Armando Tirelli's El Profeta, from 1978

Gorgeous cover graphic. Again from Uruguay, Armando Tirelli:

Armando Tirelli was a Uruguayan keyboardist who was part of the "Sexteto Electronico Moderno", and later was also part of an ephemeral band called "Exodo".  In 1978 he released his first and only LP entitled "El Profeta".

Some really lovely true-blue symphonic prog on here. Similar to a lot of the old Italian concept prog albums, to my ears, or even to the recent Tantor, Opa, if you remove the fusion references from those.

A track called Candombe Samba has absolutely nothing sambaish about it, and that's a good thing, I think:

Quite enjoyable for a totally lost album.  But isn't that true for so much on these pages?

Metronic Underground 's Illusion, "Electronic Aus BONN" from 1981

 

Metronic Underground:

German synth/guitar duo who ran the gamut of 1970's Teutonic styles, blending dissonant elements into a melodic music, with hints of Ashra and Velvet Universe.

Despite the positive review here below, I think it's relatively ordinary electronic music as reflected in the just above 3 rating on RYM, despite the (outlier) statement below:

Produced by Conny Plank, this is an excellent entry into the large scale German electronic scene. Not really a Berlin School album, though some rhythmic sequencing is present, but still very much informed by late 70's Berlin based artists like Edgar Froese (especially "Ages"), Ash Ra around the time of "New Age of Earth" and Klaus Schulze circa "X". Haunting synthesizers with THAT vibe combined with lightly sprinkled fuzzed and acoustic guitars makes for an album I heartily recommend. Side 2 of the album shifts gears a bit and features some vocal numbers that are quite a bit different than the other contents but are strangely engaging all the same.

Westerwald:

Great cover though!

The unreleased Archie Whitewater material [Unreleased Material from the Cadet Concept Label] limited time only, Oct 13

 

I guess this is another of those 'bootlegs' that are banned by discogs.  But boy is it worth hearing this one!  All fresh material except one or 2 songs that appeared on the official release, but some of these are quite fragmentary and not fully fleshed out as compositions.  The raw talent of the band really shines here though.

Truly love this stuff.  I adore the lyrics to the Lighthouse Track:

But by far the best track is Coming from where I'm going, etc. which is just so meditative and listenable, which it had been fleshed out into something a little longer, with a bridge, etc.:

Archie Whitewater's ST 1970, FLAC limited time only

 

Here's a horn rock album which unlike the predecessor is actually quite good and well written, unfairly unknown in my opinion.

Discogged thusly:

9 piece jazz rock ensemble from New York, USA. Archie Whitewater is not an actual member but the adopted Cherokee name of member Travis Jenkins (2), which then provided the band's name. The ensemble released only one album (recorded 1970-03, released 1970-08) though they also recorded material for a second album that has remained unreleased.

The smooth sound of Friends and Neighbors, with the lovely Rhodes sound:

The music mixes harder rock, electric sounds, jazzy stuff, and more simple ssw songs, plus the brass arrangements are nicely done.

These 2 discogs reviews are quite accurate:

Psych Rock at its best!

Archie Whitewater was a band that never was. Forgotten by the failing Chess / Cadet Concept label their album languished in limbo and was released to little fanfare. The band was signed during the early 70s horn rock craze, but their sound was much more complex and seductive. Their 1970 debut fused jazz, soul, rock, funk, and psychedelic shrink wrapped with a warm aura.

And

Great musicianship and arrangements but I find the singing cheesy somehow. Or is it a good reason I found not to buy this very expensive record ?

Max - Rodan from 1974 (Beyond Rodan) from 1974, FLAC limited time only

 

Such an incredible cover graphic!

Information on this album here.  Note the following:

The 1974 RODAN Album, was an incomplete list of recordings by MAX released on the Pandora label without knowledge or consent from the composers. Most all the liner notes are incorrect or misleading on that album, and it’s unknown what tapes were used to create the LP. Max, as a group, never signed any agreement with any entity.

Subsequently, a much longer 2-LP release appeared (50 years later!) with bonus tracks and history of the band, databased here.  They hailed from Hollywood, Calif.

50th Anniversary 2LP gatefold set of the 1974 jazz-rock-funk fusion LP "RODAN", remastered from original source tapes and expanded with 8 unreleased tracks, restored original artwork, never-before-seen live, studio & promo band photos, and extensive liner notes revealing the mystery of "RODAN

For some reason this album gets some rave reviews online, but from the perspective of a prog fan there isn't much to cling on to, whether dissonance (tritones, minor seconds, etc.), crazy original chord or rhythm changes, novel patterns, etc.  It's in fact relatively straightforward horn rock with intensely funky beats. Always one gets the impression it's being overhyped by those who own the original (200-LPs pressed) version and hope it will gain in value.  I would go so far as to say it sounds like any generic funky seventies album, but you be the judges.  An ex. of overstatement from rym:

Super horn rock album, that absolutely kills on most of the 12 short tracks. There are a couple of bluesy moves and at least one James Brown styled funker, but mostly this just rips from start to finish. The kind of album you wish all horn rockers were. Smoking guitar and great brass charts. The rhythm section never stops. California based group was actually known as MAX, and toured extensively with groups like Malo and Tower of Power. Album sports a fantastic drawing on the cover...

I mean, reviewing it on a regular rock blog would make sense, just not somewhere that specializes in progressive rock or progressive fusion (the latter of which is totally absent).  The furthest they venture, timidly, into creative chords, is Juicy Lucy:

A piano track called Pandora's Theme, sounding very much like a purely improvised, unpreplanned piece:

All in all, it's very similar to the other horn rock contenders, like Lighthouse, Dr. Music, Earth Wind and Fire, but unfort. it's lacking the really convincing compositions that those better acts featured, with little progressiveness to hold it up otherwise.  Or do you remember the astrounding Italian one-off horn-rock band called Sage? That one was amazing.