN-like harmonies. "Life Is A Minestrone" is fun and the closer "The Film Of My Love" is all about the nostalgia. My parents might have liked this one.

I'm already looking forward to spending time with their next record to see how they developed or changed. Such a talented band.

Review Nº 777

"The Complete Studio Recordings" is a very special compilation album of Roxy Music that was released in 2012. This is an economic package that includes the entire studio discography of the band on only one package. But, besides that, it has also two extra CD's with singles, B sides singles and alternative mixed versions. So, it can be an interesting purchase for those who don't have yet all these studio albums individually and they can have also some extra things.

As I've already reviewed all these albums previously on Progarchives, in an extensive way, I'm not going to do it again. So, if you are interested to know, in more detail, what I wrote about them before, I invite you to read all those reviews.

"Roxy Music": "Roxy Music" is an excellent, original and fantastic debut album. It's with "For Your Pleasure", one of the two albums that represent the first period, the most experimental and avant-garde period of them. They represent also the most interesting phase for all prog heads. Some songs of this album remind me the new wave music. Their debut is a classic album. Roxy Music was a band that proved the innovative music can also be melodic and accessible.

"For Your Pleasure": "Roxy Music" and "For Your Pleasure" are the two less accessible albums of the band but are also the best and most experimental and avant-garde of their career. Both albums represent the most interesting phase of the band for prog heads. Still, "For Your Pleasure" is better because is more balanced, mature and adult. Ferry took the reins a little more and Eno's influence diminished. There's no doubt this was the album which put the art into rock.

"Stranded": "Stranded" is a mark in the change of the musical direction of the band. The musicianship is excellent and the production is very professional. "Stranded" is one of the most sophisticated and charming albums of Roxy Music. This is, perhaps, their best work after the departure of Eno. Even Eno later rated it as Roxy Music's finest album. So, if you're really interested in their most prog phase without their avant-garde phase, "Stranded" is the right place to start.

"Country Life": Of all Roxy Music's studio albums, "Country Life" is their most rock album. It's essential for those who love the decadence, the glamour and the passion of art rock. Overall, "Country Life" is another step out of the more experimental sound of the first two Roxy Music's albums. If you liked "Stranded" you will not be disappointed. The new sounds are great, even if they aren't quite complex. The new language made of Roxy Music a band ahead of their time.

"Siren": "Siren" marks the end of an era, the end of the second era of Roxy Music. "Siren" is a fantastic album and a landmark in the progressive rock music of the 70's. It's a model of the modern rock and we can't forget that the Rolling Stone magazine considered "Siren" as the Roxy Music's masterpiece and ranked it in number 371 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. "Siren" is a solid offering from Roxy Music, one of their defining truly essential albums.

"Manifesto": Returning to action after almost four years of solo projects, Roxy Music redefined their sound and strips away, and once for all, of their experimentalism and the art rock influences in favour of short concise pop songs with some kind of stylish disco rhythms, while retaining in the generality a good and consistent song writing. "Manifesto" is a transition album from the art rock to pop. So, for all prog heads, it hasn't the kind of music we expected from them.

"Flesh + Blood": I always considered "Flesh + Blood" as better than "Manifesto" is. "Flesh + Blood" is better balanced, cohesive and consistent than "Manifesto is. However, it lacks to it a touch of progressiveness to be a great prog work. Like Genesis, Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music succeeded where other bands like Renaissance, Gentle Giant and Emerson, Lake & Palmer failed and weren't able to achieve and sustain a commercial success in those difficult days of the 80's.

"Avalon": "Avalon" is the most well produced, mature, accessible, commercial and bestselling album of Roxy Music. This is a unique album on the entire band's career that takes us to another dimension. It's true that "Avalon" isn't truly a progressive album but it's a charming album that still sounds fresh, cool and sophisticated after all these years. I still can hear it with great pleasure, even nowadays. So, "Avalon" is highly recommended for any art rock enthusiast.

Conclusion: "The Complete Studio Recordings" is a very good and very interesting compilation album of Roxy Music. It's very complete with all their studio albums on only one package. But, beyond that, it has also two extra CD's of outtakes, B sides and some rarities. So, with all these material, "The Complete Studio Recordings" is an excellent alternative for all who don't have the studio discography of Roxy Music and they can have also some rare material at the same time. It's true that there is another compilation album of Roxy Music very similar to this one "The Studio Albums" also with all the eight studio albums of the band. But, "The Complete Studio Recordings" is a better option because you can have also the two extra CD's. So, we can say that "The Complete Studio Recordings" is indicated to all who don't have their studio albums yet and for those who are hard fans and wish to have everything from the band.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)