Progfest '97

Various Artists

Progfest is a special event that happens once a year, featuring a cornucopia of ‘prog’ bands, old and new, some reforming just for the occasion. The show from 12 years ago, Progfest ’97, originally released in 1998, has been reissued as a double CD set, featuring seven different acts. The John Wetton Band opens with two UK songs: “In The Dead Of Night” and “Rendezvous 6:02.” Wetton is in good voice, and his band spot-on in these note-for-note numbers. Drummer Thomas Lang is a real stand-out. He finishes up with the King Crimson classic, "Starless."

Sweet piano begins — and leads — Le Orme’s “Madre Mia/Prima Acqua,” one of four selections from this Italian progressive six-piece, followed by “Vecchio,” featuring a solid vocal from Aldo Tagliapietra (I’m not sure what he’s singing about!). At times, these guys sound like Mike Oldfied’s band, others times like Supertramp. The band Arena, featuring one-time Marillion drummer Mick Pointer (who sounds great, by the way), ends the first disc with two tunes. I especially like love Paul Wrightson’s expressive voice on “Medusa.”

The second disc opens with “Retropolis,” a scary little number from the Flower Kings. Swedish guitarist Roine Stolt’s band can certainly play behind his wailing guitar; they have a ‘softer-but-close-to-Dream Theater’ thing happening. Their “Humanizzimo, Pt. A, B, C, D” reminds one of all that progressive rock boasts, does so well, but causes critics to moan over. At 15 plus minutes, it’s at times a pure Stolt showcase, and at other times a floating fantasy.

Spock’s Beard, one of the better-known, newer progressive rock bands, is up next with “Thoughts” and “Go the Way You Go.” They are definitely better musicians than singers (that may be due to the departure of their original singer Neal Morse in 2002). I couldn’t really get much into anything past the blistering passages of “Thoughts” or the sweet guitar/piano interplay of the slightly too-long “Go the Way You Go.”

BigElf gets three songs. While this American band (now signed to Linda Perry’s Custard Records label and touring with Dream Theater) is also lacking in the vocal department, they are considerably heavier, yet more accessible with shorter tunes. Out of the three, my favorite is the Deep Purple-like “Sell Out.”

Sinkadus (how’s that for a name?) ends it all with “Attestupan.” This is basically Swedish singer-songwriter Kristofer Åström’s solo band (he also plays in the band Fireside and the Rainways), and this last tune of the CD sounds a lot like old Genesis when Gabriel’s flute was integral to their sound. There’s a bunch of changes over the chunky backbeat of this 12-minute opus. Still, the vocals are not great, sorry to say.

Out of the whole lot, Sinkadus, Le Orme and John Wetton sound the most like old prog, while BigElf and Spock’s Beard represent a newer wave of today’s prog. For my money, Progfest ’97 is a good sample of what’s going on out there if you’ve been away from progressive rock for a while. Or maybe you still haven’t closed the triple sleeve origami of Yessongs.

~ Ralph Greco, Jr.

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