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Progressive Rock CD Reviews
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Paatos - Silence of Another Kind
Review by Bill Knispel
Silence of Another Kind is the third album from Sweden’s Paatos (Pathos). Led by Petronella Nettermalm chameleon-esque vocals, which can range from breathy sweetness to bitter disdain, this album shows Paatos at their heaviest.
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Paatos - Timeloss
Review by Josh Turner
Like they say on Sesame Street, this is different, but the same. For those of you familiar with their sophomore release (that would be "Kallocain"), this is certainly what we've come to know as Paatos.
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Lelio Padovani - Electronic ep
Review by Gary Hill
This is an all instrumental set that has a lot of fusion built into it.

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Kelly Padrick - Soulmate
Review by G. W. Hill

This is quite a find.


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Pagan’s Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy
Review by Gary Hill

Much to the chagrin of many progressive rock purists, a style of prog has emerged that sits on the fence between progressive rock and heavy metal.


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Mimi Page - Breathe Me In
Review by G. W. Hill

This might wind up as one of my favorites for the year.


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Pain of Salvation - Scarsick
Review by Bill Knispel
Sweden’s Pain of Salvation’s Scarsick is the follow up, nearly three years on, from the band’s critically acclaimed concept album Be. Released on InsideOut Music America, Scarsick sees the band continuing in thematic arenas, releasing an album that deals with the problems facing modern society.
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Pain of Salvation - Entropia
Review by Vivian Lee
In 1984, a band named "Reality" took the Swedish music scene's attention with not just the members' young age but their musical talent as well. Since then the band has had a few personnel changes and a name change.
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Dave Painchaud - Tales Told & Journeys Imagined
Review by G. W. Hill

We generally include fusion under progressive rock at Music Street Journal.


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Paine's Promise - Mobius
Review by Gary Hill
Fans of Rush should find plenty to like on this album. The drums in particular feel a lot like Neil Peart's work and really stand out.
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Painting The Prototype - Painting The Prototype
Review by Gary Hill

I’m sure there are those who will dispute whether this fits under progressive rock.


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Painting The Prototype - The ProtoHype
Review by Gary Hill

I am sure there are people out there who will disagree with this falling under the heading of progressive rock.


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Pallas - The Bringer of Dreams (Special Edition)
Review by Bill Knispel
The Bringer of Dreams is Pallas’s first studio effort in 4 years, following on from the powerful and successful The Cross and the Crucible. Much like its predecessor, this new album could possibly be termed a concept album, but perhaps only in the loosest of terms.
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Pallas - The Cross and the Crucible
Review by Steve Alspach
One of Scotland's finest, and longest running, progressive bands strikes again with this album. It's an ambitious effort, full of gothic choirs and grandiose themes involving theology and the origins of man.
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Pallas - XXV
Review by Gary Hill

I’ve never been a huge fan of Pallas. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always liked them, but never been blown away by them – until now that is. 


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Carl Palmer - Working Live - Volume I
Review by Gary Hill
While fans of Emerson Lake and Palmer should be an obvious audience for this release from Carl Palmer and his new band, these guys don't do music that duplicate's ELP's sound.
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Carl Palmer - Working Live Volume 3
Review by Gary Hill

While Carl Palmer does a lot of music that was performed by Emerson Lake and Palmer, don’t expect his renditions to sound like that band.


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Pandora - Sempre e Ovunque Oltre il Sogno
Review by Gary Hill

A new release from an Italian progressive band, this disc really runs the gamut of sounds.


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Sasha Papernik - Victory
Review by G. W. Hill

I have to say right away that I have fallen in love with this album.


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Matthew Parmenter - Horror Express
Review by Bill Knispel
Matthew Parmenter may be best known to progressive music listeners as vocalist (and keyboardist, and occasional guitars/violin/saxophones) and erstwhile leader of Discipline, a Michigan-based progressive rock band responsible for two highly regarded albums released in the 1990’s, including the modern masterpiece Unfolded Like Staircase
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Matthew Parmenter - Astray
Review by Gary Hill
Matthew Parmenter has created in Astray that most elusive of beasts – the prog rock album that should please fans of modern and old school progressive rock equally.

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Ian Parry - Consortium Project IV: Children of Tomorrow
Review by Gary Hill
There’s a whole host of albums that seem to walk a tightrope between heavy metal and progressive rock. This is one of them.
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Alan Parsons - Pyramid
Review by Gary Hill
This 1978 disc has a bit of a bad reputation. I’ve seen it ripped apart as being overly pop oriented. Frankly, other than the track “Pyramania” I just don’t see it.
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Alan Parsons - The Time Machine
Review by Gary Hill
This album, the latest release by Alan Parsons, finds him doing the blend of prog and pop that has been his forte for many years. It is an album that has peaks and valleys, but overall is entertaining and rather substantial.
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Alan Parsons - A Valid Path
Review by Gary Hill

For those who have followed the career of Alan Parsons this disc may seem rather strange at first. Parsons here embraces electronic music, with that sound driving the album. It even wanders into techno at times.


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Alan Parsons - Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Review by Steve Alspach
In keeping with the theme of this issue of MSJ (Halloween), I hearken back to something truly frightening: Hurricane Smith. In 1972 former Pink Floyd producer Norman "Hurricane" Smith released an abhorrent piece of MOR saccharine called "Oh Babe, What Would You Say."
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Alan Parsons - Best of the Alan Parsons Project
Review by Gary Hill
With an album like this it’s always an iffy proposition. Greatest Hits packages are objective (best selling songs by the group) but when it comes to Best Of set, there is usually a lot of variation from one person to another with what is called the “best of” an artist.
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Alan Parsons - Alan Parsons Project – Eye in the Sky
Review by Gary Hill

Eye in the Sky might not be the best Alan Parsons Project CD, but it’s a strong album.


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Alan Parsons - Project – The Turn Of A Friendly Card
Review by Larry Toering

When this great album was released, I remember very well thinking how it would last, but that was a few years before I started to appreciate APP more and more, eventually falling in love with most of their songs.


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Jaco Pastorius. - Heavy ‘N Jazz
Review by Gary Hill

When it comes to bass players you just can’t get much better than Jaco Pastorius.


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The Pax Cecilia - Blessed are the Bonds
Review by Bill Knispel
The Pax Cecilia hails from Rochester New York (according to their Myspace page). There’s not a lot of great info out there about them from a quick and dirty search of the net...while I have a band member list copied from the CD tray, I have no idea who plays what.
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Pelican - City Of Echoes
Review by Larry Toering

City Of Echoes is an instrumental album, but one can still sense this music can be sung.


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Tommy Peltier - Love Women and Song
Review by G. W. Hill

Sure, this has short songs, but the musical leanings really land it in progressive rock territory.


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Pendragon - Believe
Review by Josh Turner
This was way more than I had anticipated. I had my hands full with this listening experience. Nick Barrett said that this would be more guitar-driven and I can certainly vouch for that.
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Pendragon - Not of This World
Review by Josh Turner
In times when a short list keeps getting shorter, it is a rare occurrence to encounter a band that is an instant addition. Pendragon is one of these exceptions to the rule.
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Pendragon - Passion
Review by Gary Hill

I have to say that before this album I haven’t paid that much attention to Pendragon.


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Pentwater - Out of the Abyss
Review by Gary Hill
Combining heavy helpings of Yes, Genesis and ELP with the some of the weirdness of Frank Zappa, Out of the Abyss, and Pentwater in general had some of the quirkiest and most unusual progressive rock ever created.
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Pentwater - Pentwater (Reissue)
Review by Gary Hill
Pentwater may well be the best progressive rock band whose name you have never heard. The Chicago area band released one record on their own label in 1970's, their unique, innovative and quirky blend of humor, weirdness and musical virtuosity earned them a definite cult following.
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Pentwater - Ab-Dul
Review by Gary Hill
I don't remember when I've anticipated a CD release as much as I did this one. I've been a fan of Pentwater since their first incarnation in the 1970's.
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Persephone's Dream - Pyre of Dreams
Review by Gary Hill
Great progressive rock always comes with a learning curve. Well, I haven’t decided yet if this is great progressive rock, but it’s darn good and comes with a steep learning curve.
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Petland - Miss Roboto
Review by Gary Hill
The boundaries of what is and what is not progressive rock are really quite subjective and changeable. With that in mind, I am including this album in the progressive rock section of MSJ.
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John Petrucci - Suspended Animation
Review by Josh Turner
I'm not one for instrumentals, but I'll make an exception for this one. John Petrucci is one of my favorite guitarists, and I'm curious whenever his name is on the credits.
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John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess - An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess
Review by Gary Hill
This is actually a reissue of an out of print disc featuring Dream Theater's guitarist extraordinaire John Petrucci in duet with their keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess. There is, without any surprise, some great musicianship on show here.
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PFM - Premiata Forneria Marconi - Storia di un minuto
Review by Bill Knispel
Premiata Forneria Marconi is one of the “Big Three;” that is to say, one of the three most highly regarded Italian progressive rock bands. 
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PFM - Premiata Forneria Marconi - Live in U.S.A.
Review by Gary Hill
Prematia Forneria Marconi are arguably one of Italy’s most well-known progressive rock acts.
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Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
Review by G. W. Hill
I’ve enjoyed every Phideaux album thus far, but the truth is, they are going to have a hard time beating this one in the long run. It is a masterpiece that stands along all the progressive rock greats as an equal.
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Phideaux - The Great Leap
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve been trying to work Phideaux (the older releases) into Music Street Journal for a while. So, it’s a happy coincidence that I received the new CD in the process of creating the new issue.
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Phideaux - Ghost Story
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve gotten to know the music of Phideaux over the last couple years and really like it. So, it seemed a good time to have a look at something from their catalog.
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Phideaux - 313
Review by Gary Hill
The more I hear from Phideaux the more I’m convinced they are one of the coolest bands around. I keep digging back into their older material here and am never disappointed.
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Phideaux - Chupacabras
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve recently gotten into Phideaux and really like this group. I’ve reviewed several of their discs and every one of them is great.
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Phideaux - Number Seven
Review by Gary Hill

Phideaux might well be the best of the modern wave of progressive rock bands. They seem to be the most consistent.


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Phideaux - Snowtorch
Review by Gary Hill

I’m going to make a bold statement here and say that Phideaux is arguably the best new progressive rock band on the planet.


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Philharmonie - Le Dernier Mot - The Last Word
Review by Gary Hill
Released in 1999, this disc is sort of the swan song of French group Philharmonie. It is a fine prog album, and should stand as a great monument to the band.
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Anthony Phillips - Private Parts and Pieces II
Review by Gary Hill
This is an album in a series of discs showcasing various unreleased tracks by Anthony Phillips.
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Jack Phillips - Portrait
Review by Gary Hill

Perhaps progressive rock isn’t the best place for this review, but really, it’s not that far removed from the type of music Rick Wakeman does in his solo career.


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Simon Phillips - Another Lifetime
Review by Gary Hill
Although this album is more of a jazz album than anything else, it is included in the prog section because of Simon Phillips involvement in many assorted prog projects, most recently the ELP tribute album also reviewed this month.
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Pianocircus - Skin & Wire - Pianocircus featuring Bill Bruford play the music of Colin Riley
Review by Gary Hill
This music is hard to describe – jazz is one definition, but it only fits so well.
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Picture Books - Rochelle Rochelle
Review by Gary Hill
Yeah, I know a lot of you will disagree with this fitting into the progressive rock section.
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Pilgrim Speakeasy - Moon Emperor
Review by G. W. Hill
Prog purists will probably not embrace this as progressive rock, but as experimental and creative as it is, I think it qualifies.
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Pilgrim Speakeasy - Anarchitecture
Review by Gary Hill
The latest disc from Pilgrim Speakeasy, this time out it’s a double CD set.

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Pilgrim Speakeasy - A Ruff Guide To..Pilgrim Speakeasy
Review by Gary Hill

Pilgrim Speakeasy albums are always cool.


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The Pineapple Thief - 10 Stories Down
Review by Josh Turner
This album surprised me. I felt earlier works lacked content and the production might have been a little shaky. It was okay back then, but this album brings the group to a new echelon of quality. To put it bluntly, this is extremely good material.
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The Pineapple Thief - Tightly Unwound
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve been hearing a lot about this band for a few years – mostly rave reviews, but I hadn’t actually heard them until now. Frankly, I was a little disappointed.
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The Pineapple Thief - 3000 Days
Review by Bill Knispel
The Pineapple Thief occupies an interesting place in modern progressive music, for reasons that I hope will soon become clear.
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The Pineapple Thief - Someone Here is Missing
Review by Gary Hill
I’m amazed at the quality of music coming out in 2010. This album is another that’s likely to make my best of the year list when it comes time.

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Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (40th Anniversary Reissue)
Review by Bill Knispel
  Pink Floyd in 1967 was a completely different musical beast than the band most people came to know and love in the 1970’s. Most of this was due to the genius (and insanity) of founder member Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett, the mastermind whose childlike innocence and penchant for psychedelic hook writing would rocket the band to the forefront of the British pop scene during the spring and summer of 1967.
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Pink Floyd - Meddle
Review by Steve Alspach
This album shows how well Pink Floyd was able to make the transition from experimental band to a song-based unit without losing any sense of musical adventure.
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Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Review by Josh Turner
In the commercial world, two albums from Pink Floyd were hugely successful. Unless you've been a castaway on a remote island for the past couple of decades, you'd know I was talking about Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
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Pink Floyd - Animals
Review by Gary Hill
I know a lot of people really focus on Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, and possibly Wish You Were Here as the highpoints of Pink Floyd's career. Personally, I will take Animals over any of those discs, although I appreciate all of those, as well.
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Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Review by Gary Hill
While we were working to assemble this issue the word came out about the death of Pink Floyd founder (and famed recluse) Syd Barrett. It seemed appropriate, especially since one of the themes this time around was the 1960's, to have a look at the only full album Barrett created with the band.
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Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Review by Gary Hill
How do you review an album like this? Really it’s one of the all time classic rock albums.
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Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason
Review by Gary Hill
It’s amazing how divisive one CD can be. This album is a real bone of contention amongst Pink Floyd fans.
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Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
Review by Gary Hill
Many Roger Waters fans slagged A Momentary Lapse of Reason saying it wasn’t a “real Pink Floyd” album. Well, I just don’t understand the criticism of that disc as it really is one of the most consistent discs the band ever produced.
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Pink Floyd - The Wall
Review by Gary Hill

I know for many people this is the end-all-be-all of Pink Floyd. I have to say for me it’s over – that’s over-rated and over-played.


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Pink Floyd - Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Review by Gary Hill

Best of compilations are always a mixed bag. Certainly what one person considers the best, someone else might think of as “eh.”


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Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Review by Gary Hill
This was the last Pink Floyd release to feature Roger Waters. In sequence it was the disc directly after The Wall.
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Planet P Project - 1931
Review by Josh Turner
Prepare yourself for some bold statements… This unknown commodity is one of my highlights from 2004 and deserves to be in any Top Ten Prog Album List for that year.
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Planet P Project - Planet P Project
Review by Larry Toering

Tony Carey spent some time putting together these tunes to have an outlet for a side project between solo albums.


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Planet X - Quantum
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that when I heard Alan Holdsworth was going to be featured on this disc, my interest skyrocketed. Don't get me wrong, I love everything Derek Sherinian has ever done.
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Planet X - Live From Oz
Review by Gary Hill
Oz in this case is Australia, not the land of that fabled wizard or the prison show. The album was recorded live on June 13th, 2001 at the Corner Hotel, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
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Planet X - Universe
Review by Gary Hill
Building on styles started on the first Planet X disc, this is a strong prog outing that includes a jazzy sort of texture. This one comes across a bit more hard rocking than the previous.
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Plastic Crimewave Sound - No Wonderland
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve heard these guys referred to as punk rock. At times you can buy that one.
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Platypus - When Pus Comes To Shove
Review by Gary Hill
Combining elements of many `70`s styles, including prog, in a fresh mode, When Pus Comes To Shove is a strong work that should really hold up to the test of time.
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Platypus - Ice Cycles
Review by Gary Hill
The second release from Platypus, this is good fun prog with a classic rock edge. At times it is Floydish, at times Dregsish, but all with this particular group's style all over it.
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Rick Plester - Rick Plester
Review by Larry Toering

A genius he has been called, and after gracing the ears with this progressive work of art it's no secret why.


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Point of Ares - Enemy Glory
Review by Gary Hill
You really will probably never hear another band that sounds like this. Taking art rock influences and a very strong literary basis, Point of Ares adds in elements typically not seen in this genre of music.
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Point of Ares - Sorrows of Young Apollo
Review by Gary Hill
Point of Ares` debut showcased an unusual sound which introduced punk textures into the progressive rock landscape. This CD continues in that musical direction, but seems much more refined, showing that the band is honing their craft.
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Points North - Road Less Traveled
Review by G. W. Hill

Fans of fusion will really enjoy this instrumental album.


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Pomegranate Tiger - Entities
Review by Rick Damigella

The revolution will not be televised. It will in fact, be streamed. 


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Lorenza Ponce - Mystic Fiddler
Review by Gary Hill

Lorenza Ponce has a pretty impressive resume. She has played with such artists as Kitaro, John Tesh, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan and Star People.


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Jean-Luc Ponty - Life Enigma
Review by Gary Hill
Jean-Luc Ponty's particular blend of fusion type music has always been intriguing and his violin work has always been top notch. I have included this review in the progressive rock category because I really feel that it fits the bill.
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Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Review by Bill Knispel
Fear of a Blank Planet, Porcupine Tree’s third album on major label Atlantic Records, shows them refining their mix of progressive rock, pop and metal influences, adding in a few twists and new/old touches to keep their sound from becoming static.
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Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Review by Steve Alspach
Porcupine Tree may be strangers to these shores, but 2002's "In Absentia" made people stand up and take note, and with good measure. This outfit may have found the perfect balance of prog, metal, and gothic melancholia, and "In Absentia" was met with excellent reviews all around.
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Porcupine Tree - Staircase Infinities
Review by Gary Hill
This disc is made up of outtakes from the Up The Downstair album. It is a brief, but quite strong, nearly instrumental album.
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Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Review by Steve Alspach
Steve Wilson's pet project (the group started as nothing more than just a fictional band several years ago) released their latest work, In Absentia, last year. The album is a thoughtful blend of melody, metal, and progressive.
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Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Review by Bill Knispel
Porcupine Tree has been riding a pretty significant wave since signing their first major label contract with Atlantic.

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Port Mahadia - Echoes In Time
Review by Gary Hill
This CD is a concept album and has both an epic and personal angle to its story.
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Mike Portnoy - Prime Cuts
Review by Gary Hill
Mike Portnoy now has his own entry in the Magna Carta Prime Cuts collection. This disc, as the rest of the series, features selected tracks from albums that the artist has contributed to, presented here as sort of a slice of some of the best of the work from him.
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Portugal The Man - Church Mouth
Review by Gary Hill
OK, this one might not be progressive rock – or it might. It all depends on your definition of prog. If you think of it as a musical format that tends to borrow from numerous musical styles while creating a sound all its own, then these guys are all over it.
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Nic Potter - Nic Potter & Friends – Live in Italy
Review by Bruce Stringer
The triumphant return of ex-Van Der Graaf Generator bass man Nic Potter contains an intriguing mixture of songs old and not so old in celebratory performances with Italian musicians on their home turf. To have chosen a live forum to display his renewed invigoration is no surprise; he is a man that sets his sights and hits the mark with the flair and finesse of a great artist.
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Poverty's No Crime - The Chemical Chaos
Review by Josh Turner
You'd be hard-pressed to get these guys to admit it, but there are definitely some Dream Theater influences here. I'm thinking Scenes from a Memory era.
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Roger Powell - Fossil Poets
Review by Gary Hill
Fans of Todd Rundgren's Utopia should find this release of particular interest as Roger Powell was a member of that band. Those who enjoy mellow fusion instrumentals should find plenty of common ground here as that style makes up the whole disc.
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Presto Ballet - Peace Among The Ruins
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that there is a big buzz about this band. To hear many tell it these guys are the best new prog band to come out since the heyday of progressive rock in the 1970's.
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Presto Ballet - The Lost Art of Time Travel
Review by Josh Turner
I guess all the future time travelers only travelled to a time before recorded history.
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Peter Primamore - Grancia
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing CD. It does a nice job of straddling the fence between jazz and progressive rock.
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Primus - Green Naugahyde
Review by G. W. Hill

Love them or hate them, there’s not another band out there quite like Primus.


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Procol Harum - BBC Live In Concert
Review by Gary Hill

Procol Harum consisted of Gary Brooker, Chris Copping, Mick Grabham, Alan Cartwright, B. J. Wilson and Keith Reid on this disc. This is a solid live recording featuring some good prog sorts of music from this classic outfit.


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Procol Harum - In Concert with The Danish National Concert Orchestra and Choir
Review by Gary Hill
I know there are those who don’t call Procol Harum prog rock.
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Profuna Ocean - Watching the Closing Sky
Review by Gary Hill
I really like this album a lot. Profuna Ocean’s blend of progressive rock conjures up a lot of different acts, but they still maintain a unique identity.

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Project Creation - Dawn on Pyther
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve set down to review this CD for the past two or three issues. It’s a tough one.
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Project Morfeo - Dicotomia
Review by Gary Hill
While this disc might be called gothic or even techno music, I think there are enough shades of dark prog acts like Blackfield to include it in the progressive rock section. While this disc is gloomy and melancholy it is also quite beautiful and eloquent.
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PropheXy - Alconauta
Review by Gary Hill
There are those who would call this metal, but it’s a safe bet most metal fans would be turned away by a lot of this.
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Proto-Kaw - The Wait of Glory
Review by Gary Hill
The second new disc for Proto-Kaw since they reunited, there isn't a bad cut on show here. The band was called "Kansas" in the early '70's and Kerry Livgren took that name with him when he joined another band that was destined for fame.
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Proto-Kaw - Early Recordings from Kansas 1971-1973
Review by Gary Hill
This disc is exactly what the title says, a collection of early demos and two live tracks from the band that would eventually take the rock world by storm under the name of Kansas. Much of the material is far closer to old King Crimson than to the sound that we all know of as that Midwestern group.
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Proto-Kaw - Before Became After
Review by Gary Hill
Proto-Kaw was one of the early groupings of the band that was later known as Kansas. When Cuneiform records released an album of their old material in 2002 it got the creative juices in Kansas/Proto-Kaw man Kerry Livgren.
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Psycho Praxis - Echoes from the Deep
Review by G. W. Hill

Fans of psychedelic based proto prog and early progressive rock will find plenty to like here.


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Puppet Show - The Tale of Woe
Review by Gary Hill
When people start compiling their lists of the “best of 2007,” I'll bet this disc will make a lot of them. These guys have produced a killer album.
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Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third (revised edition)
Review by Bill Knispel
Pure Reason Revolution is a young band out of Reading UK.
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