Issue 2025-035

Ann My Guard — She of the Sea and Stars

Calum Gibson

In the days of 2007, Ann My Guard began their life in the Netherlands with singer-songwriter Eszter Anna Baumann. Since those days, the group have released four albums that were well received by the metal community. For a change of pace, She of the Sea and Stars is a semi-acoustic release, featuring reworked versions of previous songs to showcase Baumann's wide range of influences.

Ode to the Nereids begins with a ritualistic sound of soft chants and strings, soon joined by rolling drums and a hard, dark folk styled run of guitar work backed up by Baumann's enchanting vocals. A gentle scene is set with Dark Sea Blue, more again to the soft lapping of waves on the shore, this one keeps a melancholic vibe but ebbs and flows much like the ocean tides.

Callisto brings back the folk elements with a catchy chorus as it builds and falls into the darker sounds of Echoes. This lands as the midway point (follow-up track Novae is a 40-second instrumental), with a range of emotions present through the track, mixed with an ethereal and acoustic heaviness that adds to the atmosphere.

Side 2 lands with a twist of brooding synths and almost tribal percussion in Starseed. It keeps the ethereal nature and brings in the melodic nature of artists like Aurora, adding some electropop sensibilities to the album. Scylla arrives as another instrumental of chimes, chants and discordance vocalisation that sets you up for In the Sacred Garden of the Maenads. More tribal drum work and tense string work lay the groundwork as Baumann chants about seeing “what your eyes can see” over the top.

Penultimate number Hekate follows next, with soft acoustics and string work to compliment the gentle melodies of her voice while we climb through both darker passages and lighter bridges as we go into the last. The Day I Die closes us out. The most hopeful sounding number on the album, it features Baumann backed by piano, both instruments intertwining to create a beautiful closer that is both joyful, but melancholic at the same time as it rises, falls and eventually ends.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. While my main go to for music tends to be extreme black and death metal, sometimes I love nothing more than some calming folk music like Promise and the Monster and now this album will be added to the playlists. Now to go check the original presentations of these tracks… I'd recommend for fans of Aurora, Promise and the Monster, Cellar Darling, Madder Mortem, 3rd and the Mortal and Faun

Half Past Four — Finding Time

Edwin Roosjen

"Half Past Four is what happens when a group of talented musicians decide to throw genre rules out the window and see what sticks" is written on the bio page of their website. The music from this band from Canada sure sounds like that quote, it is a mixture of Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Kate Bush, Gentle Giant and Mr. Bungle.

It has been nine years since their previous release Land Of The Blind and that was only an EP with less than half an hour of music. For full-length albums we have to go back to 2013, Good Things, and 2008, Rabbit In The Vestibule.

So, finally a new release by Half Past Four. But Finding Time does not find a lot of time. With six songs we find about thirty-five minutes of music. What it does find is a lot of listening time at my home. I was not really familiar with the band, but opener Tomorrowless got me hooked immediately.

Eclectic progressive rock music in which you can hear the joy of the musicians playing it. I then listened to some of their previous material, and compared to those, you can hear the sound is a bit more polished. Not to say they have become a slick polished rock band, they still sound as fresh as on their debut album.

The first two songs on Finding Time are straight in your face with a lot of stuff going on. Usually starting from a keyboard melody with the guitar floating freely on the rhythm that is sometimes rock and sometimes jazzy. Not singalong music but challenging vocal lines, opener Tomorrowless has a part that reminds of Van Der Graaf Generator.

On this album there is also room for some more gentle songs with Shake Your Head and Branches. That certainly is needed if you have eclectic songs like Igguana and Underbelly. Igguana is not as eclectic, but it just has a lot of changes, while Underbelly is all over the place. These songs are not just some random music you just put on and listen to on the background. This is music that demands more attention. After that, the album is already over. And then I just press play again and start over again. This album does not bring a completely new chapter to the discography of Half Past Four but to me a very entertaining one.

L'Ira del Baccano / Yama — Tempus Deorum

Jan Buddenberg

Do you still know what you did in summer of 2015? Neither do I. This moment in time is however clearly remembered by the Roman psych-doom formation L'Ira Del Baccano and the Tilburg (The Netherlands) based doom rock outfit of Yama, as this was when a friendship was forged between these two heavy underground bands. A decade later they have now joined forces and recently presented their split album Tempus Deorum which was released in CD and collectable vinyl by Subsound Records from Italy.

Normally a release like this would have passed me by fairly unnoticed, as I have relatively little in common with doom-oriented music. I do like to occasionally focus my attention towards psychedelic and heavy (metal) rock. Especially if these occasions involve powerhouse vocalist Alex Schenkels of Dutch progressive groove-metal sensation ENMA.

Their sublime debut Apathy Awakened still makes seriously heavy rotations in my stereo. So when I learned about Schenkels' involvement with Yama shortly after having witnessed ENMA at Tapfest (a new prog(metal) festival organised by The Aurora Project), I quickly decided to pick up a review copy of Tempus Deorum during Yama's highly successful album launch party at the DB Studios in Utrecht. One of the best decisions I've made this year, because the music captured on Tempus Deorum is excellent.

First up on the album are Italian L'Ira Del Baccano, whom I had no knowledge of prior to this release. They are down to their eight release, this not knowing I must soon address. Because their chosen submission of Tempus 25 is a stunning masterpiece of seventies psychedelic (proto)-prog-rock art that massively entertains with additional intoxicating elements of kraut-, stoner-, space-, and other joyous prog-related rock-sorts.

Starting off in energetic stoner rock mode with doom firmly on their mind, this monumental composition flows impressively through heavy prog passages and intricately construed post rock. Psychedelic elements hint at The Cream and early Spirit. An instrumental work-out seamlessly glides through comforting ambient passages and bombastic movements. It compels all the way through.

Sometimes creating imprints of krautrock and Nektar, the composition becomes extremely addictive for Hawkwind fans halfway through when spacey synths start to invade the tumultuous melodies. This mighty impressive heavy psychedelic rock soundscape, which sometimes evokes memories of Grobschnitt's Solar Music and those of instrumental masterminds Hackberry, finally culminates in a climax of unrivalled enthralling guitar work. Once finished, I suddenly begin to realise that in reality 19 minutes have passed by, which actually felt like five at most. What a divine rush!

It is up to the recently reunited Yama, who over a decade ago released an EP (Seaquake ) and a full album Ananta , to rival this outstanding flying start. A tough task to say the least. But the band pass this with flying colours. Raw in energy and brimming with a concrete dose of alternative doom Wish To Go Under tap from an almost similar styled exciting metal barrel. Schenkels' unique and powerful voice almost logically brings ENMA associations to the surface. The style strongly focuses on melody and combines mighty rocking riffs, exciting hooks, intense guitar work, vocal prowess, and dynamically combustible rhythms into one vigorously entertaining, explosive whole. Albeit less prog-orientated and more engaged towards heavy stoner rock when compared to ENMA.

That's all about to change when the heavy doom of The Absolute hits my senses with aggressive guitar extravaganza, piercing riffs, and slowly moving melodies. It's bombast and prog-flavours rumble onwards with groovy bass. It is sometimes reminiscent of Metallica in the slightly complexer passages. This captivating composition offers plenty of headbanging moments and exciting musical developments, including a sparse injection of blues harp. A thoroughly satisfying finale of immaculately constructed absorbing doom.

In Naraka, Yama pick up where they left off and again administer rock solid riffs and powerful melodic dynamics that thrive on outstanding organic guitar work. Supported by a triumphant rhythm section this all combined provides a perfect vehicle for Schenkles to hand out his impressive vocal calling card. Although a complete deck of aces is probably a better befitting term. Winding down momentarily halfway through the song for a bridge of intricate melodies, Yama then pick up the pace one more time before they end the composition with a massive momentum of heavy rock that dies down in a spellbinding coda of psychological doom.

Should anyone in ten years ask me what I did in the hot summer of 2025, my answer will likely include the exciting discovery of the outstanding Tempus Deorum. Each in their own highly addictive convincing way, Yama and L'Ira Del Baccano have seriously awakened my appetite and sympathy for doom psychedelic prog rock. And I look forward with anticipation on what lies in store for the near future.

In overall conclusion: if doomy psychedelic heavy prog-infused space rock is part of your daily musical diet, then please make sure to check this essential grand buffet offering out. Or alternatively check your calender, book a trip, and pick up a copy during one of Yama's or L'Ira Del Baccano's upcoming gigs!

Jadis — Live Snapshot

Greg Cummins

One of the aspects of the music from Jadis was the incredibly picturesque covers that came with each album. With a semi-surreal / fantasy type of theme that accompanies many of their albums, how could you not like the cover? (I will make an exception with the first 2 however, Baboon Enquiries and Jadis — simply terrible). After stumbling across this band many years ago while trolling through the various online progressive rock websites, including Giant Electric Pea, it was a no-brainer to give the band a chance to see if the hype was warranted. Sure, they sound a bit like IQ but then again, so do many other neo-prog wannabes. Having acquired a number of the band's studio albums from the past two decades, I was interested to see if their live performance had improved since their somewhat disappointing 2001 live album called Alive Outside.

This live set includes only ten songs plucked from a variety of albums including three from their latest release, More Questions Than Answers, 2 from More Than Meets The Eye and single tracks from a handful of other albums and an E.P. called Once Upon A Time. They even perform one track originally included on their second self-titled album from 1990, so at least fans are treated to a vast array of material which serves as a reminder of how they originally sounded years ago compared to how they have evolved over time with more recent material from 2024.

Asleep In My Hands kicks off the performance with its solid and driving riffs, and when fused with Martin Orford's creative keyboards, it's no secret that I have always thought he was one of the most important members of this band, whether playing live or on any studio album he appeared on. The frenetic drumming, guitar and strong vocals also help make this the perfect opener.

This Changing Face is a slightly slower and softer song and reminds more of a peaceful version of similar bands from the late 80's - 90's including Pendragon, Marillion, Arena and Comedy Of Errors while the 3rd track is nicely enhanced with very melodic and creative lead guitar breaks while the thundering riffs that permeate throughout are all strong and convincing.

Just Let It Happen is probably the weakest song in their arsenal and was lifted from their 2016 album, No Fear of Looking Down. To me, its sounds a bit too stodgy with limited direction, uninspiring arrangements and a time duration that could have been trimmed by a few minutes.

Questions Without Answers addresses the previous song's shortcomings and is fuelled by a great catchy riff along with even more pummeling keyboard mayhem from Martin. It's probably my favourite track from the whole performance.

The remaining tracks are all pretty solid and well played, but for my money, something is still missing. Maybe that's because there is not a lot of structural variety between each song. If you were blindfolded, had a number of songs played to you randomly, and you had to guess which was Jadis, you would know intuitively this was still the same band. There is a degree of sameness with some of these songs and that, for me at least, spoils it a little.

Make no mistake, this is a testament to Jadis' still-strong emotional delivery and stage presence. It's a passionate, occasionally electrifying experience that puts heart before technical perfection. As a fan, I appreciate the grit and ambiance, the unvarnished energy of the road but am gob-smacked at how little verbal interaction is made with the audience. Apart from a few times when Chandler lets the audience know the band "likes to make some noise", there is very little dialogue to add some humour or variety to the performance. Simply taking a few seconds to announce the name of the next song, time after time, makes it a bit sterile and lacking any convincing desire to give the audience more than just the music. Whenever I see a band live, I always appreciate the efforts made to make it a more personal affair in a similar way that Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson used to do on the three occasions I saw the band perform in Sydney many decades ago. His repartee with an audience is legendary and really enhanced what, for me, were always great performances.

But as a musical evaluator, I can't ignore the diminished harmonic clarity, rhythmic imprecision, and mix flaws—areas where the studio originals excel with surgical precision. If you're seeking a live scrapbook of powerful moments, this album hits home. If you're chasing structural craftsmanship and tonal purity, it inevitably leaves you longing for the studio's sharper edge. It's a decent album for the most part and probably worth a place in your collection, but I think when that itch reappears, I'll scratch it by playing some of the studio albums.

Level Pi — Elektronische Klänge

Mark Hughes

It has been five long years since Level Pi's last album, Elektronische Philosophie, so it was a great delight to receive a message about a new album from the wonderful Uwe Cremer, the man behind all things Pi. Elektronische Klänge (Electronic Sounds) picks up nicely where the previous album left off with a collection of pieces that are very much in the Krautrock tradition with similarities to early 1970s Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze.

However, despite these comparisons, the music on this album is very much in keeping with Cremer's own style and sonic philosophy. The opener, Einkland (Setting The Mood) does very much as the name suggests, creating an atmospheric backdrop using the sounds of the famous keyboards of the 1970s. Listen carefully and one can hear such classic instruments as Moogs, Farfisa organ, Mellotron and the infamous ARP 2600, names that will set the pulses of electronic music aficionados racing. The piece itself is a lengthy exploration of sounds that could easily soundtrack a scientific horror movie. The deep layers of keyboards mean that there is plenty to be explored with each new airing revealing previously missed components that give the piece a great sonic depth.

Amongst the sounds included on Einkland are some resonant clock chimes that are a precursor to Uhren (Clocks), a cleverly constructed piece that uses the winding, ticking and chiming of mechanical time pieces to create a hypnotic rhythm. Of course, many other artists have used the sounds of clocks in their music, most famously Pink Floyd, and you can hear echoes (pun unintended) of Time's alarm clock within this piece. But that is just a very small part of the piece which incorporates plenty of other elements including a cuckoo clock as well as some very subtle synths to flesh out the sound and drive the track along.

Abstrakt 1 & 2 and Abstrakt 3 (guess there is no need for a translation of those titles!) are long-form pieces (although Abstrakt 3 is presented here as a bonus in an excerpted form of a much longer track) and sees Cremer experimenting with keyboard sounds and heavily manipulating the musical sine waves by multiplication of tones and distortion of the waveforms. Listening to the 22-minute 1 & 2 through headphones is recommended to appreciate the full panoply of sounds that are woven into, around and behind the often lengthy drones. The effect is rather mesmerising. 3 has some voice samples included as well as employing the use of a sequencer and is a lighter and much more open piece that is quite a contrast to the first two parts, despite being recorded at the same time. It certainly would be interesting to hear the full version of this piece to get the complete Abstrakt experience.

As the name Maschinenraum (Machine Room) implies, there is a very industrial feel to this piece. Mechanical noises of engines, falling hammers, valves opening to let off steam and plenty of other such noises derived largely from the EMS Synthi A and ARP 2600, and yes it does include a snippet of the famous On The Run Synthi AKS sequence. Ostensibly, the album ends with Ausklang (Fading Out) which is one of the most dynamic pieces on the album. The "Fading Out" of the title does not refer to the style of the music, as in fading away (although it does have a rather brief fade out at its completion) but to the fact that it is increasingly difficult in large parts of the world to just hear natural sounds as they are often pushed into the background (faded out) by human-made noises. This is expressed in the track by disrupting the natural atmosphere, in this case created by organ, bass and sequences (and some excellent bird sounds which I think have been created by the composer), with sounds of aeroplanes, trains and automobiles.

There is a clear sense of conflict between the elements with nature doing its best to overcome the rising tide of noise pollution. Dramatic, forceful and totally engaging, a wonderful end to a skilfully and thoughtfully created album that takes the original ideas of electronic music and presents it for the 21st century audience. Well done, Uwe!

We Fog — Sequence

Bruce Warren

Sequence, the second full-length from Verona, Italy's We Fog, finds the trio maturing from their first record and expressing love in all of its various forms. The Italian post-rock group makes the most of their 22 minutes, driving along in a rougher form than previously seen. They do, however, seem to fall in love with this new sound a bit too much.

We Fog deliver to us seven tightly wound tracks, all of which are best characterized by the opening line of the second track, Rise To The Sky, "If your house is on fire, let it burn." The band itself used the record to explore the different facets of love, whether the love of a parent in an extreme situation(A Father's Love), love for a moment (Meat Without Feet), or love for life and simply living in the moment (Timex). Lyrically, the record is very strong, and lines such as Kind Warrior's "I will fight, I will be strong" strike the listener and stays with you after listening.

We Fog (promo photo)

Where I find the record lacking is a sameness to the songs. There is not enough variety for my taste, with many of the songs having the same overall feel from one track to the next. Even some of the vocal effects are the same from track to track, which work but there was room for much more. The band, Donato Fusco (vocals and guitar), Giulio Corradi (drums), and Victor Bittencourt (bass), working alongside producer/synthesizer Amaury Cambuzat (Ulan Bator, Faust), are all very talented and play outstanding throughout. The final track, Timex, is the one track that does not follow the similar formula used on the rest of the tracks, and is the best track on the album - possibly because it feels so fresh when you get to it.

Overall, Sequence is a fine follow-up for We Fog to 2017's Float, but I would love the group to expand even more going forward. The record is out now on their Bandcamp page.