Prog Issue 138

Since its arrival at the tail end of the 60s progressive rock has offered the world some of the most fascinating music ever heard, in varying guises over the years. Prog magazine brings you the stories behind the people who create these astounding sounds and amazing music, be they the classic originators such as Genesis, Pink Floyd and Yes, to the 80s revivalists such as Marillion and IQ, all the way through to those musicians today who have done so much to help rejuvenate the genre such as Muse, Radiohead, Steven Wilson, Opeth and Anathema. In depth and behind the scenes stories of classic albums and tours sit side by side with widespread coverage of what‘s happening at today’s cutting edge of progressive music.

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in this issue

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Arjen Lucassen sampler – handpicked by Arjen himself

Since 1995, when he released Ayreon: The Final Experiment, Arjen Lucassen’s imagination and ambition have flourished, unfettered by convention. Albums centred around a conceptual theme began to attract the attention of a burgeoning audience interested in new progressive sounds. For 1998’s Into The Electric Castle, he collaborated with artists from the prog and metal worlds, namely Fish, Anneke van Giersbergen, Sharon den Adel, Damian Wilson, Thijs van Leer, Ton Scherpenzeel and Edward Reekers from Kayak, and Clive Nolan. This was the masterstroke that would bring his musical vision the wider acclaim that he so clearly sought. Explore his supersonic universe with this free digital sampler, curated by Arjen Lucassen himself. The two-part Universal Migrator albums, released in 2000, saw Bruce Dickinson, Floor Jansen, Russell Allen and Neal Morse join the…

2 min

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What’s on your free Arjen Lucassen digital album

1 Ayreon The Awareness Taken from The Final Experiment 2 Ayreon Computer Eyes Taken from Actual Fantasy 3 Ayreon Isis And Osiris Taken from Into The Electric Castle 4 Ayreon The First Man On Earth Taken from Universal Migrator 5 Ayreon Day Two: Isolation Taken from The Human Equation 6 Ayreon Comatose Taken from 01011001 7 Ayreon The Theory Of Everything Part 1 Taken from The Theory Of Everything 8 Ayreon The Day That The World Breaks Down Taken from The Source 9 Ayreon Message From Beyond Taken from Transitus 10 Arjen Lucassen’s Guilt Machine Green And Cream Taken from On This Perfect Day 11 Arjen Lucassen’s Guilt Machine Twisted Coil Taken from On This Perfect Day 12 Arjen Lucassen’s Supersonic Revolution SR Prelude/The Glamattack Taken from Golden Age Of Music…

1 min

IN THIS ISSUE

Ed’s Letter

Hello, and welcome to the new issue of Prog magazine. March already? (Well, the end of February as I write this!) How time flies. It seems like only yesterday I was welcoming you to the first issue of the year, but here we are, with a new issue and plans afoot that take the magazine deep into 2023! As for this issue, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of, as our cover says, “one of the most audacious, inventive and imaginative albums” in the whole of 70s progressive rock. King Crimson’s fifth record, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, is yet another intriguing chapter in the King Crimson story, and another example of Robert Fripp’s tenacious ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and create something mesmeric, momentous and memorable. Oh,…

2 min

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Bloody Well Write

ALL HAIL THE NEW KINGS So the Readers’ Poll 2022 [Prog 136] sent a pretty clear message – hardly a prog god or ‘Big Six’ member in sight! Looks like the handover to the next generation is virtually complete and if there was any doubt just look at which Wakeman is in the top keyboardist list (it ain’t Rick). Interesting to note that (I) while the Big Six bands dominate the reissues and Prog covers categories, the only big sixer in the best album listing is Jethro Tull (although perversely they also feature in the disappointment category) and there’s less than a handful of big sixers in the musician listings. (II) the only big sixer in three categories – i.e. reissues, covers and albums – is, again, Jethro Tull. (Does…

7 min

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TWEET TALK

NICK BEGGS @NickBeggs Don’t know about you, but when I start thinking about the planet spinning through space at 30k per second I get a bit travel sick. OLIVER WAKEMAN @OliverWakeman Another great day recording drums with @ScottHigham and @karlgroom for the new Anam Cara album. We’re all finished now. I even persuaded Scott to add some Bodhrán in places! More guitars to listen to tonight from @OliverDayGuitar. I’m having a great time working on this album. ROBIN ARMSTRONG @cosmograf Right wing ‘anti woke’ Pink Floyd fans… Did they never listen to Roger’s lyrics? Perhaps they thought Animals was about a farm in Texas?… KARNIVOOL @karnivool It took literally years to make this tour happen. We bloody love ya, and will hopefully see you soon. We play Dubai tomorrow on…

1 min

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YES RETURN WITH MIRROR TO THE SKY

Prog can exclusively reveal that progressive rock legends Yes will release their 23rd studio album later this year. Out on May 19 through InsideOut, Mirror To The Sky will be their first release since 2021’s The Quest, and their first full recording with drummer Jay Schellen, formally announced as the late Alan White’s replacement in February. Says the band’s guitarist Steve Howe, in his first interview for the release, “The album is dedicated to Alan. “We can never overwrite the fact that we miss the guy [White died in May 2022]. Jay’s had a lot of experience as our number two drummer from the periods when Alan wasn’t strong enough to do the whole show with us, and on this he’s come to the fore.” Schellen played some percussion on…

3 min