Colossus Projects, a label run by the Finnish Progressive Music Association, is putting out a tribute to 70s Swedish progg called "Rökstenen" and here is the tracklist:

01. The Samurai Of Prog (ITA) - Drottningholmsmusiken, Sats 1 (Blåkulla)
02. Simon Says (SWE) - Tajgan (Kaipa)
03. Revelation (ITA) - Björnstorp (Atlas)
04. Black Bonzo (SWE) - Här kommer natten (Pugh Rogefeldt)
05. Villebråd (SWE) - Rockgift (Trettioåriga Kriget)
06. Keybridge (ITA) - Den skrattande grevinnan (Kaipa)
07. Richard Marichal (VEN) - Fran Det Ena Till Det Andra (Kaipa)
08. Echoes (VEN) - Andra Sidan (Trettioåriga Kriget)
09. Willowglass (UK) - Oceaner Foder Liv (Kaipa)
10. Anja (SWE) - Mount Everest (November)
11. Darxtar (SWE) - Cosmic Love (Ralph Lundsten)
12. Wasa Express (SWE) - Apkalops (Egba)
13. Pensiero Nomade (ITA) - Jatten Feeling (Flasket Brinner)
14. Mist Season (FIN) - Promenader (Ragnarök)
15. In The Labyrinth (SWE) - Worlds on Fire (Handgjort)
16. Soniq Circus (SWE) - Stockholm (Pugh Rogefeldt)
17. The Moor (SWE) - Grävmaskinen (Pugh Rogefeldt)
18. Jinetes Negros (ARG) - Mars (Blåkulla)
19. The Grand Trick (SWE) - The Black Riders (Bo Hansson)
20. Pseudo Sun (SWE) - En Av Oss (Life)
21. Mattijs Herder (HOL) - Two Hours Over Two Blue Mountains... (Älgarnas Trädgård)
22. The Chair (SWE) - Naked Man (Rag I Ryggen)
23. Gösta Berlings Saga (SWE) - Esso Motor Hotel (Arbete & Fritid)
24. Moosequartet (SWE) - Vi Valde Inte Våldet (Fickteatern)
25. Magnolia (SWE) - Ganska långt från Sergel (November)
26. Daal (ITA) - Var Glad Var Dag (Ragnarock)
27. Tkingdkeys (FIN) - Ingenting (Samla Mammas)
28. Anima Morte (SWE) - The Old Forest (Bo Hansson)
29. Kate (FIN) - Disease (Dice)
30. Sinkadus (SWE) - Death (Dice)
31. Vanilla Project (ITA) - Gånglåt (Atlas)
32. Contrarian (US) - Sirenernas Sang (Blåkulla)
33. Survival (HOL) - Sebastian (Atlas)
34. Beardfish (SWE) - Pop Poem (Made In Sweden)
35. Karmic Jaggernaut (US) - Greed (Dice)
36. Trion (HOL) - På Gata (Atlas)
37. Pax Romana (FIN) - Solnedgången (Blåkulla)
38. La Bocca Della Verità (ITA) - War (Dice)
39. Jerry Johansson & Dan Fröberg (SWE) - Kontinuerlig Drift (Bonus Track)

More info: http://www.myspace.com/colossusprojects

MP3: The Chair - September

I'm always stoked when a new package of promo CDs from Transubstans Records shows up because they've consistently got the best hard-rock going on, hands down. Graveyard, Sienna Root, Øresund Space Collective, Villebråd, the list goes on and on. Naturally there's a few clunkers in the catalog, but I typically find that the positive far outweighs the negative, though a few do fall somewhere in between and The Chair happens to be one of 'em. I dig the band's bluesy hard-rock style, but they've also got a corny side that reminds me of Kiss in a bad way. On the other hand, the more they sound like Blue Cheer, the happier I am and "September" definitely has that going on. I especially dig the way the main riff trades off with the vocals on the verse. It's not rocket science, but if the classic recipe works so well, why mess with it? That's what hard-rock revival is all about; it's called "classic" rock for a reason. This is good summer music that doesn't require much thought, nothing more. And there's no faulting a band with the balls to shout "Turn it up Scandinavia!" as they do in "Barn burner". Just like Kiss, it's goofy as hell, but also kinda bad-ass. I can appreciate that sort of party vibe in limited doses, if I'm in the right mood.

The Chair - September