Issue 2026-015
HamaSaari — Pictures
Martin Burns
French quartet HamaSaari follow up their debut studio album, 2023's Ineffable, with this new studio release Pictures. In between they did release a three track unplugged EP Les Sessions Olinfact. The band consist of the two Jupin brothers, Jordan on vocals and guitars, and Jonathan on bass, alongside Axel Vaumoron on guitars and Élie Chéron on drums. The band also make use of vintage keyboards but no credit is given for who is playing them.
HamaSaari's sound mixes prog-metal and art-rock into a heavy prog hot-pot with vocals and harmonies that echo Anathema. The music is melodically powerful and delicately atmospheric by turns, nodding to the trajectory followed by the likes of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and Oceansize but at the same time using these antecedents lightly. Pictures also benefits from being captured by the band live in the studio, giving it an energetic push.
HamaSaari. Promo photo by Regine Cadillac
The album opens with the most Porcupine Tree referencing track in the form of the acoustic guitar melody on Below The Lightnings. This is soon joined by Jordan Jupin's languid vocals but it really takes off with the entry of the full band. Here towering riffs build on the foundation of polished drum and bass rhythms but they never overwhelm the melody. HamaSaari continue on with the mid-paced The Wild Ones' lavish heavy prog. The band moving through a head-nodding thick melody with delicate harmonies contrasted in quieter sections.
They pull out some prog-metal bashing on Our Heads Spinning, whilst Lost In Nights builds and falls, rebuilding to greater heights in an Elder style. Frames features guest vocalist Christelle Ratri who adds an ethereal spin to the quiet sections that add contrast to the heavier sections. The acoustic ballad Under The Trees is for me the weakest track, not bad just a tad overlong. But things are redeemed with the closing interlocking guitar work of Home that works itself up to a terrific climax.
HamaSaari's Pictures is an album of forward looking progressive rock. Almost every track twitches and turns, burning with a seemingly inexhaustible heavy prog energy. Well worth investigating and currently being offered for a bargain price on Bandcamp, so there's no reason to miss out on this compelling release.
Here On Earth — Zaświat
Sergey Nikulichev
I had come across Here On Earth somewhere around COVID era, and was quite impressed with their sophomore album Thalium , that featured some very talented and well-played rock / metal, although heavily borrowing from Katatonia, at least to my taste. Still, whenever I came back to that album, it only reconfirmed my overall positive impression. Unfortunately, in the turmoil of later years I skipped the band's next release Nic nam sie nie nalezy, but with the name already familiar I was eager to jump and review the fresh out Zaswiat.
The Poles didn't waste any time to grow and shake off whatever influences prevailed in their back catalogue. Maturity is the proper word, but on top of that they have shaped their sound to the effectiveness of a Polish hussar's rapier – nothing excessive, and whatever remains gains super-piercing quality. The receipt is not of the band's invention, of course, being tried by many musical projects including Soen, Leprous and somewhat unfairly forgotten Rishloo, among others. But not many followers achieved the same intensity, never losing the songwriting focus.
While the modern guitar sound with prevailing middle tone dictates the axemen' performance, the keyboards' sound hark back to the golden days of gothic rock / metal. Not a comparison you might expect on a prog site, but I hear parallels with Crematory's Believe, Omnium Gatherum's Beyond and Poland's own Sirrah and Tower. In other words, the synths are airy, lush and, what is more essential, cleverly woven into songs. Sequence of the opening four themes, staring with ballad-esque intro Zabierz mnie and ending with intricately melodic Czas przygaslych swiatel has every right to be deemed one of the strongest in the genre. Great tunes plus passionate vocal delivery by Krzysztof Wróbel, who sounds like a mix of Vincent Cavanagh and Joel Ekelof, plus melancholic and emotional atmosphere that welcomes you to plunge in and stay, humming the melodies and banging your head.
The remaining section has also a lot to offer to a listener, including heavy but airy Oddech, multilayered Kogos bedzie brak, and hopeful as a new day's dawn Bezkres , evoking the golden days of Dredg.
Since the release of Motanka's self-titled album in 2019 and Soen's fabulous diptych of Lotus and Imperial, for me Zaswiat stands firmly as one of the best new, if not the best, albums at the juncture of modern rock and atmospheric metal. Words “complex” and “progressive” are not among the key characteristics here, but what band loses in highbrow aspects, it compensates in delivery and arrangement skills. It's a peculiar chic to be able to afford oneself an exquisite dessert once in a while, in a generally over-saccharined world. Consider Here on Earth to be one.
Ivan Jacquin — Intimités
Thomas Otten
Ivan Jacquin is a French composer, songwriter, keyboarder, and singer, who, for the past thirty years, has been and still is involved in several bands and projects, covering a wide variety of musical styles from rock, pop, metal, jazz and prog, plus documentary and film music. He also appears as a guest musician on many other artists' recordings, is active as a session musician, and as a writer, having published various novels. Intimités is the first album released under his own name, and Ivan, who plays keyboards, percussion, acoustic guitar and sings, is responsible for the entire music, the lyrics, and also for mixing and mastering. On some of the tracks, he resorts to the musical skills and contributions of various guest musicians on electric guitars (Maria Barbieri, Amanda Lehman, known for being part of Steve Hackett Band), drums (Denis Codfert, Henri-Pierre Prudent) and bass (Trev Turley, Richard Lefranc).
As Ivan explains in an interview, the songs making up Intimités were recorded some 20 years ago but were never used in any of his other projects up to now. Musically, they differ from the rather hard rock/(prog) metal projects (Foreign Rock Opera, The Raging Project, Psychanoia) that Ivan is involved in.
Having had the opportunity (and the luck) to grow up in a French-speaking environment as a kid and teenager, I have developed a strong affection for French in its spoken and especially its sung form. So, I can understand that, lyrically, Intimités is very personal and describes what its title suggests: intimate human emotions, dreams, losses, hopes and feelings – things that Ivan could sing better than he could tell. Accordingly, the songs were written at a time when he was going through a challenging phase in his life. What language (besides Italian) could express such high emotionality better than French – provided that the music and lyrics complement each other appropriately (as is the case here, to expect).
The music on this release is a good example of two things: it pays off to adopt an undogmatic approach when it comes to defining progressive rock, and prog does not always need to be complex. I usually like "my" prog to have the "classical" style-defining elements: songs beyond the 10-minutes length, abundance of keyboards, complex time signatures, breaks, symphonic song structures, virtuoso soloing. Most of these elements, except maybe for the use of keyboards, are not very distinct on Intimités, but this does not provide for the music to sound uninspired, simplistic, or boring. There is no shortage of variedness either. It is straightforward, melancholic, melodic music with a high degree of accessibility, expressing the author's emotions in a perfect way.
Six of the seven songs are sung in French (according to the info provided, the first time Ivan does this in his musical career), one in English. On three of the tracks (On Revient, Si, Un Prénom Un Visage), Ivan acts a solo artist. These songs have a particular singer-songwriter vibe ("Chanson Française" of the seventies, especially on the touching Un Prénom Un Visage). I also like On Revient, just Ivan's emotional singing, accompanied by the piano with some jazzy elements in the middle section.
As said, try not to be too dogmatic concerning whether the music is prog or not. I think it has some prog elements: the keyboard work on Un Chemin, being the most prog-sounding track in my ears, thus my favourite, and Autre Départ, both reminding me a bit of 70ies French prog icons Ange, and Québec's Harmonium. But overall, the music is a blend of prog, rock, pop, and blues, with some snippets of film music.
In The Air scores with great pulsating and grooving bass playing by Trev Turley and a bit of a psychedelic touch. The vocals and the rather sadly sounding harmonies bring some of the songs of U2 to my mind. Derrière La Fenêtre is a slow, no-frills blues track with strong emphasis on keyboards, especially the organ, and melodic soloing by Maria Barbieri. The instrumental (except for the spoken words in the middle) Autre Départ closes the album in an atmospheric, melodic, and cinematic way.
Not having heard of Ivan Jacquin prior to having selected this release for review, his album has become a cherished companion on quite a few of my car journeys since then. It has captivated me with its calmness, its catchy melodies, with its melancholy, its relaxed atmosphere, its fragility, its intimate moments, and with the way the music blends simplicity and variedness. Too bad that the album is a bit short in running time, I would have had nothing against some 15 to 20 minutes of additional music. However, this is not a major problem as long as it is ensured that the successor will not be too long in coming. Bien joué, Ivan! I take your word for it that your "solo work is just beginning...".
Marcel Singor — Anemoia
Jan Buddenberg
Singer, songwriter, and producer Marcel Singor, renowned for his contributions to Ayreon/Star One and Kayak, likes to keep himself busy. Extremely busy it would seem, if one takes his current workload with Plan Nine, Ton Scherpenzeel, and prog-pop duo Flight Recorder, who just released their debut Sirens, into consideration.
With Plan Nine right in the middle of touring and recording their second album, Singor (guitars, vocals, bass, keys, drums) still managed to find time within this busy schedule to create Anemoia, his third solo effort, following Travel Light from 2020.
In keeping with this last album, Singor has once again reunited with Bas Bron (keys, synth bass, drums on tracks 3 and 8). While he also enlisted the help of Maarten Kooymans (drums on tracks 4 and 9) and Debbie Singor, Janou Singor, and Arvid van den Bosch (Wurlitzer-like piano on 10), who all provide background vocals for various compositions.
Very much keeping in line with Travel Light is the clear and bright production. Refreshing and dynamic, these add plenty of character to the songs with an explosive 80s sound that sonically brings Mountain's Go For Your Life to mind. Most similarities end there though. Simply for the fact that Singor predominantly operates near the electro-funk, synthpop, glam-rock end of the progressive fusion spectrum. However, Leslie West's name and those of Steve Vai, Dann Huff (Giant), Billy Gibbons (ZZTop) and Jeff Beck for that matter do pop up in regard to Singor's masterful creative string bending techniques.
Singor also lets his instrumental guitar creativity speak with a royal lexicon of exciting licks, riffs, notes and chords that I never knew existed. The resourcefulness is instantly demonstrated in Electric where pop impressions of Prince are sprinkled into view thanks to a tight combination of groovy melodies, drum beats and some vocal similarities. Singor surpasses this imprint in the glossy goodness of All In where he goes all out in voicing his inner 'Royal Badness' with sweet melodies and inimitable guitar virtuosity beyond compare. He tops it off in Lifer with an engaging fusion of melodies and sound analogies native to those of late 80s Saga and Loverboy.
Hard Pop and Ear Candy fully living up to their expectations (the earworm melodies of the latter recall the melodic rock sweetness of Nelson). There's another funky Prince moment to be enjoyed in the rock-orientated The Show. A song that, I reckon, will be candy to the ears of those in favour of catchy 80s pop designed with pyrotechnic guitar gymnastics. The formidably arranged Shaking Off The Shadows brings further images of Saga. And the emotional ballad Where Did It All Go So Right stylishly shows that Singor is also no stranger in composing and executing emotional and sensitive songs that give Foreigner a fair run for their money.
All these tracks are good to great, and fully enjoyable in their own right. However, it is the remaining tracks that personally give me the most bang for my buck. Except Rock 'N Roll Halo, where bluesy slide guitar evokes a memory of ZZTop, these songs are all instrumental and mostly manoeuvre in the fusion realm as originally carved out by giants like The Dixie Dregs and Steve Morse.
Going to town in To Town with sublime crafted blues-rock has thriving guitar that constantly shifts between shredding dexterity and melodic refinement. In the truly excellent Little Too, this leads to an enticing sequence of call and response guitar conversations that speak with dynamic Steve Morse complexities as well as captivating classic rock values. The concluding Seer adds a concise compounding of dynamic melodies and lavish synth, with intensified guitar.
I have to admit that I take pleasure in Singor's music all the more when he indulges in fantastic fusion, which forms the basis of his extremely entertaining instrumentals. But Anemoia is a very enjoyable and highly accomplished album that beautifully showcases both Marcel Singor's class and versatility as an artist. A solid achievement that is fully worth discovering.
Soft Machine — Thirteen
Owen Davies
Could this be the best Soft Machine album ever released?
Well, quite possibly.
Thirteen delivers a wide mix of styles and offers an adventurous exploration of progressive musical forms. It will probably appeal to fans of many different incarnations of Soft Machine.
Blustery jazz fusion pieces rise, roll, and pitch. They stand shoulder to shoulder with challenging free jazz that intrigues, and stimulates. Ambiently looped interludes drone, drift, lather, and linger.
Beautifully crafted tunes highlight elegant melodies that lighten the mood and soothe aching limbs. Swinging instrumental crescendos peak, dart, and dash. Guitar growling, sax howling, bass rumbling, drum rolling and organ-bellowing interludes ignite proceedings in an exhilarating fashion.
Thirteen is the band's 13th studio album. It features 13 tracks, and its longest piece clocks in at over 13 minutes.
Ever since their inception in 1966, Soft Machine have pursued an audacious quest to innovate and explore genre boundaries. Consequently, their music has incorporated many styles and consistently challenged accepted musical norms. Thirteen continues that tradition and does so with admirable conviction.
The psychedelic pop leanings of the first two albums are not represented though. Nevertheless, the band's early heritage is not entirely overlooked, as the concluding track features founder Daevid Allen playing glissando guitar. It is Allen's first appearance on a Soft Machine recording since 1967. His contribution originates from a studio session with Theo Travis when both were members of Gong.
The album's bold creative flair is driven and made possible by its different composers. There is no doubt that one of the major strengths of the album lies in the varied approach that each composer bring to the table. This ensures that Thirteen has an exciting edge. It is never locked into a predictable sound, a consistent tempo, or a particular ambience. Consequently, Thirteen is an engaging and immersive experience from start to finish.
Theo Travis composed six of the tunes. Asaf Sirkis penned three tracks. John Etheridge contributed two pieces. Fred Baker composed Turmoil. The improvised Pens To The Foal Mode is credited to the full ensemble.
The album begins in forthright fashion with Lemon Poem Song. It is an airy composition that is rich in space and atmosphere. Its expansive qualities, and particularly Sirkis' supportive kit work, create a broad sonic environment. The piano melody is colourfully textured and embroidered by Etheridge's fluid guitar. His fluttering solo is lyrical and emotive, stretching upward before skilfully reinforcing the piece's slightly dissonant, dominant piano theme.
The overall atmosphere of the tune was reminiscent of the characteristics shown in Sirkis' superb solo album The Journey is You.
Etheridge's playing throughout this latest Soft Machine release is magnificent, and it is arguably his most accomplished recorded performance in years.
Time after time his exploration of the fret board evokes feelings of awe and wonder. His work on Open Road, The Longest Night, Green Books and Balado Beledo projects a fresh, youthful exuberance that belies his age.
The extended solo in The Longest Night is especially compelling. It emerges languidly, it soars and thermals towards the higher registers with accomplished ease. Repeated phrases bark, splutter, screech, and spin. Garlanded by a majestic resonance; head-spun, gurn-faced, it fades into the distance. The subtle tonal qualities linger, offering the listener a moment of reflection to appreciate Etheridge's brilliance and to absorb the whole experience.
The other parts of the tune are equally impressive. Travis' nimble flute work and piercing tone balances aggression with finesse. Guest organist Pete Whittaker's rich-pipe-pushed tone, cleverly bridges sections of the piece to enhance the tune's dynamic impact. The ensemble interplay throughout is quite special.
The rumbustious galloping jazz fusion of tunes such as Open Road and Green Books is exciting, but the slower relaxing canter of pieces like Waltz for Robert and Balado Beledo are especially appealing. Both tunes prioritise elegance and tunefulness over raucous intensity, or Avant dissonance.
Waltz for Robert works beautifully on many different levels. It is another composition by Sirkis and once again, it is characterised by a sense of restful airiness. Gentle drums caress the melody and Travis' fluted tones delicately caress the senses. His gorgeous playing lifts the mood of the piece and evokes a range of emotions. Travis' mastery of the silver tube compares favourably with the control and fluidity exhibited by such renowned flautists such as, Herbie Mann, or Hubert Laws.
Balado Beledo is a dedication by Etheridge to Uruguayan guitarist Beledo and is a heartfelt tribute.
Beledo rescued the Softs' tour of the USA in 2023 when he stepped in at short notice to fulfil the band's bass duties. It is a stunning piece. Etheridge's wail, hail and praise solo and expressive tones are absolutely gorgeous. Baker's concluding bass flurry adds some refined low-end textures. His spotlight slot complements the overall flavour of the piece and is a fitting expression of the band's gratitude.
It is perhaps too early in 2026 to suggest that Thirteen may rank in my top ten releases of the year.
However, it may well be a contender.
It is accomplished, it is adventurous, it is varied; it is simply very good.
Indeed, Thirteen may already even be the Softs' best release!
Two Headed Emperor — Cosmic Quark And The Morning Lark
Jerry Kranitz
Two Headed Emperor are the UK based duo of Peter John Ashby and Barry Lamb. The collaboration between these friends dates to their first recordings in 1976 as teenagers and their initial DIY cassette releases as Frenzid Melon. Ashby and Lamb also formed the Falling A label and were active in the post-punk cassette culture network, with Falling A continuing to this day.
Cosmic Quark And The Morning Lark is the 13th Two Headed Emperor album since forming in 2015. Joining Ashby and Lamb on this set are Ric Sanders on violin (Fairport Convention, Soft Machine) and Georgia Lamb on vocals. There's a short narrative vignette in the CD booklet, which Barry explains is designed to get the listener thinking about the albums's themes. He elaborates: "It explores a world where reality feels fragile, time circles rather than progresses, and meaning hides beneath ordinary moments." It's far more detailed but that provides a flavour for the thematic direction.
Cloudy opens the set with a Middle Eastern groove and Barry's vocals conjuring up images of an avant-psychedelic harem dance scene. I love the swirly strings that feel like a blend of the Arabian Nights, Henry Cow dissonance, and Aksak Maboul ethnic exploration. And Georgia's backing vocals are dreamy Middle Eastern but with hints of Dagmar Krause.
After a melodically lulling piano and violin intro, Cosmic Quark becomes a weirdly angular rocker that alternates between guitar blasts and beautifully pastoral song. I like how Sanders' lovely violin is offset by a choppy rock guitar and rhythmic pulse. It's like a blend of folk-prog, Daevid Allen song, and RIO adventure.
On Clergyman, Sanders' violin recalls Fred Frith's lightly dissonant but pleasantly melodic use of the instrument. We've got a jaunty yet flowing rhythm with bits of stilted jazz, psychedelically whirling passages, and pagan-folk orchestration.
Prelude To The Morning Lark is a soothing piano and violin meditation that sets the stage for The Morning Lark. Georgia takes lead vocals here, sounding like Dagmar as folk-singing songbird. The music is a compositionally gymnastic blend of heavy guitar rock, trippy psychedelia, and classic progressive rock. My favorite song of the set.
There's a stunning amount of variety on the barely three-minute Closure?. It starts off once again in melodic piano and violin dreamland, followed by a brief section with Georgia sounding like Kate Bush, and then a rocking finale.
Finally, Barry and Georgia share vocals on Swamp Witch, which veers between avant-psychedelic country hoedown and hypnotic rocking prog song.
In summary, Cosmic Quark And The Morning Lark occupies the more accessible, song-oriented end of the avant-prog/RIO axis. The music is difficult to describe because Two Headed Emperor are somehow so different. PsychoYogi is the only other contemporary band I can think of that plays similarly outside-the-box accessible and song-oriented avant-prog. If what I've described gets your attention then you're in for a treat.