New (mainly) prog blog & review site

[JKL2000]

Looking forward to your review of the Hats Off album!

[lazland]

Looking forward to your review of the Hats Off album!

Thanks Jed. It is a fine work - words will probably follow Sunday or Monday!

[lazland]

Review of Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate new release, The Confidence Trick, added to Album Reviews 2022 Page.

It is a fine album.

[lazland]

Two new album reviews added to Album Reviews 2022 Page. A review under the saddest of circumstances for Solace Supplice - Liturgies Contemporaines; and Finnish alternative rock group Spiritraiser sophomore album, Ciklos.

Ale of the Week added to Beer & News Page.

Video of the Week – Los Bravos; Black is Black!

The historic reviews project continues with 2003 reviews of albums by Steve Hackett, Mostly Autumn, and Arena. 2002 has just the one album review, but it is a good one – Up from Gabriel (I have told you all that this project is now becoming hit & miss until I add original content), 2001 reviews of Pendragon, Marillion, The Flower Kings, Mostly Autumn, two albums by Yes, Blackmore’s Night, and Magenta.

Finally, a restaurant review added to that section of Beer & News Page.

[lazland]

Review of Six By Six debut album added to Album Reviews 2022 Page.

[lazland]

Report of Mansel Arms Real Ale Festival 2022 added to Beer & News Page.

Video of the Week – The Round Window. The track is Avalon, the second single from the forthcoming eponymous debut album due for release on 30th September. The album is produced by Robin Armstrong of Cosmograf and released on his Gravity Dream label and I have had the pleasure of listening to an advance copy of a mighty fine album.

2000 element of historical reviews project uploaded to Album Reviews by Year Page with reviews of albums by Radiohead, Genesis, Arena, IQ, King Crimson, Transatlantic, Peter Gabriel, and Spock’s Beard.

I am presently listening to albums by Lonely Robot & Aliante and hope to have reviews published by the end of the week.

[lazland]

A brand new feature, because you asked for it! Well, no you didn't, but if you had thought of it, you most certainly would have asked for it.

I have added a new feature to the homepage at www.lazland.org to celebrate Bandcamp Friday. This will likely stay on the site, but today is Bandcamp Friday and your opportunity to provide even more support to our beloved artists and maintain their ability to make the music we love. The first portion features Chest Rockwell, The Round Window, Built for the Future, and Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate. The first three have provided exclusive interviews for my site, and these will be published shortly, and an interview is also with Malcolm Galloway of Hats Off and will hopefully be ready for publication shortly.

Review of new Lonely Robot album posted on Album Reviews 2022 Page. Damned fine it is, too.

[lazland]

Review of Aliante, Destinazione Oblique, added to Album Reviews 2022 Page.

Video of the week is Radiohead, OK Computer.

Bandcamp Friday section added last week has been retained, but sort of amended to "coming up on lazland.org......"

[lazland]

Exclusive interview with Malcolm Galloway of Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate has been posted to my website this afternoon at https://lazland.org/interviews/hats-...n-its-adequate

The interview is extremely comprehensive and features some great music as well, so if you are new to the band or wish to explore them further, then I heartily recommend that you get over.

In addition, some thoughts on the death of the Queen added to News & Ramblings Section of Beer & News Page.

[lazland]

A review of the exceptional Firmament by Dim Gray added to Album Reviews 2022 Page. A work approaching genius. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page. It includes three of the tracks, and all of them are well worth watching and listening to.

Ale of the Week added to Beer & News Page.

Video of the Week – Mike Oldfield – I Give Myself Away

I am hoping to get a review of Ghost of the Machine out this week, work and beer commitments permitting.

[lazland]

A review of Ghost of the Machine debut album, Scissorgames, a slab of retro prog, is posted on Album Reviews 2022 Page. Simply scroll down to the bottom, and whilst doing so, why not take a peek at some of the other wonderful reviews you pass?

Historical reviews project continues with 1999 reviews featuring Yes, Marillion, The Wishing Tree, King Crimson, Fish, Dream Theater, and Mike Oldfield.

[lazland]

Ale of the Week added to Beer & News Page.

Video of the Week is Watch It Burn by the late, great David Longdon from his forthcoming posthumous solo album to be released next month on English Electric.

What with the Bank Holiday in the UK (Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral) and preparing for some major interviews on the website, a quiet update this evening. Why don’t you make up for it by browsing some of the fantastic content which came before? I have reviewed 57 albums released in 2022, there is a great new interview with Malcolm Galloway of Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, lots of beery stuff, and some classic album reviews as well.

There are upcoming interviews with The Round Window and Chest Rockwell to be published in the next week and Built for the Future in the next month. Further, an interview is being planned with Ghost of the Machine whose debut album was reviewed last week – see Album Reviews 2022 Page.

[lazland]

Review of debut album Sever by Dutch outfit Inhalo added to Album Reviews 2022 Page.

This is an exceptional album dealing with the issue of anxiety, something I am intimately familiar with. It is a cracking album, so enjoy.

[lazland]

Historical album reviews project continues with 1998 reviews of albums by Arena, Genesis, Mike Oldfield, a Discipline compilation, Marillion, Alan Parsons Project, Steve Hackett, and Mr So & So.

Video of the Week is a fine acoustic live version of In Floral Green from the Lonely Robot album The Big Dream performed by the man himself and Graham Brown.

[lazland]

Exclusive interview with The Round Window published this evening, alongside a review of their eponymous debut album, which is a cracker. Between the review and interview, you can listen to every track, but please note this is offered to visitors on a "try it before you buy it" basis - as I say on the site, please do support our artists by buying music.

I have also revamped the Homepage, and when you visit for the latest updates you will be able to click on a direct link to the album or review without having to scroll down endlessly - yes, I know, I am altogether too kind to my lovely readers! I hope this easier navigation makes all of our lives easier.

I am hoping on Friday to publish a second exclusive interview this week with Josh Hines of Chest Rockwell.

[lazland]

The second exclusive interview of the week has been published tonight with Josh Hines of Chest Rockwell. It is extremely detailed and extensive, so please do enjoy.

In addition, a review of the forthcoming 2022 release, Mentis Oculi.

All you need to do is go to the homepage at www.lazland.org and click on the button links owing to a wonderfully wonderful upgrade to the site making the experience for YOU, the reader, even more lovely and easy. And, what's more, you still don't get extremely annoying corporate messages popping up on your browser.

[lazland]

A review of the exceptional new Cosmograf album, Heroic Materials, has been uploaded tonight. It is a corker. Simply go to the Homepage, and click on the button link to view.

Video of the week is Arena's Time Capsule from the forthcoming album, The Theory of Molecular Inheritance.

It's been a strange evening, because I have had to add a new section, namely "Further 2022 Reviews", this because I had apparently run out of space on the Album Reviews 2022 Page! Who knew? Certainly not I, but I like to think that such technological naivety is a part of the site's charms, and you still don't get any annoying adverts popping up, and neither will you in the future.

Interview questions have been sent over the weekend to Ghost of the Machine, so hopefully the responses will be published in the next couple of weeks. There is an interview with Built for the Future being prepared for publication later this month.

[lazland]

Historical album reviews project continues with 1997 reviews of albums by Radiohead, The Flower Kings, Steve Hogarth, Yes, Marillion, Genesis, Blackmore’s Night, Fish, and IQ.

Video of the Week is the first track from Arena’s new album, The Theory of Molecular Inheritance, which is on general release 21st October.

You can view what is upcoming on www.lazland.org by going to the foot of the homepage. Plenty of exciting things to come!

Also, a celebration of the new monarch on Ale of the Week!

[mozo-pg]

I really appreciate all the work you put into the site. It's quite impressive.

[mozo-pg]

Do you write all the reviews. They are really well thought out and in-depth.

[lazland]

Do you write all the reviews. They are really well thought out and in-depth.

Thank you, for both comments. Yes, everything there is my own work. One of the reasons I setup the website was the desire to do my own thing in my own way and especially not being subject to the (sometimes strange) whims of admins/moderators on the site I previously collaborated on.

[lazland]

Tonight, I present a review of John Holden’s wonderful album, Kintsugi. The link is on the homepage at www.lazland.org – it really couldn’t be easier for you to click, read, and enjoy!

Don’t forget, there are many more reviews of both new and old music available to you by clicking on the links at the top of the homepage. 2022, especially, is turning into a vintage year and it has been a delight to write about it and share with you.

Ale of the Week includes a report on the 2022 Carmarthen CAMRA Beer Festival, which, astoundingly, I remember quite well.

Video of the week on the homepage are the wonderful The Little Unsaid with a track from their forthcoming album, Fable.

[lazland]

Not too much to update tonight, but please do enjoy 1996 historical reviews of albums by Pendragon, The Flower Kings, a Discipline compilation, The Beatles, Jon Anderson.


1995 reviews are Marillion, Nuova Era, and Anthony Phillips.

Just pop along to Album Reviews by Year Page where you will see loads of reviews 1995 to 2021, and more will follow way back to 1969. However, the previous years reviews project is now becoming thin gruel and I look forward to getting this finished so that I can add some new material to these pages. Only 26 years to go!

There should follow in the next few days reviews of the new albums by Arena, the first with Damian Wilson and it is a bit of a cracker, and Haven of Echoes, the new project with Andreas Hack of Frequency Drift (much missed) and Paul Sadler.

[lazland]

Tonight's update is a review of the new Arena release, The Theory of Molecular Inheritance. It is the first release with Damian Wilson on vocals. How does it shape up? Well, to see my opinion, simply head off to www.lazland.org and click on the relevant button to take you to the review at warp speed!

Also, Ale of the Week updated, and again you can see this by clicking on the button on the homepage, and it includes a little bit of social news.

[mozo-pg]

Thanks for the review of the new Arena album. I'll consider picking it up.