Abel Ganz are one of the great cult survivors of Scottish progressive rock — a Glasgow band who emerged in the first wave of 1980s neo-prog alongside the likes of Pallas, Pendragon and IQ, and who went on to reinvent themselves again and again across four decades. Formed in 1980 by keyboardist Hew Montgomery and multi-instrumentalist Hugh Carter, Abel Ganz launched the career of singer Alan Reed, who soon departed for Pallas, and became known for a restless refusal to make the same album twice, journeying from vintage neo-prog to lush, folk-tinged, pastoral progressive rock. Here is every Abel Ganz studio album, ranked from worst to best.

The short version

At the top sit their two mature masterworks, the acclaimed comeback Shooting Albatross (2008) and the transformed self-titled album (2014), with the classic-era peak The Dangers of Strangers close behind. At the other end, the AOR-leaning The Deafening Silence tends to divide even the faithful. The full ranking is below.

How we rank them

This is one fan’s honest take on Abel Ganz’s seven studio albums — we have set aside the reissues and compilations to focus on the full-lengths. We weigh songwriting, ambition, atmosphere and how well each record holds together. The facts are accurate; the order is where the arguments begin.

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The lower reaches

7. The Deafening Silence (1994)

The album where a heavily changed lineup chased a glossy AOR and hard-rock sound, with barely a trace of prog to be found. Competently made, but a world away from their strengths, and widely seen as their weakest. A misjudged low point.

6. The Life of the Honeybee and Other Moments of Clarity (2020)

Their most recent album, continuing the warm, acoustic, folk-tinged direction of their modern era. Gentle, pastoral and heartfelt, if less immediately gripping than their peaks. A pleasant, low-key latter-day record.

The middle of the pack

5. Gullible’s Travels (1985)

The rockier second album, with a much stronger guitar presence balancing the keyboards, and a favourite among neo-prog devotees for the pounding “The Unholy War”. A little anonymous in places, but enjoyable throughout. A solid early entry.

4. Gratuitous Flash (1984)

The debut, and the record that first announced them in the early-80s neo-prog wave, all vintage keyboards, Genesis-inspired melody and youthful ambition. A touch dated even then, but full of charm and promise. A fine beginning.

The upper tier

3. The Dangers of Strangers (1988)

The first album by the mature Abel Ganz, combining the strengths of the two records before it while shedding their weaknesses, and their most successful early release. Tight, uncommercial neo-prog with real memorable songs. A classic of the era.

The masterpieces

2. Abel Ganz (2014)

The sprawling, seventy-minute self-titled album, and their most transformed and sophisticated statement, anchored by the mighty five-part suite “Obsolescence” and a wealth of Scottish-folk-tinged beauty. Rich, diverse and hugely rewarding. A near-masterpiece.

1. Shooting Albatross (2008)

The masterpiece: their remarkable comeback after a long silence, and a radically ambitious record that reinvented the band as a lush, folky, pastoral progressive act. Critically acclaimed and unlike anything they had done before, it stands as their finest and most cohesive work. The definitive Abel Ganz album, and the place to begin.

Every Abel Ganz album, ranked

The full ranking at a glance, best to worst.

Where to start

New to Abel Ganz? Begin with Shooting Albatross (2008), their acclaimed comeback and finest hour, and the sprawling, transformed self-titled album (2014). From there, the classic-era peak The Dangers of Strangers and the debut Gratuitous Flash await. Few cult neo-prog catalogues are this varied or this rewarding.

The verdict

Few bands have reinvented themselves as often, or as fearlessly, as Abel Ganz — a group whose catalogue can feel like the work of several different bands, held together only by a restless creative spirit and a very Scottish gift for melody. Founding members Hew Montgomery and Hugh Carter departed around 2010, having encouraged the rest to carry on, and the band has flourished since, deep into a rich, folk-tinged late period. From vintage 80s neo-prog to their ambitious modern masterworks, they remain one of the genre’s most rewarding cult treasures. Whether you begin with the acclaimed Shooting Albatross or the transformed self-titled album, there is a wealth of heartfelt, ever-changing prog to discover here.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: count down their finest tracks with the best Abel Ganz songs, browse our pick of their best Abel Ganz albums, or head back to the full directory of every prog band’s discography, ranked.

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