Asia Minor-Between Flesh And Divine (1980)

Asia Minor was a French band that emerged as the golden age of progressive rock was ending and the European neo-progressive movement was beginning to take hold. Formed by several musicians of Turkish and French descent, they released two magnificent albums that are among the finest recordings of the European avant-garde genre. Influenced by the atmospheric and symphonic sound of Camel, their debut in the late seventies showed great promise thanks to their exuberant symphonic style. However, all their creativity and immense talent would be fully realized on their second full-length album, "Between Flesh and Divine", considered one of the jewels of French progressive rock. It features highly musical compositions brimming with intricate interplay between all the instruments, as exemplified in tracks such as the harmonious "Nightwind", the bucolic "Northern Lights", the dark psychedelic "Lost in a Dream Yell", and the dynamic "Dreadful Memories". However, the lack of media recognition, both commercially and critically, would precipitate the dissolution of Asia Minor some time after the release of this second album.