Last year Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic were creeping up on Porcupine Tree’s immense popularity. This year we’ve seen the return of heavyweights Yes, Peter Gabriel, Van der Graaf Generator, Jon Anderson and Kate Bush, alongside impressive new material from Steven Wilson, Dream Theater, Touchstone and Opeth, bookended by the bumper Pink Floyd reissues EMI/Superball’s Prog Rocks! campaign. But what have been your highlights?

Summer’s End, Fused, Cambridge Rocks and High Voltage once again delivered live thrills as Anathema, Pallas, Mogwai, Radiohead, Nightwish, Primus, Magenta, Mastodon, Symphony X and more gave us cause to raid our proggy piggy banks.

And we’ve not even started on the wealth of newer talent such as Lost In Thought, Von Hertzen Brothers, Phaedra, TesseracT, Wobbler, Cranium Pie, Matt Stevens and Sanguine Hum jostling for our attention.

Ready to ballot? Have a look at the categories listed below, stick your choices on an email with Readers’ Poll in the subject field, and email your entries to: voteprog@futurenet.co.uk.

If snail mail really is your thing, then simply scribble down your entries on the form below and send it to: Readers’ Poll, Classic Rock Presents Prog, 2 Balcombe Street, London, NW1 6NW.

The choice is yours. Get voting…

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PROG HEARTTHROB 2011

PROG ICON 2011

To be called Storm Corrosion, the pair have now finished work on their debut album. This will be released in April, although no label has yet been confirmed.

The rest of the line-up is Gavin Harrison (drums),  Ben Castle (woodwind) and Dave Stewart (string arrangements). At one point, drummer Mike Portnoy was due to be involved. But that’s no longer the case.

Find out more at www.facebook.com/corrosedstorm

Prog 21 takes readers on a trip into the progressive underground scene that grew up in the Ladbroke Grove area of London in the late 60s and continues to this day. Dave Brock, Lemmy, Nik Tuner, Doug Smith, Michael Moorcock and Stacia all contribute as we look at how the scene spread from the ‘Wind through bands like The Pink Fairies, Here & Now and Ozric Tentacles in today’s music scene.

Elsewhere there are brand new interviews with Peter Hammill, Can discussing the 40^th Anniversary of their legendary Tago Mago album, Arena, Nightwish, Cynic, The Devil’s Blood, The Pineapple Thief, Haken, Dec Burke, The Resonance Association, Tim Bowness and features a free CD featuring Opeth, Touchstone, Haken, White Willow, Airbag, Matt Stevens and many more.

Prog 21 is available from all good newsagents, or from here.

The digital version for iPad is available at  http://goo.gl/TLY22 (UK) or  http://goo.gl/RMw3s (US).

Words: Malcolm Dome

It appears to have become a habit to slag off the Lou Reed and Metallica collaboration, even before hearing a note of Lulu (Vertigo). Metallica fans seem to hate the very idea of their faves working with Reed. And this isn’t recognisable as a Metallica album. But why should it be? It’s something separate. Perhaps if a project name had been used instead of the various protagonists being so readily identified, then people would have more of an open mind. The truth is that the album is interesting and arresting. Far from being instant, there’s enough here to keep you returning. What does it sound like? It’s Lou Reed with a heavy, progressively atmospheric rock approach. In some respects, not far removed from Opeth taking on board a Peter Gabriel influence. Not the disaster some believe. And if you want to listen to the whole album before buying a copy, it’s being streamed at www.loureedmetallica.com

Far more obvious is the new Megadeth album Th1rt3en (Roadrunner). Yes, the spelling of the title is either cunning or just plain daft, but the music is vibrant on what is the best Megadeth album in years. The return of bassist David Ellefson has given everything a lift, and the band have returned to a style not far removed from Rust In Peace The future for this lot now appears healthier than ever.

Last year Alter Bridge put out the AB III album. Now they’ve got a deluxe edition called AB 3.5 (Roadrunner). There are three extra tracks on the CD, all of which are the equal of anything on the original. Plus a bonus DVD titled One By One, which is a documentary featuring interviews with all the band. One could argue that the whole thing is a gratuitous attempt to exploit an old album. However, nobody’s forcing you to buy a copy. And with those extra songs, not to mention a new DVD, the package is worthwhile.

Foreigner are the latest band to revisit their back catalogue. On Acoustique (earMUSIC), they present some of their great moments in an acoustic setting, It doesn’t all work, but the approach pays dividends more often than not, and Long, Long Way From Home and Starrider are particular triumphs. There’s also new song Save Me, which proves this line-up don’t just have to rely on past glories.

Black Widow will always be known for Come To The Sabbat, and for once having a daring occult stage set. But can they still offer anything these days? Perhaps against the odds, Sleeping With Demons (Cargo) is more than decent. The blues-rock approach is intact, added to which is lustre of foreboding in both the lyrics and the music. Some of it is patent, camp nonsense, but if the impact is more Hammer than Crowley, then it’s still entertaining.

Jane’s Addiction have their own style, which makes The Great Escape Artist (EMI) unmistakably them. And this band really don’t make bad albums. However, while the songs are strong enough to match anything on 2003’s Strays, nonetheless it does fall short of Nothing’s Shocking or Ritual De Lo Habitual. Maybe the problem is that the musicians fall so easily into the Jane’s groove and are a little too comfortable with it all.

Armored Saint are one of those bands who should have been so much bigger than they were.The reissue of second album Delirious Nomad (Rock Candy) proves the point . Orginally put out in 1985, it has an intelligent approach to metal that transcends genres such as thrash and power metal. This lot wrote and delivered multi-faceted songs, which set them apart from most of their contemporaries, and the quality still shines through.

There’s a perceived wisdom that the second album from Lone Star was far superior to their debut. Well, both have now been re-released by Rock Candy, and it may make people reassess their evaluation of the fine 70s Welsh band. The self-titled debut actually sounds really strong, full of powerful moments, and possessed of a vibrancy and expertise that underscores why so much was expected of this band on the album’s release in 1976. However, second album Firing On All Six (first put out in 77) hasn’t fared quite so well. Despite having the evergreen Bells Of Berlin, the production here (from Gary Lyons) is stilted and stuttering, which means the album now sounds rather dull. A pity, because there are some fine songs here, and the band clearly were playing at a high level. But while Roy Thomas Baker got his production spot on for the debut, Lyons is way off the mark.

To celebrate this landmark, Eddie, Stone, Jeff, Matt, Mike and others take you through the 20 songs that built the band. Watch the trailer for the new Cameron Crowe doc Pearl Jam Twenty here: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/pearl-jam-twenty/trailer

Also in thjs packed issue:

Lou Reed/Metallica

“It’s not a party album.” Lou Reed and Metallica tell us all about their collaboration album, Lulu. Listen to the first taster here: http://soundcloud.com/loureedmetallica/the-view

Rod Stewart

Every Picture Tells A Story. The in-depth, eye-witness tale of Rod’s classic album that arrived by accident. Watch Rod’s classic TOTP Maggie May appearance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcoWUt51zaU&feature=fvwrel

Sham 69

Too punk for punk? Too working-class for a fashion-led London media? As they prepare to re-form, frontman Jimmy Pursey and guitarist Dave Parsons look back. See Sham play Borstal Breakout at Reading 1978 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6utdlMvuD74&feature=related

Opeth

Goodbye death metal beginnings, hello new, metal-free album Heritage. We sneak a peek inside the Scandinavian progsters’ strange world and weird head-space. See their creey video for new track The Devil’s Orchard here: http://pitchfork.com/news/44090-video-opeth-the-devils-orchard/

The Answer

To celebrate the release of their third album, Classic Rock takes the Northern Irish boys for a night on the tiles in their hometown. You should hear the tales they told… See videos on the making of the album here: http://www.theanswer.ie/

Tony Iommi

Knife-carrying gang member, heavy metal pioneer, rock icon, classic-riff architect… Life has had its moments of both heaven and hell for the Black Sabbath guitarist. Watch CR’s Malcolm Dome interview him here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLoJ92y8Zk0

Jani Lane

He wanted to be more than ‘The Cherry Pie guy’. But alcohol, demons and ridicule led to his demise. Watch him talk about why he hates that song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR1xpknCHCQ

The Dirt

Jeff Beck hints at teaming up with Robert Plant; Blackmore, Paice, Frampton, Schenker and Wylde among the guests on William ‘Captain Kirk’ Shatner’s new album of classic rock covers; Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan to rejoin Quo? Welcome back Lindsey Buckingham, Slim Chance and Girlschool…

The New Blues Rock Super-Duos

We speak to Beth Hart about her new album with Joe Bonamassa, and Susan Tedeschi about the Tedeschi Trucks Band (a collaboration with her husband and Allmans guitarist Derek Trucks):

Watch Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa being interviewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3nwMRXxZg Hear them playing Tom Waits’ Chocolate Jesus at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TkitGRoGM8&feature=related

See the Tedeschi Trucks Band interviews here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-_EYXYR8RY. Watch them performing Midnight In Harlem here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7czlanjaObs&feature=related

Photo Pass

Brian May

“I had this image of Brian as this sort of ‘time lord of fruit’.” Patrice De Villiers recalls photographing the grapefruit-loving Queen guitarist at his home in Surrey.

The Stories Behind The Songs

Anthrax & Public Enemy

Between the paint-guns, the cross-dressing and the late-night philosophy, it’s a wonder this 1991 crossover thrash-hop masterpiece even got made.

Q&A

Peter Gabriel

“The first time I got a phone call from space, I was out.” The former Genesis man on technology, cracking movies, pop stardom (briefly), and almost riding the Space Shuttle.

Fly On The Wall

Rolling Stones

When the Stones staged their spectacular Rock And Roll Circus comeback in 1968, they ended up being upstaged by The Who and looking like clowns. Watch The Who blowing everyone away here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ku7QNRudg

Heavy Load

Gene Simmons

The Kiss man on Gene Simmons, making money, wasting money, and how if he was in charge the police would have baseball bats and drug dealers would be dead.

Plus there’s a massive reviews section. With new albums from Lou Reed & Metallica, The Union, Foreigner, Megadeth, Johnny Winter… Reissues from The Who, Dream Theater, Yes, Nazareth, Whitesnake, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix… Books on Frank Zappa, The Kinks, progressive rock, Captain Beefheart… DVD on Mott The Hoople… Live reviews of Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction.

There’s also a great free DVD, featuring live  performances from Roy Harper, Van Der Graaf Generator, Caravan, The Zombies and others. That’s in the UK. Overseas it will be a 14-track free CD, featuring such artists as Donnie Vie, Vain, Shy and Amebix. The covers for both are below.

All this and so much more in the new issue of Clsssic Rock. On sale right now!

Says Akerfeldt:

“It feels like I’ve been building up to write and participate on an album like this since I was 19.

“I think you’ll need a slightly deeper understanding of our music as a whole to be able to appreciate this record. I’ve realised my influences for this album are so diverse that I can’t really say what it sounds like.

“If I can compare it to any other band, it would have to be Opeth, but it’s different from the stuff we’ve done before. I’ve listened a lot to Alice Cooper for the last year, yet I can’t say it sounds like No More Mr Nice Guy. I hope you’ll like it once you hear it.”

See below for the first part of Mikael’s analysis of Opeth’s brand new 2011 release.

Words: Malcolm Dome

To celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Hit And Run album, Girlschool have re-recorded it for the Wacken label. Now titled Hit And Run Revisited, there’s little doubt they’ve done a fine job. And studio technology being so much better in 2011, the whole thing has a more powerful sound. But, you know what? The original is still better. They’ve even changed the silly banter in Yeah Right. Sure, it wouldn’t now make sense to have a mum laying down the law for her daughters, but the new dialogue lacks the daft panto humour of the 81 version.

White Wizzard don’t appear to have much luck with vocalists. No sooner had Wyatt Anderson returned for Flying Tigers (Earache) than he’s quit the band again. However, he certainly enhances the new album. In fact, this is White Wizzard stepping up a notch or two. The songs have a confident stride, and the clear NWOBHM influences of yore are slightly downplayed now, in favour of a more modern metal strut. Let’s hope the loss of Anderson can be overcome.

Touchstone have been one of those British prog bands standing on the edge of something special for a while. Well, they’ve got a lot closer with The City Sleeps (SPV/Steamhammer). Vocalist Kim Seviour has never sounded better; she radiates personality, while around her the band veer across the spectrum, from an almost heavy sound to something more introspective. This does showcase Touchstone’s strengths.

Now, Opeth have long been regarded as one of the very best at balancing metal and progressive tendencies, sometimes favouring one or the other. But Heritage (Roadrunner) is unquestionably an album where they jump full into the latter camp. This is measured musical alchemy, with each song shining thrillingly with momentous ideas. Whether Opeth have now taken a firm and irreversible decision to leave their overt heaviness behind remains to be seen. But there’s no denying Heritage is pure class.

What the thrash world now needs is one of the younger bands to step forward and lead the pack into a new era. There are plenty of candidates, but Evile might just have taken a march or two on everyone with Five Serpent’s Teeth (Earache). One hesitates to compare it to Master Of Puppets (that would be something to live up to), but like the latter, this album has diversity without diluting its metal commitment. It’s thrash with a brain, and that could be what takes Evile into the big time.

Leslie West is a master guitarist who’s regarded as a hero and inspiration by many of his peers. Which is why he can call on so many to guest on an album like Unusual Suspects (Mascot). The list is remarkable, taking in Slash, Billy Gibbons, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa and Steve Lukather. But why this could easily have ended up as a widdle fest, what ultimately matters, as it should, are the songs. This is a great collection that allows West to show off not only his pure guitar chemistry, but also that unmistakable voice. It’s one of his best albums in years, and not just because of the guests lined up to salute him.

Finally, to a band who’ve rediscovered themselves. The portents for Anthrax and new album Worship Music (Nuclear Blast) didn’t appear too promising, Having recorded the whole thing with vocalist Dan Nelson, they then had to totally rethink it when he was replaced by Joey Belladonna. But it’s worked. Belladonna has never sounded so tough and unyielding, while he still retains that essential melodic quality. And the album comes across as having the spirit of Among The Living but also boasting the physicality of The Sound Of White Noise. A new era beckons for Anthrax, who prove here they don’t have to rely on the 80s to be regarded as one of the Big Four of thrash.

This issue Prog presents a 40th Anniversary celebration of Meddle, the album that changed the sound of both Pink Floyd and prog rock forever, with brand new interviews and exclusive interviews with Nick Mason, engineer John Leckie and more.

The magazine also discusses the forthcoming mega Pink Floyd campaign, with Nick reassessing every Pink Floyd studio album as Floyd/Gilmour engineer Andy Jackson takes us behind the scenes of unearthing the hidden treasures that make up the new reissues. Plus, Storm Thorgerson has exclusively designed our front cover for us!

Elsewhere in the magazine, there are interviews with Gentle Giant, Dream Theater, Opeth, Primus, David Bedford, The Flower Kings, TesseracT and more. There’s also a free nine-track CD as well.

Find Prog at all good newsagents, or here.

Wed. 9: Newcastle O2 Academy
Fri. 11: Manchester O2 Academy
Sat. 12: Birmingham O2 Academy
Sun. 13: London Brixton O2 Academy

The Swedish band’s new album, Heritage, is due for release in late September through Roadrunner.

Find out more at www.opeth.com

From about 5.50pm UK time on Sunday, July 10 the band’s set will be streamed live. Just go here to watch it.