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White Willow

White Willow emerged from Asker, Norway in 1992

What’s on your free White Willow digital album

Download the 19-track sampler from bit.ly/wwillow_sampler

Ed’s Letter

Hello and welcome to the latest issue of

Bloody Well Write

Send your letters to us at: Prog , Future Publishing, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6QA, or email prog@futurenet.com . Letters may be edited for length. We regret that we cannot reply to phone calls and we cannot always respond to individual messages. Find us on facebook.com under Prog .

BIG BIG TRAIN RETURN WITH THEIR FIRST-EVER NARRATIVE CONCEPT ALBUM

IF IT’S OUT THERE, IT’S IN HERE

MAGNUS MARTIN SOLO LP INCOMING

New album heads into mythical areas as it draws from wider musical influences.

MARTIN BARRE AUTOGRAPHY PUBLISHED

The guitarist also heads out for UK and European tours.

GONG OVERCOME TROUBLED TIMES

New album birthed from a period of personal challenges and heavy deadlines.

TEXTURES RETURN WITH CONCEPT LP

The Dutch band’s first release in seven years ties itself to 2016’s Phenotype .

LUNAR & THE DECEPTION ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM

The Somnambulist is a wake-up call for a troubled age.

HOW TO POLISH A PINEAPPLE

Bruce Soord spruces up a fresh batch of The Pineapple Thief’s classics with new set.

INTRO extras

BARWICK AND LATTIMORE TEAM UP Ambient composer Julianna

THE GIFT REFLECT ON LIFE’S JOURNEY

The influence of the Bard is keenly felt on their new album, their first since 2019.

TONY BANKS IS THE SUBJECT OF A NEW BIOGRAPHY

The Genesis keyboardist goes under the microscope.

FAD GADGETS

Rhodri Marsden on three of the latest must-have gizmos currently putting the prog in progress.

JAMES KENT

Inspiring the wider music world…

PROG IN BRIEF

Steve Howe (right) will release a new EP,

VOWER

Black Peaks, Toska and Palm Reader members unite for heavy, emotional second life.

THE BEYOND CRAWL

(Harvest, 1991)

RADIANT THOUGHT

Our far-out trip to far-flung prog

PROG IN BRIEF

Henihil iumqui dolent vendi Swedish alis eate prog

WARRINGTON-RUNCORN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Ambient artist travels back to the 70s with synth-heavy utopian soundtracks.

WIN!

PETER HAMMILL BOX SET

Now our turn…

The Editor Jerry Ewing GAZPACHO Magic 8-Ball KSCOPE

STEVE BINGHAM

One-time No-Man touring musician experiments with looping for violin.

SANS FROID

Powerful Bristol-based art-rockers bring their angst to prog.

BARRY PALMER

Triumvirat’s former vocalist on doing The Bump, working with Mike Oldfield and his latest project with Magenta’s Robert Reed.

STEVE MORSE

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Steve Morse . Since emerging from the University of Miami in the mid-1970s, the guitarist has enjoyed a storied and multifaceted career spanning six decades. Having come to prominence initially with the Dixie Dregs, Morse then led his own Steve Morse Band before stepping into the ranks of American prog icons Kansas. Later he would spend 28 years within Deep Purple and has also been part of prog supergroup Flying Colors. Here the affable and unassuming guitarist reflects on his extraordinary musical journey.

PINK FLOYD

Alienation, loss and a legendary live bootleg – the prog giants’ post- Dark Side masterpiece gets the ultimate 50th-birthday box set treatment.

DREAM THEATER

Quarantième: Live À Paris INSIDEOUTMUSIC Progressive metal royalty celebrate 40 years on the throne.

CIVIL SERVICE

Dark /// A CHEERY WAVE / RIPCORD RECORDS Manchester post-rock collective explore the darker side of life.

DAWNWALKER

The Between DAWNWALKER.BANDCAMP.COM Experimental Londoners switch to long-form melancholy.

ESOTERICA

Ether Metal YEAR OF THE RAT British prog metallers present a sleekly cinematic sci-fi vision.

ROGER ENO

Before and after transience. Without Wind / Without Air DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

FEATHER MOUNTAIN

A Liminal Step FEATHER MOUNTAIN Strong third outing from Danish prog crossover contenders.

NICK FLETCHER

The Mask Of Sanity NICKFLETCHERGUITARMUSIC.COM Classy fusion album from John Hackett Band guitarist.

BRIAN ENO & BEATIE WOLFE

Liminal VERVE The third in the duo’s triptych is a triumph.

LEPROUS

An Evening Of Atonement INSIDEOUTMUSIC Einar Solberg holds the attention in grand live performance.

GO KUROSAWA

Soft Shakes GOKUROSAWA.BANDCAMP.COM Chill-out meets psych from one-man jam machine.

GÍSLI GUNNARSSON

Úr Öskunni BY NORSE MUSIC Sweeping music of sorrow, defiance and renewal.

ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF

Iconoclasts YEAR0001 Daring Swedish composer unveils a multi-faceted gem.

HAWKLORDS

Faith HAWKLORDS Solid space rock explorations from this particular set of Hawks.

THE ILLOGISTICAL RESOURCE DEPT

Cacoethes APHAGIA RECORDINGS San Francisco trio trawl the X-files with their esoteric bass-led rumblings.

KEPLER TEN

Random Number Generator: Episode 1 WHITE STAR RECORDS A catchy and complex first glimpse at British prog rock trio’s newest era.

ART-ROCK

Chris Roberts samples the new releases on the prog/rock boundary.

SNARKY PUPPY & METROPOLE ORKEST

Somni GROUNDUP Texan prog-jazz collective hang out with some old friends.

MIGUEL KERTSMAN

Paradoxes INDEPENDENT Part-Brazilian composer returns to his prog-inspired roots.

KUIPER

Be Here Now KUIPER.BANDCAMP.COM Spacey post-rockers channel the spirit of Berlin via Australia.

KYLVER

The Gobi KYLVER.BANDCAMP.COM Newcastle instrumentalists return after nine years with a desert-born prog epic.

LONG DISTANCE CALLING

Live At Lichtburg EARMUSIC German instrumental post-rockers hit the controls for the heart of Essen.

RHYS MARSH & MANDALA

Until The End Of Time AUTUMNSONGS RECORDS Uneven post-rock reflections from the prog rock troupe.

MORON POLICE

Pachinko MIGHTY JAM MUSIC GROUP Norwegian proggers surmount personal tragedy to deliver belting fourth album.

PROGRESSIVE FOLK

Paul Sexton scours the new releases to find there’s nowt so prog as folk.

SPOCK’S BEARD

The Archaeoptimist MADFISH Veteran Americans return triumphant with British collaborator.

STEVE MORSE BAND

Triangulation MUSIC THEORIES RECORDINGS US rock and fusion stalwart recalibrates with solo comeback.

NYOS

Growl PELAGIC Prog noise twosome continue to evolve on seventh album.

RADIANT THOUGHT

Transcendence RADIANTTHOUGHT.BANDCAMP.COM Portuguese alt prog duo’s intriguing debut.

MARK TRUEACK

A Journey’s Groove – An Adventure In Life OOB RECORDS Likeable autobiographical solo album from Unitopia frontman.

WARRINGTON-RUNCORN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Public Works And Utilities CASTLES IN SPACE Powerful suggestive electronica.

HILARY WOODS

Night CRIÚ SACRED BONES Irish musician’s beguiling, haunting fourth solo album.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Grant Moon has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…

KATE BUSH

]The Best Of The Other Sides FISH PEOPLE Bush’s B-sides, exhumed from deleted 2019 rarities box set, The Other Side .

MATT BERRY

Heard Noises (Deluxe) ACID JAZZ Limited box set includes vinyl remaster and remixes galore.

COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY llaborative album retrieved from Lost Property.

The Bridge WITCHWOOD RECORDS Strawbs founder and lead guitarist’s collaborative album retrieved from Lost Property.

IQ

EVER GIANT ELECTRIC PEA New vinyl release for neo-proggers’ early-90s creative rebirth.

JETHRO TULL

Aqualung Live INSIDEOUTMUSIC First time on vinyl for 2005’s live take on a bona fide prog classic.

SOLSTICE

Silent Dance CLANN/WILD THYME RECORDS Smooth 80s prog-folk given a new lease of life.

NEKTAR

Tab In The Ocean: Deluxe Edition ESOTERIC Hamburg-based ex-pat Brits’ early work repackaged with live treats.

MIKE OLDFIELD

Amarok UMG Thirty-fifth anniversary edition of an unsung classic.

TANGERINE DREAM

Rubycon REACTIVE TD’s best in a 50th birthday box with two entire concert recordings.

OZRIC TENTACLES

Through The Magick Valley KSCOPE Another hefty trawl through the most cosmic of catalogues.

TEARS FOR FEARS

Songs From The Big Chair -40th Anniversary Edition UMR RECORDS Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith’s era-defining 1985 album celebrates its ruby anniversary.

YES

Fly From Here – Return Trip CHERRY RED Prog icons’ 20th album revisited with souped-up mixes.

WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS – A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER

Bruce Pegg SPENWOOD Beautifully-produced, fan-focused oral history of ELP.

OMAR & CEDRIC: IF THIS EVER GETS WEIRD

Dir: Nicolas Jack Davies AUTLOOK FILM Emotional ride with The Mars Volta’s rock outliers. f this ever gets weird,

ALWAYS MOVING: THE STRANGE MULTIVERSE OF VOÏVOD

Jeff Wagner RADICAL RESEARCH Vivid look back at the Canadian prog-metal pioneers’ unique career.

ROCK AND ROLE: THE VISIONARY SONGS OF PETER HAMMILL AND VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

Joe Banks KINGMAKER PUBLISHING Definitive account of prog maverick.

Take a bow

How many musicians does it take to recreate

ANDY GLASS (SOLSTICE)

The great and good of progressive music give us a glimpse into their prog worlds. As told to Grant Moon.

IN MEMORY OF JOHN LODGE

As long-serving co-vocalist and bassist with The Moody Blues , John Lodge helped keep the Moodies’ flame burning even after the band had stopped touring. His distinctive falsetto harmonies and bass-playing helped shape the band’s iconic sound and cement their status. In addition to gigging right up to his unexpected death in October at the age of 82, he also released a handful of solo albums, including his 2023 updated version of Days Of Future Passed , which was praised by critics and fans alike.

Ghosts In The Half Light

Released 20 years ago, Porcupine Tree ’s Deadwing was the album that Lava Records hoped would turn over a profit. Although things didn’t quite work out that way, the band’s eighth studio record did raise their profile and launch them to American audiences. Steven Wilson, Gavin Harrison, Lava’s Andy Karp and scriptwriter Mike Bennion reflect on the journey that took Porcupine Tree from playing to 30 people to filling 1,500-capacity venues and even scoring a ride in Neil Peart’s Aston Martin.

No Safety Net

He’s one of prog’s visionaries, and now a key period in Peter Hammill ’s creative life is being celebrated in a new 20-disc box set. The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971-1986 collates 13 of his early solo albums along with a selection of era-specific rarities, and, what’s more, a new authorised biography has also just hit the shelves. Prog catches up with the Van der Graaf frontman to unbox his early years as a solo artist.

More Crowing Once

Nine years after their unexpected reunion, Atomic Rooster have returned with their first studio album in more than 40 years. The spooky Circle The Sun shows off an Edgar Allan Poe-inspired gothic vibe with an updated line-up that fans say takes them right back to the 70s. Prog catches up with guitarist Boltz Bolton and drummer Paul Everett find out more.

Hand Of Fate

Norwegian art-rockers Gazpacho stare fate in the face with their latest album, Magic 8-Ball, but things could have turned out very differently had it not been for Hollywood script-writers. Songwriter, producer and keyboard player Thomas Andersen discusses kismet, creating great art and never being afraid to rip things up and start again.

GIVE ’EM ENOUGH Dope

Prog’s unlikeliest supergroup The Utopia Strong are back with their trippy and more concise third album, Doperider . The electronic team tell Prog why they decided to streamline their sounds and share the secrets behind their “weirdo music”.

Tripping Yarns

Torabi to piece together the fragments of music that had been left behind and now, after years of hard work, LSD is finally here. The team behind it tell Prog about the missing piece of Cardiacs’ jigsaw and what else lies in store.

Gut Feeling

When Crown Lands found themselves without a label, they immersed themselves in total creative freedom, magic mushrooms and 80s King Crimson. The result is a widescreen three-album arc, starting with two psychedelic meditation records: Ritual I and Ritual II . Prog catches up with the duo to find out more about their epic prog dreams.

Emotional Rescue

On her seventh album, Welsh art-rocker Cate Le Bon has returned to her homeland after a period of living in California. On the emotional Michelangelo Dying , she comes to terms with a broken heart and even teams up with fellow countryman John Cale. The singer-songwriter tells Prog about what she refers to as her “necessary exorcism” and why she’s looking forward to playing her new songs live.

Morphin’ Glory

Finnish progressive metal veterans Amorphis are 15 albums into a career like few others. As the band release Borderland , bassist Olli-Pekka Laine tells Prog , the nexus of death metal and neo-prog is a truly strange place to be.