Back catalogue: Progressive Rock

Review: Earlier this year, Bear Family set out to chronicle the formative years of Germany's heavy rock sound, offering up a killer compilation showcasing tracks released between 1970 and '76. This sequel focuses on the next chapter, as German heavy rock turned to heavy metal under the influence of global powerhouses such as AC/DC and Judas Priest. It's educational and entertaining in equal measure, with the two discs showcasing such delights as the bluesy fuzz of Bullfrog's 'Live', the heavy rhythm and blues of Prinzip, the elongated Black Sabbath riffs of Epitaph's 'On The Road', the organ-powered eccentricity of Requiem's 'Steven', the early metal headiness of Breslau ('Spinn') and the all-action excellence of 'Time Machine' by Beast.

Review: Ambiances Ambigues shows off the breadth and depth of its talent pool with this new compilation of experimental post-rock, synth and ambient sounds. There is nothing poppy about them despite the title, and in fact in places these sounds bring to mind great composers like Ennio Morricone and John Carpenter, as well as the indie-breaks of UNCLE and plenty more references from the noise and abstract world. It's dense and intense, and a perfect go-to when you want to add something a little different to your rotation.

Review: If you're going to enlist artists to cover tracks by NEU!, then you best make sure they are of the caliber we see on this track list. The legendary, iconic, and groundbreaking West German krautrock group only gave us three albums, all in quick succession (Neu! in 1972, Neu! 2 the following year, and Neu!75 in 1975), but they made a huge impact in doing so. As such their output could only be retreated with similar aplomb. A quick look on the back of the sleeve here proves someone, somewhere has heeded those words. Yann Tiersen, The National, Fink and more all line up to pay tribute to, and attempt to redirect, the original material. The results range from the rousing chorus and propellant, celebratory rock of 'After Eight' in its They Hate Change Cover form, to the sublime, lo fi folktronica of '4+1=5' by Alexis Taylor.

Review: Originally released in 1986 during their formative Noise Records era, Rrroooaaarrr would serve as the sophomore follow up to Canadian progressive metal legends Voivod's debut album War & Pain, whilst offering the first true glimpses into the more spacy cosmic compositional approach that would ultimately become their new sonic bedrock. While perhaps not at the level of prog wonder that has elevated 1987's Killing Technology to a much-adored fan favourite, the material on their second effort works as almost a bridge between their speed-thrash origins and the more fully realised vision their later material would harbour. While flashy and intricate, this early work is a testament to how formidable of a straight up thrash metal beast the band originally were before they would opt to distance themselves from their burgeoning peers in Metallica or Megadeth; marking the true beginning of their journey into the great unknown (also referred to as "space-prog").

Review: Canadian sci-fi-tinged prog metal auteurs Voivod originally unveiled The End Of Dormancy EP in 2020, with this "ocean blue" reissue from Brutal Panda sprinkling extra aesthetic weight to the title-track's nautical tale of a mysterious entity leagues beneath the sea. Originally a cut from 2018's critically acclaimed The Wake, this EP version offers a unique "Metal Section" take, almost a full minute longer with added trumpets, saxophone and trombones, whilst the B-side features a live rendition of the epic piece as well as the iconic opening track from the band's seminal 1989 prog-thrash masterpiece Nothingface - 'The Unknown Knows', both performed at the Live Montreal Jazz Fest 2019.

Review: Originally released in 2015, Inmazes marked the debut full-length from Danish progressive metal outfit VOLA. Taking sonic influence from the Djent scene pioneered by Meshuggah and further popularised by acts such as Periphery, yet eschewing much of the metalcore aspects prevalent within the subgenre, the material draws as much from Scandinavian prog metal acts such as Opeth and Katatonia, only fitted with seven string guitar low-end grooves and chunky riffage, making for a curious combination of progressive artistry and Djentcore heft, all unified under the saccharine, almost shoegaze lilt of primary songwriter Asger Mygind's understated vocal delivery. While the band would stray further into melodic, synth-laden prog soundscapes on 2018's sophomore follow up Applause Of A Distant Crowd, this debut where is they let their Djent flag fly as high as the influences worn on their sleeves.