#18 -Top of 2012

Flower Kings- Banks of Eden (Inside Out)

Flower Kings are back after a 5-year break with their eleventh studio album "Banks of Eden", which is another unique chapter in their progressive rock journey. While the classic members are present (with Roine Stolt and Hasse Fröberg in vocals/ guitars, Jonas Reingold in vocals/ bass/ guitar and Tomas Bodin in keyboards), this is the first album with the band's new drummer, Felix Lehrmann. The album starts, as expected, with the amazing "Numbers" (with guitar interludes and great choruses that go a little over 25 minutes) which sets the mood and the expectations for a feel good record! It is followed by "For The Love Of Gold", "Pandemonium", "For Those About To Drown" and "Rising The Imperial", all of which are Flower-Kings-representative songs that are meant to accompany the listener through mellow guitars and vocals as well as a number of instruments such as flutes (more prominent in "Pandemonium").
If you are feeling this doesn't sound long enough for a progressive album, there is a bonus disc with shorter but equally amazing songs including "Illuminati", "Fireghosts", "Going Up" and "LoLines". It sounds like the 5-year gap was beneficial for the band as "Banks of Eden" is an interesting modern (but at the same time classic) progressive record that becomes better after each listen!


93/100

Below is the audio track of the song "Rising the Imperial"

#19 -Top of 2012

Astra - The Black Chord (Metal Blade/Rise Above)

In number 19 of the best albums of 2012, yet another progressive rock masterpiece, this time from American prog rockers Astra in their second album. Immediately, the characteristic style of Astra's modern space rock meets classic 70s prog, is prominent.

'Cocoon' begins with solar winds and ambience building into a mellowness that welcomes you into the album and lets you know what you are in for! It segues straight into the mammoth 'The Black Chord' that is a mosaic of colour and musical motion, with Piano keys reminiscent of early Pink Floyd tunes. 'Quake Meat' is an astonishing prog orgasmatron, starting with a rapid awesome riff, exploding into a full on psychedelic trip. 'Drift' begins wit a minimalist intro as softened vocals sweetly blend over, being an interlude piece. 'Bull Torpis' is an instrumental with an excellent blend of keyboard and guitar 70s sounds. 'Barefoot In The Head' is a tribute to Pink Floyd with lyrics clearly alluding to the legendary band and musically building into their legacy to finish out the album with a hell of a song!
This is an album that grows on the listener and is truly inspirational on showing how music can sound contemporary and yet remain genuinely reverent to the golden sound of the 70s.




93/100

Below the audio track for Quake Meat.

#20 - Top of 2012

Echolyn - Echolyn (Velveteen Records)

The self-titled album by Echolyn is in the 20th place of the 2012 countdown. Echolyn are an American band that is playing a "classic" type of prog rock, while still remaining relevant to today's prog scene. This is their 7th studio album (with a newer one, "I heard you listening" being released in 2015) and is of an equal artistic value with their best album before, "Mei" in 2002.
Going track by track, the album starts with "Island", where we have all the trademarks of the band, with multiple part vocals and delicate instrumental breaks. "Headright" which follows is the exact opposite style of song, keeping it short and simple. "Locust To Bethlehem" starts like a country song with the guitar but mixes classical instrumentation at some point while having excellent mingling of vocal melodies with the instrumentation of the piece. "Some Memorial" relies on piano to carry on through the first part, while breaking into a classical progressive crescendo later on. "Past Gravity" also starts slowly with piano and vocals, exploding into a more energetic rock tune in the latter part of the song."When Sunday spills" is another song in two parts, the first one being  more minimalist while the second incorporates  heavier elements. "Speaking In Lampblack" is more reminiscent of post rock, while the finisher "The Cardinal and I" is more on the progressive side, with more instrumental breaks, the delicate sound of the music tempered by some heavy passages.
In conclusion,this is a very diverse album, with excellent inspiration, driven by both progressive rock and contemporary influences that sounds unique and deservedly belongs among the best music outputs of 2012.


 93/100
Below is the audio track for "Some Memorial".

#21 - Top of 2012

Mortalicum - The Endtime Prophecy (Metal on Metal Records)

"The Endtime Prophecy" is the second full-length album of the Swedish heavy metal band Mortalicum and it is a very interesting hard-rocking album with doom elements! "My Dying Soul" is an amazing start as it kicks in with great riffs and vocals by the band's frontman Henrik Hogl. It is followed by the quick paced songs such as the "Revelation Within" and the "Devil's Hand", as well as full-of-heavy-riffs songs with the best example being the song that gave its name to the album "The Endtime Prophecy". "When Hell Freezes Over" adds a heavy-doom sound to the album that can also be heard in the groovier "Embracing Our Doom", while the pace slows down for the "Ballad of a Sorrowful Man". The album closes with the fitting song "The End" wrapping up a captivating entry for 2012!


 93/100

 Below is the video clip for the song "My Dying Soul".

#22 - Top of 2012

Flying Colors - Flying Colors

In number 22, this is the debut album of the Prog Rock supegroup conceived by Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Steve Morse and producer Bill Evans as a more straightforward  radio-friendly project.Their second album has also been featured in the top list for 2014 (here is its review) and although superior to this debut (hence its higher place in that list), this album is not devoid of good qualities either.

Being the band's debut album, there is still a feeling of exploration here and there is less focus than in "Second Nature". Despite that this album is also an excellent listen and one of the most easy to listen progressive records of 2012

All in all a very promising debut from a supergroup that here delivers exactly what was expected of it; high calibre good music.


93/100

 Below is the music video for "Kayla"