Ed’s Letter

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INTRO IF IT’S OUT THERE, IT’S IN HERE

DREAM THEATER RETURN WITH 15TH STUDIO ALBUM

‘DISILLUSIONED’ MARIANA SEMKINA RELEASES NEW EP

Iamthemorning vocalist takes flight with solo EP

THREE ALBUMS DUE FROM ROBERT REED

Magenta man ‘reimagines’ early project and adds a two-parter to Sanctuary catalogue

SOLO ALBUMS FROM WILSON & WAKEMAN

Damian and Adam will also tour the UK in November and December

LEE ABRAHAM GETS EPIC AND MELODIC ON NINTH ALBUM

Only Human focuses on uplifting and memorable melodies

CARAVAN UNVEIL NEW STUDIO ALBUM

Caravan will release It’s None Of Your Business in October

MOSTLY AUTUMN REFLECT ON NEW CD

The band’s 14th studio record is ‘a deep, heartfelt reflection’ on our troubled times

VANGELIS GOES OUT OF THIS WORLD FOR NEW ALBUM

Juno To Jupiter takes inspiration from NASA’s explorations

FAD GADGETS

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

TOMAS LINDBERG

The At The Gates frontman reveals how the spirit of Robert Fripp and King Crimson has been a driving force behind the band’s ambitions

PROG IN BRIEF

THOMAS WILLIAMS London-based singersongwriter AA Williams (right) will

DIKAJEE

Russia-based songwriter teams up with members of Klone and Faun for fairy tale debut

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

A Prog reader champions the Vegas Residency

ALL AROUND THE WORLD Our far-out trip to far-flung prog

SINOPTIK

PROG IN BREF

Loreena McKennitt (right) will release the deluxe, limited

LA MORTE VIENE DALLO SPAZIO

Sci-fi soundtrack-inspired space rockers take a trip to the darkside

LANGAN, FROST & WANE

The US trio’s mystical psych-folk turned them into a band without them realising

THE LEFT OUTSIDES

How city life led to music of stunning pastoral beauty for this London duo

Q & A SEL BALAMIR

From interstellar musings to harnessing the sounds of the sea, Amplifier’s frontman has come back down to Earth with three atmospheric soundscapes. He reveals why he’s going with the flow on his ocean-inspired solo album

IN MEMORY OF ROBBY STEINHARDT

As one of the original members of Kansas, Robby Steinhardt helped craft the band’s distinctive sound from their 1974 debut onwards. Also known for his work with Stormbringer and Jon Anderson, the violinist and singer was working on a new solo album before his untimely death in July 2021. Prog remembers the virtuoso musician

Dead Can Dance

Born out of Australia’s post-punk independent band movement, this neoclassical duo were swiftly signed to 4AD in the 80s where, along with labelmates Cocteau Twins, they unwittingly found themselves lumped in with the burgeoning goth scene. Four decades on, Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry’s groundbreaking music has inspired a new generation of ethereal and otherworldly progressive acts, as well as a certain Mr Wilson. So now we have to ask: how prog are Dead Can Dance?

THE PROG INTERVIEW ROGER CHAPMAN

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Roger Chapman. The former rock’n’roller joined Leicester band The Farinas in ’66, just before they became Family and entered the UK Top 40 with their debut album, Music In A Doll’s House. The distinctive vocalist was their main songwriter, co-writing the hit singles In My Own Time and Burlesque, and stayed with the band until their disintegration in ‘73. Post-Family, Chapman co-founded Streetwalkers, released his first solo album, Chappo, in 1979 and even sang on a Mike Oldfield tune. In 2013, he took part in a brief Family reunion and now, a decade later, he returns with a new solo album, Life In The Pond. He looks back on his career so far and reveals his thoughts on those reunion shows and what it was really like working with the musician behind Tubular Bells.

YES

Age and a global pandemic cannot wither them, as prog’s founding fathers notch up another landmark with album number 22

POST-ROCK

Alex Lynham guides us through the peaks and valleys of essential post-rock

PROGRESSIVE METAL

Dom Lawson buckles up for a delve into the darker, heavier side

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

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

The Assassings’ Guild

In 1983, Marillion began work on their “difficult” second album. Their debut, Script For A Jester’s Tear, had set them on the road to success but Fugazi proved there were still many obstacles in the way. Prog looks back on a tale of writer’s block, challenging crowds and the search for the perfect drummer that led to the band’s first Top 5 album and the line-up that would be their saviour

What Difficult Second Album?

In the three years after the release of their debut, Blackpool post-rockers Blanket have undergone a transformation thanks to a new line-up, new energy and some fresh ideas. Their second album, Modern Escapism, takes listeners on a sonic journey with some unexpected twists. Prog catches up with vocalists/guitarists Bobby Pook and Simon Morgan to discover why the band consider themselves to be the best they’ve ever been

MY PROG

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

A Life On The Coconut Shy

The last 12 months have been among the most creative in Steve Hackett’s career. As he prepares to release Surrender Of Silence, his heaviest album to date, he tells Prog about his recent burst of creativity, the upcoming Seconds Out + More Tour and why he doesn’t believe in retirement

20:20 VISION

Ted Hughes, John McLaughlin, current affairs and some pithy local graffiti all inspired Jack Hues to write Electro-Acoustic Works 20:20, the latest chapter in his fascinating late-career resurgence. Prog catches up with the singer-songwriter to find out more

REVELATIONS

Norwegian art rockers Leprous didn’t intend to record the follow-up to Pitfalls quite so soon, but two years after their acclaimed release they’re back with the uplifting Aphelion. Frontman Einar Solberg tells Prog about their stealth recording sessions and how the positive changes he’s been making to his life are switching up the lyrics

Use Your Illusion

Having played guitar in Steve Hackett’s band since 2009, Amanda Lehmann is a well-known figure in prog circles these days. But the journey started a long time ago, and her debut album Innocence And Illusion draws on music, magic and memories from her past. Prog catches up with her to find out more

The Show Of Their Lives

Fifty years on from the groundbreaking In The Land Of Grey And Pink, Caravan have released their definitive box set. The mammoth Who Do You Think We Are? pays tribute to their key role in creating the Canterbury sound and digs through forgotten archives to unearth some rare gems. Prog caught up with Pye Hastings and Dave Sinclair to find out more about it

Ever Dreamers

When Nightwish’s planned world tour was postponed, Tuomas Holopainen and Troy Donockley used their free time to work on the second Auri album. On II – Those We Don’t Speak Of, the trio – completed by Johanna Kurkela – take listeners on an unexpected journey through a magical dreamworld. Bandleader Holopainen tells Prog how they transformed their scrapped plans into something truly wonderful

True Colours

When Three Colours Dark released their debut album last year they had no idea just how welcome it would be. Sixteen months on, the duo – comprised of Karnataka, The Reasoning and Panic Room alumni – have teamed up again for Love’s Lost Property and a rather unusual single. Rachel Cohen and Jonathan Edwards discuss working with XTC’s Dave Gregory, their love of Duran Duran and why they decided to give in to genre labels

The Court Of Appeal

As NMB, the rebranded Neal Morse Band launch their fourth studio release, Innocence & Danger, band leader Neal Morse discusses marketing matters, embracing double albums and avoiding concepts

Back With A Vengeance

Australian prog metallers Twelve Foot Ninja finished their third album in late 2019, but then the world ground to a halt. Now the record is finally seeing the light of day. With Vengeance simultaneously maintaining the group’s adventurism and appealing to a wider audience, it’s well worth the wait. And, as Prog finds out from singer Kin Etik, it’s not just an album, either…

T-Birds Are Go

Sixteen years after a near-fatal car accident, theaudience’s Billy Reeves stumbled upon a box of demos he had no recollection of creating. With the help of The Bluetones’ Mark Morriss, instrumentalist Chris Anderson, and an eclectic mix of guests including members of Cocteau Twins and Gazpacho, The Helicopter Of The Holy Ghost’s debut, Afters, has emerged. Prog uncovers an unusual tale of a band that might never have existed were it not for a strange twist of fate