• Cafeine - 2000 - "Nouveaux Mondes"
• Cairo - 1994 - "Cairo"
• Cairo - 1998 - "Conflict and Dreams"
• Camel - 1996 - "Harbour of Tears"
• Camel - 1999 - "Rajaz"
• Carptree - 2001 - "Carptree"
• Carpet Knights, The - 2005 - "Lost & So Strange is My Mind"
• Chance - 2000 - "Escape To Horizon"
• Chandelier (Germany) - 1997 - "Time Code"
• Changing Images - 1991 - "The Castle"
• Chroma Key - 1998 - "Dead Air for Radios"
• Cruz De Hierro - 2000 - "Cruz de Hierro"
• Coda - 1996 - "What a Symphony?"
• Cross - 1996 - "Gaze"
• Curved Air - 1972 - "Phantasmagoria"

Unfortunately, I haven't heard even the first, critically acclaimed Cafeine's album of 1994, so I have no points for comparisons within the band's creation. The 67-minute "Nouveaux Mondes" was one of the latest Musea releases in the past millenium and it is obviously failed in comparison with their other compatriot's albums such as Jean-Pascal Boffo's "Perfume d'Etoiles" and especially Taal's "Mister Green" that have been released in the end of 2000 too. Despite the fact that almost all instrumental parts in "Nouveaux Mondes" were played quite original, tasty and mastery way, all the vocal themes are extremely accessible here and, that's the main thing, each track on "Nouveaux Mondes" 'presents' different male or female singers. (Though, almost all their names are quite famous in the world of progressive; lyrics are in French.) Kaleidoscopic changes of such diverse vocalists, as well as an absence of monolithic structure of the album's compositional conception as a whole, makes this one sounding just like a most motley compilation, consisting of Neo songs only, ever (never!) released by such a brilliant label as Musea (really is). However, I am once again going to remind you that all the instrumental arrangements on the album are excellent. So at least those of you who love the latest albums from The Alan Parsons Project / Alan Parsons and all the likes will necessarily love this one too.

Cairo (USA) - 1994 - "Cairo"

This music structurally is somewhere between Neo and Classic Prog, sometimes with the elements of Prog-Metal created by guitarist. Cairo is more or less decent progressive rock band, very typical for the US' "Magna Carta" label (maybe, except for the founders / owners of this company more mature band Magellan). However, the "signboard" of this label "The Home of the Next Generation of Progressive Rock" is highly over-confident, taking into account the best in existence such Prog-labels as their countryman "Cuneiform", French "Musea", and British "Cyclops". Quite well composed and played, however, this album contains some disappointing moments. First of all, this is very ordinary vocals, and also the arrangements of the band leader and keyboardist Mark Robertson are absolutely in the vein of Keith Emerson's classic stylings.

Cairo - 1998 - "Conflict and Dreams"

Unlike Titans of the genre of '70s (not infrequently they often had a time to release even two masterpiece-albums in the course of the one year!), for these guys it will take a long time to do the next decent Prog-work. Also, they never play live, as well as the majority bands of "Magna Carta" label. Nevertheless, this new one Cairo's album is more mature and original work than their debut, though the presence of "spirit" of the legendary keysman sometimes again introduces a sound familiar to ELP fans.

Camel (UK) - 1996 - "Harbour of Tears"

After the banishment out from the major label in 1985 despite of success of the "Stationary Traveler" (1984), that up to now remains one of the most magnificent Neo-works proved to be the very popular Camel's work ever, the regular new album "Dust and Dreams" with the same line-up was completed in the fall of 1985. Unfortunatelly, it was released just a six years later by the Latimer's own company "Camel Production" founded by him in US' California in 1990. Thereby, "Harbour..." is the first new band's album after the ten years of forced creative inactivity, not counting of double live-compilation of 1993. Structurally compared to "Dust and dream" (Neo-meets-Prog), this one is the fourth band's album with the united conception after the "Snow Goose", "Nude", and "Stationary Traveller".

Camel - 1999 - "Rajaz"

At the very least, the best work of Latimer and Co. since "Stationary traveller" (1984). Mostly quite calm, it is filled, however, with the spirit of Camel. I feel this album as a projection of the band's stylistics of the second half of the 90s into the present day. And the musicians have gathered all bright and well known, real "Camelers": Andrew Latimer - guitars, vocals & flute; Colin Bass - bass & vocals; Ton Scherpenzeel - keyboards; Barry Phillips - cello; Dave Stewart - drums.

Carptree (Sweden) - 2001 - "Carptree"
(57 min, 'Carptree')

Swedish Carptree consists of only two musicians (Niclas Flinck & Carl Westholm) who both sing and play everything (?) on their debut album. Actually this is totally synthesizers based music (add here awful programmed drums and almost inaudible synth-bass) with just a few notable parts - both rhythmical and solo - done by a guest guitarist (Ulf Edelonn). As far as the music, Carptree perform just slightly Prog-tinged pop, full of vocals from both at Carptree. While I've found only one short and simple separate instrumental part in just about a half of the songs on the CD (and there are 13 in all on it), other ones don't have such specific (at least in Prog) things at all. Just about one third of the songs here contain vocal parts (and there are more than just enough of them here) that I would (being brave enough to) name at least more or less varied (with a great reservation, though). Others are mostly as monotonous as songs by the majority of MTV's inhabitants (as well as dwellers on the threshold of MTV, and Carptree are close to be at least there). The only more or less positive (Progressive talk) point on this album is that most of instrumental textures, supporting the vocal themes, sound quite rich and more diverse than the vocals themselves. If compared to anything other that sound on "Carptree", this 'supporting' music is the only (relatively!) interesting thing here. To sum up, I would add that it reminds of Phil Collins (solo) output too often, especially in many vocal parts and in singing inflections as well, though closer the end of the CD I can hear some-clear-to-some- not-too similarities-to-semi-larities to Michael Jackson whose style of singing is, sadly, immediately recognizable (as there are lots of music in the world you don't want to hear yet you listen to it anyway and do it more than often, as if you MUST do it to hum its most cheesy refrains.) (PS This real (picture-disc) CD independently released by Carptree (a self-released CD), the guys sent me just being put in a 4-page (not 4-sheet) booklet without the back-sleeve yet: Noted by Progressor.)

Carpet Knights, The (Sweden) - 2001 - "Lost & So Strange Is My Mind"
(Record Heaven)

As the title would suggest, this is Psychedelic Rock, what once might have been called Head Music. The Carpet Knights' music recalls the hay day of Haight-Ashbury (an intersection in San Francisco, California), the center of the late '60s hippy universe in the US. Bands like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Procol Harum come to mind with this combination of vocal and guitar stylings (ample doses of fuzz and wah-wah) and it is fans of those bands (and that era) to whom I would most highly recommend this album. Flute is discreetly woven into the mix and is prominent in the first song, giving the track a Tull-ish flavor. The vocals are have a distinctively late 60s or early 70s tonality, perfect for The Carpet Knights' retro sound. All in all, this is a very solid album, but it is not really Prog, at least until you get to the last (and longest) track, which goes through several sections and various moods. So, although I found "Lost & So Strange is My Mind" a very likable album, I would not recommend it for hardcore Prog fans. It is good Rock with a decidedly late 60s sensibility, so if that appeals to you, I recommend checking this one out.

KW

Chance - 2000 - "Escape To Horizon"
(71 min, "Musea")

This is the debut album by French Solo Pilot Laurent Simonnent (remember of Fonya, Jeremy, Bjorn Lynne, etc?), who handles all instruments on "Escape To Horizon" (keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drum-programming). Musically, this is quite an original blend of Classic Symphonic Progressive and Spacey music (not Space-Rock), though, fortunately, there are less episodes of the latter style on the album than symphonic arrangements. Unlike all (almost all, precisely) of the other works of Progressive Solo Pilots, whose creation I am acquainted with, Chance's "Escape To Horizon", despite the fact there are lots of guitar solos, sounds like your typical keyboard based all instrumental album. Jeremy's so far latest (officially) "Salt the Planet" album is also mostly keyboard based, but unlike this and other works of Solo Pilots (at least of those mentioned above), Laurent's "Escape To Horizon" has a lot of arrangements in it that are really fast (which isn't typical for music Solo Pilots normally perform). Although the complexity level of Chance's music is practically the same as on the albums of said performers, I wouldn't recommend to the fans of Jean-Michel Jarre and the likes to find an easy "Escape" beyond this "Horizon", though for some folks into real modern spacey music, ambient and new-age it could be a good stage for further development of their interest to more complex musical forms. Especially since you have a Chance already in the very beginning of this review.

Chandelier (Germany) - 1997 - "Time Code"

Once I had all of their CDs in my collection (also "Pure" of 1990, self-released, and "Facing Gravity" of 1992, which was the very first CD released by the German "Inside Out" label). "Time Code" was released by another German label "Steamhammer" (a division of "SPV"), and there were only two original members in that line-up, including a guitarist. Although these guys has changed their usual (Marillion-like) style on this album radically (this time - towards the stylistics of Saga), this is still the same quite boring Neo Progressive. To me, "Facing Gravity" was even better... no matter, though.

Changing Images (Germany) - 1991 - "The Castle"

Hey, fans of Edhels, Jean Pascal Boffo, and even Djam Karet and The Enid! This is the music for you, please be sure in it! Stylistically, "The Castle" is a unique blend of several genres, including Classic Art (Symphonic) Rock, modern Electronic Progressive, and... Neo-Classics! Structurally, this is quite serious music with really complex arrangements and fine interplays between guitars and keyboards. Finally, this all instrumental album was released on "Musea Records", and I love "Musea"... Check it out immediately (if you could find it, though).

Chroma Key (USA) - 1998 - "Dead Air for Radios"

The debut album from the new project of the talented keyboardist Kevin Moore released on German metal-oriented label "Massacre" after the Kevin's departure from Dream Theater and some collaborative works with Fates Warning. The label describes "Dead Air..." as a "dark avantgarde music", but you will not discover the "dark", and especially "avantgarde" here. This music is nearer to the imitation of Peter Gabriel's late style, and Kevin's voice sometimes is not unlike Peter's. This extremely simple, absolutely vocals-based album with very few instrumental arrangements was performed with the help of Kevin's friends from Fates Warning . Hey, Kevin! Is it just a joke?

Coda (Holland) - 1996 - "What a Symphony?"

This is the second album, the first released in 1986, from Dutch keyboardist Eric De Vroomen, who is a free politician and journeyman rather than composer and musician. The most part of compositions represented here are not very complex classical music performed mostly with modern instruments. This very serious project was well composed and played. However, rare vocal parts with lyrics performed, on the whole, by a nice guest operatic female singer, insufficiently reflect the conceived anti-fascist conception. Also frequent jazzy guitar solos sometimes slightly destroy the overall classical scheme. Nevertheless, this album is one of the best acts from Lukassen's "Transmission" label.

Cross (Sweden) - 1996 - "Gaze"

Cross is just the surname (maybe even the pseudonym) of the band leader had released his regular opus "Gaze" on "Cyclops", whereas with the latest albums Cross joined one of the new Prog-labels in his homeland Sweden. There are exceptionally boring, faceless music with some hints of King Crimson (for details on that Swedish phenomenon see Flower Kings in "F" section). Extremeley accented Cross' vocals plays a prominent role here, as well as in all other his works. In my opinion, this band is one the worst Progressive act from Sweden. Also this project was one of the weakest among others within the quite established, but sometimes excessive liberal British Prog-label "Cyclops".

Cruz De Hierro (Mexico) - 2000 - "Cruz de Hierro"
(58 min, "Musea")

Cruz De Hierro can be regarded as a side project of Cast drummer Antonio Bringas, who along with his own brother Ernesto (guitarist) are the leaders of the band as well as the authors of most compositions on the album. Musically, Cruz De Hierro's debut album can't be compared to Cast at all, as Ernesto Bringas, the main mastermind of the band, is obviously under the influence of the Prog-Metal genre (in general, thanks to which the music of Cruz De Hierro sounds really original). There is more than enough of the essential progressive ingredients on "Cruz de Hierro" to consider it an album of the Classic Prog-Metal genre: plenty of interesting and diverse "heavy" arrangements and, in places, symphonic ones, frequent changes of musical directions, tempos and moods, fast and mastery guitar solos, incredible keyboards, especially piano, passages, and true, engaging interplays between drums and bass guitar. The lack of inventiveness in composing is, however, obvious on a few songs of the album, but serious weak spots here are the vocals of both the lead singers on the album: they don't fit too well for the music of Cruz De Hierro, to say the least. While I am almost sure that the second album of Cruz De Hierro will sound more mature in all regards, the band, in my view, need another, only one yet really good vocalist.

Curved Air (UK) - 1972 - "Phantasmagoria"

One of the really original British Prog bands featured the multi-instrumental talents of Francis Monkman (later in 801, Sky, solo), a monster violinist Darryl Way (later Darryl Way's Wolf, solo, sessions with Jethro Tull, the others), an eccentric female vocalist Sonja Kristina, and others. This is their third album, and as for me, the most progressive. The different songs display here pretty different styles: from Neo-classics to traditional current British symphonic Art-rock. There are also elements of English folk mucis well intermixed with the aforesaid styles, and a few true experimental episodes. An excellent stuff of early Progressive rock.