There is a haunting darkness which carries through Xavi Reija’s 2018 release, “The Sound of the Earth.” Echoing elements of free form electric jazz underpinned by fusion and post rock. The quartet of outstanding musicians stroll through multiple landscapes providing grooves and chaos along the way, led by the dynamic drum work of Reija. Legendary bassist and stickman Tony Levin solidly fills the lows in perfect sync, while Markus Reuter adds his special blend on the touch guitar and Dusan Jevtovic pulls out all the stops on his guitar. Not only is the album filled with stellar musicians, the music truly sets a new standard for electrified journeys, and it has been recorded and released in… Continue Reading

Long-time fans of Opeth's may continue to be dismayed at the second incarnation of the band, and they have even been called Opeth 2.0 by some listeners. But this change in their music has been evolving since their well-received “Watershed” album which began their move away from their death-metal roots to a progressive rock sound. However, this still should come as no surprise given their preceding brilliant album “Pale Communion” which also played in the prog-rock realm. Thus their 2016 release “Sorceress” is Opeth's latest blend of their musical genius and virtuosity. Mikael Åkerfeldt’s growling vocals are gone and instead have been replaced with his all clean vocals, with some grit tossed… Continue Reading

The debut self-titled release from Barclay James Harvest ranks as one of the finest albums of the early prog era, yet has remained an unsung classic outside of their loyal following. Trailing the psychedelic frenzy of the late 60’s and aiming toward a pop grandeur blended with the rock underground, the post flower power grooves have now been remixed in surround for the first time. Available as a limited edition 3 CD and 1 DVD edition from Esoteric Records, high resolution enthusiasts will find an all new 96kHz / 24-bit DTS 5.1 and AC3 5.1 mix, along with a LPCM 96kHz / 24-bit new stereo mix plus a remaster from the original stereo masters. Produced by Norman Smith, who also is famed for his… Continue Reading