All three Willowglass CDs.
The Other Side--A Higher Vantage Point
All three Willowglass CDs.
The Other Side--A Higher Vantage Point
Mannheim Steamroller - Fresh Aire V
There are eight in the Fresh Aire series - this one seems to get the best press.
Haven't listened to them in ages, but I like the first three. I quit after no. 5.Originally Posted by bob_32_116
Thanks for the rec Mr. Nordic testicle surgeon. I have never heard Kenso II but now want to.
Coincidentally just pulled this offering by what I understand to be an Israeli Camel cover band from the stacks yesterday as my wife asked for something a bit mellower than my usual fare. This fit the bill nicely. Quite camel-esque! If not already mentioned, I would add the first Rousseau (Germany) disc "Flowers in Asphalt" (1980) to this list, also very Camel-inspired (and their only all-instrumental album iirc).
Last edited by rickawakeman; 11-28-2014 at 10:48 AM.
This one's a real favorite of mine. For me it has all the elements, great compositions, great playing (particularly the keys), great sounds, and melodies that really sink in. I'd really like to hear more from Alan Mallery. His fusion project, Zed, is also quite good.
A few more instrumental Symph recommendations that may or may not have been mentioned:
Fusioon from Spain, all three are great.
A Triggering Myth, one of my favorite post 1990 bands. Their last two Forgiving Eden and The Remedy of Abstraction are gems in my book. Between Cages is also great, and my favorite is actually The Sins of our Saviours, but good luck finding it.
I think someone mentioned Alas from Argentina, but their first two are awesome and are available on a 2/1 if you dig for it.
Deformica is another great Argentine band with three albums. A bit darker, but still largely in the Symph Prog arena.
Autumn, Oceanworld.
Craft, S/T.
Little known band from Norway called Metrognom who put out one album called Twangyluck.
Pochakaite Malko, particularly their first one.
Jean Paul Prat's band Masal has put out two outstanding albums of instrumental Prog.
Maxwell's Demon (a bit like Anglagard)
Priam's two albums (particularly the second one, Diffraction)
Dean Watson's three albums, which have a mix of Prog and Fusion. Helmet of Gnats and Bad Dog U would also fit this description.
Some others from japan that I like: Baraka (anything from VII through their most recent Trinity), Asturias' Fractals, Motoi Sakuraba.
Dare I suggest my own band Eccentric Oribit? We are basically instrumental Symph oriented Prog, so we fit the bill.
Bill
fantastic list there!This one's a real favorite of mine. For me it has all the elements, great compositions, great playing (particularly the keys), great sounds, and melodies that really sink in. I'd really like to hear more from Alan Mallery. His fusion project, Zed, is also quite good.
A few more instrumental Symph recommendations that may or may not have been mentioned:
Fusioon from Spain, all three are great.
A Triggering Myth, one of my favorite post 1990 bands. Their last two Forgiving Eden and The Remedy of Abstraction are gems in my book. Between Cages is also great, and my favorite is actually The Sins of our Saviours, but good luck finding it.
I think someone mentioned Alas from Argentina, but their first two are awesome and are available on a 2/1 if you dig for it.
Deformica is another great Argentine band with three albums. A bit darker, but still largely in the Symph Prog arena.
Autumn, Oceanworld.
Craft, S/T.
Little known band from Norway called Metrognom who put out one album called Twangyluck.
Pochakaite Malko, particularly their first one.
Jean Paul Prat's band Masal has put out two outstanding albums of instrumental Prog.
Maxwell's Demon (a bit like Anglagard)
Priam's two albums (particularly the second one, Diffraction)
Dean Watson's three albums, which have a mix of Prog and Fusion. Helmet of Gnats and Bad Dog U would also fit this description.
Some others from japan that I like: Baraka (anything from VII through their most recent Trinity), Asturias' Fractals, Motoi Sakuraba.
Dare I suggest my own band Eccentric Oribit? We are basically instrumental Symph oriented Prog, so we fit the bill.
Bill
I will throw in the debut album from the Brazilian band Dogma
it is truly a special album to these ears
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
Thanks.
Never heard of them, but found some samples and I agree, this is nice stuff.
Bill
Caveat Emptor: their 2nd album has some good points but is not as strong as the first
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
From 1982:
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Some of this stuff I have, some I've forgotten about and others I've never heard of. And yes Eccentric Orbit fits rather nicely. The new one is one of the cd's that made me want to check further into instrumental music. I'm really enjoying the new one. Thanks to everyone who's contributed.
Makes me very happy to hear that. Ton's of other good stuff in this vein, this thread is full of great suggestions and I'm benefiting as well!
Bill
I’ve heard people say they hear a “disco” influence on Ticket to Everywhere before but I’m afraid I don’t hear it. I guess they’re talking about the title track, which has this big, hard-rock backbeat, but it doesn’t sound like disco to me, more like they tried to do an instrumental prog equivalent of “When the Levee Breaks.” It’s definitely simplified from the first two albums (especially the drumming; no wonder Schicke was on his way out the door) and goes away from the intense Crimsonic feel of the first two into more of a “light classical” prog feel à la Sky or The Enid. The F&F albums go even further in that direction, especially the latter two. In fact, if you want to hear these guys go disco, just check out “Roundabout” from Strings. It’s like Sky goes disco, complete with Stars on 45 handclap-thud beat.
EDIT: just sampling some of that Metrognom album from 2007. How did this one escape my radar?
Last edited by Progbear; 11-28-2014 at 08:59 PM.
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
Yeah, it's a pretty good one. One of the band members was a PE member, I think his handle was Metrognom. It always surprised me how little attention this one got, but so it goes. Glad it's getting some much deserved attention.
Bill
Island - 1977 - Pictures
Ske - 1000 Autumni
Parallel Mind - 2005 - Colossus ADEA
Gryphon - 1974 - Red Queen To Gryphon Three
Sakuraba, Motoi - 1999 - Gikyokuonsou
Super album, not exactly instrumental though.
Great album, how did I forget that one?
1991, not 1999, no?
Bill
never heard of those... need to investigate
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
New Solaris EP being released.
Speaking of which, I have "Solaris Archives Vol. 1" and "Solaris Archives Vol. 2" both of which make reference to a "Solaris Archives Vol. 3" on the back cover but I can't find any evidence that Vol. 3 was actually released. Does anyone know?
I just did a quick search but couldn't find anything about it either. Gnosis and RYM don't mention it and Progarchives seems to skip over the archives series entirely which is kind of ironic when you think about it.
Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)
^^^^
I like it a lot. Thanks for the recommendation.
Bandcamp link for those interested.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
How about the aptly named album "Almost Pure Instrumental" by After Crying. It's a compilation album and it features a nice selection of their music. The last song, Shining, has vocals, but the rest (if I recall correctly) is indeed instrumental. I was turned on to this group by a sample track on the Nearfest website prior to their 2001 performance. While I was moderately disappointed by their performance at the festival, I've remained a fan and I still frequently listen to them. Lately, I've listened several times to their most recent studio album, Creatura. I was initially not excited by it, but I've come around and now think that it's exceptional.
Last edited by jefftiger; 06-01-2022 at 12:12 PM.
I was listening to Almost Pure Instrumental last weekend. Brilliant! My favourite is Megalázottak És Megszomorítottak. The opening 20 minute track is largely instrumental and is full of stark beauty. I own everything from the band. Struggle For Life is also really nice.
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
I have since heard the third and it sounds...a lot like the second! As with the second, it sounds even older than the first; due to completely avoiding synths in favor of piano, you’d never guess it was made in 1990! All of them are very “light” symphonic, though I don’t know if “symphonic” is even the right term for the latter two. I could definitely see fans of the likes of, say, Gòtic enjoying these. There’s also a fourth album, which seems to be a reformation effort. Seems like the box set is the most likely way to acquire all of their albums.
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
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