Hundred Word Reviews, September 2025: Prog

It’s Hundred-worder time again here at Musoscribe World HQ. What’s on? Prog! Lotsa, lotsa prog. Mostly new, but one very noteworthy reissue.

Markus Reuter – Truce <3
Markus Reuter is an acclaimed touch guitarist with deep connections to the King Crimson community. His work under his own name is every bit as compelling as his forays with other artists. Here he collaborates with Fabio Trentini and Asaf Sirkis (the latter of Soft Machine and of other collabs with Reuter). The instrumental music here has touches of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, though Reuter’s approach to his instrument is more integrated into the arrangement as opposed to spread atop it. Melody is held in high regard here; listeners will likely nod their heads and hum along in places.

3 Below – Live in Mérida
Former stick man in King Crimson, Trey Gunn remains an innovative musician who also happens to run his own record label. 7D consistently releasses fascinating, outside-0the-box music by artists of note (or deserving of note). 3Below is an acoustic project, captured her onstage in Mexico in late 2023. The sounds may occasionally remind some listeners of the League of Crafty Guitaristas, albeit with bass, shaker percussion and oud woven into the mix. The music is intense and hypnotic, with a subtle feel of worldbeat. Even while on musical explorations, they remain grounded enough to hold firm the audience’s rapt attention.

Komara – Komara II
Komara is an imposing progressive-meets-avant garde trio featuring Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Trey Gunn (Crimson again) and guitarist David Kollar. The three are joinedo n slect traks by vocalists and a trumpet player. On this, their second outing, Komara explores gentle acoustic textures that open up to reveal lush and massive-sounding sonic landscapes. There’s awesome beauty in the tunes, intentionally lumbering as thet sometimes do. Hints of electronica and trip hop figure into some of the material as well, and the melodies (so to speak) are catchy and memorable. The trio’s virtuosity never overpowers its mastery of songcraft. Most recommended.

Exo-X-Xeno – Luminous Voyage
A strange one. It took me longer than perhaps it should have to sort out that the business card-looking thing opened up to reveal the innards of a USB plug. When attached to my PC, it gave access to the music. Turns out that behind that unwieldy and ill-advised name, Exo-X-Xeno is in fact Yes’ current rhythm section of Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen, plus former Yes virtuoso keyboardist Patrick Moraz, and guitarist-vocalist Craig Maher. The music is tuneful prog of the most accessible variety. Maher’s vocals are decidedly earnest AOR, but the music is the star of this show.

Tim Morse – Transformation 20th Anniversary Edition
Apparently Tim Morse is no relation to Steve or Neal Morse, but he traffics in similarly progressive waters. His recorded solo debut, Transformation was released in 2005. Now it’s back with bonus tracks and a remaster job. It was pretty fine to start with. The music has hints of Yes (no surprise there: Morse wrote a book about the band) but it has its own character. Tricky time signatures and a forward-looking aesthetic call to mind the more exciting moments of Yes’ Drama. Vocalist Richie Zeller does a good job of emoting over the instruments in a way that fits.