Opus Avantra - Lord Cromwell Plays Suite for Seven Vices (1975)
[CD - Artis - ARCD 003]

I can't think of another album that really sounds like this. For one thing, the combination of timbres is unusual: old-school synthesizers, sawing violins, piano, very clear electric guitar, flute, percussion (both rock and classical) and a highly theatrical but largely vibrato-free American-accented soprano. On top of that, its influences are atypical; where avant-prog usually draws on composers from the first half of the 20th century and sometimes from the Renaissance, Opus Avantra seem to be more concerned with the Baroque and Classical periods and the avant-garde of the 50s and 60s. Sometimes these styles are cleanly separated from each other, as in the lyrical Bach-goes-symph "Gluttony," or "My Vice," in which 60s-style analog synths slide and whir behind an atonal harpsichord part. In the longer pieces, styles are thrown together almost willy-nilly: "Avarice," for instance, starts out sounding like Boulez circa Structures Ia, but passes through some tempestuous pseudo-Beethoven and then melds the two together with blurry atonal synth parts and droney pedal points in the piano.

A caveat: Opus Avantra sometimes come dangerously close to the border between stylistic experimentation and cheese. The opening of "Flowers on Pride," for instance, includes timpani, sloppily-played Bach misquotations and melodramatic incantations of "pride is a fever!" Still, they manage to redeem themselves with some good old-fashioned early 18th century pomp (before pomp was really pompous), which then gives way to something halfway between Mozart's Requiem and gospel music, or maybe Jesus Christ Superstar. However questionable the band's taste, they are clearly skilled composers, and that manages to make even the sketchiest tracks seem worthwhile -- as evidenced further by "Allemanda," which more than makes up for its "triumphant" mood with some beautiful vocal counterpoint and a firm avoidance of harmonic cliché. Besides, some of the pieces are just cool, like the stormy, piano-led (and rather PFS-like) avant-jazz-rock of "Envy," replete with tritones and featuring sections as headbang-inducing as anything 5uu's ever did. Another standout is the fragmented, rhapsodic, strikingly dense "Ira," which includes such things as: a) more jazzy avant-prog grooving b) machine gun sound effects c) pure instrumental chaos (think Motor Totemist Guild and you're halfway there) d) a beautiful, dissonant section for pipe organ, violins and male and female voices, singing with the clear tones of Early Music specialists.

Overall, I find that Lord Cromwell has too many questionable moments for me to call it a great album. Nevertheless, my cringes are almost always uncertain ones, and at least some of the album is clearly excellent. I can't recommend it as a great release overall, but it's certainly an interesting one, and absolutely worth getting if you're looking for something different. - Alex Temple [January 2003]

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Martin Orford - Classical Music and Popular Songs (2000)

Although Martin Orford has been a cornerstone in the new wave of British progressive rock since the early 80s, playing with some of the biggest bands of the movement such as IQ and Jadis, as well as providing support for John Wetton on many tours, he has never released a collection of his own work till now. As the title implies, this is an outing comprised of classically influenced piano pieces, AOR and progressive rock. This is the first time these songs have been recorded, but many were written as far back as the mid seventies, and some played over the course of time in a live setting.

The classical pieces include "Quilmes", a brief solo piano piece; "The Picnic", an even shorter piece on classical guitar; and "Tatras", a sweeping orchestrated piece that was written as a movement of what would be a piano concerto, and which has a few motifs similar to "My Baby Treats Me Right ’Cos I'm A Hard Lovin’ Man All Night Long" off IQ's Tales from the Lush Attic. There are a few pieces in the AOR-like Jadis mold, most notably "A Part Of Me", which features Wetton on vocals, and sounds as if it could have fit on the first Asia album. Other pieces capture ethereal folk sounds, such as parts of "The Field Of Fallen Angels" and "Evensong".

Then there's the prog styling that Orford does best, with the rocking "Fusion", and "The Overload", which was an out-take from IQ's Subterranea. For those familiar with Orford's work, this is a solid collection of songs that reflects his various influences. - Mike Prete [March 2002]

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Osanna - Palepoli (1973)

Osanna's opus, Palepoli, is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Italian progressive rock out there.  Like Il Balleto Di Bronzo's YS, it is also fairly abrasive and inaccessible, which could disappoint many listeners looking for a good introduction to that prog hotbed.  Both albums have a hard rock edge, and where Il Balleto based much of it's sound on keyboard pyrotechnics, Palepoli uses tons of saxophone and flute, though still mining much of the same sort of dissonant and experimental territory.

I hear healthy doses of two of my favorite bands in Osanna's music, Van Der Graaf Generator and Jethro Tull, as well as a significant King Crimson influence.  This makes for an extremely chaotic and heavy blend, with wailing saxes and driving guitars, as well as a significant portion of ripping flute melodies over a solid hard rock foundation.  Occasionally, the music lapses into quiet melodic moments reminiscent of Genesis circa Nursery Cryme or Trespass.  A major problem with the album is the fairly horrendous sound quality, and many of the more chaotic moments, which could be absolutely mind blowing, end up sounding like a jumbled mess of screechy saxophone and drum parts.  This album truly needs a remastering job before I can enjoy it on the same level as many of the other Italian classics.

The album is basically two songs spread out over what were originally the two LP sides, with a sort interlude at the end of side 1.  The main song on side 1, "Ora Caldo" is excellent and is definitely able to hold my interest over the entire track.  The song definitely recalls the best of early Tull and Van Der Graaf, but infected with their own distinctive style.  The vocals are also quite good and though the poor sound quality takes away from it, it doesn't obstruct the music that much.  The side 2 track is not quite as strong, being much more experimental and not as cohesive.  By this point my attention would start to wander and the muddled sound quality definitely started to grate on my nerves.  I don't know if there is a remaster of this album coming out any time soon, but if there is, wait for it.  Otherwise this is a fairly solid Italian release, and they are definitely a number of absolutely incredible moments on the album. - Greg Northrup [2000]

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