1: KING BUFFALO - Regeneration
2: TOEHIDER - I Have Little To No Memory Of These Memories
Description: What can I say about Toehider? I love Mike Mills since I discovered and bought his album from 2020, I Like It! Crazy progressive rock with some Cheeto's Magazine madness but more metal. He has played on some Ayreon albums as well as on the last TDW album that I reviewed.
Mike explains: "It look me about three years to write and record it. It really came out great and it sounds like a sonic journey through the last 50 or so years of prog rock and metal. Thematically it’s a comment on remembering. Where are our memories now? Do we even need to remember that much? Or are we trying to remember too much? Are we better off forgetting?"
The whole thing tells the story of a man, a woman, a huge bird, a dumb alien, and 2 boats that get modifed to facilitate an outer-space confrontation.
This album consists of a single and a song lasting 47 minutes and 47 seconds. What can go wrong? (Ignacio Bernaola)
3: MOURA - Alexa, espreitan
Description: After their stunning self-titled debut album two years ago, this Spanish band from the Galicia region is back with a true masterpiece full of local folk, psychedelic prog and some stoner touches.
Local lyrics and some kind of mythological local land magic cross the whole album. Touches of Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and more, but all made under Galician influences. (Ignacio Bernaola)
4: TIME DWELLERS - Novum Aurora
Description: Great surprise with this Swedish trio's debut album. Mellotron, 12-string guitars, synths and more, with that 70s vibe played under groovy rhythms and very nice guitar playing. I won’t be surprised to see this album in top ten lists by the end of the year along with King Buffalo's new one. Full review coming on DPRP soon. (Ignacio Bernaola)
5. MAJOR PARKINSON - Valesa – Chapter I: Velvet Prison
Description: One of those genre-defying bands, this Bergen-based combo is about to deliver their fifth opus onto the music-devouring world.
It is impossible to judge the 17-new songs based on the two tracks released so far, but this has been heralded as another twist onto new sonic pastures. Certainly the first pair of songs have a clear electro-pop basis that reminds me a lot of Pure Reason Revolution.
This album will be released in digital, CD, double vinyl and gold-coloured cassette versions on October 7th. (Andy Read)
More info from the official band website
6. KINGS OF MERCIA - Kings of Mercia
Description: With Fates Warning's creative days having almost certainly come to an end with last year's Long Day Good Night, it's great to see their collective members going onto new projects.
Our last edition highlighted A-Z, the new band formed by ex-FW drummer Mark Zonder and vocalist Ray Alder. That album had been formed in a simplified melodic metal mould. Even gentler is this new album from FW guitarist and chief song-writer Jim Matheos.
What makes Kings of Mercia so exciting for me, is that Jim has teamed up with Steve Overland; one of my favourite singers, best known for his many albums with UK rockers FM. Steve's voice is in great shape and he lends a heavy blues-rock vibe to these new songs. Ex-FW bassist Joey Vera and in-demand drummer Simon Philips complete the line-up. (Andy Read)
More great music to be discovered here in my special round-up of the
The Top 20 Heavy Prog & Progressive Metal Albums of 2021
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