Articles by 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

“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 29 December 23

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

“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 28 December 23

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 22 December 23

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

“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 18 November 23

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

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

By David West published 10 November 23

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

“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 10 November 23

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

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

By David West published 13 October 23

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

“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 6 October 23

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

“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 5 October 23

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

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

By David West published 18 September 23

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.

"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 8 September 23

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

"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 25 August 23

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 16 June 23

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

The return of Liquid Tension Experiment

By David West published 16 April 23

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!

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

By David West published 14 March 23

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

The 40 greatest Kate Bush songs of all time

By David West last updated 9 March 23

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

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

By David West published 23 February 23

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.

The story of Tim Bowness' Lost In The Ghost Light

By David West published 17 February 23

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

Transatlantic and The Absolute Universe

By David West published 3 February 23

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: "Glorious!"

By David West published 4 November 22

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 14 October 22

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