CD Reviews | Progressive Rock Central.com

The album cover for Life Force by Darkyra features an illustration of a white dove and a black raven locked in a dynamic, circular dance. Set against a radiant background that shifts from soft pinks to deep purples and reds, the imagery is framed by intertwining branches and cosmic elements. The band’s name appears in a bold, calligraphic script in the top right, while the album title is written below in cursive.

CD Reviews

Darkyra – “Life Force”

I found out about Darkyra because of their concert with one of my favorite metal bands Ammify. Ammify and Darkyra will be playing a concert…

The album cover for Age of Fragility by Marco Mattei features a young boy standing in shallow water, facing a futuristic city skyline in the distance. The waterline cuts through the middle of the image, symbolically dividing nature (grass beneath his feet) and urbanization.

CD Reviews

Fragile Times: Marco Mattei’s Age of Fragility

Aiden Robinson May 26, 2025 No Comments classic rock Marco Mattei Progressive rock

Marco Mattei – Age of Fragility (M.P. & Records, 2025) Italian composer and singer-songwriter Marco Mattei returns with Age of Fragility, a concept album that…

The album cover for Mythologies II by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse features a mythic female figure with golden, serpentine headpieces and elaborate jewelry. Her piercing gaze and symmetrical features are framed by dark, flowing hair, set against a textured, shadowy background. The typography is classical, highlighting the collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and featured soloists.

CD Reviews

Danaë Xanthe Vlasse Reimagines the Greek Gods in Mythologies II

Kevin Baker May 25, 2025 No Comments Danaë Xanthe western classical music

Danaë Xanthe – Mythologies II (Studio Hall Records, 2024) Few composers working today summon the majesty of myth quite like Danaë Xanthe Vlasse. With Mythologies…

The album cover for Spellbound by Shez Raja features a deep maroon background with a gold, intricately designed lotus mandala at the center. Within the mandala’s core is the “Om” symbol, also in gold. The artist's name and album title appear in the top left corner in gold serif typography.

CD Reviews

Shez Raja’s Spellbound, a Vivid Journey Through Global Jazz Terrain

Angel Romero May 25, 2025 No Comments fusion jazz jazz-rock

Shez Raja – Spellbound (Gearbox Cut, 2025) With Spellbound, Shez Raja invites listeners into a world where cultures collide, not with clamor, but with coherence.…

The album cover for Decimo Cerchio (L’Inferno 1911 O.S.T.) by I Sincopatici ft. Claudio Milano features a dark composition dominated by deep reds and blacks. Angular, fractured textures evoke a fiery, chaotic atmosphere. The band name appears in distorted red text in the upper right, while the title is subtly placed at the bottom in a small, gray font.

CD Reviews

Burning Bright: A Futurist Descent into the “Tenth Circle”

Angel Romero May 23, 2025 No Comments ambient Claudio Milano contemporary classical dark ambient electronic music I Sincopatici Progressive rock Zeuhl

I Sincopatici ft Claudio Milano – Decimo Cerchio (L’Inferno 1911 O.S.T.) (Snowdonia, 2024) With Decimo Cerchio (L’Inferno 1911 O.S.T.), the Italian trio I Sincopatici, joined…

The album cover for Andy Pratt Trio features a red-and-black color scheme with a moody, jazz-club ambiance. On the right, guitarist Andy Pratt is shown mid-performance under a starburst-style ceiling light. On the left, three red circles contain minimalist black slashes, with “Andy Pratt” in the top circle and “Trio” in the bottom.

CD Reviews

Andy Pratt’s Trio Takes the Scenic Route Through the Standards

Charlie Melville May 22, 2025 No Comments Andy Pratt contemporary jazz jazz

Andy Pratt – Trio (Thrift Girl Records, 2024) Chicago virtuoso guitarist and vocalist Andy Pratt returns to the spotlight with Trio, a stripped-down, straight-ahead jazz…

The album cover for Gamle Mester by Lars Fredrik Frøislie features a faux-aged, Renaissance-style landscape painting framed in distressed wood. At the center, a red tree symbol stands against a misty backdrop of mountains and valleys. In the foreground, a wild boar gazes outward. A brass nameplate at the bottom of the frame bears the artist’s name and album title.

CD Reviews

Old Roots, New Tricks: Lars Fredrik Frøislie Reaches Back to Move Forward on Gamle Mester

Angel Romero May 20, 2025 No Comments Lars Fredrik Frøislie Progressive rock symphonic rock Wobbler

Lars Fredrik Frøislie – Gamle Mester (Karisma Records, 2025) On Gamle Mester (“Old Master”), his second solo album for Karisma Records, Norwegian composer and vintage…

The album cover for Abracadabra by Soft Works features a collage-style design with contrasting imagery. A large yellow road sign with a circular arrow dominates the left side. Below it, a keyboard "Return" key is embedded in the composition. On the right, part of a golden Buddha face. The title "Soft Works" appears in bold yellow uppercase letters at the top, with the word "abracadabra" in blue cursive beneath it. The bottom right lists band members: Elton Dean, Allan Holdsworth, Hugh Hopper, and John Marshall. A sticker announces the remastering and two bonus live tracks.

CD Reviews

Hold the Sax: Soft Works Casts a Cool Spell on Abracadabra

Angel Romero May 19, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz fusion jazz-rock Soft Works

Soft Works – Abracadabra (Moonjune, 2025 reissue) When Abracadabra first appeared in 2003, it arrived quietly but confidently, an elusive work from Soft Works, the…

The album cover for The Next Dream by Massimo Pieretti features a beachscape under a dramatically painted sky. Swirling clouds stretch across a deep blue sky. The artist’s name and album title appear in clean, white, all-caps font near the bottom.

CD Reviews

Massimo Pieretti – “The Next Dream”

Professor Mark May 19, 2025 No Comments Germana Noage Italy John Hackett Laura Piazzai Massimo Pieretti Michael Trew Nick Fletcher Progressive rock rock progresivo italiano

Massimo Pieretti is a talented and versatile musical performer and producer. I came into his acquaintance much by accident. He reached out to me a…

The album cover for Claire Rousay & Gretchen Korsmo – Quilted Lament features a softly abstract composition. A pale wash of cream and off-white forms the backdrop, overlaid with delicate smudges of pastel yellow, blue, and faint lavender. Ghostly silhouettes—possibly human figures—emerge in the haze, blurred to the point of near-erasure.

CD Reviews

Rousay and Korsmo Stitch Sound Into Sentiment

Stefan Bruno May 15, 2025 No Comments ambient Claire Rousay electronic music Gretchen Korsmo

Claire Rousay & Gretchen Korsmo – Quilted Lament (Mappa, 2025) On Quilted Lament, sound designers Claire Rousay and Gretchen Korsmo present a seamless collaboration shaped…