"I think Sola Gratia is as good as anything I’ve ever done." That’s a bold claim by any musician, but it’s an extraordinary one from a singer-songwriter-all-round-musician of the calibre (and extensive back catalog) of Neal Morse, whose reputation as one of the progressive rock world’s most talented and prolific current artists is unparalleled. Like much of Neal’s music, Sola Gratia originated from a seed planted in his mind, followed much later by a whirlwind of inspiration - and, this time, a little solar power: "A couple of people had suggested to me that I should do a prog concept album based on the apostle Paul, but it wasn’t until I went on a cruise to Australia and New Zealand in January 2020 that I started waking up with a lot of music, and would go up on deck with my keyboard to work on it as the sun came up…

Swedish melodic death metal masters In Mourning are celebrating the release of their new, critically-acclaimed studio offering, entitled The Immortal, that is out now via Supreme Chaos Records and Dalapop.
Since the early 2000s, In Mourning have steadily built a devoted international fanbase. With six acclaimed studio albums and several EPs under their belt, the Dalecarlian quartet returns with its seventh full-length release - arriving two years after their previous album, The Bleeding Veil.
Staying true to their signature blend of melancholic melodies and crushing heaviness, The Immortal sees the band further refine and expand their sonic identity. Fronted by the dynamic vocal duo of Björn Pettersson and Tobias Netzell - whose deep growls and soaring clean vocals offer striking contrast - the album explores themes of personal struggle and philosophical reflection…

This is one of the last Chet Baker (trumpet) long players recorded in the States prior to the artist relocating to Europe in the early '60s. Likewise, the eight-tune collection was the final effort issued during his brief association with the Riverside Records imprint. The project was undoubtedly spurred on by the overwhelming success of the Shelly Manne-led combo that interpreted titles taken from the score to My Fair Lady (1956). In addition to becoming an instant classic, Manne's LP was also among of the best-selling jazz platters of all time. While Baker and crew may have gained their inspiration from Manne, these readings are comparatively understated. That said, the timelessness of the melodies, coupled with the assembled backing aggregate, make Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe (1959) a memorable concept album…

Pekka Pohjola was bass guitarist in the Finnish Progressive outfit Wigwam, but departed the band in 1975 to embark on a solo career. Mike Oldfield was a huge admirer of his work to the extent that he produced and performed on Pohjola's third album, The Mathematician's Air Display. The five tracks on the album are a splendid combination of Pohjola's musical vision and Mike Oldfield's unique production and musical skills. Pohjola was later to perform on the Mike Oldfield Exposed tour and album. Never before issued on CD in the UK, this Esoteric release is newly re-mastered and restores the original British album artwork.

Bliss is DJ and producer Steffen Aaskoven and the classically trained Marcgeorge Andersen. On this album, Bliss collaborate with none other than Boy George, on the highly acclaimed single, 'American Heart', as well as Lisbeth Scott (from Steven Spielberg's Munich And Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ) on the title track (and single) 'No One Built This Moment'. Also includes musical assistance from Sophie Barker from Zero 7.

Paul McCartney retreated from the spotlight of the Beatles by recording his first solo album at his home studio, performing nearly all of the instruments himself. Appropriately, McCartney has an endearingly ragged, homemade quality that makes even its filler - and there is quite a bit of filler - rather ingratiating. Only a handful of songs rank as full-fledged McCartney classics, but those songs - the light folk-pop of "That Would Be Something," the sweet, gentle "Every Night," the ramshackle Beatles leftover "Teddy Boy," and the staggering "Maybe I'm Amazed" (not coincidentally the only rocker on the album) - are full of all the easy melodic charm that is McCartney's trademark. The rest of the album is charmingly slight, especially if it is read as a way to bring Paul back to earth after the heights of the Beatles. At the time the throwaway nature of much of the material was a shock, but it has become charming in retrospect.

American singer/guitarist Eric Bibb and West African singer/guitarist Habib Koité have come together for Brothers in Bamako. It is an exciting gumbo of the two artists’ influences of blues, folk, gospel and world music.
The 13 tracks on Brothers in Bamako showcase songs penned by each artist, as well as several written together, plus a fascinating cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and the traditional blues, “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad.” The CD represents a musical crossroads of Bibb’s blues, folk and gospel influences, blended with Koité’s contemporary West African folk/world roots into a unique mixture of voices and guitars that is both passionate and ebullient.

Mark Whitfield has long had an attractive tone, and his melodic style is in the forefront throughout this fairly varied date. Accompanied by a 21-piece string orchestra arranged by Dale Oehler, Whitfield and his quartet mostly stick to standards. Fortunately, tempos are varied (although there are a few sleepy ballads) and Diana Krall has guest vocals on "Some Other Time" and "Early Autumn." The strings generally do not add much, but Whitfield's inventive playing makes this a recommended set anyway. Highlights include "You Don't Know What Love Is," "My One And Only Love," an accompanied guitar feature on "I Want To Talk About You" and Whitfield's "Forever."

Milestones was an Austrian rock band from Vienna. They are historically important as the debut of the much travelled top Austrian producer Christian Kolonovits.
In 1972, Milestones were selected internally by broadcaster ORF as the Austrian representatives for the 17th Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Falter im Wind" ("Butterfly In the Wind"), which was a very contemporary and atypical song for Eurovision at the time. At the contest, held in Edinburgh on 25 March, "Falter im Wind" proved unexpectedly popular with the jurors, finishing in fifth place of 18 entries. It remains one of Austria's most successful Eurovision entries, as only four songs have placed higher.
The band's second album, Emigration, was released in 1973. They split up in 1975.

Impersonator I was originally released in 1981 when Carlos Perón was still a member of the band Yello. Remastered, with two bonus tracks. His first solo album represents the extreme desire to conduct daring experiments, to achieve stylistic variety and musical intensity while at the same time it is an example of Monsieur Perón's bizarre sense of humour. Impersonator I was the foundation for the constantly expanding Impersonator series. Long since out of print, this album is once again available completely remastered for the first time.

"The Dreams Of Men" is the fifth studio album of the Scottish progressive rock group Pallas. Alongside with Marillion, Pendragon and IQ, Pallas is one of the bands that belonged to neo-prog's first guards in the 80's.
"The Dreams Of Men" is a CD filled with bombast, over-dramatic vocals, haunting melodies, intricate bass lines, and long-winded Niall Mathewson solos.

Icons of goth and doom, Paradise Lost will release their long-awaited, 17th album Ascensionon September 19th. The band’s first album in 5 years, following 2020’s critically acclaimed Obsidian, was produced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh and mixed/mastered by Lawrence Mackrory. Ascension is a testament to the band’s longevity and relevance over their 35+ year career, encompassing their signature styles of gothic, death and doom fans have cherished along the way.
Ascension’s album cover fittingly features the painting The Court of Death (1870-1902) by renowned British artistGeorge Frederic Watts, which hangs in the ate Gallery in London. The painting depicts Death as an enthroned angel flanked by allegorical figures of Silence and Mystery guarding sunrise and the star of hope…

This is a release where contemporary pop grooves predominate, while her 1993 release, Maracanã, was a very delicate and swinging Brazilian music album. Jobim tunes coexist with songs by Caetano Veloso, Jorge Benjor, and Gilberto Gil, with international hits by Bacharach and Stevie Wonder providing additional support. Echoes of contemporary street music such as hip-hop can be caught here and there over a pervasive fusion treatment immediately reminiscent of the '70s. Anna Caram is a good singer. She chose to interpret a dance repertoire interspersed with romantic bossas in a straightforward pop album with no instrumental solos.

Australian progressive fusion-jazz-symphonic rock from 1975, influenced by the Santana hall mark of using rock over a Latin beat. Their music was an unusual hydrid of rock, jazz, Latin American, West Indian and even occasional Zappa-like tracks. Sometimes it sounds like a blend of Osibisa and Tasavallan Presidenti. Cool and funky, but highly infectious.

After the success of his album Apollo, Banco returns with Ollopa, a remix album that turns its source on its head: not only have the name and original track order been reversed, but the artwork is inverted too, with the sun becoming the moon and other symbols flipped upside down. The collection starts with Tripswitch’s sublime remix of Acquiescence, which builds slowly from an ambient opening into a downtempo delight, setting the tone nicely for both Antipodean duo, Deep Fried Dub, who add a cheeky dancehall lick to Oreia, and the high priests of sacred bass, Desert Dwellers, whose jittery yet soothing remix of All Sleeping is like sonic incense for the mind and body.
The sinewy melodies of Hu! are strengthened and complimented by some tough, bass-driven beats on the Unusual Cosmic Process Remix, while Kaya Project’s worldly ears (and added vocals)…