The Samurai of Prog | Artist
The Samurai of Prog is a Finnish progressive rock band formed 2009 in Helsinki by Marco Bernard (bass), Kimmo Pörsti (drums, percussion), and Steve Unruh (vocals, guitar, violin, flute). The TSoP project started as a multinational collaboration by Finland-based Italian composer and bassist Marco Bernard who had been active in the Finnish progressive music scene since 1995, involved with the Colossus series of theme albums, with French label Musea Records. It was for a contribution to one of those projects that The Samurai of Prog was born, with US artist Steve Unruh and Finnish drummer Kimmo Pörsti joining. Steve Unruh is also a solo performer and recording artist, plus a member of of the band Resistor. For each album, Marco, Kimmo, and Steve were joined by a rotating cast of high-caliber keyboardists, guitarists, and guest singers. The project uses guest composers, which enables TSoP to create albums of high quality at a frenetic pace, releasing, on average, two full-length original albums per year. These albums manage to sound cohesive despite a plethora of composers and musicians. Marco, who organizes and manages the TSoP projects, and Kimmo, who operates the record label Seacrest Oy which distributes them, have long held the belief that an album is more than the music; it's an experience which includes poring over the elaborate packaging and booklets which accompany TSoP CDs. These typically feature Ed Unitsky's fantastical artwork. The band has been reluctant to offer their music on streaming and download services, leading to their CDs becoming collector items which tend to sell out quickly after their release date. To-date the band has released 17 studio albums dating from their 2011 debut Undercover, through to 2024's A Quiet Town. Standouts include The Imperial Hotel (2014), Toki No Kaze (2019), Beyond the Wardrobe (2020), Robinson Crusoe (2021), Spaghetti Epic 4 (2022), and Anthem to the Phoenix Star (2022). The band is a studio recording outfit only, so consequently have no live releases. TSop's recordings are highly admired by prog fans, attracting comparisons to vintage bands like Yes, Genesis, Marillion, and IQ, and more recent bands like The Flower Kings and Spock's Beard. Reviews such as the following from RYM, have also been praiseworthy: "The musicianship is top class, the sound is amazing too and the voice - a la Jon Anderson of Yes or Peter Nicholls from IQ - sounds superb, it fits perfectly well with the music.. great instrumental passages, where we can admire the huge technical skills of the musicians involved." The band's name originates from Marco Bernard's nickname.
Artist Website : discogs/The-Samurai-Of-Prog
Featured Albums: The Samurai of Prog
Related Artists: Steve Unruh, Marco Bernard, Kimmo Pörsti
