AN ASTONISHING BOX
I’m really enjoying the epic four-LP box set of Dream Theater’s concept album, The Astonishing. It has a ring of Dune-inspired prog metal space opera all in 180g black vinyl housed in two gatefold jackets with inserts. Love the artwork inside and out. I don’t think I had the patience before to listen all the way through, but it finally connected with me. Very enjoyable listen.
Paul Watson, via Facebook
THE NEW DAWN OF PROG
On 145’s cover, you wrote: “: the blueprint for a new prog era?” I would argue that where Yes, Asia, Genesis, Floyd, etc. were going at that time, i.e. more commercial, gave rise to the new wave of prog bands like Marillion, Solstice, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon, etc. as a reaction to and against that commerciality, not an influence. Surely they were
