| # | Artist | Song (click to play) | Album | Year | CD label | My Gnosis Rating |
| 1 | Echolyn | Brittany | Cowboy Poems Free | 2000 | self-produced | 12 (Alan's) |
|
"After the breakup of Finneus Guage, Chris Buzby
contacted his old bandmates, and that lead to the
reforming of one of my favorite bands! Echolyn has
returned, with the addition of a second percussionist.
All of their trademark elements are here: Great
songwriting and lyrics, vocals harmonies, and
musicianship. One of the things they are best at is
telling stories in their music. Many of the songs on
this album are based on diaries and stories from
relatives. A most welcome return!" - Alan Mallery
The Official Echolyn Website | ||||||
| 2 | Chaos Code | Gravy Fries | A Tapestry of Afterthoughts | 1999 | self-produced | 9 |
| A first release from a new heavy American progressive with good potential. The music is somewhat in the vein of Discipline but perhaps more experimental. | ||||||
| 3 | Ivory Tower | The Peeping Tom | Beyond the Stars | 2000 | Limb Music Publishing | 10 (Alan's) |
|
"Ivory Tower is a progmetal band from Germany playing
in the Dream Theater mold. They are perhaps more
melodic and not quite as technical. This is their 2nd
album, and follows in a similar vein to their first.
I like the new disc from Empty Tremor a little better
than this, but this is still pretty good." - Alan Mallery
InsideOut Music - Ivory Tower | ||||||
| 4 | Ensemble Nimbus | Absolute Zero | Garmonbozia | 2000 | Record Heaven | 10 |
|
Garmonbozia is the third release by this avant-prog band from Sweden. On
percussion is Flower Kings' & Samla Mammas Manna percussionist Hasse
Bruniusson. The music is not short on Samla-like quirkiness and humor.
Tomas Bodin of the Flower Kings also guests. Much of the music is an
edgy & energetic electrified folk in Samla's style.
Ensemble Nimbus | ||||||
| 5 | Fragile | Pohjas | Appletree in Osaka | 2000 | Klesment Audio Productions | 10 |
|
This is the second album released by the new Estonian progressive rock
band Fragile. To me, the music sounds like a modern experimental space
rock in the vein of Ektroverde, from Finland, with some interesting
ethnic spiced trance grooves like Korai Orom or Zetaboo. A very interesting
band that does not fit the mold of any specific style and seeks to find
it's own territory.
Review: Fragile: Ćunapuu Osakas | ||||||
| 6 | Kansas | Myriad | Somewhere to Elsewhere | 2000 | Magna Carta | 11 (Alan's) |
|
"Kansas is back with a brand new album. Old members
Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope are back with the band, at
least in the studio. All the tracks on this album are
written by Kerry Livgren. Like their old albums, it
is a mixture of longer symphonic tracks and shorter
rock tracks. For a bunch of old geezers, this album
is really good, and much better than I expected! ;-) Recommended."
- Alan Mallery
Kansas Official Home Page The People of the South Wind | ||||||