CD Reviews | Progressive Rock Central.com

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

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…

The cover of Cinder by Lux Terminus features a bouquet of vividly colored flowers engulfed in flames, set against a smoky, gradient background that shifts from deep red to blue. The album title is written in elegant, glowing script, while the band name appears above in sleek, modern sans-serif type.

CD Reviews

Lux Terminus – “Cinder”

Professor Mark May 15, 2025 No Comments "Cinder"Brian Craft Cleveland jazz-rock Lux Terminus Matthew Kerschner Ohio Progressive rock Vikram Shankar

Found another great progressive rock/ jazz fusion band that is absolutely out of this world, full of vibrancy. Their name is Lux Terminus, and their…

CD Reviews

Norwegian Band AVKRVST Soars and Stumbles on Sophomore Epic

Aiden Robinson May 13, 2025 No Comments AVKRVST Progressive rock symphonic rock

AVKRVST – Waving at the Sky (InsideOutMusic, 2025) Norwegian prog outfit AVKRVST returns June 13 with their second full-length album, Waving at the Sky, a…

The cover of Symphony of Rage by Anna KiaRa features a fiery-haired woman in a black dress and crown, set against the backdrop of a gothic castle. Her form partially disintegrates into ash, revealing a shadowy, mirrored version of herself. The dark, mystical atmosphere is intensified by dramatic lighting and the album's ornate, orange serif typography

CD Reviews

Ana KiaRa – “Symphony of Rage”

Professor Mark May 13, 2025 No Comments "Symphony of Rage"Ana KiaRa metal metal melodic Russia symphonic metal

Recently, I was fortunate enough to have Anna KiaRa, the former lead vocalist for the Russian band Imperial Age, send me her latest solo album,…

The album cover for Judy Dyble – Darkness to Light: The Recordings 2004–2006 features a rich magenta background with elegant, calligraphic black text. At the center is a gold and green Celtic-inspired triskelion symbol.

CD Reviews

Darkness to Light Boxed Set Illuminates Judy Dyble’s Visionary Folk Legacy

Angel Romero May 12, 2025 No Comments ambient folk-rock Judy Dyble progressive folk Progressive rock psychedelic rock Robert Fripp Simon House

Judy Dyble – Darkness to Light – The Recordings 2004-2006, Remastered 3CD Boxed Set (Esoteric/Cherry Red Records, 2025) By the time Judy Dyble (1949 –…

CD Reviews

Moon Letters – “The Dark Earth”

Professor Mark May 10, 2025 No Comments "The Dark Earth"Moon Letters

My favorite Seattle progressive rock band, Moon Letters, has returned from the studio to release their new album, The Dark Earth. The album will be…

The album cover for The Clockmaster by Clay Wulbrecht features an ornate, antique-style clock face overlaid on a vintage illustration of a cobbled European village. The clock displays exposed gears and intricate machinery at its center, with Roman numerals in alternating red and gold tones marking the hours. The title and artist’s name appear subtly at the bottom right.

CD Reviews

Clocking In: Clay Wulbrecht Bends Time on The Clockmaster

Angel Romero May 8, 2025 No Comments Clay Wulbrecht contemporary jazz fusion Progressive rock

Clay Wulbrecht – The Clockmaster (Instru Dash Mental IDMJZ006, 2025) Clay Wulbrecht, a State College, Pennsylvania-based composer, pianist, and arranger, presents The Clockmaster, a dynamic,…