PRESENTS…

Arjen Lucassen sampler – handpicked by Arjen himself

Ed’s Letter

Hello, and welcome to the new issue of

Bloddy Well Write

Send your letters to us at: Prog, Future Publishing, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6JR, or email prog@futurenet.com. Letters may be edited for length. We regret that we cannot reply to phone calls. For more comment and prog news and views, find us on facebook.com under Prog.

TWEET TALK

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YES RETURN WITH MIRROR TO THE SKY

IF IT’S OUT THERE, IT’S IN HERE

EVERYONE’S A VIP FOR PENDRAGON!

The British proggers to play six shows and unveil new mini-album, North Star.

ESBEN AND THE WITCH ON THEIR “PUREST” ALBUM YET

Hold Sacred is the trio’s sixth LP, and “perhaps their last”.

FEARLESS CROWNLANDS ARE BACK

The Canadian prog rock duo return with their mighty second album this spring.

THE FUTUREISHERE FOR HAWKWIND

With live shows incoming, Dave Brock and crew explore inner space on album 35.

BLOOD CEREMONY TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE OLDWAYS

The Torontonians return with new LP and Euro/UK tour.

AMPLIFIER MAKE THEIR HOLOGRAM

Upcoming mini-album is an “entrée” for the band’s long-awaited new LP, Gargantuan.

SWEET 16? LEPROUS SINGER GOES SOLO

Einar Solberg’s debut album features Ihsahn and members of Bent Knee, Vola and more.

BIG BIG TRAIN TO TOUR AND RELEASE INGENIOUS DEVICES

A fresh face in the group and Abbey Road strings on new LP.

FAD GADGETS

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

MOUNDRAG

Heavy sounds from French brothers-in-prog with no strings attached!

PINK FLOYD’S ENDLESS RIVER… OF BILE

A Prog reader asks if there will ever be oil on these Waters?

SHELL BEACH

Our far-out trip to far-flung prog

EBB

Gutsy, authentic and multifaceted rock from these Scottish proggers.

CABIRIA

Epic and ambitious post-rockers… to the power of three.

WIZRD

Soft Ffog and Krokofant musicians team up for unpredictable prog-psych joy.

JAH WOBBLE

The endlessly creative bassist ruminates on how London still inspires him to write and why compilations of his work won’t please everyone – least of all himself.

Speaking In Tongues

In 1973, King Crimson released what would become their classic fifth album. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic marked the beginning of a new era for the band, who welcomed not only a revised line-up but also a more dynamic sound compared to their earlier releases. Prog looks back on the making of a record that would steer the group into uncharted musical waters.

THE PROG INTERVIEW

PHILIP SELWAY

GENESIS

Auntie knows best: the prog titans get a career-spanning, if incomplete, box set drawn from the Beeb’s archives.

TAKE A BOW

LEPROUS VENUE O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE, LONDON DATE

MY PROG

EDDIE MULDER (LEAP DAY)

Building The Architect

Emerging from the shadow of Sound Of Contact, Simon Collins and Kelly Nordstrom return as eMolecule with a sci-fi concept album about tyranny and redemption. The duo talk to Prog about being musical soulmates and the importance of always moving forwards and not looking back, with their lives, careers and music.

This Is Us. Have it!

Having been voted best unsigned band of 2022 in the Prog Readers’ Poll, as well as performing at multiple festivals before they’d even released a full-length album, Square Wild aren’t here to mess about. Except they are! Vocalist and guitarist Lucy Shevchuk explains how they’re striving to make fun the centre of their world.

Animal Magic

On their seventh studio album, Haken are ready to bust any pre-conceptions about where they might or might not fit musically. Fauna is inspired by the natural world and finds the progressive metal six-piece entering new musical territory. Multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall and returning keyboard player Pete Jones reveal the story behind its creation and the “anything goes” attitude that helped to shape it.

Attack Of The Klones

Klone’s new album, Meanwhile, is an exciting slice of concise yet progressive rock. Guitarist and co-founder Guillaume Bernard tells Prog about the hankering for gigs that inspired it – as well as their career-long journey from metal to art-rock.

Land Ahoy!

After a five-year wait, Damanek are back with their third album, Making Shore. Founding member Guy Manning talks to Prog about the obstacles they overcame to get the record finished, writing a 30-minute epic and the drawbacks of being a multinational band.

Lords Of The Ages

Formed in London in 1969, Magna Carta went on to become one of the UK’s best-loved progressive folk bands. They could even count David Bowie among their fans. Following the release of their multidisc career retrospective, When All Is Said And Done, founder member and singer-songwriter Chris Simpson discusses their legacy, working with Davey Johnstone, and that time he got into trouble with The Beach Boys’ security team…

Better Late Than Never

After splitting in 2012, Australia’s The Butterfly Effect’s classic line-up are back with IV, their first album in 14 years. But does absence make the heart grow fonder? Prog catches up with guitarist Kurt Goedhart from the forward-thinking rockers to find out.

Indian Summer

On their latest release, Light Up, Solstice are continuing the trilogy they began on their 2020 comeback album, Sia. With an armful of new tunes and their current line-up fully ensconced, founding guitarist Andy Glass discusses creative freedom, the joy of playing live and finding the motivation to keep carrying on.

In Exile

In 2014, Ne Obliviscaris ventured into unchartered waters and launched a crowdfunding campaign that enabled them to finance a world tour, something no other band in the world has achieved. As they now gear up to release their fourth album, Exul, they explain the emotional story of its conception.

Happy Trails

Five years after the release of his solo debut, Innerland, Engineers leader Mark Peters returns with Red Sunset Dreams. His second long-player combines his passion for Americana with an unexpected discovery about his home town in north-west England. Prog caught up with the musician to find out more.