Category: New album releases

The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord checks in from the studio and reveals details of their new studio album Dissolution

UK & European Headline Tour Announced

Bruce Soord, The Pineapple Thief’s composer, lyricist and driving force, has checked in from the studio with an update on the progress of the band’s new album, the follow up to 2016’s acclaimed Your Wilderness.

“After 5 intensive months of song writing and recording, the new The Pineapple Thief album is almost done!  We’ve once again been joined by Gavin Harrison, but this time from day one.  It’s been a real collaborative journey between the 4 of us writing and recording this record, with the songs taking on a life of their own.  When everyone pulls in the same direction, amazing things can happen.”

Bruce also reveals more about Dissolution, the title of the forthcoming release ““The new album, will be out later this summer. Broadly speaking the title reflects the disintegration of relationships and the undoing of our social fabric.  We’re living in a time when supposedly we are more connected than ever before, but, I personally am at my happiest when I unplug that connection. 

Reflecting more on the creative process between the band members – Gavin Harrison, Jon Sykes & Steve Kitch, Soord explains “ I would come up with ideas, jamming them on a guitar with a rough vocal, but instead of locking myself away and finishing the demos like I usually do, I would send them to Gavin for him to play around with in his studio.  Gavin has one of the best sounding drum rooms I have heard, and he can produce incredible sounding drum mixes. He would then lay down some drum ideas, chop things around, add some drum sections here and there before sending it back to me to take forward. It’s as close to having a jam in studio as you can get whilst being 200 miles apart!  Jon would then lay down his bass from his studio and Steve would do his thing from his mastering studio in Devon. We are just settling down now to the do the final mixes. Gavin is mixing the drums, Steve and I are mixing the rest. I am definitely looking forward to having that celebratory beer when we send the masters away!”

Gavin Harrison adds “It’s been fantastic to collaborate with these guys again – especially as this time I’ve been involved from the ground up. It’s been a most inspiring effort and I think it will prove to be the best yet. The emotional investment that you place in an album is immense and we’re all excited about getting out there and playing these songs live. “

The Pineapple Thief have announced they will be taking  Dissolution on the road starting in September 2018 which will include their biggest show to date at London’s prestigious Shepherds Bush Empire – tickets are on sale now and selling fast: http://www.pineapplethief.com/tour/

Sep 15 – FR – Paris – La Maroquinerie

Sep 16 – BE, Brussels-  La Madeleine

Sep 17 – DE, Bremen – Schlachthof

Sep 18 – DE, Hanover – Musikzentrum

Sep 19 – DE, Berlin – Lido

Sep 21 – PL, Warsaw – Stodola

Sep 22 – CZ, Olomucany – S-Club

Sep 23 – CZ, Prgaue – Rock Cafè

Sep 25 – AU, Wien – Szene

Sep 26 – DE, Munich – Backstage Werk

Sep 27 – DE, Aschaffenburg-  Colos-Saal

Sep 28- DE, Cologne – Live Music Hall

Sep 29 – NL, Amsterdam – Melkweg

Oct 4 – UK, Edinburgh – Liquid Rooms

Oct 5 – UK, Sheffield – Leadmill

Oct 6 – UK, London – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

 

The Slyde announces new album “Awakening”

Following up with 2017’s EP release “Back Again”, Canadian melodic proggers The Slyde return with their first full length effort titled “Awakening”.  The band (formerly known as just Slyde) will add six tracks to Back Again’s four, of the intricate, contrapuntal prog rock they’ve honed over the last decade, on May 18 2018.

In true prog fashion, The Slyde stays true to their mission statement with their quirky arrangements, aggressive edge, and ominous lyrics.  The result is a thought provoking, high-octane album for fans of Rush, Dream Theater, Haken, Coheed and Cambria, and Megadeth.  Driven by Nathan Da Silva’s elegant vocals, Sarah Westbrook’s powering keyboard skills, and the powerful rhythm section of bassist Alberto Campuzano and drummer Brendan Soares, the band are to catch the ears of any technically minded melodic prog rock fan.

The Slyde has played over 160 shows on the Eastern Canadian circuit, including support for Protest The Hero, Ottawa Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, IndieWeek, and Wacken Metal Battle Canada.

Catch the band on the road for their Album Release shows:

05.23.2018 – Peterborough ON, The Red Dog
05.24.2018 – Toronto ON, Hard Luck
05.25.2018 – Hamilton ON, This Ain’t Hollywood
05.25.2018 – Niagara Falls ON, The Geekery Pub
06.06.2018 – Kingston ON, The Mansion
06.07.2018 – Montreal QC, Les Katacombes
06.08.2018 – Ottawa ON, Cafe Dekcuf
06.09.2018 – Cornwall ON, Lola’s
TRACK LISTING:
1-Awaken
2-Walk With Me
3-In Silence
4-These Wars
5-Awakening
6-So Blind
7-Fading
8-Join The Parade
9-Divide
10-Back Again

GAZPACHO RELEASE NEW VIDEO FOR “EXIT SUITE” FROM NEW STUDIO ALBUM SOYUZ

Ahead of the release of their brand-new studio album, Soyuz, on May 18th Norwegian Art-rock progressive outfit Gazpacho have revealed their visually stunning and emotive new video for the track “Exit Suite”

Gazpacho’s Thomas Andersen explains the song’s creative birth “Exit Suite is the cinematic sounding result of a night playing with matches in the studio. It is a song about the fear of dawn and the passing of the old day.  The matches were supposed to be our short flickering lives in the dark universe and we ended up making a rhythm out of them and building a song on that rhythm.”

Andersen continues on the creation of the video clip “The short film accompanying the song was made by Dewi Allen from the University of South Wales, Cardiff and we loved it. We had lots of ideas on what the film should be like and he had the wisdom to ignore everything we said and do it his way. It’s perfect, speaks for itself and showcases his very special talent. I hope you all agree.”

Gazpacho have become synonymous for their distinctive art rock that balances tense and beautiful arrangements, sinister and soulful melodic lines, Soyuz furthers their experimental output. With a holistic approach to the album writing process, imbuing each with a captivating concept – in Soyuz the concept was born from the idea of how beautiful moments pass and cannot be “saved for later”, so within Soyuz are interconnected tales of people and lives “frozen in time”. Taking inspiration from a multitude of eras and subject matters, including the doomed Russian space capsule Soyuz and its iconic captain Komarov; the Tibetan Buddhist funeral practice in “Sky Burial”; the inclusion of the oldest recording of the human voice from 1860 and the Hans Christian Andersen inspired “Emperor Bespoke”.

Recorded at Krypton Planet & St. Croix Fredrikstad in Norway, engineered by Thomas Andersen, Kristian Torp and Mikael Kroemer, mixed by John Rausch and mastered by Sonovo Mastering’s Thor Legvold. The artwork, designed by painter Antonio Seijas, is inspired by Russian Cold War colours and fonts from the Soyuz One flight era.

Soyuz will be released on CD / LP and digitally (with pre orders receiving “Soyuz One” and “Exit Suite” as instant downloads) and is available to pre-order HERE

Gazpacho have confirmed they will be taking Soyuz on the road this summer with a series of headline shows and an appearance at Be Prog! My Friend Festival in Barcelona, with more dates to follow 

Soyuz Tour 2018
 
24/05 – NL –  Maastricht, Muziekgieterij,
25/05 – NL-  Uden, De Pul
26/05 – NL-  Zoetermeer, De Boerderij,
28/05 – UK – London, The Dome
31/05 – DE – Aschaffenburg, Colos-saal
01/06 – DE – Cologne Die Kantine,
02/06 – NL – Leeuwarden, Neushoorn,
23/06 – NO – Oslo, John Dee
30/06 – ESP – Barcelona, Be Prog Festival

For tickets see www.gazpachoworld.com

Gazpacho are:

Jan Henrik Ohme (vocals)

Thomas Andersen (keyboards, programming)

Jon-Arne Vilbo (guitars)

Mikael Krømer (violin, mandolin)

Kristian Torp (bass)

Robert Risberget Johansen (drums & percussion)

Follow Gazpacho online:

https://www.facebook.com/Gazpacho.Official.BandPage

www.gazpachoworld.com

The Sea Within – Roine Stolt, Daniel Gildenlöw, Jonas Reingold, Tom Brislin & Marco Minnemann – announce self-titled debut album

The Sea Within – the new art-rock collective comprising of Roine Stolt(Transatlantic, The Flower Kings), Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation), Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings, Karmakanic, The Tangent), Tom Brislin (Yes Symphonic, Renaissance, Spiraling, Deborah Harry) & Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, UK, Joe Satriani) – have announced that their debut self-titled album will be released on June 22nd,  2018.

Let’s get one thing straight from the start. The Sea Within is more of an amalgamation of some serious talents, than a regular “supergroup”. These musicians have come together to create a unique album.  Guitarist/vocalist Roine Stolt, bassist Jonas Reingold, keyboard player/vocalist Tom Brislin, drummer/vocalist Marco Minnemann and vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw have a vast reservoir of experience. Look at the portmanteau of artists with who they’ve worked: The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Jon Anderson, Steven Wilson,The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Yes, Steve Hackett, Renaissance, Pain Of Salvation, Deborah Harry, Meatloaf, Karmakanic … that of itself tells you this is something very special.

“I suppose it all began to take shape in the autumn of 2016,” explains Stolt. “I had a chat with Thomas Waber, the boss at InsideOut Music, about the idea of putting together a new band.  I wanted to move in a fresh direction with new collaborations. So Thomas gave me the ‘go ahead’ to seek musicians for a new project.”First on-board was  The Flower Kings bass player Jonas Reingold.- “He is a long time bandmate and friend and we were also very keen to get keyboardist Tom (Brislin) involved – after seeing his synth pyrotechnics with legends Yes ‘Symphonic’ and with Camel. Then we have been a fans of ‘Aristocrats’ drummer Marco for a long time; I first heard of him 15 years ago and he is a brilliant drummer, unique energy. Then when we discussed ideas for singers, Daniel’s name came up, he has such a great range and dynamic voice and we’ve worked together on and off over the years.” Also added later to the bands line-up for live shows was vocalist & guitarist Casey McPherson of ‘Flying Colors’ & ‘Alpha Rev’, who also sings a couple of songs on the album.

Initially the band went to Livingston Studios in London last September to begin the process of assembling all the material and recording it for the debut album.“Most of the material you’ll hear are really band compositions. Of course, ideas were triggered by all of us. Sometimes Jonas would come up with a  part, chord sequence or tune  and  then I or Tom would write melody &  lyric and some new riff section and Marco enhancing  with further  musical metric twists and developments – then Daniel would add or  rewrite some of the lyrics, change or add  more  melodies. Overall, the vast majority of the tracks have been worked on and developed by all of us in one way or another.”

The entire recording situation took about six months, and the band also have some very special guests featured on the album. “We have got Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater playing piano on one song. The legendary Jon Anderson sings on another track, while ‘wind ace’ Rob Townsend, who plays saxophone and flute with Steve Hackett, is also on the record. Each of them brings a different flavour to the music.” 

“People have asked me how I would describe what we have done, and it is almost impossible. I would have to say it sounds like…us, ‘The Sea Within’. Our tastes are very eclectic – from prog to jazz to classical, to heavy rock, folk, punk, electronica and pop. We all come from a different background – so here everything goes. This has been about putting those diverse influences into the music. I feel you will hear all that’s good about pop – with great melodies and hooks – plus the rawness of metal, improvisations, symphonic and movie soundtracks. We also left room for each of us to take off on flights of instrumental jamming. That was the basic idea, anyway. But until we all got together, we had no idea where it would lead or if it would actually work.” The band have ended up recording close to two hours of music, and will be releasing it all in June on what will be a self-titled album.

The Sea Within as a music collective have plans to perform live, and will make their stage debut at ‘Night Of The Prog’ in Loreley, Germany which happens from July 13-15 and will bring special guests for that evening. “As far as I am concerned, we will try do as much touring as possible. We have a great band, great label and our agent Rob Palmen on-board.  We have great artwork by Marcela Bolivar, all looks bright.  However Daniel will not be able to join us for touring now, as he has commitments with main band Pain Of Salvation. With Casey taking the vocal spot, now with us live, we can go out on the road and play this album and beyond and grow as a band. We have so much to offer musically, on record and on stage and I am sure we will develop a lot over the next few years.   But ‘The Sea Within’ album is a great start. I am excited for everyone to hear what we have done and am now thrilled to start working on the songs for the live show.”

The album will be available as a special edition 2CD digipak, gatefold 2LP vinyl + 2CD & as digital download. You can find the full track listing below:
Disc 1:

1.Ashes of Dawn
2.They Know My Name
3.The Void
4.An Eye for an Eye for an Eye
5.Goodbye
6.Sea Without
7.Broken Cord
8.The Hiding of the Truth
Disc 2:
1.The Roaring Silence
2.Where Are You Going?
3.Time
4.Denise

As mentioned, The Sea Within has recently announced their first confirmed live date, taking to the stage at Night of the Prog Festival 2018 at Loreley, Germany on the weekend of 13-15th July 2018. Tickets are available now here: http://www.nightoftheprogfestival.com/en/home-2/

Only Echoes Remain Release New Live Single Monolith -Sophomore Album Due Late 2018

London prog/post rock quartet Only Echoes Remain have today released emotional and heavy live single Monolith, their first since last summer’s acclaimed debut concept album ‘The Exigen’t, filmed live at their recent Chaos Theory show with Godspeed-collaborator thisquietarmy.

The band says “the new record definitely feels like a natural evolution for us. There’s a lot more riffs and some heavier sections, while keeping the delicate moments we’re known for, but then further developing the melodic interplay we started to explore in songs like Aurora last year. Monolith is almost the perfect transition between the records, as it has a feel of The Exigent about it yet our sound has clearly moved on from that – I think we learned a lot about each other musically while on the road last year and are really starting to make the most of that.”

We at Progradar thought that ‘The Exigent’ shined in a sky full of  instrumental stars and glimmered brightly enough to be picked out from among the hundreds that shone on a daily basis.

Monolith takes that wonderful post-rock feel of the first album and adds massive doses of crunching, monolithic guitar riffs that give the band’s music some welcome added bite and grit and should make their forthcoming new long player a definite force to be reckoned with. Intelligent and thoughtful instrumental music with enough energy, and power to appeal to a wide kaleidoscope of music fans.

When asked if the next record will also be a concept album, guitarist Arran Oakes said “while it won’t tell a full narrative like The Exigent did, there is a concept that ties the next record together, loosely covering the events and times leading Earth to the position where the Exigent mission became necessary, so on that level it’s a sort of prequel to the last album. It’s a lot more energetic than the last one though – even louder too, somehow!”

“We’re very excited about the next chapter for OER!”   

Only Echoes Remain’s sophomore album will release in late 2018, meanwhile see their captivating live show:

13/4 – Urban Bar, London
8/5 – The Star Inn, Guildford
14/5 – The Exchange, Bristol (supporting Toundra)
16/6 – Portals Festival, London
/16/8 – ArcTanGent Festival, Bristol

https://onlyechoesremain.bandcamp.com/

Band picture courtesy RIFF.Underground

DREAM THE ELECTRIC SLEEP ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF ‘LOST’ 2008 ALBUM ‘THE GIANTS NEWGROUND’

KENTUCKY PROGGERS ALSO SHARE FIRST SINGLE ‘WE SMELL THE BLOOD’

Dream The Electric Sleep have announced details of an unheard ‘lost’ 2008 album ‘The Giants Newground’ which will be released on 18/05/18 via 7Hz Productions and shared the first single to be heard from the album We Smell The Blood.

Dream the Electric Sleep officially formed in 2009 but in 2008, Matt Page and Joey Waters decided to write and record an album together. It was the first time Page wrote the lyrics and took over the lead vocal position in a band, and the first time Page and Waters were the sole writers of a project. “After years of playing together, Joey and I were ready for something different… a new direction, and honestly at that time, a last attempt to find a way forward together as a band. We had played with so many different people and never found a line up that captured what we wanted so this was it! We were attempting to reconceive our efforts together and this album represented that departure” explains Page. 

When the album was completed in 2008, it had a limited regional release and it happened to land in the hands of bassist and songwriter, Chris Tackett. He was living in Huntington, West Virginia at the time but had just accepted an art directorship at a company in Lexington, Kentucky where Page and Waters lived. After Tackett heard the album, he was impressed and intrigued. Through a mutual friend, he found out Page and Waters were looking for a bass player. Waters and Tackett set up try out rehearsal and after the first song, Page and Waters were sold. Chris Tackett would be the new bass player on this new journey. Page, Waters, and Tackett had no band name at that point and rehearsed the songs from the recently released album to start playing some regional shows. It didn’t take long for the trio to begin writing new material. That new material became the band’s first official release, ‘Lost and Gone Forever’.

Dream the Electric Sleep never played songs from that first unofficial album that brought them together.

Discussing the looming presence of the lost release, Matt Page explained: “Over the years I thought about that album a lot. It haunted me a bit. The album meant so much to me on a personal level but I knew we had to move forward, not return to something old. In the summer of 2017 I realized it had almost been 10 years since that album came to fruition. It occurred to me it would be a great time to revisit the material and put together a 10th year anniversary release. It’s a way for the band to reflect on our origin and share that with all those who have supported us over the last decade. That album was the springboard for what would become Dream the Electric Sleep.”  

The album titled, ‘The Giants’ Newground’, was revisited, re-tracking some guitars, bass, vocals, and drums, mixed with many of the original takes from 2008.

“We wanted to update the album some but leave the original feel. We worked over the summer of 2017 and are finally ready to release this 10-year anniversary album! It feels good knowing this album can go into the world and become part of the DTES catalogue where it belongs. I felt like it was a homeless album for so long and now it will have a place to live. I can finally move on from it knowing it is out in the world.” 

‘The Giants’ Newground‘ is based on a series of Appalachian Jack tales that Page’s mother read to him when he was young. “They were these dark, old, mysterious stories that had a deep impact on my imagination. The book that we had in our house was old and falling apart and had been in the family for a long time. The stories always revolved around the main character, Jack, and his constant wandering and leaving. That idea of drifting from place to place, living on the edge, constantly on the run, felt familiar to me when I was in my mid 20’s and it’s the reason I decided to use those stories as inspiration to write an album. It’s a modern re-telling of Jacks search for home, something I too was searching for. A place to find shelter from the storm of my life and mind.”

‘The Giants’ Newground’ will be released worldwide on May 18th 2018 via 7Hz Productions (ADA) and will be a precursor to a brand new album being presently recorded and due for release in 2019.

Tracklist:
 
Home
We Smell The Blood
Father Francis
This Is My Crowd
We’ll See
The Stage
One Last Fix
It Will All Be Over Soon
Black Ink
The River Current
Sounds Like Magic
Interlude
Soulful
Astray
Head Out of the Clouds
Dirt Under Your Feet

Mansun announce ‘Attack of the Grey Lantern’ deluxe remastered reissue

Deluxe remastered reissue of the classic debut album. Kscope, June 8th. 

Stunningly remastered from the original multi-tracks – this incredible album will be available on all digital platforms and as a media book CD, a 2 x black gatefold vinyl, a very limited 2 x purple gatefold heavyweight vinyl (complete with original design printed inner bags) and a lavish four disc limited book (3CD+DVD) including remastered album, DVD (including 5.1 mix, original videos and hi-def mix), a 70 page book with a new extended essay on the making the record and its impact, a CD of never before heard demos, rarities & outtakes and a CD of selected Mansun BBC Sessions.

Mansun – one of the most iconic bands of the late ’90s – have announced details of a huge remastered reissue of their 1997 debut album, Attack of the Grey Lantern. It will be released via Kscope on June 8th 2018.

The album will be released on multiple formats including limited coloured vinyl, standard black vinyl, single CD and super-deluxe four-disc book set (including unreleased material on CD and a new 5.1 mix on DVD). It will also be available to stream on all digital platforms.

For most rock‘n’roll bands, the debut album is a chance to properly record their nascent songs – those scrappy, speedball numbers often written in the white heat of formation. For Mansun, back in 1996, things were a little different. Formed in Chester before coming of age at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, the band’s early ambitions marked them out as a very different prospect to their supposed peers. Their songs were mini-symphonies filtered through their perfectly British eccentricity, worked out in painstaking detail in the studio before ever being played on the stage. The lyrics told elaborate stories, followed paths and planted signposts.

When it emerged, Mansun’s debut – Attack of the Grey Lantern – was the complete picture. A record that opens with a Bond theme like orchestral overture before opening out as an interconnected voyeuristic, curtain-twitching concept album about a smalltown superhero, AOTGL was an almost incomprehensibly melodic work that embraced intelligence and nuance over the brute force and beery bonhomie of their contemporaries. When it was released at the height of Britpop, AOTGL reached No 1 (in February 1997) and achieved platinum sales thanks to a hugely dedicated fanbase.

Now twenty-one years on, the album has been fully overhauled for a gloriously deluxe reissue package remastered from the original multi-tracks by Jon Astley  and with the band and Paul’s longtime studio collaborator PDub creating the 5.1 remix. The CDs of extra material include previously unheard demo recordings, studio outtakes and long unheard BBC sessions recorded prior to the album’s release. This reissue campaign also sees the record remastered for vinyl for the first time since its original release.

Pre-order now –  http://found.ee/AOTGL_21ST_ANNIVERSARY

Attack of the Grey Lantern featured the hit singles Wide Open Space, Egg Shaped Fred, Taxloss and She Makes My Nose Bleed. Mansun were Paul Draper (vocals, guitar, production), Dominic Chad (guitar, piano, synths), Stove (bass), Andie Rathbone (drums).

Mansun’s Paul Draper recently played a sold out tour of the UK playing Attack of the Grey Lantern in its entirety. Much of the album had never been performed live prior to these dates. Paul’s first solo album – Spooky Action – was released on Kscope to critical acclaim in August 2017, being described by Record Collector in a 5* review as “the perfect confection for the later days of the 2010s”. Paul sets off on his first ever solo tour of the States in April/May – the first time he has played US dates since the ’97 release of Attack of the Grey Lantern. Kscope took on the Mansun back catalogue in 2017, they plan to release expanded, deluxe editions of the band’s other albums – Six and Little Kix – in the future.

ATTACK OF THE GREY LANTERN (21st Anniversary remaster) tracklisting:

The Chad Who Loved Me
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Taxloss
You, Who Do You Hate?
Wide Open Space
Stripper Vicar
Disgusting
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Naked Twister
Egg Shaped Fred
Dark Mavis
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES (CD)
 
Disgusting (Demo)
Rebel Without a Quilt (Original version)
Naked Twister (Demo)
Dark Mavis (Demo)
The Dutchess (Jam session)
Ski Jump Nose (Original version)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (Strings only)
The Chad Who Loved Me (Backing track take 1)
Stripper Vicar (Take 1)
Stripper Vicar (Full length link version)
Dark Mavis (Rejected version)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (Version 1)
An Open Letter to the Lyrical Trainspotter (Take 1)
The Greatest Pain (Backing track take 1)
You, Who Do You Hate? (Early version)
She Makes My Nose bleed (Demo)
Egg Shaped Fred (Mix 1)
BBC SESSIONS (CD)
Skin Up Pin Up
Grey Lantern
14/09/1995   Radio One Session with John Peel
Flourella
Naked Twister
Drastic Sturgeon
15/05/1996   Radio One Session
Egg Shaped Fred
Take it Easy Chicken
12/11/1996   Soho Live Evening Session
Stripper Vicar
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Wide Open Space
The Chad Who Loved Me
Ski Jump Nose
16/12/1996   Radio One Session with Mark Radcliffe
DVD
Attack Of The Grey Lantern 5.1 SURROUND MIX/HIGH RES AUDIO MIX
 
VIDEOS
 
Flourella
Egg Shaped Fred
Take It Easy Chicken
Stripper Vicar
Wide Open Space
Wide Open Space (US version)
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Taxloss

 

TOUNDRA – launch video for ‘Cobra’ – New album ‘Vortex’ launches April 27th

Spanish instrumentalist rockers Toundra recently announced the release of their fifth studio album ‘Vortex’ for April 27th, 2018, following the success of ‘IV,’ which reached an historic #2 in the Spanish charts.

Now they are proud to reveal the powerful new video for the first single ‘Cobra’, created by Jorge Escalona using photographic material from Pulitzer Prize winner Manu Brabo and video material from well-known Spanish journalist Gonzo.

Manu Brabo comments: “It made me feel really proud to collaborate on this considering how socially responsible the band was being as an artist and communicators.”

Gonzo adds: “The victims in every war is always the innocent, who never starts the war. They lose their lives, their homes and their dreams. Refugees escaping their homelands become ambassadors of the nonsense.”

Toundra comments: “With this video we just wanted to shine a light on those who Victor Hugo called Les Miseràbles.”

As mentioned previously, the title of the album is ‘Vortex’, as the band explain:
“On September 19th in 2012 we arrived at a venue called ‘Vortex Surfer Musiklub’ in Siegen, a small town in Germany. We played there, the venue got packed and everything about that night, including the warm welcome from everybody working there, was incredible. We fell in love with that small venue and the house next to it where we slept that night.

Since then, we played Vortex five or six times and there has always been that same great fond feeling from the people there. So, this upcoming album is called ‘Vortex’. We leave behind the roman numbers and want to use this as a way to thank all the promoters, people working in venues, labels, agencies, fans… and everyone who has helped us over the years to live this dream. We can’t wait for you to hear some of the music”

The album will be released on special edition CD digipak, gatefold black LP + CD & as digital download. Pre-order the album now here: https://toundra.lnk.to/Vortex

Tracklisting:

1.Intro Vortex
2.Cobra
3.Tuareg
4.Cartavio
5.Kingston Falls
6.Mojave
7.Roy Neary
8.Cruce Oeste

The first run of European tour dates were recently announced and tickets are on sale now.
04.05.18, VOID, Bordeaux, FR
05.05.18, Supersonic, Paris, FR
06.05.18, Kleine Zaal, Melkweg, NL
08.05.18, Usine, Geneva, CH
09.05.18, Dok, Gent, BE
10.05.18, Hoxton Square Bar, London, UK
12.05.18, Temple of Boom, Leeds, UK
13.05.18, Nice ‘n Sleazy, Glasgow, UK
14.05.18, Exchange, Bristol, UK
16.05.18, JUNGLE, Koln, DE
17.05.18, Keller Club, Stuttgart, DE
18.05.18, Rocas, Luxembourg, LU
19.05.18, Molotow, Hamburg, DE
20.05.18, KB18, Copenhagen, DK
23.05.18, BiNuu, Berlin, DE
24.05.18, Groovestation, Dresden, DE
25.05.18, Papirna, Plzen, CZ
26.05.18, A38, Budapest, HU
27.05.18, Viper Room, Vienna, AU
29.05.18, Le Farmer, Lyon, FR
30.05.18, Molotov, Marseille, FR

It has been an intense 3 years since the band got signed with Superball/Century Media in 2014, with whom they put out their most recent a lauded album, ¨IV¨, (January 2015), after the first 3 albums that were released independently. Since then the band has performed over 100 concerts in 17 different countries with their instrumental sound combining progressive and post rock making them one of the leaders in there genre.

TOUNDRA online:
http://toundra.es/
https://www.facebook.com/toundra
https://www.instagram.com/toundra/
http://www.insideoutmusic.com/

Amorphis Release first single from ‘Queen Of Time’ & launch album pre-orders!

Melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS are due to unleash their latest offering entitled ‘Queen Of Time’ on May 18th via Nuclear Blast. Today the band is teasing fans with a taster of what to expect from their 13th studio album. Listen to opening track ‘The Bee’:

Of this first offering, guitarist Esa Holopainen comments: “This song is a very powerful opener and gives a nice picture of what the whole album is all about. You can already hear some new elements like choirs and orchestral arrangements in it.”

With vocalist Tomi Joutsen adding: “Of course, the lyrical inspiration is a bee, also in a metaphoric way. The tiniest thing can sometimes be the most important thing. A bee can bring life or if we destroy all the bees, life will stop here. It’s a very beautiful animal, that’s why you can find it on the album cover too. The track itself is a kind of progressive and I’m sure that it will surprise some fans in a positive way. We love it!”

Pre-order ‘Queen Of Time’ now at the following locations –

Digipack CD + Black, Silver & Gold Vinyl (all inc signed insert):

http://www.nuclearblaststore.co.uk/shop/nuclearblast/products.php?cat=4203

Digipack CD, Vinyl (inc signed insert):

https://www.recordstore.co.uk/search.html?term=amorphis+queen

Digital Album:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/queen-of-time/1358710019

Queen Of Time tracklist:

01. The Bee
02. Message In The Amber
03. Daughter Of Hate
04. The Golden Elk
05. Wrong Direction
06. Heart Of The Giant
07. We Accursed
08. Grain Of Sand
09. Amongst Stars
10. Pyres On The Coast
Bonus Tracks (DIGI, 2LP, and MAIL ORDER EDITION only)
11. As Mountains Crumble
12. Brother And Sister

The album was once again produced by the renowned Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR). The cover artwork, which was created by French artist Jean ‘Valnoir’ Simoulin fromMetastazis, perfectly captures the feeling of the lyrics and the music.

Esa comments: “I guess Queen Of Time turned out as a massive surprise to all of us. During the rehearsing and pre-production we didn’t have any idea that Jens had this huge picture inside of his head about the landscape of the album. It’s a very natural continuation to »Under The Red Cloud« but with steroids. The songs are more aggressive but there’s more dynamics, harmonies and orchestral arrangements present. The result is AMORPHIS as something you’ve never heard before! Essentially, working with Jens worked really well. As a person he is very similar to us – we share the same kind of weird humour and we all like to work hard.”

With lyricist’s Pekka Kainulainen’s words, the lyrical theme is universal: “Cultures rise, flourish, and are destroyed. The story of man is the story of searching, finding, and forgetting. A single spark can set the world afire, a single idea can give birth to a new culture. The greatest can stagnate into insignificance, the smallest can hold the power for change. The lyrics on this album are distant echoes of ancient forest peoples, from a time when meaning was proportioned by the cosmic forces that govern birth and death. If the connection was lost, they sought for a strand of knowledge, found a new direction, and a new age began.”

Tangerine Dream release soundtrack album to the film ‘Cargo’ – Out 4th May

Invisible Hands Music is delighted to announce the release on 4 May 2018 of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the film ‘Cargo’ as created by Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream.

‘Cargo’ is a taut thriller written and directed by James Dylan, that stars actor Ron Thompson in the lead role.  ‘Cargo’ tells the bleak yet compelling story of the events that unfold when a man wakes trapped inside a cargo container with only a cell phone and is given 24 hours by his kidnappers to raise ten million dollars in ransom or die.  The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the film ‘Cargo’ by Thorsten Quaeschning plays an integral role in the unfolding story and the atmospherics of the piece.

TRACKLISTING

01) Chain Initiation  02) Light Reading Lamp  03) Spotlight Effect  04) Liquid Funds Transfer  05) Isolation Fault  06) Outside A Musical Box  07) Wanderbaustelle  08) Mass Market Claustrophobia  09) Aggravated Circumstances  10) New Insight  11) The End Is Not Far Off  12) Cargo Main Theme  13) Trade Mark Activation*  14) Tom’s Theme*  15) Modulated Pulse Commands*  16) Beating The Container Drums*                     * CD only

Tangerine Dream began in 1970 after the band members spent time with Salvador Dali in Spain in the late 1960s. They returned to West Berlin to invent the future of electronic music, and had ten Top 10 albums on both sides of the Atlantic, and the 1980s scored some of the biggest films of the era including Sorcerer, Risky Business, Thief, Near Dark, and Firestarter. The band continues making incredible, futuristic electronic music today under the leadership of Thorsten Quaeschning.