Category: Album Reviews

Review – Mystery – Redemption

‘Redemption’ is the ninth studio album from Mystery. Produced and mixed by the band’s own Michel St-Père, Mastering by Richard Addison, this album features a mix of classic prog-rock elements and modern production techniques, resulting in a Mysterious sound that’s both timeless and fresh, the MYSTERY sound. Mystery has been forging their way to the top of the Canadian music scene for over three decades, and their latest album is sure to cement their place as one of the most important bands in prog-rock today. With ‘Redemption’ Mystery has created a stunning masterpiece that’s not to be missed.

That’s a pretty impressive piece of PR and one that certainly grabs your attention. I’ve been a fan of Mystery for quite a while and, in my humble opinion, they have never released anything other than excellent albums but their best release for me has always been 2012’s ‘The World Is A Game’, an album many consider to be a classic of the prog rock genre, especially Mystery’s polished blend of symphonic progressive rock. This new album will certainly have to go some to be considered in the same bracket as that legendary beast!

Well, without spoiling things too much, I think Michel and the rest of the guys in Mystery have produced something rather special. It may be too early to talk of it in the same revered tones as ‘The World Is A Game’ but it certainly is on a similar trajectory…

There’s nothing else that sounds like a Mystery album, be it Jean Pageau’s elegant, soaring vocals or the exemplary musicianship of the Mysterons, you know it’s a Mystery album and when it’s as brilliant as this, it really doesn’t get much better. The hard rocking, yet melodic opener Behind The Mirror energises you immediately with its dynamic riffs and superlative rhythm section and Pageau’s sublime vocal just adds a layer of sophistication. The burning, soulful Redemption just takes the album to another level, the passion and intensity can be felt deep in your soul and then The Beauty and the Least adds musical drama to the mix, slow burning and powerful where Pageau’s dulcet tones combine perfectly with Michel St-Père’s gorgeous guitar note to deliver nine minutes of emotive highs and lows.

The pared back wonder of Every Note is simply gorgeous and could melt the coldest of hearts while Pearls and Fire brings epic songwriting to the fore. Twelve minutes of superb musicianship that combines progressive rock with an almost eighties feeling hard rock, like Bon Jovi decided to jam with Yes when both bands were hitting their comparative heights. It’s modern, fresh and inventive approach is really exciting and stands out in today’s world of derivative music. Mystery have always been able to give us beautiful ballads and you can now add My Inspiration to that list. A heavenly, haunting composition that allows Jean Pageau to serenade a captive audience, it will move you emotively and won’t leave a dry eye in the house.

Homecoming is another lighter song that is almost a palate cleanser for the album’s epic closing track but that’s dismissing it too lightly. It’s a calm, sophisticated song with Pageau allowing his vocal to sit back in the mix and contains some of St-Père’s best guitar work (although, let’s be fair, it’s all rather spectacular throughout!) and is a masterful display of musical ability. Talking of epic closing tracks, ‘Redemption’ contains what has to be one of the band’s best ever songs, and that’s saying something. The whole nineteen minutes of Is This How The Story Ends is a joy to behold, from the jaw dropping three minute plus instrumental opening right through to the stunning conclusion, this piece of music is progressive rock at its finest and stands head and shoulders above the majority of music that is released week after week. Jean Pageau delivers another stellar vocal performance, drummer Jean-Sébastien Goyette sounds like he’s having the time of his life and the bass of François Fournier is as funky as it comes. The keyboards drive everything along with a foot tapping groove and Michel’s guitar is on fire, almost literally! You don’t think things can get any better and then the final, five minute, closing section comes along and your jaw drops once again. It is a spectacular end to a remarkable record and I still find myself singing the chorus at the most inopportune moments now!

I honestly think that, with ‘Redemption’, Mystery have finally surpassed the brilliant ‘The World Is A Game’ and delivered not only their best ever album but also one of the best progressive rock albums you will hear in many a year. Is This How The Story Ends? When it’s as good as this then I sincerely hope not!

Released 15th May, 2023.

Order in the UK from Amazon here:

Redemption: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl


Review – An Evening Of Innocence & Danger – Live In Hamburg – The Neal Morse Band – by John Wenlock-Smith

Well, this is very different! this set details the first, post-covid, expedition for The Neal Morse Band and was recorded in Hamburg in 2022. Unusually for InsideOut, the set has no accompanying live DVD, which is a pity as the band are on fire for this show. Maybe it was because of them being lockdown totally because of covid but they definitely rose to the occasion here in Hamburg. The show was in the latter stages of the tour so the band were very comfortable with playing these two sets, one of the ‘Innocence and Danger’ album and the second set of longer pieces, The Great Similitude Medley, which features highlights of the band’s previous two albums, ‘The Similitude Of A Dream’ and ‘The Great Adventure’ in an extended sequence. This allowed space for extra parts and for some great improvisation to happen, no doubt all pre-rehearsed and ordered, a band like The Neal Morse Band cannot afford to make errors of judgement and so would have sorted things for such an event.

The album kicks off with a brief overture of about 2 minutes before leading into the opening track Do It All Again, which faithfully reproduces the album version, adding nothing new except the excitement of the live arena, which is itself very good, as is the reception it receives. Obviously the end of lockdown and the return of live shows was important for the band and for the German crowd, who are solidly behind the band. The album continues with excellent recitals of Bird On A Wire, Your Place In The Sun and Another Story To Tell before we are treated to a superb version of The Way It Had To Be with a brilliant, extended guitar section from Eric Gillette, who can sure plank the plank, combining elements and touches of David Gilmour, amongst others. His playing is graceful, melodic and utterly engrossing and captivating. He is a rare talent amongst an outstanding ensemble, also noticeable are the fabulous keyboards of both Neal Morse and Bill Hubauer, whose performance throughout is equally solid and exciting.

Next up is an epic version of Bridge Over Troubled Water (yes, the Simon and Garfunkel classic) which is skilfully delivered, staying true to the original but with prog flourishes like the wah-wah guitar that plays in the opening part. This really is a fabulous version of a really great song, delivered beautifully and with conviction. We are then treated to a rare outing for Waterfall, from ‘The Grand Experiment’ album, this delicate acoustic number also closes the first set.

The second set is spread across discs 2 and 3 and covers Not Afraid Pt. 2 and Beyond The Years from ‘Innocence and Danger’ and also the The Great Similitude Medley. These three track last for over eighty-five minutes so you may need to dig deep for these epic tracks! Expect odd time signatures, excessive soloing and many impressive moments as these pieces are modern day prog at its finest from a group of seasoned professionals. There is a lot going on here including the growling bass of Randy George and the metronomic precision of Mike Portnoy (the man never misses a beat!). This is all highly accomplished and delivered with sincerity and style, the vocals are strong and also clear, the sound is exceptionally defined and focused. Unusually for Neal Morse, these songs are not overtly Christian in their lyrics, which may or not be a good thing depending on your own viewpoint. Rather these songs are possibly more spiritually attuned but open to interpretation by the listener, if so, that is a decision I approve of, no one wants to be preached at, especially at a celebration of music like this.

Not Afraid Pt. 2 is an interesting track with lots of moods in the music and some great sections that together make for a really strong song, it is really an epic performance and there is even more to come, how good is that? The song ends with notes of triumph and resolution, it’s an earnest track that is very well developed and  delivered with style. Beyond The Years is another epic, multi-part suite that together make sone song. As you would expect, this is no shrinking violet of a track it, it has seven parts, one of which is an instrumental section, and lots of words. The song is somewhat oblique in its meaning, although there is religious imagery mentioned in the track. The whole song is complex and takes some listening and attention really. Whilst that’s not a bad thing, it does require effort on the listeners part as it’s not background music, it warrants and requests your full attention to get the most out of it really. This effort is rewarded though with some really inspired playing and sentiments expressed that are within the song.

The final track, The Great Similitude Medley, is a skilful amalgam of songs from ‘The Similitude Of A Dream’ and ‘The Great Adventure’. This encore is just shy of thirty minutes in duration and is a concise distillation of what the NMB are all about. Epic music, usually with a Christian message at the heart, all played with panache and seldom boring or understated. For those who follow the NMB there is so very much to enjoy in the epic concert and 3CD set.

‘An Evening Of Innocence & Danger – Live In Hamburg’ is rather stirring stuff all told and is an unqualified success for the group who have played flawlessly and with real passion on this track making it a remarkable feat. Now, either you like Neal Morse and his band or you don’t and, if you do, you are in for a feast with this album. If NMB aren’t your thing then you will miss out on a great performance of some quality musical statements.

Released 14th July, 2023.

Order from Burning Shed here:

An Evening Of Innocence & Danger: Live in Hamburg (burningshed.com)

Review – The Emerald Dawn – In Time – by John Wenlock-Smith

This highly impressive album will land in September and is already hotly anticipated and I’m sure will be well received as, over the past few years, this Cornish symphonic prog outfit have been wowing crowds from Penzance to North of the border. Quite rightly so too as they have a unique sound, excellent musicianship and offer music of class and quality. Everything is self-produced and they even do their own artwork, although they have a formidable and talented artist in Tree Stewart who has the ability to create artworks that really draw you into the musical adventure. 

This album is their fifth and, once again, you are taken on a magical musical journey. This journey is about the passage of time and how it goes past so quickly that we should make the most of the time allotted to each of us. The album has just three tracks of eight, fourteen and twenty three minutes in duration. Within these tracks lie much skill and invention, take the track Out Of Time, which combines a haunting graceful piano motif with wah wah guitar lines and elements of world (Arabian music) and jazz rock into a unique melting pot but a pot that cooks up a hearty meal. I could go on and on about how exciting and captivating the middle section is with its complex rhythmic sections showing the depth of talent, imagination and skill the group have and exhibit on this track but I think you are best hearing this for yourself when the album is released in September. You will enjoy the recurring melody that carries the song along so very gracefully. It is simply exceptional. Around all this are floating layers of sumptuous keyboards, a jarring Sax and the fluid guitar runs of Ally Carter. Add the breathy vocals of Tree Stewart, the subtle and solidly inventive bass work of David Greenaway and the sturdy and effective drums of Tom Jackson and you can see that this ensemble really know how to create an atmosphere for sure.  

I really love this track and the sentiments that it addresses, making memories that matter and that can sustain you. As one who is personally afflicted with dementia, this music is important and crucial and much needed, although I suspect most of the western world will fail to appreciate and catch the beauty contained in this album but, for those that do, you will find a veritable pot of gold here. Truly impressive and staggeringly wonderful a real joy to behold, I suggest you reserve your copy now and await your time to hear this masterpiece. 

Timeless is a slow burner of a song that tells of a day too quickly over and a day that never ends, our state of mind exudes the pulse on which our time depends! Which are pretty sobering and honest words really. This is a shorter track, well if you call fourteen minutes short! The final track The March Of Time is about how time waits for no man, it merely marches on, nothing lasts forever except the memories you have saved. Running for just over eight minutes, this is a fabulous conclusion to the journey you have undertaken and this album truly is a journey into enlightenment. I feel it calls us all to be responsible stewards of our own time, to seize the day and also to make the most of our time whilst we can. These are welcome sentiments in a busy modern world where we are always hurrying against the clock and yet never winning, somehow this album is a message to us all. The song works to a strident marching track and has an epic guitar solo at the where Alan channels his inner Gilmour whilst Tree sings behind his playing reciting the line, “As time goes marching on.” 

This is all delivered in style and alongside some really great music which, when you take the album as a whole experience, offers a very profound and moving musical journey. Tome, it’s totally different to their previous albums but with enough in common to let you know who they are. This is a really, really good album with great songs and performances. It is all beautifully produced with glorious artwork and I’m sure the vinyl version will look exquisite but, for us shiny disc lovers, this will do just fine.  

Released 23rd September, 2023.

Pre-orders provisionally open on 4th August, 2023 here:

Merch | The Emerald Dawn (bandcamp.com)

Review – The Michael Dunn Project – Bridge Across The Years – by John Wenlock-Smith

One of the best things for me in this strange world of progressive rock is the emergence over the past few years of folks who have revisited their musical dreams and have released their music to the world. Often with collaboration with established musicians, they create some often remarkable, confident and satisfying music. I’m thinking of the likes of Stewart Clark and John Holden who have both offered some truly fabulous music. 

Well, to that list add the name Michael Dunn who, using the ‘project’ moniker, has delivered a prog associated album with lots of AOR influences clearly showing in its blood, think REO Speedwagon, Boston etc. and you’re in the right ball park. Michael, who is 64, is a late bloomer who, after retiring from many years in sales and marketing, has devised a system that allows independent musicians to make a good living from their craft. To test this system, he finally stepped up to make the music he had always wanted to make with assistance from the likes of Andy Tillison, Amanda Lehmann and Joe Deninzon, all of who lend their talents towards making this such a strong, interesting and varied album. 

I came across the album via friends on Facebook who were raving about this great release and also saying what a gracious and splendid fellow Michael Dunn is. Being the person I am, I just had to hear this for myself and I can concur that Michael is a really great guy, friendly, open and passionate abut the music he has made and deserving of a wider audience that he would possibly receive elsewhere. As such, I consider it my duty to do what little bit I can to help this album receive the recognition that it is most worthy of. 

In a year that has seen some great releases from bands like Yes, The Dave Foster Band and Ruby Dawn, to name but a few, this album can proudly stand with its head held high for its six tracks offer varied moods and styles but are all anchored in top notch songwriting and assured delivery with excellent musical support from Michael and his friends in the Project. 

What shines through on this album is the commitment to creating a musical statement that is well conceived, crafted and ultimately delivered convincingly. For a first album to be that assured and confident is to be applauded and recognised. This album may have been 40 years in the making but the results are definitely spectacular and rewarding to hear, especially on the album’s centrepiece Bridge Across The Years, which has three parts to it, how proggy is that? 

The album kicks off in strong form and style with the excellent I Draw The Line, which also introduces the excellent vocals of Diego Viramontes, who sounds slightly like Klaus Meine of The Scorpions, his voice being clear and punchy and having great power to it. He is an excellent foil to Michael’s fluid guitar, also important is the rhythm section of Ginger Pimental (bass) and David Anania (drums) who drive the song along firmly. Better still is the second track Turn Of The Cards which has a great bassline to start with and crunchy guitars firing. This song actually is full of great guitars and has a fine solo that reminds me of Ronnie Montrose’s Gamma albums, it has much power to it as it plays out, there is really something special here as the song ends on a sustained guitar note. 

Then we have the song Let Me Be which features Andy Tillison on Hammond Organ where it sounds truly glorious. The organ swells really are most impressive, they make a song that grows into a slow burning masterful track. When the tune changes tack and the guitar is set free, the organ is there close by adding significant support and style. It really is most impressive, as are the bass of Joe Alvaro and the vocals of George T. Montebruno, whose style is a great fit for the track. Tomorrow Is Today, unsurprisingly, has more than a hint of Kansas (Joe Deninzon is their new violinist), I wonder if this album and track were instrumental in that? One can but wonder, it would be great if it was as his playing here is exceptional and adds gravitas to this impressive track. Another Day In The Modern World follows and this is another slow burn of a song, one with strong lyrics, agreat delivery and more of Michael’s fleet fingered guitar lines!  

This really is an album that delivers on so many levels, strong impassioned music and performances, all of which make this album nothing less than interesting and often inspired. The three part epic album closer, Bridge Across The Years, opens with acoustic guitar and the keyboards of Marc Gladstone and the ever impressive vocals of Diego Viramontes with additional harmony from Amanda Lehmann. Part two of this epic is an instrumental featuring gentle guitar and swirling keyboards from Marc before the final section shows us how to rock once more with a touch of Styx and that great Hammond Organ of Andy Tillison again. This section also has superb harmony vocals from Catherine St Germain and Amanda. This is a fabulous closing piece with lots of powerful performances and great music.To me, what it does lack is a final guitar solo to finish things off but, even so, it’s a great ending section to a great album.

Its especially worth reading The Dream Team page on the website (link below) which details more info about the players on the album and you can see why he is viewed as being a great guy from his comments about his fellow musicians. In short this is a highly recommended release and will invariably end up in my best of the year list somewhere, it really is that impressive and special. 

Released 26th May, 2023.

You can find out more about Michael and order the album here; www.MichaelDunnProject.com 

Review – Gamma: What’s Gone Is Gone, Complete Elektra Recordings 1979-1982 – by John Wenlock-Smith

Last year Cherry Red released a ‘Complete Montrose Recordings’ boxset over 6 CD’s with various single edits and two live studio recordings. After four albums with Montrose between 1973 and 1977, plus a solo album in 1978, Ronnie Montrose formed Gamma with Davey Pattison in 1979. So, in the same tradition, comes this 3 CD boxset of the three Gamma albums made for Elektra before Ronnie Montrose called time on the band, (they did return for a fourth outing in 2000 with ‘Gamma 4’, not included here sadly, nor is there the live album that is currently about from a show in Denver in 1979 when the band were promoting their debut album). 

What is here is good, although the booklet is a little light in background information, somehow it merely reproduces the various album artworks and details the musicians playing. The music is, however, truly sensational, I bought the first few Gamma albums on vinyl and thoroughly loved them, especially the first and third. For some reason. I never really clicked with ‘Gamma 2’ but certainly do within this boxset, the album being a revelation here, sounding crisp and punchy and rocks like a b*****d!

Gamma existed at a time when rock music was undergoing a dramatic remaking. After punk had done its thing, and before the 80’s got into gear, there was a new wave of rock music emerging on American radio rock, with the likes of Bon Jovi poised to change the airwaves considerably. That process was already happening with the likes of Foreigner and Boston taking over the airwaves. 

Gamma were Ronnie Montrose’s own attempt to gain some commercial foothold and offered music that easy on the ear but still had an edge to it. Much of this came about because of his joining up with Glaswegian born Davey Pattison, who had relocated to Los Angeles to further his own career after a sojourn with Robin Trower. He was noticed by Ronnie and invited to join the project that became Gamma. 

‘Gamma 1’ was released in 1979, Pattison’s muscular vocals giving restrained power to tracks like Thunder And Lightning and the awesome epic Fight To The Finish, alongside the twisted tale of streetlights in Razor King, a song possibly inspired by the Glasgow Pattinson had left behind, and a freak instrumental in Solar Heat. There was also the distinctly poppy I’m Alive that, despite its lightweight nature and it vocoder vocals, pummelled along at a cracking pace. 

Pattison reveals himself to be a fine vocalist who has a great tone to his voice. Ronnie Montrose is very active on guitar throughout with punchy rhythm and fills galore. Razor King is a dark tale of violence and some nefarious behaviour, again this song has lot of guitars in it, it is a good track with a great guitar break from Ronnie that powers it along, especially when the guitars compliment Davey’s vocals. Ready For Action is a solid rocker with atmosphere and muscle, the production is busy and bustling with space for great dynamics and muscular bass from Alan Fitzgerald, another ex Montrose member and, once again, Pattison is in fine voice throughout. There is then a bluesy take on Wish I Was by Mackey Newbury and the final track is the brooding, sprawling epic Fight To The Finish which is full of energy and fire along with an epic guitar solo from Ronnie that peaks and the peaks again. It is a marvellous track that was always a favourite of mine back in the day and rounds out what is a varied yet consistent album, as does the second solo that draws the song to a close, a truly great song.

‘Gamma 2’ came out in 1980 and, straight from the off, it is a harder sounding album, still with lots of keyboard embellishments but also with muscular guitar work, Mean Streak being a particularly powerful opener. Again, Pattison is on cracking form, the months spent touring had definitely helped his vocal prowess develop even further. Here he is confident and assertive, with his voice soaring and floating over everything easily and gracefully and commanding respect in the process. The material he is working with is equally assured and the guitar work is fluid and powerful while also melodic and memorable to boot. Overall it makes for a winning combination. 

Dirty City is another gritty number with a strong chorus and excellent keyboard textures that turn into a driving beat amid the lyrics of streetlights tales and the dirt of it all and another blistering solo makes the track fly. Voyager is different again, having, as it does, more of a blues shuffle feel to it. This allows room for lots of blues fills as the song details the loneliness of an astronaut away from earth for a long time. This, of course, was around the time of the initial space shuttle launches when space travel was a distinct possibility once more. The song is hinged on a walking bass line that rumbles throughout in a great manner, it is a great performance that really impresses. I used to have this album on vinyl but never really took to it as well as the debut. Well, the intervening 42 years have now revealed this to be a really strong record, one that has power, muscle, attitude and brawn in spades and makes for a really enjoyable and rewarding listening experience.  

Cat On A Leash is the first sign of a track that promises but somehow fails to deliver, although the closing moments have a spark of life to them. Skin And Bone has beef and brawn to it. Great keyboard textures and more moody bass lines, with Ronnie’s sustained guitar lines, sound very effective indeed. The synth keyboard solo is a bit twee really but it is of its time and doesn’t distract to much. When the power chords charge in the song moves style and impresses greatly. A superb solo closes out the track well leading us into the riffing opening chords of Mayday, an instrumental opening section that Gamma do so well, with fiery guitar before Davey’s strong vocals begin, it closes the album in good form. 

‘Gamma 3’ come out in 1982 and, this time around, there was more emphasis on keyboard textures and sounds. Although the guitar is still present, it plays a less upfront role, with the fireworks largely saved for solo sections. The sound is a lot more radio friendly and focused, although the solo on opener What’s Gone Is Gone is glorious, as is the long sustained note like in Don’t Fear The Reaper, both most impressive indeed.  The album is a lot lighter in tone as a result, although there are undercurrents of power in play. Gamma we’re after a more commercial sound, one that would raise their stature beyond that of a perennial opening act, indeed I saw the band open for Foreigner in Birmingham on the ‘Tooth And Nail’ tour where they were fantastic. Sadly the change of approach failed to deliver any significant benefits with the result that Ronnie Montrose lost interest and split the band up to make more instrumental guitar albums.   

The rest of ‘Gamma 3’ is all fairly lightweight, electronic new age pop music with only occasional moments of merit. It’s a pity that the band went off on a tangent that didn’t really work for them for, while Stranger is a solid instrumental, what we really want are more rocky vocal tracks. Still, you can’t have them all I guess?

The boxset is good but a bit of a missed opportunity really as, without ‘Gamma 4’, it feels incomplete but certainly of interest, if only for ‘Gamma 1’ and ‘Gamma 2’, both of which are excellent.

Released 30th June, 2023.

Order from Cherry Red here:

Gamma: What’s Gone Is Gone, Complete Elektra Recordings 1979-1982, 3CD Boxset – Cherry Red Records

Single Review – Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate – Burn The World

Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate are Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland on their own or with Kathryn Thomas (flute). They combine prog/alt-rock, funk, metal, ambient, contemporary classical, minimalist, and electronica elements, and often explore scientific themes.

Before the release of their new album ‘The Light Of Ancient Mistakes’, they release the first single from the album, Burn The World, on May 13th, a progressive rock song about climate change.

“We are at a turning point. If action is taken to substantially reduce the damage we are doing to our environment, then millions of lives are likely to be saved. If we don’t, as usual, the most vulnerable will be the least protected. Past actions mean that anthropogenic climate change is now inevitable, but the extent and the speed of the change depend on what we do now.”

With such serious subject matter, this song was always going to be a sober and solemn piece of music but the duo’s fantastic songwriting skills have made it something of a melancholic beauty.

“There’s unbroken sea
Where an island used to be
The coral bleached
The sandbags breached, long ago…”

The superbly written lyrics bring the impending climate disaster into sharp focus and the music adds that laid back, sorrowful feel to the song. Malcolm’s vocals are passionate and pensive and give the required gravitas that situation deserves. His guitar solo is hauntingly beautiful but with a sense of loss and and heartbreaking devastation. It is an amazing song that treats a difficult subject with dignity.

I feel immensely moved by this piece of music and I am sure it will herald another superb album from Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate and I cant’t wait to hear it.

Released 13th May, 2023.

Check out the track on bandcamp here:

Burn The World | Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate (bandcamp.com)

Review – Godsticks – This Is What A Winner Looks Like

It’s been a long and eventful road for Godsticks since emerging onto the scene with their eponymously titled EP in 2009 showcasing the band’s then progressive-rock leanings. Since then, subsequent albums became progressively heavier and received further critical acclaim, culminating in the ‘genre redefining’ prog metal masterpiece that was ‘Emergence’, which ultimately led to them being signed to Kscope. Having extensively toured Europe since 2012, in the last few years the band have finally gained recognition as the explosive, high energy live act they’d always threatened to become.

Having released their fifth full-length studio album, ‘Inescapable’, in February 2020, a mere month before the world plummeted into lockdown, the band had no means to perform the new songs to an audience. Living in this world of stasis, it wasn’t until September 2021 when the band were able to perform the tracks for a live audience that they began to think about their next album. 

“It was impossible not to notice the creative tsunami that the pandemic engendered in the music industry – every band and their dog were writing and releasing new music. For me though, it was the least creative time in my entire life.” mentions guitarist and band main man Darran Charles.

Their love for writing and productivity had been reignited simply by being able to perform live. Despite the new-found resolve, the band remain humble yet incredibly driven. Experimenting with electronic sounds and delegating writing duties in the band allowed ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’ to be their most collaborative album to date.

Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios, the album was produced by James Loughrey and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. The album’s striking cover artwork was created by Richard Beeching who mentions “The band and I agreed we needed a visually engaging sleeve to match the album’s strong title, but nothing too literal.  Something just about abstract enough to allow the audience to make of it what they will.  Our primate fits the bill nicely.”

Godsticks come crashing into your inner space with an almighty, primeval bang, this new album is hard, dissonant and downright heavy, with a capital ‘H’! Progressive metal with a definite emphasis on the ‘metal’, opener If I Don’t Take It All has crunching riffs aplenty and Charles’ vocals have that hard-edged, world weary style to them. The rhythm section feels hewn from granite and yet there’s a melodic vibe deep down, especially on the chorus. There’s a real vibrancy to the music although that vibrancy has a definitive chaotic edge to it. What a thunderous start to the album! Eliminate And Repair takes a step back with it’s staccato guitar and incessant beat, like everybody is just waiting for things to kick off. The track ebbs and flows a bit but never quite explodes, becoming something of a brooding slow burner. This Is My New Normal opens in a similar vein with that restless and skittish guitar hitting you where it hurts but this track has a really funky chorus in a (heavy) Red Hot Chilli Peppers style. There’s a real groove to the track, if an exceedingly heavy one and I’m sure this will really rock in a live setting. Godsticks can turn the dial back when they want to, as the low key, intense and somber Devotion Made To Offend shows. A weighty and thoughtful track that really gets under your skin, the rhythm section really shining and providing the foundations of what is a really classy song. Silent Saw dials it back even further and reminds me a bit of Queensrÿche at their ‘Empire’ peak. The sorrowful vocals and melancholy tones of the guitar add real solemnity and gravitas to the track and make it one of the stand out pieces on the album.

Time for a punch to the solar plexus, Throne and Don’t Say A Word take the quieter, reflective mood and blow it apart with excellent recurring riffs and discordant beats that break into a superbly melodic chorus once again, these guys really have the knack of blending the two and it gives their music a real polish. The lead track from the album, Mayhem, is exactly that with a monstrous riff that could flatten buildings, it’s not just metal, it’s HEAVY metal! It’s so bloody heavy that you can’t help but just love it and it’s got to be a mosh pit favourite at the forthcoming gigs. Revelling in the chaos of the track, Darran Charles, had the following to say:

“I stumbled upon this really ugly dissonant chord that sounded great with distortion, and thought about ways of making it sound even nastier and more chaotic (hence the title). But I was also interested in causing Tom (drummer) physical harm so I devised a bass drum pattern so complex that it will likely cause him a repetitive strain injury in the very near future. This song promises to be immense live and the music video hopefully translates the energy we’re going to bring to the stage when we take this song out on the road.”

Lying is a delightful, lighter, track that allows you to pick yourself up after the preceding rock behemoth and sees Charles’ vocal take on a much more atmospheric tone and the music is given space to breathe, which is welcome. I love some seriously heavy music as much as the next man but, now I’m getting older, I do need a sit down now and again. The elegant guitar solo is a highlight of what is an airy and refined piece of music. The album closes out with Wake Up where Charles’ dynamic vocal and the stylish music remind me of some of Chris Cornell’s solo work. While lacking the punch of some of the other tracks, this song really has intelligence and depth and shows a more inventive side to the band.

If you like your progressive metal with a big emphasis on the metal then this new album from Godsticks is one you should definitely check out. There are heavy, mountain moving riffs galore and a rhythm section that is as prodigious as they come but there’s also some high quality melodies and Darran Charles’ excellent vocals complete what is a rather impressive package.

Released 26th May, 2023.

Order from Burning Shed here:

Search – godsticks (burningshed.com)

Review – The Book Of Revelations – The Plumes of Encheladus

The Book of Revelations – ‘The Plumes of Enceladus’ is a very interesting release and is the brainchild of one Gerard Freeman who has, for many years, wanted to make an album in which he could entertain his version of early Genesis music. He has done this mainly on his own but with some assistance from Russ Wilson of Genesis tribute act Visible Touch.

Gerard became entranced by the music of Genesis after playing his older brother’s record collection and seeing Curved Air in Sheffield in 1971. He uses samples of vintage keyboards, synths Mellotrons etc. to craft a truly authentic sound, indeed so well constructed and performed is this music that one could believe that you have discovered a hitherto unknown or unreleased Genesis album. Gerard also has a very Gabriel-esque vocal style along with elements of Fish.

Overall this record is captivating, being the best Genesis album you’ve never heard. If imitation is the finest form of flattery then Gerard has triumphed here for sure, he even has the lyrical style of Steve Hackett and the dexterity of Anthony Phillips in the guitar parts. There is more than a passing nod to the likes of ‘The Geese And The Ghost’ with its beautifully layered sound and its overall lightness of touch, it really is most impressive stuff.

The main theme of the album is that of Greek Myology and the tales of Zeus, brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus and Pandora and their tales of destruction and control. The story is not simple and I found it hard to follow. With its subplots of violence, torture and incest, it’s like an prog episode of Eastenders, just with a progressive music soundtrack rather than the Mitchell brothers infighting and it has sections of great intricacies and beauty that really draw you in.

The keyboard work is obviously very Tony Banks influenced and it shows with lots of delicate sections and big chords and sounds. Good use of sampled analogue equipment gives an authentic sound and feel to the music too. Greek mythology was a big part of early Genesis music as the classical trained public schoolboys used that form as an inspiration for much of their earlier years. So this theme works well for Gerrard, it’s like an updated sonically improved version of what had gone before. As a teenager Gerard and his friend transcribed ‘The Musical Box’ and in doing so learnt it’s composition. This was all pre-internet and was very laborious work, it was also very rewarding and satisfying to him and Gerard has redrafted music in a similar style and vein. 

The album has seven tracks, the first five form a suite called Malice À Forethought (a cautionary tale in five parts), there’s another track titled Love Letter from a Newspaper to a Coffee Shop and a further, four part, concept piece entitled The Chthonic Deities Of Vengeance, which is a really great multi-part piece of over eighteen minutes duration and has a real whiff of Supper’s Ready to it. The song has a very dark tone to it but that just adds to its intensity as it uses Mellotrons and synths to fine effect, along with an epic and skilled keyboard break that has distinct echoes of Firth Of Fifth. It is beautifully delivered, although it lacks the majestic guitar solo that elevates that particular song. This track does have a lot going for it, it is sweeping, epic and very good indeed. 

The album’s title was taken from a space related program that Gerard saw where they discovered water in an ice form on one of Jupiter’s moons, Enceladus and, Gerard being interested in that sort of thing, made note of it as a possible title for the album. 

This is a great album and one that I am sure many would relish as it has a slew of treats in a style many would enjoy and embrace.Apparently there is more planned but for now, sit back, embrace and enjoy this rather exquisite epic music as there are such excellent passages and sections to this amazing album. It has a good booklet with lyrics to follow as you listen and excellent artwork. In all, this is a classy album and one I would highly recommend to all.

Released 21st April, 2023.

Order the album here:

The Book of Revelations – The Plumes of Enceladus (slinky.to)

Review – The Fierce And The Dead – News From The Invisible World

‘The measure of intelligence is the ability to change’ – Albert Einstein

Some people don’t like change, some people are scared of change but things must evolve, things must progress. Let’s face it, if there was no evolution then I wouldn’t even be writing these words, there would just be primordial sludge (now there’s a name for an extreme metal band!).

The Fierce And The Dead have embraced change in a huge way and in a way that their fans, and the wider world, would never have thought remotely possible just a couple of years ago! These self-proclaimed pioneers of ‘funny music’, one of the most influential instrumental bands of recent years have added vocals to their music, yes, I said it, vocals!! Now, if that isn’t progressive when it comes to music and a huge evolutionary step for the four guys from Rushden, then I don’t know what is but, before we delve deeper into their new long player, ‘News From The Invisible World’, let’s look back at their history…

The Fierce & The Dead are a British rock band formed in 2010. The band consists of Kevin Feazey (lead vocals/bass), Matt Stevens (guitar/keys), Steve Cleaton (guitar), and Stuart Marshall (drums). While they started as an instrumental band, Feazey has taken on the role of lead vocalist in recent years, adding a new dimension to the band’s sound. Their music is a fusion of psychedelic rock, old metal records, post-rock, prog, broken analogue synths, and shoegaze.

The 8-song, 42-minute ‘News From The Invisible World’, their fourth studio release, marks the band’s first release featuring vocals from bassist Kevin Feazey. Guests include Matt Jones (Jamie T/ Beady Eye) on keys, Tom Hunt on backing vocals (Orange Clocks), and brass from Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey/Gallon Drunk). The album has been 5 years in the making.

For vocalist/bassist Kevin Feazey: “The album really digs deep into where we come from musically and sets up the path ahead, we’ve always found ways to do things differently, and now those doors are wide open. It came together over lockdown, which meant that we had a chance to take stock, see the music from a different perspective, and allow ourselves time to experiment with different textures and sounds. Adding vocals didn’t seem like a dramatic step, but something that these pieces would benefit from, it felt obvious to us.”

“We wanted to make an ambitious record like Mercury Rev and the Flaming Lips made in the late 90s, but you can hear lots of influences in there, even the Carcass and Napalm Death records we loved when we were teenagers, Slowdive and all sorts,” says guitarist Matt Stevens. “We didn’t get to tour the last record as much as we’d like due to my cancer diagnosis and then COVID, and it went bonkers, so hopefully, this one will be somewhat easier.”

I have a long history with the band, first reviewing the band’s 2013 release ‘Spooky Action’, and have followed them ever since and my role at Bad Elephant Music has meant I have been involved in a lot of their subsequent releases. However, this review comes without bias, this album is brilliant because of the music and I’m not the only one who thinks so! I must also point out the incredible artwork from the legendary Mark Buckingham.

I love the fact that The Fierce And The Dead do things properly ‘old school’ by releasing singles before the full album and the first release was the excellent Wonderful, a cacophony of joyous, chaotic music with Kev’s energetic, almost manic, vocal giving it a wide-eyed clarity and an almost Cardiacs-like vibe, especially with the excellent use of the brass section. This was a pointer of the wondrous things to come. The second single, Golden Thread, opens with a riff that’s a punch to the gut, harder than granite and Stuart Marshall‘s heavy, primeval drums adds serious weight. There’s an ebb and flow to the song that reminds me of prime Faith No More but with a more laid back vocal approach. This song wants to shake you by the hand and then punch you in the face and, you know what, you’d probably just let it! Photogenic Love was the 3rd single and the one that most notably veered away from the band’s original sound, TFATD but with another dimension ( or, should I say, FROM another dimension!) but you aren’t progressive if you aren’t progressing, so to speak. I think this is a fantastic new direction and sounds like 90’s pop mixed with fuzzy psychedelica, almost like A-ha met with the Gorillaz and asked Billy Corgan to join in the fun. It sees the band taking the next step in their journey and is, to my ears anyway, bloody fantastic and their best song yet.

And that’s just the three singles, we are lucky folk indeed as there are another five tracks to gorge yourself on. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, opening song The Start is, indeed, the start of something new for the band and majors on Kev’s vocals. There’s a wonderfully uplifting feel to the track as it begins to build and swell into a wall of jubilant and exuberant music. You cannot help but smile as the multi-voice chorus takes you higher and higher. Shake The Jar opens with a fantastically fuzzy, psychedelic riff from Matt and gives this high energy track a hard edge almost reminiscent of The Jam in their early years. Another song that has a bit of ebb and flow but this is music of the highest quality and a band who have embraced their new direction and are having an awful lot of fun with it. Shoe-gaze, Lo-fi, call it what you want but the brooding, edgy and ever-so-cool Non-Player is a mighty fine piece of music. Kev’s vocal has a haunting, mesmeric quality to it and the music has a world-weary, knowing grace at its core. The guitar playing could be straight from a spaghetti western at points and the sax playing from Terry Edwards is just genius.

Time for a bit of full on bombast methinks. The opening to What A Time To Be Alive is the closest we’ve come yet to a traditional TFATD track on the album so far and actually makes you realise how much the band have progressed in the last five years. It is monstrous, heavy and yet very melodic and also a very good piece of music but, to my ears, the rest of the songs have much more maturity to them. It’s a wonderful nod to the past and a pointer to where the future lies for this talented group of musicians (and vocalist!) as the track closes with a synthesised vocal interjected between Matt’s huge riff and Stuart’s thunderous drumming. There’s a Foo Fighters meets Nick Cave feel and vibe to the album closer, Nostalgia Now. A portentous title perhaps as the old TFATD is just nostalgia and the band are embracing the future. Kev’s heartfelt, delicate vocal and the elegant piano note are all that’s needed to give a hushed and almost melancholy feel to a track loaded with different textures and sounds. If there’s one song on this album that points to the band’s future then it surely is this masterpiece.

‘News From The Invisible World’– true fans will love it, there’s real maturity and creativity in this album, The Fierce And The Dead shift effortlessly between different styles to show they are no one trick ponies. You could say that this is a case of a band reinventing itself but staying close to their roots but it’s more than that, this is band raising their game to the highest level and that is really where they belong…

Released 28th July, 2023.

Order from bandcamp here:

News From The Invisible World | The Fierce And The Dead (bandcamp.com)

Review – Dave Foster Band – Glimmer – by John Wenlock-Smith

According to the dictionary Glimmer means to shine faintly with a wavering light, which is interesting as I think Shimmer would be an equally meaningful title for what is a rather fascinating album from the Dave Foster Band.  This release is one that uses lots of strong musical passages to get its point across. Through the entire album Dave Foster himself glimmers on the guitar, proving that his association with Steve Rothery is a symbiotic one in which both parties gain significantly in the process.

Take …Or You Steal Some with its creeping bass lines and it’s arpeggio guitar lines that form the thrust of the track. Vocalist Dinet Poortman’s excellent, breathy, and often fiery, vocals add much power and passion to the music the band offer. The song has tasteful guitar work from Dave and a solid rhythm section playing throughout, it’s a rather splendid track that draws you into the music. As does Chasing An Echo which has heavy bass keyboards and slide guitar from Dave that weaves it way through the track hypnotically. This song grows on you with repeated plays, as indeed does the whole album. It’s is a very mesmerising with lots of great highlights and is very ‘Marillion’ in parts, in the sound sculptures it paints, yet it has its own identity and uniqueness retained. Dive In is a little lighter but with a funky backbeat to it, it is a very bouncy number with crashing power chords that elevate the track once again. Dinet’s vocals really grab the attention with her great bland of power and subtlety proving a winning formula. Again, Dave delivers some snake slide guitar that impresses greatly, as does the really excellent solo he offers in the closing moments, blistering stuff! 

Opening track Every Waking Moment is another blistering assault on the ears with lots of feedback and sustained chords and notes being used to good effect. Although it is when the song opens up sonically that the real crunch takes effect, and it is very satisfying when it does. The skill being employed here is very high indeed, especially when Dave delivers another fiery guitar break over a strong throbbing bass part and keyboards. This is really strong and exciting music being played here, barnstorming even. Memory Box is, on the face of it, a somewhat lighter track but don’t be fooled as within its grooves are some searching lyrics about keeping secrets and not being open. This is definitely a radio friendly track with lots contained within its four minute running time. Run is similar with real presence and punch. Again, this rocker is very satisfying, the more I hear this album, the more impressive it becomes. It is a definite grower, the synths looping on this song are most memorable and create a great atmosphere and add to a really good track.

Stigma is another hard hitting track with good power chords alongside a powerful lumbering bass line and good keyboards. This creates a fantastic sound, harmonious and yet powerful at the same time. There are good guitar fills from Dave in this track too, this is a very powerful performance that has melody and dynamism. Another excellent solo rounds the song out well. I love this guitar solo over the crunching rhythm section. I really like this track, it’s possibly the best on the album. The Rules Have Changed is hinged on a spidery guitar riff and more crunchy chord work that drives the song along nicely. The riff is repeated again, as are the punchy chords, which, combined with Dinet’s excellent vocals, work really well and create a great atmosphere. More guitar lines are added as the riff powers up before another fine Dave Foster solo really impresses.

This album has really grown on me over the past few weeks as I find much to appreciate and to enjoy within its grooves. It is a very accomplished and well produced set of songs where nothing outstays its welcome. Several of the tracks are absolute belters and make the album highly worthy of your attention as it is really very good indeed. I highly recommend it, now to check out his earlier releases I think.   

Released 19th May, 2023

Order digital from bandcamp here:

Glimmer | The Dave Foster Band (bandcamp.com)

Order CD & vinyl from Burning Shed here:

Search (burningshed.com)