In the end, the only fair thing to do was pass all four albums on to the finals, and allow people to vote by ranking them from 1 to 4 in order of preference. The hope is that this will break the tie (although of course, there's no guarantee of this).
So once again, our participants for the finals are:
Jordsjo - Nattsfiolen
"A sweet piece of bingeable Norweigen prog. Replete with synth and flute there’s no hiding the influence of Jethro Tull, but it’s truest ancestry lies in the melodicism of early Camel and Swedish instrumentalist Bo Hansson. For me, good prog tricks the listener into feeling like he’s hearing something playful but familiar while still pushing the experimental boundaries and Nattfiolen is one of the finest examples of that in recent memory. Headphones are the only way to listen, as some of the stereo effects really bring the fairy tale to life." - Inoculaeted
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/54Ooribd5hSPdl2keRxLBT
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qPeIJkyf84
Yolk - Solar
"Incredible fluid layering of sounds with a tricked-out, almost krautrock approach to rhythm. Playful vocals and vibrant atmosphere, whole thing sounds like a wonky prog forest. And they keep it tight, under 40 minutes long, praise be." - porcupinetheater
Bandcamp: https://yolkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/solar
Hermann Szobel - Szobel
"Child prodigy Hermann Szobel composed and produced one album at the age of 18 before he disappeared from the music world completely. The album has a Frank Zappa vibe, with emphasis on piano (Szobel's instrument), percussion, and vibraphone. It was obscure even when it was released in the 70s, but a 2012 reissue has given us a second chance to enjoy it." - TwigTW
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2VUcwcNH6YbFCPfntYcYdG?si=iBz1ZcHoRta7TNbKOWMizg
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWb59xaXahQpnZs7AjlHhCQ
Regal Worm - Pig Views
"Modern prog band featuring a multi-instrumentalist experimenting avant gardist music. Band is injecting Medieval and psychedelic touches in their weird kind of prog that contains start and stop patterns and eccentric turns. Alternance of punchy and pastoral ambiences give tonus to the mix. It's generally sophisticated and simple in the same time. It's really melodic, and vocals serve as an instrument. Good use of mellotrons, organs and many more keys and synths. Kinda Beck on acid, making prog." - Jethro42
On Bandcamp: https://regalworm.bandcamp.com/album/pig-views
[also on Spotify]
What a crazy tournament!
