| # | Artist | Song (click to play) | Album | Year | CD label | My Gnosis Rating |
| 1 | Steve Morse | Prognosis | Major Impacts | 2000 | Magna Carta | 10 (Alan's) |
|
"The latest album from Mr. Morse has an interesting
twist. The songs are original, but each one was
written in a style of one of his influences. Of
course for PRA I had to record Prognosis, which was
influenced by Kansas and Yes." - Alan Mallery
Steve Morse Home Page | ||||||
| 2 | After Forever | Leaden Legacy | Prison of Desire | 2000 | Transmission Records | 11 (Alan's) |
| "After Forever are a Dutch band and play what Ken Golden refers to as "Beauty and the Beast Prog" :-). The sounds is very Gothic and Symphonic. The main lead vocalist is a lovely female soprano, with some counter point from a male using grunt-type vocals. I don't usually like Cookie Monster type stuff, but when used as a counterpoint like it is here, it can be very effective." - Alan Mallery | ||||||
| 3 | Volapuk | Nusrat | Polyglot | 2000 | Cuneiform | 11 |
|
Completely acoustic uplifting music with elements of chamber music, jazz,
and quirky French progressive. The band is led by percussionist & composer
Guigou Chenevier, originally of Etron Fou Leloublan. The band is a trio
whose primary instrumentation consists of clarinet, cello, and percussion.
For such a small band, they play a very complex music full of interesting
twists and turns and endless fascination.
Cuneiform Records | ||||||
| 4 | Simon Steensland | Psychlone | Led Circus | 1999 | Ultimate Audio Entertainment | 11 |
|
Simon Steensland is a multi-instrumentalist who remarkably plays every
instrument on this song except for the solo guitar. The music is complex
and generally dark akin to Present. In occassional lighter and folkier
moments, the music is similar to Samla's. Simon is joined on most
tracks with guest musicians playing an array of stringed and wind
instruments as well as percussion, including Mats & Morgan.
Ultimate Audio Entertainment | ||||||
| 5 | Tulli Lum | Souv | Tulli Lum | 2000 | 14 (Hubert's) | |
|
"Tulli Lum (Hot Snow in the Livonian language) is an Estonian/Livonian
project. It consists of Estonian musicians, among them Toomas Rull, who
has drummed for Ruja and Ultima Thule, and Tiit Kikas, a great electric
violin player (Kirile Loo, Dagö etc.). The only non-Estonian is the
singer Julgi Stalte, who is a Livonian lady, studying folk music in an
Estonian school. [There are about 300 Livonians still alive, living in
Latvia, and only a few of them still speak their language.] She sings in
Livonian and the music draws heavily from their folk music. But thanks
to a great sax/clarinet player, powerful rhythm section (2
percussionists) and violin player (who's violin very often sounds like
electric guitar), the music is pretty much ethno-jazz with
prog undertones." - Hubert Jakobs
Central Europe Review - Defender of a Small Nation Tulli Lum | ||||||
| 6 | Whoopgnash | Moderately Priced | Whoopgnash | 1999 | self released | 10 (Alan's) |
| "Whoopnash is a three piece from Minneapolis, who play their own brand of guitar fusion. Comparable to Scott McGill or Allan Holdsworth. Tasty playing." - Alan Mallery | ||||||