PROG ARTIST LEON ALVARADO REVEALS NEW DETAILS FOR UPCOMING ALBUM “THE WICKED FOREST” FEATURING MEMBERS OF YES

Houston, TX - Progressive rock artist Leon Alvarado has announced new details surrounding his highly anticipated studio album, The Wicked Forest, slated for release on February 27, 2026.

The album showcases an impressive lineup of guest musicians, including Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison (Yes), and Johnny Bruhns (CIRCA). With its blend of lush atmospheres, dynamic keyboards, driving progressive percussion, and soaring vocals, The Wicked Forest continues Alvarado’s legacy of creating evocative, concept-driven musical experiences.

Following the critical success of The Changing Tide, Alvarado’s upcoming release expands his repertoire with seven new compositions that deliver a contemporary progressive rock sound while honoring the classic spirit of the genre.

The Wicked Forest is dedicated to the memory of Johnny Bruhns, honoring his musical contributions and lasting friendship. He sadly passed away before the album was completed, but his spirit lives on in the music.

Track List:
THE BIG BANG
BEYOND
URBAN DISTURBANCE
CHASE IN THREE
MAN IN A WHITE CAR
LOST IN THE FOREST THE WICKED FOREST

Personnel:
Leon Alvarado: Drums, Keyboards (all tracks), Backing Vocals (track 5)
Billy Sherwood: Bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7), Guitars (3, 6, 7)
Jon Davison: Vocals (2, 3, 5, 6)
Johnny Bruhns: Guitars (1, 2, 5), Sitar (2) James Griggers: Additional Guitars (3)

Lyrics:
Tracks 2 and 3 by Linda Alvarado
Track 6 by Leon Alvarado

Songwriting:
All songs by Leon Alvarado except “Man In A White Car” by Alan White, Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire.

Production:
Produced and Mixed by: Leon Alvarado
Mastered by: Maor Appelbaum
Cover Art: Synergy Design

About Leon Alvarado
Leon Alvarado is an American progressive rock artist, and composer celebrated for his cinematic soundscapes and collaborations with notable figures in the progressive rock community. His discography includes acclaimed releases such as The Changing Tide, The Future Left Behind and Music From an Expanded Universe. Blending intricate arrangements, atmospheric textures, and rich narrative depth, Alvarado’s music resonates with fans of both classic and contemporary progressive rock, solidifying his place as a distinctive voice in the genre.

Website: https://leonalvarado.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leonplays

Press inquiries: Keith James, Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Contemporary Progressive Instrumental Review: Daniel Walzer-Hoosier Songs

Release Date: December 19, 2025

Label: Independent

Website

Daniel Walzer is an Associate Professor of Music and Arts Technology at IU Indianapolis. As a versatile musician, composer, educator, and media professional, Walzer brings a wealth of experience to his craft. His latest release, Hoosier Songs, showcases his multifaceted talent.

The instrumental pieces draw on field recordings made across Indiana between 2022 and 2025, blending a myriad of sounds into musical expression.

“Sounds of Summer” opens the album with a light, airy jazz ambiance highlighted by the vibraphone. The addition of strings introduces another layer of tasteful progression. This inviting opener allows listeners to settle in comfortably, setting an optimistic tone for what’s to come.

“Cloud Dunes” continues the album’s gentle touch, showcasing a sophisticated blend of instruments. The track invites attentive listening as its textures unfold. Near the end, the tempo accelerates, punctuated by a distant whistle that playfully suggests a burst of energy or motion.

“Areal Rain” shifts the mood with a reflective, purposeful tone. The piece branches into a progressive mosaic of sounds and varying tempos, best described as progressive ambient jazz. This transformation, coming after the first two tracks, feels both prolific and captivating.

“Sketch 2” shifts the mood yet again, evoking a cinematic sense of unease from the first note. The composition softens briefly before returning to its mysterious, dissonant atmosphere. Notable guitar passages add texture, while the persistent dark undertones keep listeners engaged through to the spellbinding conclusion. True to its name, the piece paints vivid musical scenery.

“Hoosier Song,” the title track, serves as an expansive centerpiece at 7:43. Prominent drums set the pace as bells, vibraphone, and bass interact seamlessly. The excellent mix allows each instrument to shine while maintaining cohesion. The bass, more pronounced than in earlier tracks, perfectly complements the percussion. This progressive, innovative composition is rich with subtle nuances and keeps the listener’s engagement throughout. Its balance and complexity make it a standout moment on the album.

“Soldiers and Sailors” may resonate deeply with active-duty military or veterans, as the title lends a personal dimension. Measured rhythms and a slower tempo provide a foundation for gradually layered instrumentals. The beautiful keyboards evoke the texture and pace reminiscent of Bowie’s Low. Ultimately, the track exemplifies music’s ability to suggest unique emotions and interpretations for every listener.

What stands out most about Hoosier Songs is how Daniel Walzer and his collaborators establish a specific tone in the opening tracks, then venture into diverse musical territories throughout the album. The journey moves from contemporary instrumental jazz to progressive, genre-blending pieces filled with varied sounds, tempos, and unexpected twists. This dynamic evolution is what makes the album both enjoyable and consistently intriguing.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-MuzikMan.net Founder

December 26, 2025

Credits:

Daniel Walzer: Piano, Marimba, Keyboards, Vibraphone, Bells, Drums (1,2,4, 6), Percussion, Programming, Field Recordings

Carl Richardson: Bass, Guitars

Wells Gordon: Bass (Track 1)

Chris Dobbs: Guitars (Track 1)

Gareth Dylan Smith: Drums (3, 5) and Percussion

Andrea Carroll: Strings

Wilson Marks: Classical and Electric Guitars

Matthew Parmenter: Bass, Keyboards, Guitars, Percussion

Tracks:

1. Sounds of Summer 5:07

2. Cloud Dunes 3:28

3. Areal Rain 4:14

4. Sketch 2 4:59

5. Hoosier Song 7:43

6. Soldiers and Sailors 4:45

THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND – GOOD EVENING BOYS & GIRLS

THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND – GOOD EVENING BOYS & GIRLS

A COMPREHENSIVE 21 CD BOXSET OF CONCERT PERFORMANCES FROM THE SCOTTISH LEGENDS, INCLUDES 144-PAGE HARDBACK BOOK, RARE MEMORABILIA, SIGNED BAND PHOTO, REPLICA PROGRAMME + MORE

Released on 10 April

PRE-ORDER NOW FROM HERE

There was never another band like The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. They didn’t just play shows - they made every venue feel like their territory, told stories, cracked jokes, and then tore the roof off the place. Scotland has produced its share of musical legends, but SAHB remain something rarer still: a band whose myth came from the stage, night after night, sweat and swagger and steel-toe precision.

Good Evening Boys & Girls is the most comprehensive attempt yet to bottle that lightning. Gathering 16 previously unreleased live performances, this 21-CD set traces the group from the Marquee in ’73 through the band’s final run with the original lineup. It’s a tour through ballrooms, city halls, theatres and festivals - London, Newcastle, Glasgow, New York, Berlin, Reading - and the famous Glasgow Apollo Christmas Show of 1975, long spoken of in fan circles, now finally unearthed.

To be released on April 10 and is available to pre-order now from here.

Much of what’s here comes straight from the source: soundboard and radio recordings, remastered with care by Pete Reynolds (Mott The Hoople, Fleetwood Mac, Wishbone Ash) to preserve their bite and atmosphere. You hear the band as the crew and punters heard them - gritty, elastic, unpredictable, and completely themselves. This is SAHB without varnish, and that’s exactly how it should be.

The box also digs into the story behind the noise. A 144-page hardback book tells the tale with unseen and rare photographs from Ian Dickson, Barry Plummer, Janet Macoska, Steve Emberton, Dick Barnatt, Michael Putland, Kevin Cummins and more, accompanied by new notes from longtime Harvey historian Martin Kielty. Much of the memorabilia - posters, passes, scraps, treasures - comes from Ted McKenna’s private archive and the remarkable collection of Martin Davies, offering a glimpse into the working life of a band that lived as hard as it played.

A replica Glasgow Apollo programme and a signed photograph from Zal Cleminson and Chris Glen complete the set - fittingly, since the box was made with the full cooperation of Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen and sonic architect Dave Batchelor and the estates of Alex, Ted and Hugh McKenna.

For longtime fans, Good Evening Boys & Girls is a chance to step back inside the halls where SAHB became SAHB. For anyone new, it’s an invitation into a world where theatre met street-corner grit, where humour sat beside heartbreak, and where a band of players followed a singular frontman into the wild every single night.

For more information please contact Ben Pester on ben@pesterpr.co.uk

Disc breakdown -
1. Marquee Club London 1973
2. Rainbow London 1974
3. Mayfair Newcastle 1974
4. Syracuse, NY Autumn 1974
5. Electric Ladyland NY 1974
6. Mayfair Ballroom Newcastle 1975
7. Guildhall, Preston 1975
8/9. Free Trade Hall, Manchester 1975
10/11. City Hall Sheffield 1975
12/13. 'Yes' Open Air Concert Stoke-On-Trent 1975
14/15. Apollo, Glasgow 1975
16. New Victoria London 1975
17/18. New Victoria London 1975
19. Free Trade Hall Manchester 1976
20. Neue Welt Berlin 1976
21. Reading Festival 1977

Full track listing here.

Press inquiries: Keith James, Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Truthseeker Releases New Single “Where You Belong” December 5, 2025

Truthseeker, the progressive solo project by Brendan James Hayter, released its new single “Where You Belong” on December 5, 2025. This is the first release from Truthseeker in 12 years, the follow-up to 2013’s “Blue Oblivion”. The single was self-recorded and mixed in October/November 2025 at a rehearsal space in Portland, Maine. This new release is a standalone track released in anticipation of the forthcoming album “The Reflection Fields”.

“Where You Belong” employs minimalistic recording methods and a tape-saturated sound, a motif that has continued to be an inseparable part of the overarching musical statement of Truthseeker. The song also marks the beginning of a more overtly progressive approach than previous works, while honoring the signature Truthseeker sound of nostalgic and heart-swelling melodies cutting through a bass-driven wall of distortion and echo, the sound first heard on the 2011 EP “Weightless at Dawn”.

Says Brendan, “The significance of the title is multi-faceted. On a universal level, this song pays tribute to the lifelong search for a sense of destiny and harmony that one thinks they can find in some special place on Earth. Some people never feel the sense of Home in their heart and they research and wonder forever about place after place, waiting for a sign from within that points to a certain town, state, or country as the place where the heart will find peace and life will find meaning. It’s a restless and somewhat tormenting obsession, and at the same time, the unending wonder of it all, the essence of Wanderlust, can be strangely beautiful.”

“On a personal level, this song is a tribute to the earliest days of my marriage. The riffs and melodies that comprise “Where You Belong” came from 2 long looper-pedal improvisations done on the second night after I relocated to my then girlfriend, now wife’s homeland…Very far away from my own, in another country, and very different. As a long distance / international couple there was a much more urgent and directly shared search for a sense of belonging and destiny in either one person’s world or the other’s. Those ambient guitar improvisations that I managed to capture, really resonate the thoughts and feelings of moving far away and finding a sense of belonging through someone, not somewhere. We’ve moved back and forth together, and to this day we still wonder where it is we should live out our days. On a deeper level though, somewhere in the early days, that burning search peacefully reduced itself to embers, when the sky itself became home. My lady’s company was home. Our cat sitting in my lap was home…”

“I made it a critical goal to finish this recording in time for our 10th anniversary to celebrate this entire journey, and to honor our very recently departed cat who was truly the center of our home no matter which house or apartment we were living in. When she got sick and I was tending to her or bringing her to the vet yet again, for some reason the melodies of “Where You Belong” started circling in my head through the whole experience. For both the warming and painful aspects of recent months, this song needed to be the one I finished first and restart Truthseeker with.”

“It’s been many years, but I never stopped working on new Truthseeker music and defining what exactly the band is or isn’t supposed to be. I continued to improve my drumming to be able to adequately support the new songs I was writing, plus I got a good grasp on tone and recording the types of sounds I wanted to hear, on drums and otherwise. I have my own minimal equipment now but that minimalism is a true passion of mine. I don’t believe in modern music production at all. I used 4 mics on the drums, and the mix of the song is just setting the volume of the tracks and adding reverb, no post-processing and not even a computer involved in the entire process. I intend to keep it this way for all future releases!”

Written, performed, and recorded by Brendan James Hayter, November 2025
Mastered by Aaron Charles at The Cathedral of Psychic Death, November 2025

Brendan is in the process of mixing “The Reflection Fields” and will release more singles from the album in the future. He also has multiple other albums in the works. Brendan hopes to assemble a live band and bring Truthseeker to the stage.

Purchase “Where You Belong”: https://truthseeker1.bandcamp.com/track/where-you-belong

Streaming on Spotify, iTunes and all other major platforms

Also released under the banner of the Maine-based metal collective Hidden Dawn:
https://thehiddendawn.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/share/1ABXppCjKF/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://www.instagram.com/hidden.dawn.collective/

Press inquiries: Keith James, Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

“Bluesy Christmas” by David Young and the Soul Sessions Band feat. Clifford Carter, Gregg Bissonette, and Sean Hurley

Legendary musician David Young and the Soul Sessions Band has released “Bluesy Christmas”, featuring Clifford Carter, Gregg Bissonette, and Sean Hurley. Originally released in 2023, “Bluesy Christmas” is contemporary blues and modern classic rock; made now yet sounds like the authentic classic rock generations of listeners love.

Watch the “Bluesy Christmas” music video: https://www.davidyoungblues.com/bluesy-christmas-video

David Young has produced 70 albums of music and has sold millions of CDs independently. David’s voice is often compared to Paul Rodgers (Free/Bad Co), Don Henley (Eagles), and Steve Marriott (Humble Pie). Young got his start playing lead guitar in America’s first AC/DC tribute band called QT Hush, playing the part of Angus.

This song and album has been created with three of the most famous studio and live musicians in the world:

Gregg Bissonette has been the drummer with the Ringo Starr All-Starr Band for 15 years and has won Best All Around Drummer four times in Modern Drummer Magazine over the past twenty years.

Sean Hurley has played bass with Joe Bonnamassa, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette, and Jason Mraz.

Sean and Gregg played on Edgar Winter’s most recent album, Brother Johnny, which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2023.

Keyboardist Clifford Carter, an in-demand session player in NYC, has toured with James Taylor, Cyndi Lauper, Art Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt, Gavin DeGraw, Bryan Ferry, Idina Menzel, and many others. Clifford recently performed in NYC with Jackson Browne in a band led by drummer/producer Steve Jordan at The Michael J Fox Parkinson’s Foundation fundraiser on November 15, 2025.

Bluesy Christmas is written by David Young and Clifford Carter.

Bluesy Christmas was recorded and filmed in Malibu, CA at Dragonfly Creek Studios while season one of Soul Sessions with David Young was being filmed in 2023-2024.

Nine episodes of Soul Sessions were shot and edited by Hollywood veteran DP Andres Porres and are being completed at this time. Among many other things, Andres shot 200 Anthony Bourdain episodes.

Jim Milio is the Executive Producer of Soul Sessions, and he created The Dog Whisperer, Rescue 911 with William Shatner and the original My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie.

The album, Bluesy Christmas, also has many familiar Christmas songs in David’s bluesy rock ‘n’ style, guaranteed to bring a smile.

For more information about the performers on “Bluesy Christmas”: https://www.davidyoungblues.com/about

Order Bluesy Christmas QR Code Card: https://davidyoungmusic.com/all-products/ols/products/bluesy-christmas-qr-code-card

Press inquiries: Keith James, Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com