Prog Issue 137

Discovering Boasting an eclectic catalogue of more than 240 releases since its creation in 2009, Berlin-based Pelagic Records have become one of the top labels exploring the musical twilight zone between post-rock, experimental heavy music, progressive metal and heavy krautrock. Founded by The Ocean’s Robin Staps, Pelagic Records have pursued their very own path by swimming along with the growing digital market while also creating outstanding physical album packages. They have a strong focus on vinyl and spectacular conceptual box sets, some of which have even contained silvered wild boar tusks and authentic prehistoric fossils. Their roster continues to grow. “With no indication of slowing down, this positively prolific label is churning out stellar release after stellar release.” – Roadburn How to download your free digital sampler from Pelagic Scan…

Download the 23-track sampler from www.bit.ly/pelagic_sampler 1 Playgrounded The Swan Taken from The Death Of Death 2 Psychonaut Violate Consensus Reality Taken from Violate Consensus Reality 3 The Ocean Primal [State Of Being] Taken from Lustmord & Various Artists – The Others [Lustmord Deconstructed] 4 Sâver  Shot-Put Taken from Frøkedal/Sâver 5 Barrens Oracle Bones Taken from Penumbra 6 Fern  Exnomination (feat SHRVL) Taken from Intersubjective 7 Hiroe  Black Mountain Taken from Wrought 8 EF  Hymn Of… Taken from We Salute You, You And You! 9 Oslo Tapes Zenith Taken from ØR 10 Astrosaur  Black Hole Earth Taken from Portals 11 Lost In Kiev  Prison Of Mind Taken from Rupture 12 Bruit ≤ The Machine Is Burning Taken from The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again…

NEXT ISSUE MAR 10 ON SALE Hello, and welcome to the new issue of Prog magazine. I must admit it feels a bit weird offering new year greetings over halfway through January in an issue none of you will read until the beginning of February. But here we are, the first issue of Prog for 2023. Happy New Year to you all. I hope this issue finds you well, and excited for the year ahead in progressive music. This year we kick off with the legend that is Rick Wakeman. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of his solo debut, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, and discuss his brand new studio album with his English Rock Ensemble, A Gallery Of The Imagination. Of the former, what can one say? Such…

MY ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE I was deeply saddened to read that Transatlantic were calling it a day [Prog 136]. If it wasn’t for them I don’t think I would have ever discovered the rich vein of current prog. A few years back I taught a unit of work in my senior music class on 70s progressive rock (which included an in-depth look at both Roundabout by Yes and Watcher Of The Skies by Genesis). I genuinely believed that prog was pretty much dead apart from a couple of bands like Dream Theater. How very wrong I was. After watching a YouTube channel call The Absolute Universe the best album of 2021, I listened and was immediately hooked. Other bands included in the list were Solstice and Big Big Train. Suddenly my eyes…

Follow us on twitter.com/progmagazineUK CECILIA FAGE @ccfage A beautiful day blowing away the cobwebs, made even better by seeing an Aero L-39 Albatros from Blackpool Airport circling over the coast. SEÁN ONO LENNON @seanonolennon I discovered this song playing in a small health food store in Occidental. I knew it wasn’t the radio so I asked this old hippie working the counter what it was. He said, ‘Peter Hammill, from Van Der Graaf Generator’s solo album,’ like I was a moron… STEVE HACKETT @HackettOfficial Devastating news about the loss of much loved, influential guitar legend Jeff Beck. He made the electric guitar sing… a powerful influence on myself and many others. J. WILLGOOSE, ESQ. @JWillgoose_Esq I’m not saying I’m old (pt 94) but I went to a birthday the other…

Thank you so much for the longoverdue feature on The Moody Blues and their landmark album Days Of Future Passed, [Prog 135] which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Whether or not Days…, or as some say Sgt Pepper…, or indeed any one particular album can be considered to be the ultimate origin of progressive rock, there can be no doubt that Days Of Future Passed is an impressive album of a style, quality of recording and musicianship that sets it apart from what had gone before, and still sounds superb. Days… laid the foundations for a series of wonderful albums of which the Moodies can be justifiably proud, especially 1969’s On The Threshold Of A Dream and 1972’s Seventh Sojourn (which I remember playing after I got it on pre-order and…