Anton Roolaart — The Ballad of General Jupiter (Wandering Willow Records and MoonJune Records, 2026)
Dutch-American multi-instrumentalist composed and produced The Ballad of General Jupiter, except for the closing track “Yesterday and Today,” which Jon Anderson of Yes wrote.
Roolaart performs progressive symphonic rock and lighter material deeply influenced by David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and early Genesis. At the same time, the album has a strong storytelling component with themes of imagination, emotion, resilience, and social concern.
The opening track, “Amsterdam,” reflects on Roolaart’s 2020 return to the Netherlands. In turn, “Rain” and “The Cry of Seven Doves” move toward more otherworldly ideas. Musically, Roolaart truly shines with his beautifully-crafted, inventive instrumental passages and arrangements that incorporate the best of timeless progressive rock. However, the vocals are the weakest part of this recording. Even though Roolart uses reverb and some other effects successfully, I’m not a fan of the lead vocals. A guest vocalist would have been a better choice in my opinion.
Roolaart said the album responds to both personal experience and wider unrest. He described the project as years in the making, with early ideas dating back decades and the recording process beginning in New York City around 2016 before most final recording and mixing took place in Amsterdam.
He also said the move to Amsterdam fulfilled a lifelong goal, although the period that followed brought major health challenges, including a serious spinal infection. After that setback, he returned to the project and completed the album.
Roolaart is known for work in symphonic rock as a solo artist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. His music combines atmospheric detail with a guitar-led approach that has become a defining part of his catalog.
Musicians: Anton Roolaart on vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers; Rave Tesar (Renaissance) on piano and keyboards; Bob Kirby on drums and percussion; Wouter Schueler on flute and saxophones; Rozh Surchi on backing vocals; Mark Donato on backing vocals; and Sean Carolan as newscaster voice.