If you want to hear what the current version of Yes has been trying to achieve on their last two, three records, listen to Forged by the Sun.

It has all you'd expect from mellow, reflective prog rock and none of the noodling that Steve Howe and co. are doing now.

And unlike Yes, Castanarc actually pull it off.

Forged by the Sun took me by surprise. At first, I thought it was by some new band. Only later did I discover that Castanarc had originally formed in 1979, disappeared after four releases, and returned in 2021.

Forged by the Sun is their second album since then and their strongest yet.

And the first thing you notice when putting it on is how much work they've put into it.

Forged by the Sun is by far one of the best composed and thought-through recent prog albums I've heard.

First of all, Castanarc successfully escape the trap so many prog acts fall into today: putting twists, turns and constant musical surprises ahead of the listening experience. Castanarc don't.

This music develops slowly. The album comprises two long suites (18 and 12 minutes respectively) and a shorter song. 

In the suites, each section gets enough time to settle, breathe, sound out, and make a mark. As a result, none of the songs seem overloaded with ideas. Every note on Forged by the Sun has its place, every section flows naturally from what came before, and nothing suddenly turns things upside down.

Castanarc also openly show their inspirations. Echoes of Yes, ELP, or old Genesis reverberate throughout the entire record, and you know what, I couldn't be happier about it.

Because Castanarc don't just copy these acts. They take the best of those musical worlds, and blend it into something that sounds clearly theirs while occasionally nodding to familiar elements.

Several times, I smiled after catching a bit of Gabriel, or Anderson, phrasing in the vocal line. Just a teeny tiny bit of resemblance, perhaps in how a verse ends or the singer accents words, and it actually made me appreciate this record even more.

The one, potentially slight downside of their mellow playing is a lack of much contrast. Sections differ, of course, but they never differ drastically between one another.

Sure, a short piano ballad might follow a semi-folk theme before it returns to a slightly faster passage with a typical "edgy" prog keyboard solo. However, none of that suddenly moves the composition into a new direction. This is very linear music.

But don't take this as a complaint. I actually like the rather uniform, logical flow of this album.

Granted, Forged by the Sun isn't the record you reach for when you want progressive rock full of sharp contrasts, virtuosity, or compositions filled with constant twists and turns.

But it's the one to put on when you want beautifully crafted progressive rock that unfolds patiently and invites you to simply sink into it.