Review by Kev Rowland - Amplified #180

This is my first experience with HOGIA (I am not going to keep the full band name throughout this review!)According to the band they “combine prog/alt- 
rock, funk, metal, ambient, contemporary classical, minimalist, and electronica elements, and often explore scientific themes.” The latter I am sure is down to 
Malcolm’s other life, as he told me he is a part-time musician, part-time neuropathologist and medical schoolteacher about the brain. Who says musicians are dumb? 

I must confess it took me a little while to get into the album, just because there are so many different styles on offer. If we take “Stand Up” as an example, and just listened to  that one song, then I would say we were back in the very early days of Credo and the line- 67 up which appeared on the debut album, with keyboards used as an accent, guitars crunching hard and Mark Colton at his most venomous. I honestly can’t play this without thinking of the toilets such as Egham Compasses where we used to gig back then, 25 plus years ago. But then compare that with the following track, “I Miss The Stars” which is far 
more Floydian with a swirling sound, almost spoken vocals, and a guitar which cuts through the mist with a strident but gentle sound, the gently picked notes combining well with keyboards. But “When I Was A Ship” (which is about spaceships taking over mind-wiped slave bodies), has far more of a piano basis, with some wonderfully delicate basslines, which totally changes tack halfway through and moves from a proggy ballad to something which is far more of a frenetic shuffle. 

This 2018 release was their fourth full-length album, so I am very much late to the party, but at some point I will be reviewing their other releases as well as Malcolm’s solo minimalist classical outings. This does take a little getting used to due to the way the guys switch it up, and they sound quite different again when the flute comes in, but certainly repays repeated playings.

"The eclectic progressive rock band, Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate expertly balances prog rock instrumentals, angry vocals, and lyrics that create a stinging commentary on our disastrous global political climate." Musicgator Rock

"Amazing music. Beautiful."- Music Unframed - progressive rock radio show

"They've just released their latest album, 'Out Of Mind', and it's a cracker. I'm absolutely f@@king awesomely proud that they will be playing next year's Fusion [festival]. They turned up at HRH [Hard Rock Hell Prog Festival] in November [replacing another band unable to perform at short notice due to an injury] and they f@@king blew everyone away. It was amazing." The Lost Art (radio)

"This is my first experience with HOGIA (I am not going to keep the full band name throughout this review!), which is primarily Malcolm Galloway (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer) and Mark Gatland (bass, backing vocals, keyboards and co-producer), although they are often joined by Kathryn Thomas (flute)...  According to the band they “combine prog/alt-rock, funk, metal, ambient, contemporary classical, minimalist, and electronica elements, and often explore scientific themes.” The latter I am sure is down to Malcolm’s other life, as he told me he is a part-time musician, part-time neuropathologist and medical schoolteacher about the brain. Who says musicians are dumb?

I must confess it took me a little while to get into the album, just because there are so many different styles on offer. If we take “Stand Up” as an example, and just listened to that one song, then I would say we were back in the very early days of Credo and the line-up which appeared on the debut album, with keyboards used as an accent, guitars crunching hard and Mark Colton at his most venomous. I honestly can’t play this without thinking of the toilets such as Egham Compasses where we used to gig back then, 25 plus years ago. But then compare that with the following track, “I Miss The Stars” which is far more Floydian with a swirling sound, almost spoken vocals, and a guitar which cuts through the mist with a strident but gentle sound, the gently picked notes combining well with keyboards. But “When I Was A Ship” (which is about spaceships taking over mind-wiped slave bodies), has far more of a piano basis, with some wonderfully delicate basslines, which totally changes tack halfway through and moves from a proggy ballad to something which is far more of a frenetic shuffle. This 2018 release was their fourth full-length album, so I am very much late to the party, but at some point I will be reviewing their other releases as well as Malcolm’s solo minimalist classical outings. This does take a little getting used to due to the way the guys switch it up, and they sound quite different again when the flute comes in, but certainly repays repeated playings."  - Progressor

Valley FM Album Of The Week Award (November 2018)

"A lot of people are really raving about this album and quite rightly so - it's very, very good indeed. Fantastic stuff.... I really like this very much indeed. You are going to love this album. It really is very good" - Shaun Geraghty, The Prog Mill

"This is my first experience with HOGIA (I am not going to keep the full band name throughout this review!), which is primarily Malcolm Galloway (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer) and Mark Gatland (bass, backing vocals, keyboards and co-producer), although they are often joined by Kathryn Thomas (flute). 

I must confess it took me a little while to get into the album, just because there are so many different styles on offer. If we take 'Stand Up' as an example, and just listened to that one song, then I would say we were back in the very early days of Credo and the line-up which appeared on the debut album, with keyboards used as an accent, guitars crunching hard and Mark Colton at his most venomous. I honestly can't play this without thinking of the toilets such as Egham Compasses where we used to gig back then, 25 plus years ago. But then compare that with the following track, 'I Miss The Stars' which is far more Floydian with a swirling sound, almost spoken vocals, and a guitar which cuts through the mist with a strident but gentle sound, the gently picked notes combining well with keyboards. But 'When I Was A Ship' (which is about spaceships taking over mind-wiped slave bodies), has far more of a piano basis, with some wonderfully delicate basslines, which totally changes tack halfway through and moves from a proggy ballad to something which is far more of a frenetic shuffle.  

This 2018 release was their fourth full-length album, so I am very much late to the party, but at some point I will be reviewing their other releases as well as Malcolm's solo minimalist classical outings. This does take a little getting used to due to the way the guys switch it up, and they sound quite different again when the flute comes in, but certainly repays repeated playings." - Kev Rowland, Prog Archives

"In many respects, Out Of Mind has an almost Proustian quality, memory being the albums theme, but time and perspective give it the push and seamless flow from one track to the next giving an almost surreal quality that’s pure escapism and oozing symphonic fervor.

A multi-genre journey of progressive rock through classical arrangements to electronica and funk and the fourth release from London based group Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, made up of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Malcolm Galloway, bassist/backing/vocalist Mark Garland accompanied occasionally by Kathryn Thomas (flute). Each track plays out the groups collective interests in science fiction, philosophy and history. It’s richness and depth goes way beyond the simple musical imagination giving a more theatrical experience than just a simple eclectic mix. This incredibly experimental album is storytelling at its greatest, stylistically defiant and challenging, a beautiful compilation." - Alley Richardson, Purple Revolver