Odds & Ends: December 8, 2025

Band: creamcheese | Album: schallplatte | Genre: Psychedelic rock, Post-rock | Bandcamp

The new record from this one-man instrumental act draws quite heavily from Pink Floyd. Drifting rhythms and wavering guitars float about, occasionally interrupted by sharper tones. Acoustic guitar is deployed for the occasional bit of earthiness, balancing out this record’s more astral moments. “Maha Nakhom” sees creamcheese dabble in some semi-electronic Ozric Tentacles worship, for a nice change of pace. And though overlong, the closing “3L3K7R0K4CK3” is a charmingly diverse cut.

Score: 74/100

Band: Flowʍolꓞ | Album: Téboly | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp

Flowwolf is a Hungarian band that blends psychedelic textures with progressive song structures for a very satisfying EP on Téboly. The instrumental tones are great, and there are smart contrasts between rich textures and grittier passages. The vocal performances are strong and melodic, and I also really enjoy the dashes of alternative rock that crop up here and there.

Score: 81/100

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Album Review: Cardiacs – LSD

Band: Cardiacs | Album: LSD | Genre: Progressive rock | Year: 2025

From: Salisbury, UK | Label: Alphabet Business Concern

Bandcamp

Cardiacs is a band I’ve mentioned a number of times on this site. For anyone unfamiliar with them, they are one of the most singular and unique progressive rock bands ever. Their early material blended the energy of punk rock with proggy ambition, which occasionally earned them the genre tag “pronk.” And as their career progressed, bandleader Tim Smith’s musical ambitions grew, culminating in 1996’s masterpiece, Sing to God.

LSD is an album I never expected to hear. Their last album was 1999’s Guns, and the first single for this album, “Ditzy Scene” came out all the way back in 2007. But a slow work schedule wasn’t why I doubted this would ever be released.

In 2008, Tim Smith, the primary driving force behind the band, suffered a heart attack which ultimately led to him experiencing some brain damage. Work was immediately put on pause, and numerous fundraisers were held on Smith’s behalf. By 2016, though, the other members of Cardiacs confirmed that LSD was still in the works.

Smith continued working with Cardiacs throughout the late 2010s, but he ultimately succumbed to his health issues in 2020. The band continued to put the final touches on LSD, however, and now it has arrived. And Jim Smith, the band’s bassist and Tim’s brother, has said Cardiacs has “at least” two more albums planned.

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Odds & Ends: February 3, 2025

Band: Actionfredag | Album: Lys fremtid i mørke | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp

I liked Actionfredag’s debut, Turist i eget liv, a lot, so I went into this new release with somewhat high hopes. The opening track, “Angst oppå bordet” is a tense and exciting instrumental, but much of the rest of the album fails to land for me. They’ve incorporated a lot more jazz and Canterbury elements on this record, but it often comes off as a bit weak and mushy. Many songs meander without saying or doing much, and even some of the more enjoyable cuts here are still somewhat forgettable. There’s a certain sonic slipperiness which makes them difficult to hold onto. If you like warm, mellow jazz more than I do, perhaps you’ll get more out of this.

Score: 62/100

Band: Blackwood Station | Album: In the Gamma Garden | Genre: Psychedelic folk, Americana | Bandcamp

On their latest album, Blackwood Station takes a laid-back, psychedelic approach that heavily evokes the late 1960s. Textures are lush, and the atmosphere is dreamy. Bandleader Ian Blackwood shows a natural knack for catchy melodies. Some songs are a bit longer than they need to be, but it’s an overall fun listen.

Score: 78/100

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Odds & Ends: December 2, 2024

Band: Anciients | Album: Beyond the Reach of the Sun | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp

“Anciients” is one of my least-favorite band names. Certain dumb misspellings can be fun (see: Kömmand, Toxik, Vektor), but just slapping another “i” in there seems stupid. That being said, the focus of this site isn’t on bands’ names, but rather on the music they put out. And if I weren’t able to look past names I dislike, I’d never be able to enjoy acts like Between the Buried and Me or And So I Watch You from Afar.

Anciients is one of those bands that is adored by the likes of r/progmetal, and which I enjoy but do not view quite so worshipfully. Think Caligula’s Horse, Devin Townsend, or recent Haken. Beyond the Reach of the Sun, though, resonates with me more than this band’s prior work. Melodic, Dream Theater-influenced prog metal coexists with heavier sludge-influenced passages, and it results in some exciting compositions. Some slower cuts can take a little long to get going (I’m especially looking at you, “Is It Your God”), but the payoff is usually worth it.

Score: 78/100

Band: delving | Album: All Paths Diverge | Genre: Post-rock, Progressive rock | Bandcamp

Elder frontman Nicholas DiSalvo is back with his second album under the delving name. It continues in a vein similar to the first delving record, but I like this one more. Hirschbrunnen, released in 2021, is a passable but forgettable post-rock album. All Paths Diverge has more complex and purposeful compositions. I really like how thoroughly keyboards have been integrated, and the guitar tones are lovely. This very much feels like a non-metallic, dreamier version of Elder, and that twist on Elder’s sound works really well. Like any hour-long instrumental post-rock record, there’s some bloat, but this is a release where the vibes and atmospheres are more important than any specific riff.

Score: 79/100

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Odds & Ends: October 2, 2023

Band: Baroness | Album: Stone | Genre: Progressive rock, Sludge metal | Bandcamp

Baroness’s first non-color-themed album is an improvement over the miserable Gold & Grey. The production is much better here; I can actually distinguish different instruments in the mix! The songwriting sees Baroness try a few new things, to mixed results. “Beneath the Rose” and “Choir” both see the band integrate some alt-metal influence, and “Magnolia” features some excellent evolution through its runtime. Stone still sees the band trying to be both pop-friendly radio rock and prog-sludge, and that prevents either side from truly shining.

Score: 71/100

Band: Giant the Vine | Album: A Chair at the Backdoor | Genre: Progressive rock, Post-rock | Bandcamp

This instrumental Italian act usually plays at an unhurried pace. This gives the music a chance to build and take its time in making its point. In their best moments, the channel strains of Porcupine Tree and Dream Theater’s less-metallic side. On the flip side, Giant the Vine has a tendency to let their music become aimless or repetitive. On the whole, this is decent, enjoyable instrumental prog, but the bloat does detract from it somewhat.

Score: 67/100

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Odds & Ends: September 6, 2022

Band: General Admin | Album: techno techno techno techno | Genre: Math rock | Bandcamp

Leave it to a math rock band to have such an odd album title. (Then again, I might be disappointed by a math act giving a record a straightforward name.) The four tracks on this EP are energetic, anxious, yet also fun. The riffs are flashy, of course, and many of the melodies are surprising. It’s a to-the-point release that comes in, makes a statement, and does its job well.

Score: 77/100

Band: Gospel | Album: MVDM | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp

MVDM is made up of just the titular 21-minute song (which actually has a much longer full title). The song was originally written back in the mid-2000s but lay unfinished for over a decade. This epic features lush, languid synths, technical, mathy riffs, and impassioned hardcore punk-style vocals. The song is exhilarating and features a ton of raw intensity.

Score: 91/100

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