DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy has issued the following:
"It's with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that I share the news of the passing of my best friend, my idol and my father, Howard Portnoy.
He passed aw
D: Hi Jonas, how are you this evening?
J: Beautiful, I'm doing quite good.
D: The third Karmakanic album, it is quite different from the previous two, a more symphonic and relaxed vibe about it?
J: That's maybe tru
Guitarist Fred Frith is used to playing multiple musical roles. A pioneering experimentalist who co-founded the avant-garde British rock band Henry Cow in 1968, he's a dauntingly prolific artist who works as a composer, educa
What can one say about bassist Billy Sheehan that hasn’t been repeated countless times before? Only a select few musicians really deserve to be called a virtuoso but when you consider the players who have truly mastered their
For the past several years, I’ve written on The Daily Vault about how fascinating a storyteller keyboardist Rick Wakeman is. I’ve sat through two prior DVDs listening to Wakeman tell story after story about his life and histo
For those following closely the great emergence of progressive metal rock in the last 10-15 years and being intimately familiar with bands like Dream Theatre, Charlie Dominici is almost a household name. For those not in this
As if Kraftwerk’s sudden emergence from a self-imposed exile in 2003 to release Tour De France Soundtracks wasn’t enough for the fans, the very first official Kraftwerk live album from the supporting tour (complete with an ac
Since the release of their debut album "The Fruit Fallen" in June 2008, Edensong has been garnering critical acclaim from the global progressive rock community. A recent invitation to play at the Three Rivers Progressive Rock
By no means was Rick Wakeman the father of new-age music; in fact, I would have a hard time questioning the genre’s actual parentage (though an argument could be made for either William Ackerman or Chip Davis, the founders of
LONDON—Jimmy Carl Black, who went from drummer in Frank Zappa's avant-garde Mothers of Invention to doughnut shop worker and house painter, has died at age 70.
Black died Saturday of cancer in Siegsdorf, Germany, said Rodd
For many Genesis fans, the final box set of the progressive rock group's series of remixed and remastered studio albums is the one they've been waiting for the most. 1970-1975 documents the period when Peter Gabriel was the b
Proto-Kaw's second studio release follows closely on the success of the brilliant Before Became After. Kerry Livgren's songs are still full of passion and fire. As always, the musicianship is incredible throughout, from the f
An Improvised Sonic Exploration featuring Richard Lainhart and Jordan Rudess
Tune in on Sunday November 16th @ 2pm eastern standard time.
Join us as RandoRadio broadcasts live from Richard's home studio. Treavor Hasting
Given the controversy over the upcoming is-it-really-Yes-or-no tour, it seems only fitting to review an album of Yes music made by a melting pot of Yes members and admirers.
Assembled by prog-friendly Magna Carta back in
Dream Theater is a group of musicians with too much talent. They have a sometimes tired inclination to make everything technical, but I don’t think they’re necessarily showing off. They just do what they want.
Oh, and Dre
For the launch of the "Equilibrium" album, a concert (15 minutes) and an exclusive interview will be presented on October 21 at noon EST on www.erikmongrain.com
The concert will mark the launch of the Erik Mongrain’s second
Inspiration can be found within the scope of many things, and Neal Morse is one who not only unearths it, but also exhibits it to the masses with powerful music and lyrics. Having released a string of inspiring concept albums
Neal Morse is one prolific guy. The king of fresh progressive rock, Neal keeps cranking out solid albums. He also finds time to put out live CD's, live DVD's, worship albums, singer song writer albums, you name it. His lates
Billy Sherwood has released this solo album and it is truly a solo work. He wrote all the songs and performs every bit of music on the disc. Much of this album reminds me of Open Your Eyes by Yes (an album on which Sherwood w
When I reviewed this group’s last disc I was impressed. It was a strong album. The thing is, this new one blows that one completely out of the water. It’s just a much more mature creation. The music here is powerful and very
You can tell that The Tangent are an English progressive rock group. You can tell they're English because they chose the wry, self-mocking title Not as Good as the Book for their fourth album. You can tell they're a progressi
Kansas, the Midwestern prog-rockers gone arena rockers gone 80s power balladeers and back around again -- and still on the road in 2008 -- were groundbreaking and influential within a limited frame of reference: they were the
The four men huddled around one corner of the stage facing inward, locked in concentration. The sounds that they were making - at that point with thick, churchy organ swells, a gentle swirling bass line, the light chiming of
MVD Entertainment Group (MVD) has announced plans to issue several releases on vinyl including new and previously unreleased tracks by Devo and the Dwarves, plus reissues by G.G. Allin, Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, a
The Mars Volta once enjoyed a certain shock value for its alien assault on the senses that relied on an exotic mash-up of electric jazz and psychedelic rock. The band was audacious upon arrival even by prog-rock standards.
LOS ANGELES - Richard Wright, a founding member of Pink Floyd whose piano and synthesizer work played a critical part in the pioneering rock band's ethereal sound, died yesterday after a short battle with cancer. He was 65.
WASHINGTON—The classic rock band Yes, which was forced to cancel their 40th anniversary tour this year due to the illness of its lead singer, has decided to relaunch the tour with an "understudy" -- a Yes tribute band singer.
LONDON—David Gilmour is sorry to disappoint, but there will be no Pink Floyd reunion. He's having too much fun on his own.
The British rock icon raised fans' hopes when the band performed at the Live 8 charity concert in L
Pictures from the recent Flower Kings show in Arlington, Mass.
California Guitar Trio are certainly well known for creating unique progressive rock instrumental pieces. They are perhaps even more associated with turning rock music classics into killer mellow prog instrumentals – with mos
Broadcasting from my his home (he thinks) a live on-line clinic($19.95). Bass Player Magazine set this up & is sponsoring it. It’s my first on-line clinic in a long time. Everybody on Earth is welcome! It’s a little pricey, b
As one of the titans of 60's/70's German psychedelic rock (aka Krautrock, aka kosmische), most rock fans think they know about Amon Duul II but do they really? We know about the great albums, the line-ups and the discography
As many as 800 astute ears are expected to converge upon Lowell this fall.
Sound-recording academics and professionals from around the world -- about 400 of them -- are expected to converge on Lowell in November, when The
Kansas was always one of those bands that everyone loved to hate. Despite the lack of media support, the band soldiered through and always managed to be on top of their game. Fantastic musicianship and great songwriting was
Some of you may have heard that Oblivion Sun's founder, guitarist and singer Stanley Whitaker has a health issue that will be taking center stage in his life for the next several months. His wife, LeeAnne has created a page f
When you hear your first Garaj Mahal note, leading into an innovative fusion of funky jazz with a tasty world music flair, all other thoughts leave your mind as the music takes you on an unforgettable voyage. Fans return to e
I will preface this review by stating that Ritchie Blackmore’s untimely departure from Deep Purple in 1993, and his subsequent replacement by Steve Morse as the band’s guitarist, was nothing short of a blessing. Not since Ian
A recent video of Oblivion Sun live at Jammin Java on 7/5/08.
Okay, maybe I am not the one who should be writing this review as I wrote the liner notes to the new 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition of TFTS and I am a self-professed Kansas fanatic. That said I have to tell you that this a
Still held as one of modern day progressive rock’s most sacred, Spock’s Beard again brings a live offering to the table, this time in the visual aspect. Only about three years after their first post-Morse live set Gluttons fo
Rich Williams is more than happy to talk about his 37 years as lead guitarist for Kansas, and about the band's release of a remastered version of the 1978 double live album, Two For The Show.
The new release includes ten pr
One year on from the release of their first album for InsideOut Music, Beardfish fulfills the promise made via the title of that release (Sleeping in Traffic Part One) with the second half of their lengthy concept piece. Sup
Some excellent photos from Studio M of the recent NEARfest X.
The tenth annual NEARFest has come and gone, leaving in it’s wake more than 1000 very happy progressive rock fans and. Read Marlin May's take on the weekend.....
BOSTON’S future never looked more bleak that it was on March 9, 2007 – the day vocalist Brad Delp took his own life. Now, a little over a year later events have come to pass that bring a renewed energy and spirit to the band.
Upstart Germany label Promising Music is releasing vintage music and tyring to reproduce the sound as close to the vinyl original as a CD format can be.
Much of legendary guitarist and composer John McLaughlin’s prolific output has been inextricably tied to an interest in Indian music spanning more than 40 years. It first came to the fore on his second solo album, 1971’s My G
Watch a video of Peter Gabriel in a recent interview at the BBC.
Neal Morse is the founder of the highly successful progressive rock band Spock’s Beard, as well as a member of the prog-rock supergroup Transatlantic. After almost 20 years in the music business, and a chance encounter with a
Former Spock’s Beard frontman Neal Morse declared his faith with the epic album Testimony, chronicling his path to Christianity. His stunning follow-up, One, explores the separation of man from God. Morse explores the concept
To some, this band might be newcomers on the progressive rock scene, but Beardfish have been around for years and have just released their fourth record Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two, a second in a two-part concept. Having in
Watch an entire concert of Echolyn in Burlington, Ma. from 2003
MANSFIELD - Rush fans are a funny bunch. More than a quarter century after the rock trio peaked, its admirers remain staunchly loyal. They still listen to "2112" and "Moving Pictures," though most likely alone and in private,
Incredible performances of Neal's most acclaimed
CDs: Question Mark and his most controversial: Sola Scriptura.
And songs from: SPOCK’S BEARD, TRANSATLANTIC, One and Testimony.
Rush has so many albums -- 18 studio and 5 live by my last count -- that it’s easy to overlook one or two. Imagine my surprise when I was checking the high stacks of the DV Archives (over 5,400 strong) and discovered a big, d
Adrian Belew likes to keep a lot of plates spinning in the air at once. Lately, he has been touring with his Power Trio supporting the band’s new Side Four (Live) [ABP] album. But he’s also featured on the latest Nine Inch Na
-– Legendary rock band Yes announced today that the group will unfortunately be canceling their 2008 40th Anniversary Tour. The 26-city tour was scheduled to kick off in Quebec next month and run through the summer.
USA Prog Music: Your website doesn’t have a bio about the band, so can you give me a quick synopsis about how IZZ came about and how it has evolved over time?
Tom Galgano: Well, first off, John [Galgano] and I had been col
The Red Masque have signed with progressive label RER USA (headed by David Kerman) and will be releasing their new album, Fossil Eyes, in late June 2008 through RER USA's own label Ad Hoc Records. RER USA was founded in 2003
New Vocalist Rob Moratti formerly of
Final Frontier.
I call myself a Queensryche fan, but I’m not a diehard devotee. I do not listen to their albums repeatedly, day after day. I don’t consider any of their releases flawless (though 1988’s Operation Mindcrime is as close to perf
A ritual of summer takes on a jazz flavoring this year, as perhaps the season's most anticipated reunion tour is the one featuring the classic lineup of Return to Forever, one of the most iconic jazz units of the '70s.
mor
I’ve always had a soft spot for concept albums. Maybe it’s the storyteller -- or former drama student -- in me, but I've always thought there was something endearingly audacious about trying to capture an audience with an ex
The 2008 edition of the Rites of Spring Festival (ROSfest) saw a major upgrade in the venue, moving from the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA to the much larger Keswick Theater in Glenside. The change was a wise move, as
It started around the time that King Crimson took us by surprise with the most adventurous blend of jazz, rock and avant garde packaged in one of the most enduring icons of album art. And for a while, about half a decade in f
It has been nearly four years since Round Midnight, the last Moongarden album was released and, true to form the band have undergone a couple of changes since then. From the last album only principal composer, keyboardist and
Among those with a passion for challenging, adventurous music, the name of the Muffins (not the new wave group that did "Echo Beach") has long been spoken in hushed tones of adulation. Cult heroes of an underground genre (the
I must admit I was a bit disappointed when Geoff Downes decided to discontinue his working relationship with John Payne. ASIA was doing fine with the duo; they’d finally seemed to have formed a steady lineup for the band an
Take guitarist / vocalist Stanley Whitaker and keyboardist / saxman Frank Wyatt from Happy The Man, add keboardist Bill Plummer, bassist Dave DeMarco, and drummer Chris Mack, and stir! The result is the band Oblivion Sun. Obl
Tuesday, April 15, at 8pm EDT, rock supergroup Asia will be celebrating the release of its new album, Phoenix, with a performance from the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.
OK flowerheads, I suppose it is about time to let you in on what is cooking in the FLOWERKINGS camp......
we most certainly have a new drummer in the band, his name is Erik Hammarstöm, he is from Stockholm, he is 32 years o
As someone that makes a point of never buying an album that’s advertised on TV you could say I have an aversion to sales hype. I was therefore understandably sceptical when a fanfare of publicity announced the release of Ca
Mystical visitations are much on the mind these days of Victor Wooten. In addition to a new album, "Palmystery," out next week, the Nashville-based contemporary bass guitar hero is also releasing a book, a work of fiction tit
To start, Jon, let's recap. When Yes finished touring in 2004 you decide to take a break. What was behind your decision to take that break from Yes for a while?
JON ANDERSON: I was very ill with bronchial pneumonia. I had
Tim Burness' fame originated in the eighties, with his band at that time, Burnessence, noted for their support slots with such acts as IQ and Pendragon. And his musical tastes seem to have stopped after that certain period of
Few people in the music industry are as busy or accomplished as Adrian Belew. The list of people with whom he's worked is a "Who's Who" of the music world. King Crimson, Talking Heads, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Trent Reznor a
The Gagliarchives will be hosting the 2008 edition of its annual NEARfest Radio Special on Saturday, March 15th. Host Tom Gagliardi will be joined by Festival Organizer Chad Hutchinson for four hours of nothing-but-NEARfest.
The story of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe could fill up a season of reality TV all by itself. Since there’s already way too much of that going on for my tastes, I’ll try to keep this brief…
In 1988, lead vocalist J
Symphony X - Set The World On Fire
from the Album: Paradise Lost
(c) InsideOUT Music / SPV (more)
Added: January 18, 2008
Symphony X - Set The World On Fire
from the Album: Paradise Lost
(c) InsideOUT Music / SPV
Blackmore’s Night was an under the radar group until last summer when I received free tickets for one of their concerts in North Carolina. At the end of their three hour performance, I was a fan, and began assembling their
Hear the phrase “progressive-rock guitarist” these days, and it’s easy to picture a shredder drilling Lydian licks at 90 mph. In contrast, Roine Stolt, of Swedish prog favorites the Flower Kings, is a melodic, wah-stomping
Rush is one of the most successful rock acts of all time. They have over twenty gold and platinum awards, numerous Juno's and are members of the Canadian Hall of Fame and should be members of the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. Th
What can I say? In my opinion, when this was recorded on March 7th 1979? It is truly one of the best lineups Bill ever played with. And if you know anything of progressive rock history, that really is saying a lot.
Allan Ho
Before getting to know this album, I read it was heralded as one of the best progressive rock releases of 2007. Needless to say, I had great expectations and I can tell you I wasn't disappointed.
Big Big Train is based in B
Dave Kilminster, the great guitarist who impressed so many on Roger Waters' recent tours, has kindly taken some time out before preparations start for Roger's 2008 shows to undertake an interview with us. Included in the ques
The third album in Peter Gabriel’s self-titled trilogy, often referred to as Melt, also happens to be his first fully-realized package of songs.
Produced by Steve Lillywhite of U2 fame, it is one of those albums where th
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 4 December 2007 – "Inner Visions" is the second solo album from Japanese virtuoso Tadashi Goto. Although a young man with only one other album under his belt, this instrumental tour de force h
Jeremy Frindel directed music video of "Speedbump" from Tony Levin "Stickman" CD
What's happened to the idea of holding the line against evil, against the human infection so capably noted and harangued by such as folkies as Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and a proud line of others? Well,
Oblivion Sun is a new band formed by Stanley Whitaker (guitars and vocals) and Frank Wyatt (keyboards and sax), the founding members of Happy the Man (HtM), who after 25 years of silence released The Muse Awakens in 2004. Whi
Akacia is US-based progressive rock group, based in Massachusetts according to what little (updated) information I managed to find on this group. This Fading Time is their third release, and from what I could find out facts w
Pyre of Dreams is quite possibly the most accomplished album by Persephone's Dream yet. Chock full of varied instrumentation, a vast array of vocalists, and eclectic songwriting, it is easily their most diverse work. It still
Porcupine Tree’s latest Fear Of A Blank Planet tries to condense the essence of the entire record in the title itself, similar to what Public Enemy did when it came up with a nearly identical and brilliant title for a brill
Announcing the formation of "UKZ" - the quintessential musicians' band, formed by keyboard and electric-violin icon Eddie Jobson, and featuring Aaron Lippert (vocals), Trey Gunn (10-string touch guitar), Alex Machacek (guitar
QUEENSRYCHE's upcoming covers album, Take Cover, is currently streaming in its entirety at ArtistDirect.com.
As previously reported, the Take Cover tracklisting will include (original artist in parenthesis): 'Innuendo' (
What makes a good Fish album? The hit and miss attempts by the big Scotsman seem to point to a few success factors: (1) the more miserable the man is, the higher the chance of classic composition, (2) the co-writer for the mu
There is strange and there is eclectic. Then there is Gentle Giant.
Gentle Giant was an unusual, to say the least, British progressive rock band that released about a dozen albums from 1970-1980. While their later 70s albu
After 30 years of a splendid career and exploring a variety of styles, Al Di Meola still ranks among the most popular guitar-masters of jazz and jazz-rock. Here, on his first "electric" DVD, Di Meola shows up with "Speak A Vo
Utter the word “Vai� within the rock-guitar world, and you will hear many definitions. Vai’s first boss, the late Frank Zappa, called him “our little Italian virtuoso.� To fans of the 1986 film Crossroads, he’s Sa
After a 16-track demo became Puppet Show’s 1998 debut CD, Traumatized, outside forces — including family and career matters, plus a game of musical chairs with drummers — sidelined this Northern California progressive-r
This list attempts to reflect the changing face of modern progressive rock music and the impact progressive bands have made on the global stage.
“I think a lot of great bands are playing really interesting music right n
Wondering at the title to this disc, I did a search for the word “hemulic� and came up empty handed. So, while once can certainly imagine conceptual links to Sgt. Peppers, I can’t tell you what the meaning of the title
Images from the band's new oral history, from 1969 to 2007
The news is out... after a 27-year absence from band activity, Eddie Jobson has formed a new group. Further details will be officially announced in mid-October.
Big Big Train seem to have been floating around prog circles without making that dramatic an impact for eons; I remember picking up their From The River To The Sea cassette way back in the early 1980s when the so-called new w
The Tangerine Dream turns 40.
Edgar Froese formed the Tangerine Dream in 1967 as a cutting-edge experimental band featuring a unique lineup of three synthesizers plus drums. Their early experiments with electronic music we
In a break from industry tradition the UK band famous for hits including Creep, Paranoid Android and Karma Police, has told fans "it's up to you" what they pay to digitally download the album.
This isn't the first time tha
British prog-rock titans Genesis surprised much of its global fan base when it announced it was reuniting its hit-wielding line-up of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks for a 2007 European and North American tour.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Kansas’ Americana-laced, prog-rock behemoth Point of Know Return, the band’s guitarist, Richard Williams, provides an insider’s look at the making of each song.
Nektar will feature in a "live" Internet broadcast on the 21st September from the Substage in Karlsruhe Germany.
The broadcast will be accessible on http://s3.pop-stream.de:7592/listen.pls. The show should start around - wh
American duo INVISIGOTH (Invisible Goth, I suppose) present their first official CD; you see its title, "Alcoholocaust", is a compound word as well. The press kit, while shedding no light on the outfit's history or the musici
Records is proud to announce the release of the brand new full length CD release by Little Atlas, entitled "Hollow" on October 8, 2007. This will be the Miami-based band's 3rd official release and their first on 10T Records.
This brand new release from The Flower Kings has been trumpeted as a return to the former glories of earlier albums like Stardust We Are and Retropolis. In Roine Stolt’s own words this is “Flower Kings to the max�, expl
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