Issue 2025-032
Agusa — Högtid
Agusa is a band I discovered by accident when I stumbled across their self-titled album from 2017. This is an album I play constantly when in the right mood. It's an album that fills in the gaps for when a psychedelic Cressida crossed with an out of control Colosseum interrupted by Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) going mental on his organ, might all seem too much to handle at once. It's an album that scratched that itch perfectly for me, however.
Their original debut from 2014 was, for some reason, one of the last albums by the band that I acquired, so it will be interesting to compare the original with what the remastered version from 2025 offers.
The original Högtid album presented an instrumental journey through retro-inspired progressive rock. Its psychedelically folk inspired songs embellished with acres of swirling organ are what makes the album stand out from the pack. Tracks like Uti vår hage and Östan om sol, västan om måne showcase the band's ability to blend Swedish folk melodies with these psychedelic rock elements perfectly. The music is characterized by its earthy tones, intricate organ work, and fluid guitar lines, drawing comparisons to bands like Amon Duul II, Colosseum and Kebnekajse. Landberk, Fläsket Brinner could also be included with the band's influences but then again, that could apply to other bands such as Sammal, Purson and Circulus who offer comparable musical experiences, despite the last two bands being British.
The remastered version brings refined clarity to the original recordings. The balance between instruments is more pronounced, allowing the nuances of the organ and guitar interplay to shine through. The remastering process has enhanced the warmth of the analog sound, making the listening experience more immersive and dynamic. Though guitarist Mikael Ödesjö remains the only original member from the Högtid lineup, this album stands as a bold and timeless introduction to Agusa's musical journey.
The most immediate and striking change in the 2025 remaster of Högtid lies in the sonic polish. The original 2014 release had a warm, vintage production that gave it an authentic 70s vibe but sometimes felt murky—particularly in the low-end and drum mixes. The remastered version, handled by acclaimed engineer Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna, Crippled Black Phoenix), maintains that analog warmth while significantly improving instrumental separation, dynamic range, and overall presence. The drums seem punchier and more articulate while the droning and driving bass lines are more audible, anchoring the compositions with melodic fluidity.
Agusa's music is built on long-form compositions that evolve patiently, often starting with a folk motif and growing into swirling psychedelic crescendos. On Högtid, there are four main tracks, each around 8 - 14 minutes, which means the album plays out like a continuous suite. The final song is a 3-minute affair which other reviews have suggested has a Camel style of sound, but my thoughts on that aspect are not as convinced as there is just too much swirling organ and psychedelic influences for that to hold true (to my ears at least).
It's still a great track to close out the album, however. One of the strong allures for my ears on this version, however, is the more definitive Krautrock and space rock trance inducing repetitions which invoke memories from my earlier days listening to Popol Vuh, Neu! & Harmonia with perhaps a snippet of Gong's more experimental and improvisational flair. These elements seem far more compelling on this 2025 release compared to the original.
This is not a drastic remix — it's respectful to the spirit of the original but a careful unveiling of the album's inner detail and a significant step-up in fidelity for modern hi-fi systems and headphones. Recommended!
Compliments also to Peter Wallgren's excellent album cover too. I've always admired his efforts on that one!
Ash Twin Project — Tales Of A Dying SUn
Out of France comes the young group Ash Twin Project and their debut album Tales Of A Dying Sun. Heavily inspired by the game Outer Wilds — where the protagonist is in a planetary time loop that resets every time the sun goes supernova at the end of the 22-minute-long day — the band have already drawn comparisons to the likes of Opeth and Pain of Salvation for the prog stylings and conceptual themes.
Cœlacanthe starts us with discordance and off beat drumming for a sense of impending unease, while simultaneously being full of melody. The track strikes a balance of catchy, unsettling, light and heavy. The Wilds follows next, luring us in with interwoven tapestries of Eglantine Dugrand's soothing vocals, backed by the twin guitars of Robin Claude and Romain Larregain. Floating through calming passages to navigating unconventional platforms laden with harsher vocals and heavier rhythm work, the track isn't simple, but it keeps you hooked.
Isolation sees us at the halfway mark and rolling across bass lines from Stéphane Cocuron as Thibault Claude drives the pace with their intricate and syncopated drum work. The cross between the heavier and lighter sides of the music is showcased here exceptionally well.
Coming near to the end, Sunless City is introduced by soft cleans and builds on that foundation with complex weaves of prog sensibilities. Harmonious bridges are delicately placed between aggressive sections, all backed up by Dugrand's superb vocal work. And finally, Moon lands to round off the release. Less chaotic than the previous numbers, it still retains multifaceted network of riffs and rhythm that has been a staple of the album so far. More ethereal in sound than the previous tracks, it serves as a melodious ending, still heavy, but laden with more harmony as it closes.
An interesting album I found. Some of the off-beat drumming and time signature changes could be off-putting for some people, but not me. For me, it kept my interest up. Both heavy and light, aggressive and gentle, it ticks every box for a modern prog release. Not anything new in many ways, but wonderfully well written.
For fans of Caligula's Horse, The Ocean, Haken and Leprous.
Desert Smoke — Desert Smoke
Exploring the worlds of stoner and psychedelic, this Portuguese quartet return after a six-year hiatus to present an instrumental showcase of songwriting that dips and drifts between the damn-heavy and the more contemplative (but chiefly the heavy).
This combo from Lisbon consists of André Pedroso Rocha, Cláudio Aurélio, João Nogueira and João Romão. No instruments are accredited to these names, so let's just say that the playing is top-notch. As is the production. Fuzzy, but not like it's been made in one of their parents' garages.
An opening EP introduced the band in 2018, before my DPRP colleague Jerry gave their debut album an enthusiastic welcome a year later.
Its four tracks and 35-minutes may be too short for some. I prefer my albums this way nowadays. There is still plenty to get your teeth into, and it never overstays its welcome. I like the way that each songs bleeds into the next; giving the impression of one long composition.
Fuzzy Txitxu begins in a meditative frame of mind but quickly shifts to become a fuzzy blast of heavy-psyche. Gravity Absence takes the build-structure of post-rock, but just keeps on building! Beginning again as a delicate number the layers are craftily augmented to reach a rousing crescendo of sonic intensity. This is the band at their heaviest.
The third track, Blind Watcher also begins on the mellow end and stays that way for some time. This stretch bathes in a very bluesy style of prog-rock. Beautifully played and crafted. Halfway through the track, it gradually builds-up the intensity, but not to the same level as the opening pair, and it quickly shifts back to mellow.
The bad boys return for the final track, 49th Steam Box. No hanging around with the mellow bits here. This is the box where the nasty riffs hang out. Puff out yer chests and stomp along to this one.
I'm often reminded of King Buffalo and Khan on this album. The heavier blasts suggest All Them Witches, but not as progressive. The more meditative grooves recall Australia's Lucid Planet and Pink Floyd. I enjoy all of those bands. I've enjoyed this album too.
In order to confuse search engines, the band's name varies to being written with and without an apostrophe. It's easily findable on both Bandcamp and YouTube, so if you enjoy some heavy stoner/psyche then put either Desert'Smoke or Desert Smoke into your search-engine-of-choice and enjoy the ride.
Tyler Kamen — Third Eye Temple
To borrow a phrase from my colleague Jan: "Tyler Kamen is consistently delivering album after album with engagingly adventurous prog pleasantries". His latest release, in a prolific but high-quality run of now eight albums since 2021, is the blues drenched gentle prog of Third Eye Temple. The seven previous reviews can be found via the Seatch page.
Tyler Kamen is a New York-based multi-instrumentalist who provides everything to be heard on this album (drums, bass, keys, vocals, production and composing) but his main instrument is his relaxed and unhurriedly blues-infused electric guitar. On this release, he is channelling the blues psyche of the late 1960s and early 1970s West Coast music scene. His sound on Third Eye Temple feels like he has been listening to the Grateful Dead but he sounds more Bob Weir than Jerry Garcia. He mixes this sound with the feel of an electrified Laurel Canyon sound, harmonised vocals and gentleness (see Skies Awaken). The melodies have that AOR feel, but the psyche-blues elements keep this eminently listenable.
The album opener, How to Open a Portal Door, pulls you into the sunshine with its Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac melody and features lovely piano motifs throughout. Slinky Santana influences infuse the rhythmic base and the guitar sound of Charming King Snake. The longer form of Embers Gold in Autumn Lace see Tyler Kamen experimenting with different intensities of guitar solos within the same song, the sort of thing you get with multiple guitar players in a band, hats off to his inventiveness. The other long track Fata Morgana is a hypnotic mid-paced psyche-fest, contrasting picked acoustic guitar with carefree sustained electric washes. There's a Gong or Steve Hillage feel to the closing title track.
All in all, Tyler Kamen's Third Eye Temple has been a delightful discovery for me, and he has a worringly wallet-emptying back catalogue to tempt me further. Have a listen when you need a break from your usual listening. All things prog just seem to sound better after this. Third Eye Temple is a zen album, where the journey is more important than the destination.
Lukas Tower Band — A Prophecy
"LTB has a unique and distinctive style that may confuse reviewers who wish to strictly pigeonhole musicians into distinct genres, making comparisons seem inadequate."
These are the daring words used by The Lukas Tower Band, a formation hailing from Germany that recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, to promote their fourth effort A Prophecy. As I do like a musical challenge from time to time, I decided, after many months of having read the press statement in our pipeline, to finally pick up the proverbial gloves and see (or rather hear) if I could possibly achieve the apparent impossible.
In my quest to narrow down LTB's style into befitting references and precisely matching musical categories, I could have opted for the easy way by first acquainting myself to the band and their music through the various album reviews already featured on DPRP. To challenge myself I decided to do it the hard way around and experience the album completely blank before I finally read the words of my colleagues. To ultimately discover that when comparing notes, the review of Age Of Gold basically captures the eclectic nature of A Prophecy to a T.
My own notations have a slightly different set of references. But in essence, the current line-up of LTB — Wolfgang Fastenmeier (guitars/composer), Thomas Willecke (drums), Markus Lamek (keyboards), Miguel Pires( bass), Regina Willecke (flute, saxophone), Paola Ottaviani (vocals) — have stayed perfectly true to their unfathomable style. And again deliver an astonishing concoction of flamboyant musicality that to dazzling effect fuses canterbury, folk, prog, jazz, fusion, and funky psychedelic rock into one tasty fascinating 70s resonating whole.
This in opener Rue De Revestel starts with clear impressions of Yes that, as so often on the album, rapidly make way for impressions of free flowing, jazzy prog/rock which thanks to the tuneful melodic deliveries of Ottaviani reminds of Nubdug Ensemble. A musical decor that quickly changes to vibrant Starbuck and then of Solstice when elements of rock and excellent melodic guitar enter the scene. Eyes See Heart Knows brings lounging jazz subtleties and beautiful sensitive bass play. Ottaviana's high octave range results in appealing impressions of Renaissance. The swinging ballroom jazz and groovy melodic fusion outbursts that sparkle with dynamic guitar are in the finest early Journey /Santana tradition.
I am slowly becoming aware that the challenge set to befittingly capture LTB's uniqueness in a few sentences is getting increasingly harder by the minute. The cleverly composed Opening Day goes on with crafty enigmatic symphonic designs in likeness to Tantra to which psychedelic saxophone adds complementary elements of The Flock. The beautiful resting point intricacies of Prophecy brings engaging Canterbury folk, highlighted by outstanding flute and pristine vocals by Ottaviani. Her pronunciation of lyrics, as before based on adaptations of romantic poetry by the likes of William Blake, George Byron and William Wordsworth, is not always on point here as far as accents go. However, the moving melodic purity of her enchanting voice makes one easily forget about this.
Demandingly complex yet always surprisingly presented in an easy accessible natural flow, the next compositions present another stunning run of diversely twisting and turning jazz/prog anomalies. Groovy dynamics, surprising musical arrangements, and strong virtuosic fusion playfulness — I could listen to this for weeks on end. Particularly Seven Nights, which in a jazzy Yes setting flirts with Canterbury and Gentle Giant before raw sax-driven Flock rock finales the song.
At the same time, however, I also realise that I need to throw in the towel when it comes to the challenge of adequately pinpointing LTB's broad musical spectrum. Especially when the thoughtful schizophrenic display of Solitary Reaper started to pick my continuously bewildered ears with a multifaceted array of bombastic fusion, explosive rock, comfortable jazz, alienating Artnat improvisations, danceable rhythmic beats, and cacophonous sax outbursts in baffling Andy Lind fashion.
Considering that A Prophecy has slowly but surely won me over after countless visits with its intriguing mix of inventive jazz-oriented retro-prog-rock, it is the oddly appearing prog-orientated daredevil in me who accepts this defeat with great pleasure. If on occasion you have a like-minded adventurous sense for artistically complex, accessible prog rock and enjoy the perpetual sensation of being musically challenged, then my reserved prediction is that A Prophecy might well be the startling album you should absolutely invest your time in. I'm sure glad I did.
Robert Schroeder — Mosaique Edit 2025
As far as I know, all of Schroeder's albums released on Lambert Ringlage's Spheric Music label have so far been accompanied with style descriptions of Berliner Schüle, Ambient, Chill Out and Finest Electronic Music. These tags very aptly capture the musical essence of these albums as the various reviews on DPRP show.
Sometimes though there's a lot more to it. Take for instance the "progressive electronic" effort of Floating Music Edition 2023. An album originally released in 1980 on Klaus Schulze's Innovative Communication label which besides all of these EM elements also flirts with synthpop and dance music.
Schroeder's third album Mosaique from 1981, all played on the legendary PPG Wave 2 Synthesizer and now for the first time available on limited official CD with two additional tracks, takes this progressive aspect even further. To such an extent that joined by Charly Büchel (guitar), Ron van Schaik (bass), Fred Severloh (drums) and Tommy Betlzer (drums) Mosaique frequently speaks to me in a delightfully persuasive progressive rock manner.
Principally wearing the multi-layered Berliner Schüle style as pioneered by Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze artfully upon its sleeve, this "talk" aspect can actually be taken fairly literal in opener Mosaique. Especially when after a lengthy funky bass-driven sequence and a meticulously arranged rhythmic collage of dreamy atmospheres and enchanting synth flows Büchel starts to decorate the melodic progressions with excellent talk-box guitar work in memorable likeness to Peter Frampton.
In the compact designs of Utopia this Frampton-image comes forward just as easily. However, due to the more pop-fusion orientated structure of the song, in which elements of both Eloy and P'Cock can be identified towards melody and playing, distinct memories of Solution's Bad Breaks now also come to the fore. Considering the ideal momentum of refreshing talk-box melodies that follow the track's midway rhythmic acceleration, I was figuratively hoping that the highly enjoyable track would thereafter actually exhibit similar faulty stopping procedures. But alas, the song ends after six highly entertaining minutes.
Aix La Chapelle marches on with patriotic rhythms and cheerful repetitive melodies that tunefully whistle with Soniq Theater appeal. It is the beaufitul Computervoice that ends the original album in style. Peacefully serene and vastly cosmic, this Berliner Schüle styled composition in likeness to Mosaique also showcases a marvellous build-up with energising synth flows and intricately guided rhythmic patterns, presumably from Betzler given their improvisational P'Faun and Sequentia Legenda nature. It ends with stimulating classical piano and emotionally transporting synth waves that shine bright with Pink Floyd.
To my delight, in the first bonus track Syntropia, Schroeder also deeply probes into the cosmos. This time it is illuminated by gentle guitar pickings and futuristic sound effects, bringing alluring recollections of Grobschnitt's Solar Music. And Galactic suitably explores astronomical synths closely related to those of Jean Michell Jarre, before a wonderful fusion of rhythmic percussion, Mellotron choirs and talkative guitar captivatingly rounds off this excellent composition.
Whether these two tracks are actual leftovers from the album sessions is unknown to me. Although the adventurous fusion content of Galactical certainly does give this impression. What I do know for sure is that the phenomenally crisp sounding Mosaique offers the finest of "Berliner Schüle with a twist" EM, and is by far Schroeder's most prog orientated effort that I have had the enjoyable pleasure to encounter until now.
Mosaique is a mandatory purchase for Schroeder fans, and comes highly recommended for those who like to chill out to excellently crafted electronic music.