1.NANCY WILSON - The Dragon (5:22)
Album: You And Me (2021)
Label/Distribution: Carry On Music/Redeye/Bertus
www.heart-music.com
One of the highlights of Heart guitarist/vocalist NANCY WILSON's first solo album is "The Dragon." It basically contains everything that made up her musical work so far. And so the song oscillates between singer/songwriter-like acoustic sounds and hard rock passages
2.RYLEY WALKER - Striking Down Your Big Premiere (5:05)
Album: Course In Fable (2021)
Label/Distribution: Husky Pants/Cargo
www.ryleywalker.com
Within a few years, RYLEY WALKER has developed into one of the most individual artists in the field of tension between folk jazz, indie and psychedelic. On his current album "Course In Fable" the 31-year-old even sprinkles in proggy and zappaesque elements - like on this song.
3.VOLA - Napalm (4:54)
Album: Witness (2021)
Label: Mascot/Rough Trade
www.volaband.com
With their third album "Witness" the Danish progmetalers VOLA seriously compete with their Swedish colleagues Pain Of Salvation. Here, top-modern prog metal with djentigen riffs, electronica inserts and great melodies is offered. Songs like "Napalm" captivate with their anthemic character.
4.POVERTY'S NO CRIME - Supernatural (8:01)
Album: A Secret To Hide (2021)
Label/Distribution: Metalville/Rough Trade
www.povertys-no-crime.de
"Supernatural" is not necessarily "supernatural", but another highly listenable track in the catalog of POVERTY'S NO CRIME, who have been active for thirty years now. The opener of their eighth album "A Secret To Hide" once again serves melodic-accessible prog metal of the upper class.
5.CAMERON GRAVES - Sacred Spheres (3:02)
Album: Seven (2021)
Label: Artistry Music/Mack Avenue/in-akustik
www.mackavenue.com/artists/cameron-graves
The American pianist CAMERON GRAVES, who comes from the environment of saxophone giant Kamasi Washington, was inspired by the esoteric "Urantia Book" for his second album "Seven". With instrumental fireworks like "Sacred Spheres", the party is on - fusion meets progmetal!
6.MARK LETTIERI - Star Catchers (5:35)
Album: Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2 (2021)
Label/Distribution: Leopard/Broken Silence
www.marklettieri.com
Groovy, baby! MARK LETTIERI's new album bangs like in 70s fusion times. Euphoric slap bass, ecstatic guitar, progressive Stevie Wonder sounds and always mega party. In "Star Catchers" Steve Lukather's solo guitar sings to razor-sharp horns like once in Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago.
7.MAXXESS - Protection (6:20)
Album: Reactivate (2021)
Label/Distribution: Klangdesign/Just For Kicks
www.maxxess.de
"For this song I recorded between 20 and 30 guitar tracks. I like to layer in the low end so it sounds really fat at the end," MAXXESS mastermind Max Schiefele tells us. "I like this increase from quiet to loud, so that you inevitably step on the gas a bit in the car at the end!"
8.DZYAN - Dragonsong (7:30)
Album: Dzyan (1972/2009 [LP]/2010 [CD])
Label: Long Hair
www.krautrock-musikzirkus.de/...
DZYAN were an insider tip in the early 1970s in the area of tension between Krautrock, Jazzrock, Psychedelic Rock and Prog. "Dragonsong" comes from the debut album of the band, which was active for only two years, and is characterized by agile bass runs and relatively free saxophone and guitar flights of fancy
9.REQUIEM - Listen Boy (5:04)
Album: Steven (1980/2021)
Label/Distribution: Golden Core/ZYX
www.zyx.de/produkt/requiem-steven
An exciting re-release is the only album of the Stuttgart band REQUIEM. The band around guitarist Tommy Clauss (among others Rebel, Zar) mixes pomp rock with progressive and hard rock elements similar to Styx at that time. "Listen Boy" is one of the catchiest tracks on the album.
10. PROF. WOLFFF - Hans im Glück (7:46)
Album: Prof. Wolfff (1972/1998 [CD]/2011 [LP])
Label/Distribution: Second Battle
profwolfff.bandcamp.com
Founded in 1971, dissolved again in 1972. In this short and intensive time PROF. WOLFFF from Ulm recorded an album, which on the one hand clearly focuses on the progressive rock coming from England, but on the other hand also focuses on socially critical German lyrics. A successful mix all around.
