Letters U - V - W - X - Y - Z / Numbers 0-9

NEW ADDITIONS TO A-Z LISTING
Written by Thedo Roes (Germany)

LETTER U
U.K. (UK) - Monster prog rock band with famous members: John WETTON (vocals, bass), Eddie JOBSON (keyboards, electric violin) and Bill BRUFORD (drums)
ULYSSES (Germany) - Neo-prog rock of the 90’s in the same style like the British guides PENDRAGON, IQ and SHADOWLAND. Reunion in 2004 as NERONIA
URBANE, The (UK) - More pop-oriented side-project from vocalist and keyboarder John MITCHELL (ARENA, KINO)

LETTER V
VAN DER LINDEN, Rick (Netherlands) - Famous leader of EKSEPTION and TRACE. Brilliant keyboarder with amazing electronical music and classical solo performances. Essential!
VANDEN PLAS (Germany) - One of the leading German prog metal bands marked by unique voice of vocalist Andy KUNTZ (ABYDOS)
VARIUS MANX (Poland) - Polish pop prog band starting in the early 90’s with changing female vocalists
VAST (USA) - Relaxing and melancholic soundscapes by Jon CROSBY using samples of native Indian vocals
VIIMA (Finland) - Retro-symphonic rock in the vein of the 70’s with psychedelic parts and lyrics in Finnish. Sometimes a CAMEL feeling comes to mind
VIMAL, Richard (France) - Phenomenal electronic music with smoothly melodic soundscapes. Keyboard heaven!
VIOLET HOUR (UK) - Symphonic melody prog with folk factor from the early 90’s. Charasteristic attributes are great female vocals and wonderful flutes
VISION DIVINE (Italy) - Powerful metal band goes melodic progressive metal ways
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS (Austria) - Power and symphonic prog metal with female and male vocals similar to EDENBRIDGE, NIGHTWISH and WITHIN TEMPTATION
VISSER, Ad (Netherlands) - Excellent multimedia space opera composed by author and hi-tech electronic pop artist Ad VISSER. Bizarre and exotic electronic adventure!
VISSER, Hans (Netherlands) - Solo ambitions by FLAIRCK founder and guitarist
VOX TEMPUS (USA) - Prog metal four piece with atmospheric keyboards and hard rock guitar playing. FATES WARNING, RUSH and also QUEENSRYCHE comes to mind
VOYAGER (Australia) - Professional prog rock with pretentious and partly experimental electronic compositions

LETTERS W
WAKEMAN, Oliver (UK) - In the footsteps of his father Rick WAKEMAN. Temporarily collaboration with Clive NOLAN (PENDRAGON, ARENA). Lots of bombastic keyboards
WAKEMAN & COUSINS (Germany) - Conglomerate of keyboarder Rick Wakeman (STRAWBS, YES) and charismatic singer Dave COUSINS (STRAWBS), very similar to STRAWBS
WATERS, Roger (UK) - Famous guitarist from prog rock dinosaurs PINK FLOYD
WESLEY, John (UK) - Well-suited slightly melancholic rock. He was also tour and studio guitarist for FISH and PORCUPINE TREE
WETTON, John (UK) - All-star guitarist got famous by membership in bands like U.K., KING CRIMSON, YES and ASIA
WETTON / DOWNES (UK) - Consortium by John WETTON (U.K., YES, ASIA) and Geoffrey DOWNES (YES, ASIA, BUGGLES) playing prog in the ASIA-style
WHITE (UK) - New group led by Alan WHITE (YES) with a mix of melodic and prog rock. Cover art-work by famous painter Roger DEAN. A must for ASIA fans!
WINDS (Norway) - Mature mix of classical prog and subdued dark progressive metal
WINGER, Kip (UK) - Vocalist and keyboarder from hard rock band WINGER on his own solo trip with very melodious and dreamy progressive songs
WINTERGARDEN (Germany) - Straight Deutschrock from the late 70’s/early 80’s with some jazzy arrangements
WISHING TREE (UK) - MARILLION with crystal-clear female vocals comes to mind, but that’s no fortuity - it’s a side-project by guitarist Steve ROTHERY and bassist Pete TREWAVAS
WITHIN TEMPTATION (Netherlands) - Progressive gothic metal from the better kind recommendable for fans of NIGHTWISH and EDENBRIDGE
WITHOUT WARNING (USA) - Well thought-out and clever presented melodic prog metal likened to DREAM THEATER and FATES WARNING
WITTHÜSER, Bernd (Germany) - Known from 70’s psych-folk duo WITTHÜSER & WESTRUPP with solo work in the same style
WOLVERINE (Sweden) - Amazing good progressive hard rock with emphasis to melodic mellotron-driven prog, featured like a mix of SIEGES EVEN and EVERON but not so complex
WOOLFSON, Eric (UK) - Better known by his song writing and producing with his partner Alan PARSONS for ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
WUTHERING HEIGHTS (Denmark) - Progressive speed metal comparable to the Italian band RHAPSODY

LETTER X
XANDRIA (Germany) - Gothic prog with crystal-clear female vocals and plenty of keyboard sounds reminds to NIGHTWISH and WITHOUT TEMPTATION
XCARNATION (Turkey) - Progressive mixture from electronic, rock and heavy metal with a slightly worldmusic touch by multi-instrumentalist Cenk EROGLU
XENN (Poland) - Futuristic art rock project by former members of Polish prog band ABRAXAS, sounds a bit like PORCUPINE TREE

LETTER Y
YOLE (France) - Ethnic progressive rock influenced by the masters of the 70’s with elements of Indian and Eastern music. Uncommon but excellent!

LETTER Z
ZENIT (Switzerland) - Great melodic prog which sounds sometimes like early MARILLION
ZHORN (Germany) - Imaginative and eclectic progressive rock created by ex-LANFEAR vocalist and keyboarder

NUMBERS 0 - 9
7 MONTH (Italy) - Marvellous melodic rock with progressive touch but without to be too complex guided by an impressive male vocalist
7 SAMURAI, The (Italy) - Project realized by “The Finnish Progressive Music Association Colossus” together with the Italian prog bands CAP and TAPROBAN as well as Venezuelan TÉMPANO - similar projects are THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES, KALEVALA and THE SPAGHETTI EPIC. Highly recommendable!

Letter T

NEW ADDITIONS TO A-Z LISTING
Written by Thedo Roes (Germany)

T (Germany) - Frontman and vocalist of SCYTHE with stunning retro-prog and new art rock
TALE (Germany) - Powerful prog rock with impressive male vocals and sometimes trips into prog metal
TALIS (Germany) - Independent melody-oriented prog rock as an intersection of SCAPELAND WISH, KINO and POOR GENETIC MATERIAL
TANGERINE DREAM (Germany) - Legendary pioneers of electronical music led by mastermind Edgar FROESE. Pathfinder of the Berlin School. Non-stop active by now 40 years from the late 60’s until today. Former well-known musicians over the years are Christopher FRANKE, Klaus SCHULZE, Peter BAUMANN, Michael HOENIG, Johannes SCHMOELLING and up to date Jerome FROESE. More than 80 albums (original, soundtracks and live recordings)
TANZBÄR (Germany) - Folk rock mainly enrooted in traditional German songs
TARKA (UK) - Neo-romantic orchestral project by GENESIS’ Anthony PHILLIPS together with Harry WILLIAMSON
TAYLOR, Lou Maxwell (Canada) - Dreamlike intimate progressive singer/songwriter rock with mesmeric atmospheres and folky and electronical moments
TEN (UK) - Great melodic hard rock and prog metal led by vocalist Gary HUGHES. Great!
THANATEROS (Germany) - Celtic folk metal with strong progressive appendages
THETIS (Germany) - Excellent song writing in the style of medieval, folk rock and traditional guitar oriented rock
THINKMAN (UK) - Producer Rupert HINE with his own band project - not so progressive as his solo works
THIRSTY MOON (Germany) - Fusion of amazing classical progressive rock and proggy jazz rock
THOMPSON, Linda (UK) - In the 70’-80’s wife of and musician together with Richard THOMPSON, late solo career after 17 years in the early new millennium
THOMPSON, Richard (UK) - Vocalist, guitarist and mandolin player with great folk rock, well-known as leader of FAIRPORT CONVENTION and member of the MORRIS ON project
THOUGHT SPHERE (Germany) - Well-balanced prog metal, but with a bit less metal and a bit more prog
THRESHOLD (UK) - Stunning melodious prog metal by founding member Karl GROOM (SHADOWLAND, CASINO, engineering work for ARENA and PENDRAGON)
THUROW, Matthias (Germany) - Ex-EULENSPYGEL member (in the 70’s) and multi-instrumentalist with electronic music, soundtracks and jazzy arrangements
TILES (USA) - Prog metal close to DREAM THEATER and RUSH
TIME REQUIEM (Sweden) - Symphonic and classical influenced prog metal by keyboarder Richard ANDERSSON with members of FLOWER KINGS as rhythm section
TIME MACHINE (Italy) - Ordinary prog metal deeply influenced by melodious metal, hard rock and symphonic prog rock
TOC (Finland) - Formerly known as THRONE OF CHAOS with a fusion of prog and metal, soonest comparable to PAIN OF SALVATION
TOLKKI, Timo (Finland) - Leader of power metal band STRATOVARIOUS with emotional and mostly calm prog rock quite different to his band work
TOOL (USA) - Very dark heavy rock goes more and more progressive pathways with a touch of gothic rock
TORNAOD (USA) - Folky prog rock with symphonic style
TOWNSEND BAND, Devin (Canada) - Prog metal to be described by chaos, bombast and high-speed. Unorthodox!
TOYZ (Netherlands) - Impressive instrumental progressive rock from the end-90’s
TRAUMPFAD (Germany) - Melancholic lyrical prog rock with German vocals similar to NOVALIS and HOELDERLIN
TREACLE PEOPLE (Germany) - Modern psychedelic hard rock in the vein of the 70’s like a conglomerate from DEEP PURPLE, PINK FLOYD and KING CRIMSON
TURILLI, Luca (Italy) - Headman of prog metal group RHAPSODY with melodic progressive songs and slightly less speed than his master-band
TYNDALL (Germany) - 80’s German leaders of a mixture from electronic sounds with new age feeling

Letter S

NEW ADDITIONS TO A-Z LISTING
Written by Thedo Roes (Germany)

SAINT-PREUX (France) - Nice prog rock from the 80’s with classical adaptations in the vein of SKY and EKSEPTION
SALTATIO MORTIS (Germany) - Dark folk metal rock with melodious folk tunes and heavy folky metal riffs
SAMSAS TRAUM (Germany) - Odd progressive gothic rock with imaginative verses sung in German language and created by mastermind Alexander KASCHTE. Essential!
SANDSTONE (Poland) - Ordinary melodious prog metal
SARACEN (UK) - Bombastic and epic melody rock group from the 80’s in the vein of KANSAS or early MAGNUM, with a great comeback in 2006
SARCASME (France) - Neo-progressive rock group with affinity to ANGE, PINK FLOYD and PULSAR with predominance of flute
SAVA (Germany) - Melancholic medieval folk rock and beautiful renaissance music tunes
SCAB, Dom F. (Spain) - Wonderful electronic music adapted from the 70’s Berlin School ideals like Klaus SCHULZE and TANGERINE DREAM
SCHANDMAUL (Germany) - The best German folk rock band of the new millennium. Combination of pretty lyrical songs and harder tracks with a little approach to folk metal
SCHERPENZEEL, Ton (Netherlands) - Ex-CAMEL member and classical solist with an CAMEL-like side project
SCHIFF, Don (USA) - Stick player from ROCKET SCIENTISTS, Eric NORLANDER and Lana LANE with high technical instrumental music between progressive rock, rock, jazz and fusion
SCHMOELLING, Johannes (Germany) - Early TANGERINE DREAM member with very ambitious solo works in the same electronical genre
SCHÖNHERZ (Austria) - Independent music between Krautrock and electronic by Richard SCHÖNHERZ
SCHØNNING, Klaus (Denmark) - Spheric symphonical electronic music with mostly long tracks
SCHRÖDER, Robert (Germany) - Great electronic music in the vein of Berlin School. For fans of Klaus SCHULZE and TANGERINE DREAM a must!
SCHULTZE, Kristian (Germany) - Keyboarder from famous German jazz rock group Klaus DOLDINGER’S PASSPORT with his own electronic progressive music
SECOND CALLING (Germany) - Prog rock with a little portion of prog metal and very good ballads
SECTION A (Denmark) - Exciting progressive metal experience with an own unique brand
SEVEN STEPS TO THE GREEN DOOR (Germany) - Very peculiar prog rock with elements of jazz, rock, rap and alternative music. Great!
SEVENTH KEY (USA) - KANSAS vocalist and guitarist up from the mid-80’s until today with his own project supported by KANSAS members Steve WALSH, Phil EHART, Richard WILLIAMS and other well-known musicians. Brilliant!
SEVENTH WONDER (Denmark) - Very good prog metal band in the vein of DREAM THEATER, but without to be a clone
SHAA KHAN (Germany) - Essential symphonic Deutschrock from the end-80’s with a splendiferous vocalist
SHARAM, Max (Australia) - It’s not a pseudonym by Tori AMOS, but it seems so. Brilliant female singer. A must!
SIEGES EVEN (Germany) - One of the best German prog metal bands with very complex and melodious songs and lightly jazzy influences
SIGUR RÓS (Finland) - Famous new art rock band of the beginning of the new millennium with spheric soundscapes, native lyrics and marvellous verbal paintings
SILLY WIZARD (UK) - Famous Scottish folksters with excellent (traditional) folk rock led by John and Phil CUNNINGHAM
SILVER (USA) - Excellent melodic hard rock with progressive ingredients
SINCLAIR, Dave (UK) - Famous keyboarder and founder from brilliant group CARAVAN with his own work in the Canterbury style
SIOBAN (Belgium) - Very good neo-prog with excellent mellotron chords and partly near to early MARILLION
SIXTY-NINE (Germany) - First-grade Krautrock from the beginning 70’s with very good mixture of prog rock and psychedelic
SJÖBLOM, Rikard (Sweden) - Instrumental interpretation of Swedish novel ‘Cyklonmannen’ by rock group and classic orchestra. For fans of EKSEPTION and TRACE
SKY (UK) - Instrumental progressive rock supergroup with classical themes by well-known musicians Tristan FRY, Francis MONKMAN, John WILLIAMS, Herbie FLOWERS and Kevin PEEK, similar to TRACE and EKSEPTION
SLAMER (USA) - Melodic hard rock with progressive approach by Mike SLAMER. Terry BROCK (STRANGEWAYS) on vocals
SNOWBALL (Germany) - Popular Krautrock band in the late 70’s with a mix of rock, jazz and blues
SOLAR (UK) - Sophisticated solo project by ARENA vocalist Robert SOWDEN with John MITCHELL (ARENA, KINO) as guest musician, but it’s more straight rock music than neo-prog
SOLAS (Ireland) - Refreshing, dreamy and mystical folk rock with amazing songs and tunes
SONÍQ THEATER (Germany) - One-man project by Alfred MÜLLER, keyboarder of RACHEL’S BIRTHDAY, with instrumental symphonic progressive rock, electronic music and ambient soundscapes
SOPHE LUX (USA) - Theatralic prog rock with grandiose female vocals like Kate BUSH or Tori AMOS
SOUL CAGES (Germany) - Fantastic prog rock/prog metal with calmer songs predominantly, but also very good faster tracks
SOURCE, THE (USA) - Wonderful symphonic rock with long-tracks in the 70’s tradition
SPACELEMON (Germany) - Excellent space music with a lot of progressive and psychedelic elements
SPECTACULATIUS (Germany) - Fantastic folk rock from medieval annual fairs with traditional instruments like hurdy-gurdy, shalm, mandolin, rauschpfeife, flutes, lutes, bagpipes and historical drums
SPHERIC UNIVERSE EXPERIENCE (France) - Amazing progressive metal band with great instrumentalists and mainly beautiful melodies in the classic prog metal style
SPIN GALLERY (Sweden) - Very good hard rock respectively adult-oriented rock with an approach to prog rock
STAINTON, Lisbee (UK) - Contemporary singer/songwriter prog rock with refreshing female voice and lyrics
STRAIGHT SHOOTER (Germany) - Mix of straight hard rock and melancholic progressive Krautrock
STRAMONIO (Italy) - Recognizable and strong sounding progressive metal act with stunning songs
STRANGE FLOWERS (Italy) - Relaxed and melodic psychedelic rock as well as multicoloured jamming space rock which reminds to PINK FLOYD in the Syd BARRETT era
STYX (USA) - AOR supergroup with ingenious pop rock and influences of symphonic and art rock led by vocalists Dennis DE YOUNG (keyboards) and Tommy SHAW (guitar)
SUNSTORM (USA) - Beautifully constructed melodic rock and first class song writing covering from up-tempo ballads to straight rock songs by mastermind Joe Lynn TURNER (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE)
SUPPER’S READY (Luxembourg) - As the name suggests: GENESIS clones, but absolutely well-done!
SWEENEY’S MEN (Ireland) - One of the first modern folk-traditional groups in the mid to late 60’s in the same league as STEELEYE SPAN and FAIRPORT CONVENTION
SYMPHONY X (USA) - Ingenious killer prog metal with phat and bombastic epics as well as crystal clear melodies

Letter R

NEW ADDITIONS TO A-Z LISTING
Written by Thedo Roes (Germany)

RACHEL’S BIRTHDAY (Germany) - Well-played melodic neo-progressive rock from the mid-90’s
RADIO SILENCE (Mexico) - Well-balanced cross between progressive rock and hard rock with a touch of dark gothic rock
RADIOACTIVE (Sweden, USA) - Great melodic hard rock with progressive tendencies by mastermind Tommy DENANDER with a great line-up of guest musicians
RAGSDALE, David (USA) - Former KANSAS violinist with solo work between prog and classical. Often to hear as guest violinist by progsters SALEM HILL
RAHN, Lutz (Germany) - NOVALIS keyboardist with a very ambitious solo performance
RANDY PIE (Germany) - Legendary and excellent German Krautrock from the 70’s with a mixture from rock, jazz and soul
RED JASPER (UK) - Neo-prog and prog folk from the 90’s which sounds like a blend from MARILLION and JETHRO TULL
RELATIVITY (UK) - Celtic folk-rock project from the founders of SILLY WIZARD, John and Phil CUNNINGHAM
RENAISSANT (UK) - Project by RENAISSANCE member Terry SULLIVAN. Strongly comparable to RENAISSANCE, but only male vocals
RHAPSODY (OF FIRE) (Italy) - Formerly known as RHAPSODY they are the leading Italian prog metal band with ultra fast guitar playing, great keyboards and classical and operatic insertions
RICHARD WAHNFRIED (Germany) - Electronic music side project by Klaus SCHULZE with famous guest artists like Arthur BROWN, Michael SHRIEVE and ASHRA in the late 70’s/early 80’s
RICOCHET (Germany) - Song-oriented melodic prog rock with a good portion of prog metal as ingredient
RIECHMANN, Wolfgang (Germany) - Keyboarder from STREETMARK, unfortunately murdered by drunken guys in 1978 shortly before his first solo record release. Delightful electronic music
RIPAILLE (France) - 70’s progressive rock band plays a mix of symphonic and folk rock near to GRYPHON with a touch of GENTLE GIANT
ROBERTS, Sam (Canada) - Song-oriented band project between independent music, psychedelic rock and progressive rock. Excellent!
ROCKENFIELD SPEER (USA) - Great instrumental prog by drummer Scott ROCKENFIELD (QUEENSRYCHE) and guitarist Paul SPEER. Formidable drumming with melodic guitar and effective keyboard playing
ROCKETBOB (USA) - Pretty progressive rock by Swedish/American band with great and impressive female vocals
RONDAT, Patrick (France) - Instrumental mixture of hard rock and progessive rock by French guitar sorcerer - often guest-guitarist and discovered by Jean Michel JARRE
ROOT (UK) - Project by multi-instrumentalist David KENDALL. His music is highly influenced by PINK FLOYD and due to Steve HOGARTH-like vocals by MARILLION too
ROYAL HUNT (Denmark) - Mainstream melodic rock with some progressive influences and great keyboards by mastermind André ANDERSEN
RUDY’S JOURNEY (Germany) - Project by guitarist from German pop band PUR. Due to the fact that Michael SADLER (SAGA) and Michelle YOUNG take part as guest vocalists it’s also interesting for prog rock fans
RUTHERFORD, Mike (UK) - Songwriter and guitarist of GENESIS and MIKE + THE MECHANICS with solo works in the GENESIS style and more pop-oriented

The face of progressive music

"Enter the landscape of your mind, a world so strange
and unknown that it seems untouched".

When KING CRIMSON's debut ‘’In The Court Of The Crimson King’’ was released in 1969, it was a fundamental "wind of change" for the whole face of rock music history. It marked the beginning of a mysterious new musical genre henceforth called ‘’progressive rock" or "art rock’’. The entire album featured a strong structure offering various stylistic tendacies… psychedelic with classical symphonic arrangements & an avant-garde approach, free-jazz sensibility, DONOVAN-ish folk rock with medieval atmospheres, and a cacophony of apocalyptic heavy metal. Lyrically, the album is deep, with psychedelic sci-fi lyrics rivalled at the time only by Syd Barrett (PINK FLOYD). This really didn’t exist on many records; it was something that most people had ever heard before.

KING CRIMSON
"In The Court Of The Crimson King"
- October 1969 -

If these are the elements that began the history of progressive rock, then October 10, 1969 is the date that marks the true beginning of the progressive rock movement, as KING CRIMSON's "In The Court..." smashed to pieces virtually every standard and norm of rock, in as "MONSTRUOUS" a fashion as the hallucinogenic face on its cover (which was painted by 23-year-old English artist Barry Godber in 1969; Godber died of a heat attack the following year). This face, in many facets, describes the innovation, sound and intensity of this album.

This laid the blueprint for all progressive rock bands to follow. After all, at this point, most Progressive bands weren’t really progressive at all yet; The MOODY BLUES were still playing edgy British pop; PINK FLOYD was leading the way in space progressive rock & very cosmic music; JETHRO TULL was still performing their own brand of mutant blues; GENESIS was still in their British-pop phase and essentially a bunch of four schoolboys learning their trade; and YES was still searching for their direction pieces.

This album planted the roots in the genesis of progressive rock for other major names like PINK FLOYD, YES, GENESIS, JETHRO TULL, GENTLE GIANT, and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. The influence of KING CRIMSON has been cited by a plethora of artists ranging from MARILLION to ANGLAGARD and Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE) to OPETH. As you see, ‘’In The Court Of The Crimson King’’ is there in the Olympus where all THE most important progressive albums stay, historically and musically. More than essential..!

The instrumental architecture and marvelous baroque lyrics were a culmination of a concerted effort by the band members :
o the complex drumlines of Michael Giles (of GILES, GILES and FRIPP fame);
o the melodic bass playing and the crystal voice of Greg Lake (future ELP frontman);
o the ferocious guitar playing of Robert Fripp (arguably the leader of the Progressive Rock movement);
o the assorted quasi-classical woodwind and brass (flutes & saxophone) and screaming keyboards of Ian McDonald (co-founder of FOREIGNER & multi-instrumentalist);
o plus Pete Sinfield’s Tolkien inspired lyrics.

In short, you can hear a five extended tracks (the shortest being about six minutes and the longest about twelve) by four young British musicians. This is an absolute monster (with the EXTREMELY HIDEOUS face plastered across the front cover) of A PIECE OF ART!

Label: Polydor Records 2344 093
(W. German Import)

Line Up:
Robert Fripp / guitar
Ian McDonald / reeds, woodwinds, vibes, keyboards, mellotron, vocals
Greg Lake / bass guitar, lead vocals
Michael Giles / drums, percussion, vocals
Peter Sinfield / words and illumination

Track Listing:
Side 1
1. 1st Century Schizoid Man (7:20) *****
2. I Talk to the Wind (6:05) ****
3. Epitaph (8:47) *****

Side 2
1. Moonchild (12:11) ***
2. The Court of the Crimson King (9:22)*****

***** masterpiece **** excellent *** good

VIDEO:
click on
In The Court...