Änglagård totally surprised me when they unexpectedly (to me) delivered a new album in 2012 with Viljan Öga. I truly didn't see that coming given the reunion from them in 2002-'03 amounted to little more than a handful of concerts and that was it. Since Viljans Öga the band had witnessed numerous lineup changes, no doubt because many of the members had busy schedules, but managed to tour despite this change. Now comes 2018 and Johan Brand, Thomas Johnson, current Änglagård drummer Erik Hammarström (formerly of the Flower Kings) and Johan's daughter Miranda Brand. From listening to this the Änglagård influence cannot be denied, which is hardly any surprise given who were involved. The music seems less symphonic and closer to RIO/avant prog than Änglagård, as well as elements foreign on an Änglagård album. Also All Traps on Earth doesn't go much in acoustic, pastoral territory like Änglagård did, but I assume that's because of a lack of full-time guitarist (they do have a guitarist for a guest, though). Elements foreign on an Änglagård album include jazzier passages and trumpet solos from various guest members. But both Thomas Johnson and Johan Brand are credited to the Mellotron, and the Mellotron work is very undeniably Änglagård-like; however, they are also credited with the M4000D as well, but hoping they were using that for sounds that were not included in their M400 tape library. The choirs are very much real as the key clicks give it away, but there are sounds that don't exist in the M400 library I'm sure they were using the M4000D for, like Chamberlin female voices and MK II vibes. The music is lengthier than anything Änglagård came up with, but the same quality control is found here as with Änglagård so the music never outstays its welcome. It's a no-brainer who I recommend this to: fans of Änglagård. A sure hit for progheads everywhere!

Well, I probably could include the entire Anekdoten discography on this list. These guys seemed to be Mellotron fanatics, and this, their latest offering only proves that. Apparently Per Wiberg of Opeth makes an appearance here (but he plays organ). Although I'm not familiar with everything they done, it's apparent they became less heavy since 1999's From Within, but on Until All the Ghosts Are Gone, they brought back some of that heaviness. I also have to be upfront: I was never a big fan of this band, the other two CDs I own, Vemod and Nucleus, although considered classics, and features lots of Mellotron, just leaves me cold, sounding too close to '90s alternative rock for me liking, despite the Crimson influences. Until All the Ghosts are Gone, unsurprisingly has less of that '90s alternative rock vibe, which is a plus for me, so I actually prefer this to their early material.

I remembered in 1997 being told that Ange used Mellotron. I just heard of these guys and never tried anything from them, so I tried Emile Jacotey, which was available for me in Aeon Music (prog rock mail order catalog now defunct). Liked the music but didn't hear a single note of Mellotron. I hear this strange Viscount organ French prog bands tended to have a habit of using (Carpe Diem, Arachnoid, to name a couple others). The band often had a habit of making the organ sound like a Mellotron, except I could tell it wasn't one. And the couple of albums Mellotron is credited (like Par les Fils de Mandrin), it's so buried you can hardly notice it. Turns out Guet-Apens, a 1978 is their actual Mellotron album. Sure that organ is used, but at least the Mellotron is not hidden, the tron choir being a bit obvious, and glad to hear some strings that sound tron and not Viscount organ. It's also their last worthy album, from a prog standpoint.

Who could imagine I would include Angel, because of their connection to Kiss. For one thing, they were discovered by Gene Simmons. Secondly, thanks to him, they got signed to Casablanca Records, just like Kiss. The label was quick to exploit the group with a silly dressed in white image, like a stark contrast to the dark image of Kiss. On their debut they apparently dressed like your typical '70s rock band. Musically they're nothing like Kiss. Early on they were more of a prog/pomp/hard rock crossover band. While Kiss was more focused on their silly image and makeup, Angel had the music to back them up. Lots of Mellotron on many of the songs, with strings, brass and flutes. Also if you hate Angel, it's because they really went downhill by the late '70s. They became more of a standard hard rock/metal band who helped lay the blueprint of the glam metal scene of the 1980s. This album is surprisingly good and, of course blows Kiss totally out of the water. Too bad it was Kiss that became huge, and Angel was exploited to the max by the label (to be fair so did Kiss) and somewhat forgotten these days. Surprisingly the band continued to use the Mellotron on all their albums but it's on their debut they used it quite a lot. Recommended even if you can't stand their later stuff.

Really, you need all three of their albums (or four, if you also include Buried Alive, a live album from 1994, released in 1996).

The Mellotron really went through a dry spell in the 1980s, then in the 1990s comes this great Swedish prog band, who helped bring the Mellotron back from the grave. Both of these are essential!

Who could ever imagined in their wildest dreams this group would ever actually release a new album. After nearly 18 years, too! Musically, it's as if they never left, plus it's stuff with that Mellotron, once again!

Argent isn't some band I've just recently discovered, although I only started buying their albums (as of this typing I have All Together Now and now Nexus), because I knew they were frequently inconsistent. I had always enjoyed "Hold Your Head Up", right from my teen years, even if it was 1989 and not 1972 (in fact I was born in 1972, so I couldn't know that song when it was brand new). I was already aware of Rod Argent's previous career in the Zombies. What I didn't realize at the time was Rod Argent at one point was a big time Mellotron user. His first use was in the Zombies in songs like "Care of Cell 44" and a few others off Odessey & Oracle, but the first three Argent albums were completely tron free, just organ, piano, and electric piano. Mellotron first appeared on "Losing Hold" on In Deep, but I got a feeling Rod Argent bought the Mellotron just as recordings of In Deep were winding down just in time to record that song. But he really goes for it on the next album, Nexus. Like other Argent albums, it seems to be a strange bag of full-on prog and more pop-oriented material, no doubt the schism between the Rod Argent/Chris White team, and Russ Ballard, in which Russ Ballard was more inclined to hit-oriented pop. several of his songs did became hits for others, like "Liar" (Three Dog Night, although Argent recorded a version of it before TDN) and even "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" had been recorded by KISS many years later. It seemed with Nexus they seemed to have a better idea what they're doing, so ended up with more consistent songwriting, although "Love" is a bit sappy and I can do without. But no doubt "The Coming of Koutek"/"Once Around the Sun"/"Infinite Wanderer" is nothing short of amazing, it's partially based off an old medieval hymn "Dies Irae". "Man For All Reasons" is a bit in Yes territory, but "Gonna Meet My Maker" has a bit of a boogie and gospel feel. Regardless Rod Argent really goes for it with the Mellotron, although some songs more than others, and a couple without.

Unusual modern psych band from Israel, with a rather ominous and dark feel, with vocals singing in an incomprehensible language (does not sound like Hebrew to me, I'm pretty certain it was made up). Anyways, Zohar Cohen appears on this release, and he's Israel's top Mellotron player, given how few Mellotrons made it to that country (there was one in the '70s used on one cut by a band called NoNames). He in fact owns none other than a Mark II once owned by Pink Floyd! He uses it on each and every cut, and tons of it, from a country not exactly known as Mellotron haven (there are plenty of countries you can be certain you won't find a Mellotron, I doubt there's a single Mellotron in Zimbabwe or Albania). I also notice some M400 choirs which leads me to believe he owns an M400 as well.

For years I've heard BJH referred to as a Mellotron band. Back in 1997 when I bought my first BJH album, Once Again, I was wondering, "Where's the tron?" Most of the songs had orchestration from Robert John Godfrey. Plus I wasn't familiar with the sound of the M300 model, which Woolly Wolstenholm was well known for using. Years later, I was able to identify the Mellotron on the album, but only used on a couple songs. Turns out most of the BJH albums are like that, only a couple using tron, the rest using strings of some sort.

There is one huge major exception, this 1974 Live album! They couldn't afford to hire an orchestra, so what do they do? Let Woolly Wolstenholm take care of that, all on his M300 Mellotron! Every song is plastered with it. I was really tripping over this version of "Galadriel" because it sounded so much like the original (the original had tron, but mainly orchestration, but this version is all tron!). If you're wondering how BJH was referred to as a Mellotron band, look no further than this album!

Second album where they bring in a female Mellotron player by the name of Virginia Scott. Alan Park sticks to the Hammond organ, but Ms. Scott gives plenty of nice Mellotron on several cuts, including "Time Machine", "I've No Idea", "Nimbus", lots of fanfare tron brass on "Silver Peacock Intro", plus tron in general on "Silver Peacock", nice tron flute on "Festival". The Mellotron has resurfaced on two of their following albums, but in minute amounts, Pathfinder features minor amount on their take on "MacArthur Park", and Get Your Dog Off Me features it on their take on "Classical Gas", and that's it. So Waters of Change is the one you need for the Mellotron lovers.

Strange electronic music from this French duo. Recording for the Pole label means you get some off-the-wall stuff. Watch out for the current reissue: it's been issued as a single LP and therefore missing some tracks, and apparently the MP3 downloads cut the length of some of these pieces.

So, obviously seek the original or the Tapioca reissue (Tapioca took over the Pole catalog). This album does have your standard tron sounds, but also tron vibes and various tron FX like bells and percussion. Strange electronic music, a bit like Heldon but without the Crimson influence.

Spanish band who released their debut in 1978, and I find it strange that their debut would be completely Mellotron-free, but not their next albums. This was their last, and most Mellotron-ladened of albums, mostly tron choirs here. Unsurprisingly, it's Bloque with a bit more modernized and updated sound, for 1981, so in reality it sounds like one foot in the '70s, the other foot in the '80s (not all the nasty traits of '80s sound and production had surfaced in 1981, the Yamaha DX-7 was still two years away).

It's simply the biggest blunder to even think of not including this album on this list. I've had this album, as a CD reissue since 2004. Probably the oddest entry mainly because Canarios had their beginning as a standard pop rock band. They're best known for the single "Get On Your Knees" in 1968 which was apparently a big hit in Spain. By 1970 leader Teddy Bautista has to do military service. By 1972 the band has returned and recorded another album called Canarios Vivos! (it seemed like they went in the Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears school of horn rock from what I heard of that album) before moving to a drastic turn to highly complex prog rock two years later. Ciclos (called Cycles on some non-Spanish pressing) is based on Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Now I'd usually run at the thought any kind of prog rock album that focuses on exclusively on classical. Straight renditions can get a little boring (such as Pär Lindh Project's "A Night on Bare Mountain" off Gothic Impressions from 1994 or the existence of Apollo 100) or a bit cheesy like Ekseption (but at least they also include original material too). Then there's ELP which we all have our opinions, to me they do a great job at that. But Ciclos leaves all other prog renditions of classical in the dust. They go the creative route by doing things Vivaldi would never dream of (bluesy passages, a barbershop quartet criticizing the commercialization of Christmas, Spanish folk music and of course the rock and electronic instruments). But of course the big reason for including this album is of course, the Mellotron. Teddy Bautista puts it to great work, it's all over the place, it simply blows me away. It might not be completely plastered like Cathedral's Stained Glass Stories or Änglagård's Hybris, but when it appears it's amazing and every fan of the tron needs this!

Besides the SFF mentioned, here was another inspiration from Änglagård. Now you get to know where that band got many of their ideas. From this American band. Tom Doncourt just lays it thick with Mellotron, on each and every cut with few pauses!

This Portuguese musician is mainly known for some pretty dreadful pop music, but he actually made some great prog for a short time, in a country not known for prog, and this is one of them. He tends to use just the tron choir here, but you can't argue with an album in which one song bears the title "Mellotron O Planeta Fantástico"!

For some reason this album passed by radar scope, as I've owned it for years. Clearlight was a band lead by keyboardist Cyrille Verdeaux, and here he invites members of Gong (Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe), as well as Christian Boulé, Gilbert Artman of Lard Free, etc. This is truly wonderful prog, frequently compared to Mike Oldfield, but much more electric with use of synths, but most of all, amazing use of Mellotron used throughout the album, although the first part clearly used it much more, still this album is a must have for the Tron fan. Their next album Forever Blowing Bubbles still featured some Tron, but after that, their following albums were completely Tron free.

This Italian act seems to be making a name for themselves in the prog community, and it's also nice to know these guys use a real Mellotron; however they only use it sparingly on all their releases, so only a couple cuts or passages featuring one on each release and that's it. With the major exception of Decalogue of Darkness where they just go hog wild on the Mellotron, on each and every cut. Here they go into King Crimson territory.

Deluge Grander is a symphonic prog rock project lead by DC/Maryland-based Dan Britton. This is their third release, while their previous two featured rather good sampled Mellotron, Dan was able to access a real Mellotron this time around, and puts it to great use too. Great music too, although it's only available as a limited edition vinyl/CD (gatefold handwritten and hand numbered) although thankfully the full album has been posted by YouTube from his own label Emkog Records, and can also be downloaded at Bandcamp.

Actually it's only side one that makes it a great Mellotron album as side two is actually pretty lousy and Tron free. Demon Thor was a Swiss project lead by Tommy Fortman with Written in the Sky being the second. The opening side-length title track is a great piece of progressive rock with plenty of Mellotron to go with it. I only wished side two was of equal quality, but it's not. It's pretty awful straight rock and roll, as if Mr. Fortman wanted commercial acceptance. Seems I'm hardly alone on this opinion from reviews I've seen. Get it for the wonderful title track and forget the rest.

This is what you get with an album recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London. Toe Rag allows no digital or virtual gear in their studios. So this prog band (with psychedelic overtones) had to use analog gear, and they used plenty of Mellotron, one that was borrowed from Andy Thompson of the Planet Mellotron website and the band Litmus. You might just mistake this for a lost gem of the late '60s/early '70s, although fact is, none of the band were even alive at that time (they were all born sometime in the 1980s). Since the Mellotron was borrowed, it's no surprise it disappeared in subsequent recordings, although a little bit of sampled tron being used, but nothing to write home about, unlike this one.

In 2007 Cathedral had released that follow-up to Stained Glass Storied, almost 30 years after, called The Bridge. Little did I realize Tom Doncourt, their keyboardist will become quite musically active towards the end of his life with a string of solo albums and this album, a collaboration with Mattias Olsson of Änglagård. Also since The Bridge it shows how much Tom Doncourt's love of the Mellotron was totally intact and that spilled over to his solo career. This collaboration with Mattias Olsson was mainly a demonstration how much impact Stained Glass Stories had on Änglagård so no surprise Mattias Olsson would be involved. No this album isn't a clone of Stained Glass Stories, but this stuff is definitely more prog than Tom's solo stuff (which is more art rock than prog). As usual Tom stuffs Mellotron on everything here as well as Chamberlin. Sadly Tom would never live to see its release since he passed away in March 20, 2019 and this was released, purposely on December 20, 2020 on Tom's 65th birthday (had he lived).

I should not forget to include this. This group, like The Enid and England (the band that released Garden Shed) was very much a latecomer in the UK prog scene, so obviously they arrived too late to leave an impression (the punk scene that arrived in '76 only made that more clear that new UK acts playing prog could no longer stand a chance, even Druid never made it past a second album, and England only managed one album at the time, and only The Enid made it well into the 1980s). Of course Druid's resemblance to Yes meant that they were likely treated the same way in the UK as Starcastle had in the US. Regardless, recommended if you like Yes, plus there's plenty of Mellotron to keep you happy.

This was Earth & Fire's first tron album. "Storm and Thunder" and the title track features plenty of it. You'll be glad to know of Earth & Fire if you're a lover of the Mellotron. It's a huge shock to learn that all their albums starting with this one and ending as late as 1982's In State of Flux uses the Mellotron. Obviously you need their early albums, as their later albums (like Andromeda Girl and In State of Flux) are pretty dreadful, despite the Mellotron, not to mention the Mellotron use on their later stuff wasn't particularly imaginative, but on the other hand I was rather surprised they'd still use one in the early '80s.

This incredible single includes the Dutch #1 hit "Memories" and it's Crimson-esque flip side "From the End till the Beginning", tons of tron, both sides!