finding new soul

#NowPlaying Sugar for the Pill by Slowdive Didn't grab me as quickly as "Star Roving", but it's wormed its way into my head. Very much looking forward to the full-length.

#NowPlaying Springfield by Anathema New music from my favorite band always makes for a good day.

#NowPlaying The Sails Of Charon by Scorpions Found this song stuck in my head this evening... I think my soul cried out for some Uli Jon Roth.

#NowPlaying This Godless Endeavor by Nevermore An absolutely brilliant record from top to bottom, but the ending title track is on another level. Jeff Loomis is unbelievable.

#NowPlaying Star Roving by Slowdive Slowdive single > Ride single > Lush EP Still, new music from three of my favorite bands > everything

#NowPlaying Home Is A Feeling by Ride Well, it's certainly better than anything on Tarantula! Seems like a grower, but I'll take new Ride in whatever form I can get it.

#NowPlaying Blackfield – Blackfield V by Brian Gmutza I've not been the biggest Blackfield fan (at least to the degree that I am with Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson solo), but I am totally smitten with this record. It's more accessible, yet still with some progressive and melancholy bits that give it a bit more heft. If you haven't been impressed with Blackfield before, I highly recommend giving their latest a listen!

#NowPlaying Horisont – About Time by Brian Gmutza A few listens in, and I have to be honest that it's a bit disappointing. Odyssey and Time Warriors were absolutely brilliant, so it may just not match up in comparison. Still a must-listen for fans of 70's-ish rock.

#NowPlaying Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden I'm willing to hear reasons why this isn't one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Those reasons will be wrong, but I'll listen nevertheless.

#NowPlaying Captain Beyond by Captain Beyond This record never disappoints: I've probably listened to it 100 times, and it only gets better with age. Absolutely one of my favorite records of all time.

#NowPlaying Medusa by Trapeze One of the great underrated records. Mel Galley's guitar work is excellent, Dave Holland shows a level of skill that he never matched later (and I'm a huge Priest fan), and Glenn Hughes gives a masterful vocal performance.

#NowPlaying Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep Woke up with "The Wizard" in my head this morning. This album was one of my father's favorites, and thus one of my very first introductions to progressive rock. Still holds up 45 years later, as does the catalogue for the Byron era.

I created a Spotify playlist, which can be found here, that consists of two tracks from each of the records on which he performed (plus one from The Sleeping Gods/Thorns EP).

#NowPlaying Argus by Wishbone Ash This record has been widely acclaimed, but as long as I've tried, I've never found it the masterpiece that most others do. For whatever reason, I think I've turned the corner today. Chalk one up for persistence...

#NowPlaying It's So Damn Easy by My Vitriol I'm fully smitten with this song, the band's first bit of new music in far, far too long! Here's hoping it's a harbinger of much more to come.

#NowPlaying Star Roving by Slowdive Pleasantly impressed with the new track, though it is likely the most upbeat track they've ever done.

#NowPlaying Unorthodox Behaviour by Brand X Been on another Fusion kick and was reminded how incredible this first Brand X record is. Phil Collins is on a whole other level on drums: he hinted at this in Gabriel-era Genesis, but it was lost in the 80's. John Goodsall, formerly of Atomic Rooster at the time, rips it up on guitar. A bit of a lost gem in the genre.