Whale Tales & Circus Trails

With his first proper concept album in almost 50 years, guitarist Steve Hackett transports the listener back to bombsite-littered post-war London, with the record's fictional character, Travla, telling a symbolic tale of a journey towards self-actualisation. \"It's been extraordinary making this record,\" he tells Prog. \"I grew up in a time when music changed the world, and I've always felt the album can be a really powerful force. I really hope people enjoy listening to this one.\"

THE PROG INTERVIEW

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it's Francis Dunnery. Best known for co-founding and fronting It Bites during their 80s heyday, his career has since taken in collaborations with Robert Plant, Carlos Santana and members of Yes, and he even auditioned for Genesis. Now back on the road with It Bites FD, the multimedia artist looks back over his life so far and shares his plans for the future.

SECOND BASE

Despite pursuing multiple projects already, three prog luminaries have concluded they're simply not busy enough. As D'Virgilio, Morse & Jennings press the button on their cunningly titled Sophomore, Prog catches up with two-thirds of the group to find out how they're packing everything in and whether they're likely to make it a hat-trick of albums.

Back To The Future

In 2021, Magenta’s Rob Reed relaunched his old band, Cyan, with a new line-up and a polished reimagining of For King And Country. They’ve now teamed up again to tackle Pictures From The Other Side. Reed and vocalist Peter Jones tell Prog about bringing a new lease of life to old material and why there’s more to come.

The Truth Is Out There

Almost a decade in the making, Earthside's second album, Let The Truth Speak, finds the band in fine form. Yet the story of its creation and subsequent release has been peppered not just with world events, but personal battles. Singer/guitarist Jamie van Dyck and drummer Ben Shanbrom discuss how they rose to the challenges of creating a bold and healing cinematic sound that defies all expectation.

Sonic Dystopia

For his solo career, Riverside's Mariusz Duda wanted to create something as distinct from his day job as possible. He talks to Prog about returning to his first musical love, being creatively selfish, and embracing electronic music on AFR AID.

Days Of Future Passed

Fifty-one years ago, Germany-based Nektar finally made headway in their native UK with fourth album Remember The Future. The conceptual piece explored prescient themes of the environment and looking after the planet against a sci-fiinspired backdrop. Long-serving bassist Derek 'Mo' Moore recalls the story of the recently reissued record that was way ahead of its time.

Wish You Were Here

A decade in the making, the debut album from Tarja Turunen’s Outlanders project is the perfect antidote to these chaotic times. Featuring guest appearances from a host of celebrated musicians, including Mike Oldfield, Trevor Rabin and Steve Rothery, it showcases a very different side to the Finnish soprano who’s better known for her dramatic progressive metal and classical recordings. She shares the story behind Outlanders and the Alan Parsons album that inspired it.

Never Say Never

While the days have largely passed when an artist might release two studio albums in quick succession, a decade has elapsed since Moon Safari issued Himlabacken Vol. 1.

Lifetime

All things must pass, and prog's imperial early-to-mid-70s phase was no exception.

NICK FLETCHER

The jazz rock guitarist and John Hackett Band member discusses his classical influences and the threads of mysticism that run through his work.

THE PROG INTERVIEW - EDGAR BROUGHTON

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Edgar Broughton. Leader of his titular band, Broughton’s musical career began in earnest in the late 1960s when The Edgar Broughton Blues Band swapped blues for the emerging psychedelic sounds of the age, setting them on a more progressive path than first intended. Although the band’s initial phase came to an end in the early 80s, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist has released a handful of solo albums, including his latest, Break The Dark, which sees him reuniting with members of the EBB’s alumni. Here, he discusses his former band’s heyday, making a “Sunday afternoon” album, and reveals why he thinks politics has a place in music.

Empire Reborn

It's been five years since Southern Empire's critically acclaimed Civilisation was released and now the Australian five-piece are back with Another World. Keyboard player Sean Timms and new singer Shaun Holton reveal what was going on behind the scenes, and why the current line-up are looking forward to a vibrant future.

CHILDREN OF THE STONES

Heavy music is often associated with industrial clamour. Green Lung, however, are imbuing sturdy rock with folk and fairy tales from the English countryside on their third album, This Heathen Land. In the process, they want to emulate the prog-inspired ambition of 70s icons Deep Purple and Rainbow. Prog catches up with guitarist Scott Black and vocalist Tom Templar to find out more.

Winds Of Change

From the personal lyrics to the focus on the acoustic guitar, Peter Jones has gone back to basics with his latest Tiger Moth Tales album, The Turning Of The World. But as the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist tells Prog, it's an album that he needed to write.

TALK TO ME LIKE HUMANS DO

On the follow-up to 2020's more traditional Folkesange, Myrkur's Amalie Bruun has created an experimental album of contrasts that takes the listener on a journey through motherhood and bereavement. Bruun tells Prog about the healing power of Spine and the life changes that inspired it.

Acoustic Solace

Lonely hotel rooms, deathbed reflections and the undeniable lure of strings have all fed into the making of the third solo album from The Pineapple Thief's driving force, Bruce Soord. He takes Prog inside the creative process that spawned Luminescence, taking care not to let his brain explode in the process.

Time Passages

Cornwall-based symphonic proggers The Emerald Dawn explore the idea of time, both sonically and lyrically, on In Time, their latest album. Prog catches up with band founders Ally Carter and Tree Stewart at their Kernow hilltop base to find out more about the complex ideas and themes behind the new work.

MISSION Critical

When Gong's founder Daevid Allen died in 2015, many of the veteran act's fans assumed they were gone for good - but the truth is that the Kavus Torabi-led Gong are better than ever, just as Allen knew they would be. 'He always loved to throw a grenade into situations!' says Torabi, beckoning us into the caverns of the mind.

Tales From The Bar

Magenta's lead singer Christina Booth is back with a new solo album, Bar Stool Prophet. Emotional and uplifting, haunting and lyrical, the album's 10 tracks explore themes ranging from politics, war and religion to ageing, life and death. Prog catches up with Booth to discover more about the inspiration behind her latest music.

MOVING THROUGH SOME Changes - How 90125 Saved Yes

The short-lived Drama era in 1980 was almost the death of Yes. Yet three years later, the heroes of British progressive rock had been completely reinvented with massive worldwide success. In 90125 they had their biggest-selling album and a worldwide hit single. On the record's 40th anniversary, we look back on how a new band without a deal became an 80s success story.

Lucky For Some

By his own admission, when Fish originally released 13th Star in 2007, his life was a mess. Broke, directionless and dumped just before his wedding, the Scottish singer-songwriter was close to rock-bottom but had turned his frustration and grief into an album that contains some of his finest solo material. To coincide with the record's deluxe reissue, Fish looks back on the turmoil that inspired it.

THE PROG INTERVIEW - IVAR BJØRNSON

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Ivar Bjørnson. Enslaved’s guitarist and synth player discovered Pink Floyd at an early age and found an unlikely prog mentor in one of the founders of Bergen’s controversial black metal scene. His first group was a brass band, but he quickly moved from more traditional to extreme sounds, eventually finding his place as one of the pioneers of modern progressive metal. In 2015, he and Wardruna’s Einar Selvik reignited the Nordic flame with their By Norse label, and more recently Enslaved celebrated their 30th anniversary with the even proggier Heimdal. Here, the multiinstrumentalist takes a break from touring to recount his curious and unexpected musical journey so far.

Far Beyond The Lighted Stage

One of metal’s biggest bands has thrown caution to the wind, embracing psychedelics, absurdity and a wilful disregard for the limits of genre. Avenged Sevenfold’s frontman M Shadows gives Prog an insight into the philosophy, sound and pursuit of discomfort that all shaped Life Is But A Dream…

Stories To Thrill And terrify

A ghost train, aliens, Captain Nemo's famous submarine and much more besides inhabit I Am The Manic Whale's Bumper Book Of Mystery Stories. Frontman and founder Michael Whiteman talks to Prog about giving voice to his lifelong love of the uncanny and the inexplicable.

EVERYONE'S A WINNER

Almost 15 years into their career, Godsticks are still winning new fans with their blend of dark and complex music. Bandleader Darran Charles talks through the highs and lows of making their sixth studio album, This Is What A Winner Looks Like, and tells us why he doesn’t mind if you call them ‘prog metal’.

Mystery Lessons

Montreal-based Mystery put their planned ninth studio album, Redemption, on hold in 2020. The ensuing break enabled Michel St-Père, who founded the band 37 years ago as a studio project, to write some of its more grandiose tracks. He explains how a heroic Canadian soldier found his way onto the album and why coming to the UK has always been a costly business for the Mysterons.

Read All About It!

The Fierce And The Dead haven't had it easy in recent years, but they're ready to put all that behind them with their fourth album, News From The Invisible World. It's striking in many ways - not least that, for the first time, they've recorded with vocals. Guitarist Matt Stevens and bassist Kevin Feażey join Prog to lift the lid on how the quartet are enjoying a new lease of life.

The Music Begins Here

Canterbury mainstays Soft Machine are back! As the group herald a new era without their longtime drummer John Marshall and bassist Roy Babbington, the current line-up tell Prog all about their latest studio album, Other Doors, and we find out more about their new drummer, Asaf Sirkis.

Rebel Rousers

After the seriousness of Ayreon and Star One, Arjen Lucassen is ready to let his hair down with Supersonic Revolution. The Dutch polymath is shaking things up and heading back to the 70s for some serious fun, and he's gathered together a fantastic group of musicians to help him.