David West

David West

After starting his writing career covering the unforgiving world of MMA, David moved into music journalism at Rhythm magazine, interviewing legends of the drum kit including Ginger Baker and Neil Peart. A regular contributor to Prog, he’s written for Metal Hammer, The Blues, Country Music Magazine and more. The author of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction To The Martial Arts Film, David shares his thoughts on kung fu movies in essays and videos for 88 Films, Arrow Films, and Eureka Entertainment. He firmly believes Steely Dan’s Reelin’ In The Years is the tuniest tune ever tuned.

Articles by: David West

Mariusz Duda

“We’ll die because the sun will burn out, or there will be no drinking water, and we’ll ask AI to help… it will only be another tool”: In Mariusz Duda’s own Marvel Universe, his album AFR AI D is about taming nightmares

By David West published

Riverside and Lunatic Soul mastermind on his investigations of emerging technology, the early demos he’s kept but no one wants to hear, and selfishly releasing music that wouldn’t last the test of time

Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace

“There’s bravery in their willingness to express deep, often dark emotions. The subject matter may be confounding for some… but they sound completely assured of their direction”: Caligula’s Horse return with Charcoal Grace

By David West published

It’s a sombre, reflective counterpoint to 2021’s Rise Radiant, which hopefully offers the band some catharsis

Perfect Beings

"For me, the challenge in doing this long-form concept is for people to not tune out." How Perfect Beings made their final album Vier

By David West published

US prog rockers Perfect Beings created an epic conceptual affair for their third album, Vier. Sadly, it owuld prove to be the band's final offering

Keith Emerson

“He never set out to please or comfort, so we often end up with his brilliant musical mind at its best… For that, we can forgive the physical abuse of a few Hammond L-100s”: King Crimson, Marillion, Tangent members and more pay tribute to Keith Emerson

By David West published

15 more examples of his best work, as described by Jakko Jakszyk, Mark Kelly, Andy Tillison, Jem Godfrey, Arjen Lucassen and musicians who worked with the late keyboard genius

Bruce Soord

“It’s not until I’ve finished a record that I think, ‘Oh my God, I have to go out onstage in front of all these relative strangers, singing my heart out about all these personal, private things”: Bruce Soord’s struggle to deliver Luminescence

By David West published

Bruce Soord’s third solo album was 18 months in the making - then his son told him something that meant he had to go round again

Keith Emerson

“For all his showmanship, he was first and foremost a composer and musician, making music for the head and the heart”: Rick Wakeman, Ian Anderson, Geoff Downes and others pay homage to Keith Emerson

By David West published

15 classic cuts from the keyboard genius’ career, as loved by the good and the great of prog rock and beyond

A portrait of Michael Astley Brown holding a guitar on a purple background

“I want it to be a celebration of instrumental guitar in all its forms”: Meet Maebe, the British guitarist mashing up prog genres to build his ultimate wall of sound

By David West published

Combining post-rock soundscapes, wonky math-rock riffs and melodic shred, Maebe’s Michael Astley-Brown is blazing a new instrumental trail

Pattern-Seeking Animals

“I don’t even know where you’d put us. I guess ‘American symphonic art-prog-pop’?” The sound of Pattern-Seeking Animals

By David West published

With their third studio album Only Passing Through, Pattern-Seeking Animals' John Boegehold finally feels the band are escapong the 'Spock's Beard spin-off' tag and estabishing their real identity

Myrkur - Spine

”It could have made for a disconcerting experience, but her ethereal vocal presence binds it all together”: Myrkur’s Spine

By David West published

Blend of genres results in a morbidly compelling work that can’t be contained by the ‘Viking’ tag

Tesseract

“A lot of the things we see within our genre are all setting and no story… we’re more like Star Trek – all story and no real setting. I’ve just outed myself as a proper geek!” TesseracT on pushing technological and musical boundaries

By David West published

Daniel Tompkins and Amos Williams explain the ambition that drove latest album War Of Being

Keith Emerson - Variations

“A remarkable legacy that’s celebrated in this impressive collection, warts and all”: Keith Emerson’s Variations

By David West published

20-CD set offers deep dive into late maestro’s career, focusing mainly on his solo work

I Am the Manic Whale

“There was an interruption to a news broadcast with the voice of this alien… I thought, ‘What if it were real?’” I Am The Manic Whale bring an old storybook to life

By David West published

A ghost train, aliens, Captain Nemo’s famous submarine and much more besides inhabit Bumper Book Of Mystery Stories

Avenged Sevenfold

“It was either this or nothing - when you get to that point, there’s no fear to have”: Avenged Sevenfold needed to make divisive album Life Is But A Dream…

By David West published

M Shadows explains why they pushed themselves even further out of their comfort zone, even if fans weren’t going to like it

Gazpacho

“The best prog albums are the ones that take a long time to get into." How Gazpacho made Fireworker

By David West published

Gazpacho's eleventh studio album, 2020's Fireworker, was yet another intriguing conceptual affair exploring the idea that there’s something within human beings that steers our behaviour without our control or consent.

Threshold

"Legends Of The Shires sounded like a great British prog album to me, and that’s what we wanted to make.” Threshold on double concept albums and reuniting with former singers

By David West published

Threshold unveiled their returning vocalist GlynnMorgan for 2017's double concept album Legends Of The Shires. Here they tell the album's story

Voyager's Fearless in Love album

"Purists who hate anything invented after the Mellotron might not like it. But if prog is to have a future beyond legacy acts, it needs fresh ideas": Voyager's Fearless In Love is the most energised music of their career

By David West published

Voyager's Fearless In Love: They may not have won Eurovision, but the Australian keytar kings (and queen) have delivered the feelgood sound of the summer

Album covers of Zodiac Mindwarp’s Tattooed Beat Messiah, Black Sabbath’s Headless Cross, Neil Young’s Harvest and Judas Priests Jugulator

11 brilliant albums that aren’t on Spotify

By David West published

The classic studio albums by Black Sabbath, Neil Young, AC/DC, Judas Priest and more that aren’t on the world’s biggest streaming service

Liquid Tension Experiment

The return of Liquid Tension Experiment

By David West published

After Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater few people thought they'd see prog supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment again. But in 2021 that's exactly what happened!

Tool

“They’ve created a musical realm of their own”: Why the prog world loves Tool

By David West published

From BTBAM to Iamthemorning, prog musicians tell us what they love about Tool

Kate Bush

The 40 greatest Kate Bush songs of all time

By David West last updated

Kate Bush's finest songs, as chosen by Marillion, King Crimson, Nightwish, Big Big Train and more – from Wuthering Heights to Running Up That Hill and beyond

Tool

The story behind Tool’s Lateralus: "A real moment of experiment and risk”

By David West published

Tool bassist Justin Chancellor looks back on the making of the band's 2001 release Lateralus: the album that proved progressive music could resonate with the public.

Tim Bowness

The story of Tim Bowness' Lost In The Ghost Light

By David West published

Tim Bowness examines the changing nature of the music industry and popular culture through his fictional rock star who has fallen from grace

Transatlantic

Transatlantic and The Absolute Universe

By David West published

The Absolute Universe was Transatlantic's first studio album for seven years. And it might also be their last. This is the story...

Devin Townsend - Lightwork cover art

Devin Townsend - Lightwork: "Glorious!"

By David West published

Not yet rated

Canadian maverick swaps heavy riffs for synths and strings

Mostly Autumn group shot in the back of a van

Mostly Autumn: the emotional story behind Graveyard Star

By David West published

Mostly Autumn's Bryan Josh and Olivia Sparnenn-Josh reveal how the emotional and personal challenges of the pandemic led to the creation of their 2021 album, Graveyard Star