New releases last eight weeks: Progressive Rock

Review: After a five-year split, Atomic Rooster returned with renewed force on their sixth studio album, Atomic Rooster, pushing into heavier territory sligning au naturel with the emerging new wave of British heavy metal. Released in 1980, the album marked a sharp turn from their earlier, more progressive leanings, favouring a nude, aggressor rock sound. Guitarist and vocalist John Du Cann reworked two tracks, 'She's My Woman' and 'Where's the Show?', from his unreleased 1977 solo work The World's Not Big Enough, breathing into them second life within the Rooster framework. Though the 2005 CD reissue stirred interest with rare demos and extensive sleevenotes, it remains an "unofficial" release due to copyright issues with EMI. 'Do You Know Who's Looking for You?' later found new life via a Finnish-language cover by rock band YUP.

Review: The newly re-mastered release of Pink Floyd's legendary Pompeii performance from 1972 - released as a film initially and recorded without an audience - immerses the listener in the eerie grandeur of the ancient Roman amphitheatre. Steven Wilson, in charge of reworking the audio, breathes fresh life into the familiar, giving tracks like 'Echoes Part 1' and 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene' a heightened sense of space and detail. The alternate take of 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene' and the unedited 'A Saucerful of Secrets' show the band's ever-evolving approach at this most productive stage in their career. A raw, expansive reflection of Pink Floyd's creative journey as they morphed from psychedelic garage stars to prog rock giants.