{"id":425,"date":"2026-03-05T10:18:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T00:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/?p=425"},"modified":"2026-03-05T10:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T00:18:10","slug":"2025-08-27-progressive-rock-central-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/?p=425","title":{"rendered":"2025-08-27 &#8211; Progressive Rock Central (Review)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-progressive-rock-central-com wp-block-embed-progressive-rock-central-com\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"AxBInM8D8g\"><a href=\"https:\/\/progressiverockcentral.com\/2025\/08\/27\/ambient-den-self-titled-debut\/\">Ambient Den &#8211; Self-Titled Debut<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Ambient Den &#8211; Self-Titled Debut&#8221; &#8212; Progressive Rock Central.com\" src=\"https:\/\/progressiverockcentral.com\/2025\/08\/27\/ambient-den-self-titled-debut\/embed\/#?secret=D8BepKZWCp#?secret=AxBInM8D8g\" data-secret=\"AxBInM8D8g\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ambient Den \u2013 Self-Titled Debut<br>Professor Mark<br>August 27, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ambient Den, is a progressive rock band from Australia. They released their self-titled debut album on July 28, of this year; on the Desert Comb Music label. The band was, as their PR release states, \u201cBorn from the uncertainty of lockdowns and the joy of spontaneous creation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ambient Den is made up of three members: Ben Craven, who plays guitars, bass, and does the musical programming; Tim Bennetts who plays keyboards and sings vocals; and Dean Povey on vocals and drums. The album was also produced by Ben Craven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The band\u2019s self-titled debut album, Ambient Den, is \u201cA cinematic concept record that tells the story of humanity\u2019s search for a new home among the stars, culminating in the terraforming of a distant world.\u201d Inspired by the great progressive rock bands of the 1970s, Ambient Den embraces the spirit of musicians creating music together in a studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The album opens with some cool, spacey orchestration and programming, on \u201cFuture History \u2013 Part 1.\u201d Keyboards rock this one, until, soft nylon string sounding guitars, help usher in the heavier electric guitars, bass, and drums. This is a warm way to welcome us to their version of a space soundscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor All Mankind,\u201d is my favorite track on the album. It\u2019s the lyrics that make this song so great, though the music is fantastic as well. They sing, \u201cA little bit of fear helps us rise up in the morning. A little distrust keeps us following the harder path. The anticipation heightens all the senses. The bitter failure spurs us onward in the aftermath.\u201d Then later, the key phrases for me, \u201cTowards the moon to darkened skies. To other planets where our futures lie. A force for good, a force for ill. For all mankind we cannot be still.\u201d As someone who lived through and saw the \u201cMan on the Moon\u201d landings and all of NASA\u2019s many exploratory missions, this song is a great reminder of all that we did accomplish, when we all worked together to achieve greatness. Maybe someday we\u2019ll do it again. The music opens with spacey syths and vivid other worlds orchestration, and bells. A wonder to behold, just like outer space. Every moment of this epic is worth your listening pleasure. There is a feeling for me, of 70s Pink Floyd meets Michael Rutherford\u2019s \u2018Mike and the Mechanics\u2019 debut. Like maybe \u201cSilent Running,\u201d only slower. Terrific!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cProvenance,\u201d on the other hand, is a powerful space instrumental. All band members get to show off their talents and you, the listener, are the beneficiary. They open sounding like Pink Floyd, and then surge into some heavy electric Gilmour \u2013 like guitar, coupled well with bass and drums. The keyboards are softer, but sweeter. Almost six minutes of electronic, symphonic, beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEarthrise,\u201d opens with more wonderful, hopeful lyrics, \u201cDelicate orb ascending in the night. Spheroid in bright azure and swirling white. Borders erase and conflicts disappear. Reflected within a fragile atmosphere.\u201d The spacey keyboards, synths, and programming are wonderful. The guitar playing and soloing is well worth the price of admission. Simply some of the best guitar playing of this year. Yes, Ambient Den\u2019s debut album should be benchmarked high on most every progressive media mags \u2018album of the year\u2019 list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTerraforming,\u201d is an over 16-minute space instrumental, that opens with bold piano, as many of the best epics do. Then, golden sunshine, nylon soft guitar. Yes, magic in the morning, as a new terraform world takes shape. Then, the drums and electric guitar join in, with that familiar Pink Floyd, 1-2-3 cadence. More \u201cDark side of the Moon\u201d like keyboards. Absolutely wonderful. Then, some Genesis-era Tony Banks synths. Thank you for that surprise. The innovations that used to be the hallmark of Ayreon\u2019s albums, are heard within this space and time. Now, Ambient Den just have to create some expansive stories out in space, and they will be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuture History \u2013 Part 2,\u201d opens with a bouncy feel to the music, led by bass chords. This song outlines the future possibilities for mankind, set to a jazzier, bouncier, beat and sound, that seems to include horn sounds. They sing, \u201cAimlessly drifting through infinite expanse. Feel the cosmic forces gathering. Celestial magic, mystic circumstance. It\u2019s no ordinary happening. Let them think what they will. We\u2019ve got a whole blank starscape to fill. It\u2019s made for you and me. Our future history.\u201d Yeah, you said it. This album captures that feeling we have all missed in modern music. Thank you, Ambient Den.,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bonus Tracks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of the bonus songs are single edit versions of the original songs off the album. They sound a little different and were added to round out the album and give listeners and album purchasers some alternative versions of the songs, highlighted by interpretations that existed before the band edited and chose an album version. These tracks also display the band\u2019s ability to alter their creations, adding bonus interpretations to the sound. Single versions of \u201cFor All Mankind (Single Edit),\u201d \u201cTerraforming (Single Edit),\u201d and \u201cFuture History \u2013 Part 2 (Single Edit),\u201d are included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ambient Den\u2019s debut album will rock many a Pink Floyd and Genesis fan\u2019s world. They will be drawn to this album, like mice to cheese. Ambient Den created 6 terrific tracks with enough dynamic innovation to make you sit up straight and scream for more. The reminders are all there, but this is something original and new. Put Ambient Den on your list of bands to follow. I am working on setting up an interview with them, so that we can talk about this magnificent sounding debut. Do not miss Ambient Den\u2019s debut album this year, when it is fresh and new. Jump aboard the command module, and prepare to soar forward and catch the re-birth of the magical sound of Ayreon, this time made in Australia. Already looking forward to the next one, while I appreciate Ambient Den\u2019s unbelievable premier showcase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ambient Den \u2013 Self-Titled DebutProfessor MarkAugust 27, 2025 Ambient Den, is a progressive rock band from Australia. They released their self-titled debut album on July 28, of this year; on the Desert Comb Music label. The band was, as their PR release states, \u201cBorn from the uncertainty of lockdowns and the joy of spontaneous creation.\u201d&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/?p=425\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">2025-08-27 &#8211; Progressive Rock Central (Review)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":426,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=425"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425\/revisions\/427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ambientden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}