La Bocca Della Verità: “[Un]connected” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

La Bocca Della Verità’s 2023 album, “[Un]connected”, offers a contemplative journey that artfully examines humanity’s role in the digital realm. The album melds diverse prog styles while exploring profound themes about virtual existence and its impact on human perception and empathy. Through its masterful fusion of both retro and contemporary progressive elements, “[Un]connected” stands out as an emotionally resonant and commanding presentation on the implications of our ever-growing digital lives.

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PoiL Ueda: “PoiL Ueda” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

In the 2023 collaboration album “PoiL Ueda”, the experimental French prog band PoIL and Japanese satsuma-biwa artist Junko Ueda create a riveting fusion of traditional Japanese sounds and modern experimental prog. The album’s captivating blend of shomyo chants, medieval storytelling, and avant-garde progressiveness offers a soundscape that’s both unique and haunting. A musical journey clocking in at just 31 minutes, it leaves listeners, seasoned or novice, yearning for more.

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Agusa: “Prima Materia” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

With their fifth album, “Prima Materia”, Swedish prog quintet Agusa seamlessly fuses elements of psychedelic rock, folk, symphonic prog, and a medley of world music, taking listeners on a metaphysical journey through primal emotions and vivid musical landscapes. The album is a compelling tour-de-force through the human condition; experience a musical voyage like none other.

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Matteo Mancuso: “The Journey” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

Sicilian guitarist Matteo Mancuso’s debut album “The Journey” showcases a mesmerizing blend of jazz, rock, and fusion, solidifying his presence in the guitar world. From curious openers like “Silkroad” to soulful numbers like “Polifemo” and a touching acoustic closer with his father Vincenzo, Mancuso’s compositional talent and classical-inspired technique shine through. Dive into a record that is not only a testament to Mancuso’s musical skill but also a bridge between jazz aficionados and newcomers alike.

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Prometheo: “Stupor Mundi Vol. 1” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

Delve into the fascinating story of King Frederick II’s reign as portrayed by Rock Progressivo Italiano band Prometheo in their latest release “Stupor Mundi Vol. 1”. The album (the inaugural volume of a planned two-part series) weaves a vibrant tapestry of history, storytelling, and diverse musical expression, its palpable progressive essence drawing listeners in to a compelling historical saga.

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The Filibuster Saloon: “Going Off Topic” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

“Going Off Topic”, the debut album from The Filibuster Saloon, delves into elements of Canterbury Scene, jazz, progressive rock, fusion, avant-prog, and however many labels may apply. These instrumental tracks comprise a vibrant and playful collection of tunes, trading moments of compositional complexity and musical virtuosity with an air of both breezy cheerfulness and cheeky mischief.

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I Am The Manic Whale: “Bumper Book of Mystery Stories” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

I Am The Manic Whale’s triumphant fourth album “Bumper Book of Mystery Stories” deftly navigates and overcomes the challenges inherent to the concept album: combining clever storytelling and thematic delivery with an engaging musical presentation. The band successfully fulfills the promise of any good horror, science fiction, and adventure anthology, with thrills and chills aplenty, and bestows them upon us in a thrilling melodic prog sojourn.

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Nospūn: “Opus” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

“Opus”, the 2023 album from Nospūn, is a virtuosic progressive-metal narrative take on the soul-crushing consequences of obsession. This North Carolina outfit solidifies strong metal chops, catchy melodies, progressive rock inventiveness, and a flair for dramatic storytelling into a powerfully engaging concept album.

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Amoeba Split: “Quiet Euphoria” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

“Quiet Euphoria” is a sensational progressive jazz record from Amoeba Split that plays with the boundaries of genre and engages listeners with vibrant melodies and dynamic composition. Boasting moments of cohesive strength, musical whimsy, innovative and improvisational drive, and deep atmospheric immersion, “Quiet Euphoria” boasts both comforting familiarity and jarring unease all at once. The title itself is a similar contradiction, a vanguard of the compositional dialectical on display.

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K’mono: “Mind Out Of Mind” (2023) – Album Review

Mills Album Reviews, Music

Drawing influence from classic eclectic and symphonic prog bands. shaped by a blend of hard and space rock, and filtered through a lens of contemporary neo-prog, “Mind Out Of Mind” by K’mono is one of the most thrilling and engaging albums of the year. Take an extended dip into the waters of this tonal oasis.

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