RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/terminal-twilight-remaster Originally released fourteen years ago, Terminal Twilight marked a return of sorts as White Willow had more or less ceased activities for a while following the release of Signal to Noise (2006), and although it is hardly the most accessible entry in the group’s varied discography, Terminal Twilight is the most…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://annlaugb.bandcamp.com/album/spring-f-r-sola-st-r-opp Few albums are as compelling, fully formed, and addictive as this one is – let me just say that to begin with. The immensely gifted Annlaug Børsheim’s latest musical effort saw the light of day in early September via the eclectic Apollon Records, and this 9-song gem is undoubtedly one of…
VENUE: Statsraaden Bar & ReceptionDATE: 13.09.2025ORGANIZER: Apollon Records / Statsraaden Bar & ReceptionPHOTOGRAPHER: J. Nepper Following the release of Annlaug Børsheim’s phenomenal Spring Før Sola Står Opp via Apollon Records roughly a week ago, we had the great pleasure and privilege of attending her appearance at the highly appealing little venue known as Statsraaden Bar…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://orcd.co/picture-ann-whispers The villainous purveyors of all things weirdly dark and strangely melancholy are at it again; their “The Law of Whispers and Low Voices” single was released on September 12 by the consistently brilliant Gymnocal Industries and is available in all the relevant digital music stores out there. In addition to the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/vintersorganic/ The first time I came across Vintersorg main man Andreas Hedlund’s fabulous singing was when I saw Borknagar perform live in Aalborg, Denmark, on the back of their splendidly melodic Quintessence album in what seems like another lifetime. But that was then, this is now, and the first new material by…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://ritualsweden.bandcamp.com/merch/ritual-the-hemulic-voluntary-band-cd A most playful, eclectic, and wildly entertaining release inspired by Tove Jansson’s immortal Moomin universe, this remastered issue of the fourth album by Swedish prog rockers Ritual, which originally came out in 2007, delivers a fabulously good time with just the right amount of subtle darkness and melancholy seeping in when…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://whispersofgranite.bandcamp.com/album/liquid-stone What a marvelous musical treat Liquid Stone is. Whispers of Granite consists of two immensely skilled individuals, namely Norwegian vocalist and vocal composer Trude Eidtang and German keyboardist and composer Andreas Hack, and this debut offering of theirs is a superb example of how to weave art rock, prog, brooding folk…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://andersbuaas.bandcamp.com/album/trollringen The epic and ambitious trilogy titled The Witches of Finnmark (2017-2019) by the immensely talented Anders Buaas was a captivating musical saga, and I was therefore rather curious as to whether something sporting the intriguing title Trollringen would somehow follow in that same vein or perhaps be more akin to the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://agusaband.bandcamp.com/ Agusa is a most engrossing and delightful addition to the already impressive prog rock roster of Karisma Records. Formed in Sweden back in 2013 and having released several noteworthy songs and gems since then, this musically adventurous ensemble takes us right back to the late 60s and early 70s by means…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.thinlizzyofficial.com Considering the evocative and heartfelt nature of the first three Thin Lizzy albums from the early seventies, the prospect of immersing oneself in acoustic renditions and re-workings of some of the very best compositions from those exciting days appeared highly intriguing and interesting to this scribe. So how does the…
VENUE: Troon Concert HallDATE: 29.11.2024 ORGANIZER: Plan BPHOTOGRAPHER: C. NepperPhotos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context. Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre surely needs no introduction as his immense contribution to prog rock (and rock music in general) these past many…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/sacrament-remaster The third album by renowned prog rockers White willow, namely the one entitled Sacrament, was recently given an all-analogue boost and remastered by main-man (and musical mastermind) Jacob Holm Lupo, and new life has definitely been breathed into this already evocative creation. Originally released back in 2000 to great acclaim…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/ritual.se/ Swedish prog rockers Ritual are back on the musical radar following a painfully long hiatus, but judging by the quality of the sprawling epics that constitute this grand-sounding opus of theirs, they have spent their time between albums wisely as The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1 displays great…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/ex-tenebris-remaster Recently remastered by White Willow’s very own Jacob Holm-Lupo and sporting the original cover artwork, this 2024 version of the band’s sophomore album Ex Tenebris (1997) is a most welcome addition to the prog music library. Venturing into darker and more world-weary territory than its predecessor did, the LP feels…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://fatherrobin.bandcamp.com/album/the-songs-tales-of-airoea-book-ii The first installment of the trilogy by the splendid Norwegian prog rock ensemble known as Chronicles of Father Robin was a mind-blowing musical experience in that it captured a richly layered atmosphere with an earthy and folk-ish feel to it that was unlike anything that I had come across before.…
The tail end of December saw the lo-fi ambient post-rockers known as Picture Ann grace a doomed planet with a full-length album comprised of six sprawling compositions that all revolve around the idea of losing one’s way in life, of being misled and losing oneself somewhere terrible only to find the way back home an…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/ignis-fatuus-remastered This remastered re-issue of White Willow’s legendary debut offering titled Ignis Fatuus is a most welcome addition to the prog rock collection. What a joy and thrill it is to relive this eclectic mixture of symphonic rock, prog, and inspired folk music again given that it sounds better than ever…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://jordsjo.bandcamp.com/album/salighet Adorned by wonderfully evocative artwork and sporting a most intriguing title, the uniquely skilled Norwegian prog rockers known as Jordsjø are back with a new masterpiece. Just when I thought that it would be impossible for them to top the outstanding and flawless Pastoralia LP (2021), they have in fact…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://lumsk.bandcamp.com/ I will be the first to admit that I have never been a huge fan or admirer of Norwegian folk metal outfit Lumsk. Full disclosure here, people. Then something strange and magical happened the other day when I received the promo copy of their upcoming full-length entitled Fremmede Toner, which…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://ljungblut.bandcamp.com/album/sauda An intimate and introspective little treat by the talented Kim Ljung featuring only acoustic guitar and emotive vocals is what we have here, and this is quite the moving listening experience. Released digitally and on a great-looking tape via Karisma Records, there is a lot to savor about Sauda and…
