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Review – Gallowstreet – A Trip Worth Making

Named for Amsterdam’s Galgenstraat (literally translated Gallows Street), Gallowstreet has grown from a street parade band to a show-stopping festival favourite in the Netherlands and beyond. The 8-man band of brass, saxes, and percussion, straddles the worlds of hip-hop and dance music with cinematic scores and hard-hitting beats. 

Explosive. Contemporary. Creative. Electric. Danceable. Often covered, never copied, seldom paralleled. All of the above are applicable to Gallowstreet, ‘A Trip Worth Making’ torpedoes the concept of brass groups straight into the 21st century. Blurring the lines of the genre, the Amsterdam-based group dedicates the record to over a decade of touring and setting dance floors on fire across Europe, blending brass, beats and electronics.

On ‘A Trip Worth Making’, Gallowstreet explores more electronics, different beats, and a radically different dynamic than on 2023 offerings ‘Laaglands’ and ‘Gallowstreet’ EP – truly, the group’s energy is about as high as their productivity.

When a lot of people in the UK hear ‘brass band’ they think of the colliery bands from mining communities, like The Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band, made famous by legendary radio star Sir Terry Wogan and the film ‘Brassed Off’, starring Ewan McGregor so I was a little intrigued when the promo email for Gallowstreet landed in my inbox.

After having quite a few listens now, my intrigue has turned into outright admiration and wonder. ‘A Trip Worth Making’ has given me an appreciation for the amazing and intricate musicianship of this ever so impressive collective. When I first read ‘blending brass, beats and electronics‘, I cannot say I was excited but I am now utterly convinced by the music, it is energetic, upbeat, uplifting and just shedloads of fun!

The album is chock full of killer tracks where the energy never lets up, opener Assemble! gets the party started with infectious rhythms and beats and the ever so delicious sounding brass that marks Gallowstreet out as something exciting and different. Phoenix adds a cinematic element as it builds elegantly before becoming something uber-cool where jazz lounge sensibilities mix with a fresh sounding drum and bass vibe and then you get the musical punch to the jaw with the wondrous Proper Hired Guns that starts off with a poppy feel before turning into an addictive thrill ride that has a updated feel of the them to Hawaii 5-0 to these ears, I just love it!

These brass renegades hit you hard with the high energy beats of My Two Cents, an enigmatic, funk filled, dive into jazz and electronic beats. Consider It A Calling brings 70’s soul to the party, the brass intro like something from a Chic track before an edgy, irreverent vibe takes over, the uplifting brass adding heart and even more soul! There’s almost a storytelling element to the music of Hungry as it ducks and dives and jinks its way around you, jazz and brass surround-sound if you like, the brass talking to you in a wonderfully musical fashion.

A cinematic jazz live lounge emerges out of the intro to title track A Trip Worth Making, the music building in intensity as we get further in. Innovative and inspirational at once, it’s a wonderfully eclectic piece of music. Spirited Away is full of a soulful nervous energy that just seems to seep into your very being and become part of you, the music is uplifting and joyful and just makes you feel good! Everything comes to a close with On Borrowed Time, a laid back and low key track full of nostalgia, a wistful look at a life well lived or a journey well travelled.

With ‘A Trip Worth Making’ Gallowstreet have leaped straight into my musical affections,. It is such an infectious, upbeat and addictive experience that you forget just how technically impressive these musicians are because you are just enjoying the joyful brilliance that they bring to each of these compositions, the energy just free flowing and imbuing in you a fabulous joie de vivre.

Released 1st March, 2023.

Order from bandcamp here:

A Trip Worth Making | Gallowstreet (bandcamp.com)

Review – Rob Harrison – Explode My Head – by John Wenlock-Smith

One of the best things about writing reviews are the opportunities that I get, on a fairly regular basis, when an artist sends me an album that is not generally available for a few months yet. I consider such acts to be very satisfying and rewarding in that I feel that I am entrusted with their creation to listen to and, possibly, review. This is a honour I accept with sincere gratitude as it means that the artist feels secure enough of my opinion to offer me their creativity, as it were. Which is why I am pleased to be able to write a review for  Z Machine’s sax player Rob Harrison, whose solo album, ‘Explode My Head’ is due to emerge in June of this year.

This is a  very personal  album for Rob as he gets to play the music he wants to and on his own terms and, in addition, he gets to play the guitar (something he seldom gets to do with Z Machine). The album is mostly instrumental, although there are a few vocal tracks. In all it has just six tracks with the longest being just short of nine minutes long. Rob is joined by cello and violins on several tracks, alongside flute and bass clarinets. Rob himself plays all guitars, bass and saxophone, as well as supplying the vocals and sound effects and I suspect he plays the uncredited keyboard parts as well. The album is really rather good, although it is not always an easy listen as the sound is quite dense in places. It has touches of artists like King Crimson, Gong and many others of that ilk.

Opening track A Severe Lack Of Gravitas has some delicate Cello from Polina Faustova and violin from Julia Stein (Who Knows Sound), in between which is Rob’s bass and heavy saxophone parts. The song changes tempo constantly and has great guitar fills and runs along some great sax parts too. I especially like this track as it is very inventive and musically driven. A Bountiful Surplus Of Grace is an intriguing instrumental that also contains some spoken word parts to it. These tend to be a bit  low in the mix so it’s not always easy to hear what is being said. I detect that it is about Rob’s own struggles that are being talked about here. It is a very interesting and musically strong track which really impresses greatly.

A Profound Throb Of Dread is an odd tale of an old man. After the opening section, it moves more to be an instrumental piece, although the vocals are repeated at various points in the track, another compelling and thought provoking piece of music. An Absurd Case Of Iguanas is mostly instrumental with almost Middle Eastern sounding notes at the beginning, later superseded by a different tone and melody. There is some sumptuous bass on this track too, really strong, vibrant and funky at times. The pace increases as the track gains in tempo and intensity with some strong, fluid guitar lines emerging to deliver a quite captivating song indeed.

The penultimate track is An Acute Sense Of Being which sounds similar in style and tone to Starless by King Crimson but without that guitar line. However, it does have similarities to these ears, again, some engagingly fluid guitar lines run throughout and it is all rather impressive really. The record closes with A Fragile Harmony Of Desires, this is the track that possibly explains everything within it’s lyrics, which appear to be almost a stream of consciousness about the difficulties encountered in Rob’s life. The music is fairly jolly for such a deep song, Rob says that he is not good at expressing feeling and talking about things, preferring to let his music speak for him, as it were.

The cover art is brilliant as are the short stop/start Aardman Animation-like clay model videos that accompany the album. ‘Explode My Head’ is a really stimulating, complex and compelling album and one that repays repeated listens, Rob writes music for the mind that also stirs the soul and I highly recommend it.

Released 28th June, 2024.

Pre-order from bandcamp here:

Explode My Head | Rob Harrison (bandcamp.com)

Review – PreHistoric Animals – Finding Love In Strange Places – by John Wenlock-Smith

Bad Dog Promotions are proving themselves to be a most worthy PR resource for modern prog bands and associated artists. Okay, not everything is to my liking, however, I find more to my liking that ones I don’t like. There definitely a lot more ‘hit’ than ‘miss’ for me. Take, for instance, ‘Finding Love In Strange Places’, this fourth album from Sweden’s PreHistoric Animals. It certainly mixes things up blending, as it does, a love of progressive rock, alternative rock and brilliant pop music, a concept that shouldn’t work but somehow here it manages to pull of fthis feat in style.

Quite frankly I’m most thankful to have heard this album, as it is an album of depth and great songwriting and performances in a very clever concept, delivered and realised to a very high standard indeed.

The band are: Stefan Altzar (guitar, lead vocal and keyboards), Samuel Granath (drums and keyboards), Noah Magnusson (bass and keyboards) and Daniel Magdic (guitar, vocals and keyboards).

The album begins with The City Of My Dreams which opens with a Blade Runner type sequencer before heavy guitar and soaring synthesisers join in. The singer sounds reminiscent of someone who I can’t quite identify but sounds really good to me, The song has a compelling narrative and strong musical sections, all very well produced. I like this track a lot, it has lots of elements that together work hugely in its favour. A Bad Day For The Neon Gods is a brief interlude before Living In A World Of Bliss storms along with a fiery pace and drive. It’s a strange story about a girl who is a killer and eventually falls to her death. Her death inspires a follower to continue her work with a different outcome. I feel it is quite a hopeful song really but definitely an interesting one and another quality track.

Unbreakable is a longer track, opening with sequenced keyboards before a soaring guitar line plays. This track is about a couple who meet in a bar and commit to each other, getting married and both taking an implant to their brains which makes them attain a higher state of realisation of life. They sign the rest of their lives away in exchange for this heightened state, it’s an interesting premise and story and great musically as it has a lot going on throughout. Strange Places is a portentous, looming interlude that just builds up the suspense before He Is Number Four, a story of how two employees fall in love in a factory environment and how that single act saves countless others as the this stops an act of terror from even happening. It is the start of love that warms the female protagonist’s heart so much and deters her from the act of violence she had planned. It is a remarkable track bout how the power of love can change us as individuals.

Come Home is a very brief acoustic song, it’s all rather good and pleasant and doesn’t outstay its  welcome. This followed by The Secret Of Goodness, which appears to be about being watched by aliens, I could be wrong as it is a little unclear, it is very strong musically again though and another compelling tale. The final track on the album, Nothing Has Changed But Everything Is Different  is also a fantastic track rich in imagery and invention. This is a plea that that we should be loved for who we are. An epic guitar solo helps complete this very fine track with its simple themes and request. It is an emotionally laden song with much meaning and concludes what is quite frankly most interesting and accomplished album.

I really appreciated the level of imagination that is contained within these songs and the theme of finding love in strange places as told here on a brilliantly realised concept album of great songs and strong musical performances from PreHistoric Animals. With the excellent cover art, ‘Finding Love In Strange Places’ is an album that both looks and sounds good with real substance and definitely one to look out for on end of year ‘best of’ lists.

Released 16th May, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

Finding Love In Strange Places | PreHistoric Animals (bandcamp.com)

Review – Warhorse; The Recordings 1970-1972 – by John Wenlock-Smith

When I heard about this 2CD set, which contains both the albums Warhorse made for the Vertigo label in 1970 and 1972, I became rather excited and curious of how these albums would sound 50 years after their original release.

Warhorse were a short lived group but with an interesting history. Formed by bassist Nick Simper when he was replaced in Deep Purple by Roger Glover in 1970, they were originally formed as a backing group to singer Marsha Hunt and originally had in their ranks, a Pre-Strawbs/Yes Rick Wakeman, who sadly left before actually recording with the group. In addition, both vocalist Ashley Holt and drummer Barney Jones would leave the band in 1974 to join Wakeman in his band The English Rock Ensemble.

In the meantime Warhorse did manage to make two albums for Vertigo, these being ‘Warhorse’ (1970) and ‘Red Sea’ (1972), both of which are here along, with a further eleven tracks of demo’s and live versions of the songs.

So what does it sound like? you ask, well, to these ears it sounds like the era in which it was made. So, if you consider a mix of say Uriah Heep and Deep Purple then you wouldn’t be a million miles away from the sound the band made.

The ‘Warhorse’ album begins with the strong, Hammond organ driven, Vulture Blood which sets out the stall in a decent manner. You can definitely detect the Deep Purple connection in the sound. No Chance features some interesting bass runs before the keyboards commence, again it’s very intense sounding and very Uriah Heep in style, although a good guitar line cuts through well. I like this track as it has good vocals which are both confident and clear, proving Ashley to be a fine singer in a certain style. It’s one that works well here at least, I was less convinced by his performances with The English Rock Ensemble somehow. Burning opens in a very strident, almost marching style, tempo, most effective, before a swirl of keyboards and a chunky guitar riff are introduced, successfully too I will say. This song has interesting lyrics too making another very fine track.

Next we have a cover of a song from The Easybeats called St Louis that was intended as a single but, sadly, wasn’t a hit as such. The track has a sprightly riff and moves along at a cracking pace, it’s actually rather good and deserved far more than it achieved, unfortunately such is often the way of  things in music. The more lengthy Ritual features three time on this collection, one album and two live versions, all being of differing length. The song is pretty powerful but despite a stomping beat and great guitar work, it actually isn’t the finest moment really as it kind of meanders somewhat aimlessly or it seems that way to me at least. Far better is Solitude, which is the albums epic track at just shy of nine minutes in length, which gives a chance for the track to really evolve and show its progressive elements off fully in a strong manner. There’s nifty guitar work from Ged Peck who plays excellently throughout, he was definitely very underrated in his time.

This leads onto another longish song, Woman Of The Devil, which bristles with energy and has more Hammond and keys from Frank Wilson, who is all over this track in a most exciting manner. More great guitar from Ged really helps lift the track greatly. It has strong echoes of Uriah Heep’s Gypsy. This concludes the Warhorse album although this version is bolstered by four live tracks and a demo of Miss Jane, all of which are decent and very welcome. You can tell that they must have been an excellent live act in the day and one that could engage, interact and captivate an audience.

The sophomore album ‘Red Sea’ was released in 1972 and contains seven more tracks of excellent early 1970’s hard rock and prog songs beginning with short title track Red Sea, which is a busy little number with doubled guitar lines and an underpinned Hammond Organ. A great guitar runs through this track, although it should be noticed that Ged Peck had been replaced at this stage by Pete Parks, who was a soloist in a different style and really makes his mark on this second album. The longer and stronger Back In Time is really excellent, especially if you like organ driven tracks, as this one is, interlaced with short guitar fills and notes. This track shows the differences between the guitarists, Ged Peck being the more adventurous and fluid player. Pete Parks is a great player but not really in the same league somehow, although his solo section on this song is pretty exciting. Confident But Wrong has a good guitar riff that holds it all together along with more concise soloing from Pete. It’s a strong track underpinned by more Hammond from Frank Wilson, who again adds great depth and colour to the track.

Sybilla is another interesting track with a throbbing bass line and chunky guitar riffs and fills making another excellent track. Next is the album’s longest track Mouthpiece which has an extended drum solo woven into it. This piece has excellent dynamics and makes for a very different, but nonetheless exciting, instrumental track where each member gets their chance to shin in some fine ensemble playing and strong performances. This then leaves the bonus tracks which are a further live version of Ritual and five demos that were to form the basis of their third, unrealised, album that was to have been on Atlantic Records.

Despite the band being signed, the OPEC oil crisis of 1974 put those plans on permanent ice and that was then end of Warhorse. Ashley Holt and Barney James were invited to join Wakeman’s TheEnglish Rock Ensemble and they duly accepted, bringing to an end the short lived career of Warhorse. However, with this excellent re-release of these albums in the full glory and with the usual Esoteric care and attention, this fine group can be heard in their full glory once again. This is a release of note that I strongly recommend to all.

Released 26th April, 2024.

Order from Cherry Red here:

Warhorse: The Recordings 1970-1972, 2CD (cherryred.co.uk)

Review – Six By Six – Beyond Shadowland – by John Wenlock-Smith

Occasionally, and very rarely, I get an album that fails to captivate me fully. Whether this is my fault or a failing on behalf of the artist is very much open to debate. In this instance, I was anticipating and expecting far greater than what is on offer here, which is actually not that bad. However when your debut is stunning, as was the first self-titled SiX By SiX album, it is very disappointing when the follow up, ‘Beyond Shadowland’, falls a long way short of what had gone before, and is, to be blunt, definitely sub-standard quality wise in comparison.

To be fair, you do get more crunchy prog-rock crossover songs with some soaring guitar lines exciting riffs and excellent drumming. Yet, despite all this, it seems a little too safe and too pedestrian for these ears. I realise that coming up with another quality album as quickly as SiX By SiX have done is not an easy task. However, this sophomore album comes barely a year on from their debut album and I can’t help but think that they missed out in applying some crucial quality controls on this album, making it a step backwards for the band and not a progression in my view.

It has great cover art but its contents are relatively unrewarding thus giving us material that suffers highly in comparison to their excellent debut, which really captured the imagination first time around. There are some good tracks but there is way too much that lacks enough magic focus. This really saddens me for, as a trio, these are all seasoned, intelligent and articulate musicians who know their craft. However, here they seem to have forgotten that songs need more than a strong riff, they need some commitment and some thrust and drive, not just power for powers sake! Bluff and bluster is really not good enough from these veterans, rather more, they need a strong melody and a touch of polish, which several of these tracks seem to be missing.

I do like the longer track One Step that has time to actually go somewhere interesting and the tracks Arms of a Word and Can’t Live This do have their charms. Sadly, it’s not the case elsewhere on the album, no doubt I will still actually buy the album and really make my own mind up. However, at this moment in time I don’t find it a very appealing album unfortunately, which is a shame as, on paper, it is all there. You have the vibrant guitar work of Ian Crichton, the powerful drums of Nigel Glockner and the undeniable talent and production skills of bassist and vocalist Robert Berry. Here though, it simply fails to really ignite or to captivate in any significant manner. 

I hope this is a blip and doesn’t mean the end of what could be a very rewarding project. I really hope they regroup, refocus and return with the album that they really should have delivered rather than this mishmash of half realised ideas and incomplete songs. I really hope so guys but you fell far short here, you didn’t even reach the Shadowland, yet alone get beyond it…

Full track listing:

1.     Wren 

2.     The Arms of a Word  

3.     Can’t Live Like This  

4.     Obiliex

5.     Only You Can Decide  

6.     Titans 

7.     Outside Looking In  

8.     Spectre

9.     Sympathise  

10.  One Step

11.  The Mission

Released 26th April, 2024.

Order the album here:

Six By Six – The Mission (lnk.to)

Review – Colosseum: Elegy – The Recordings 1968-1971, 6CD Box Set – by John Wenlock-Smith

I received this splendid box set from Esoteric recently, containing the five albums released by the original version of Colosseum released in the early 1970’s. They were albums of great significance in the then emerging and developing area of progressive music, mixing, jazz, fusion, blues and rock in a distinctive amalgam of styles but never being less than interesting listening.

I myself came to Colosseum a lot later in my life, despite their albums being in abundance at my then favourite record shop in Birmingham where I lived at the time. Although I was a big fan of the latter, mid-1970’s incarnation of the band, called Colosseum 11, featuring Gary Moore on Guitar and Don Airey on keyboards, alongside Jon Hiseman on drums and the ever dependable Neil Murray on bass. This version was far heavier sound wise than the original Colosseum ever were and whilst I enjoyed the strange new album immensely, somehow I never went back to the original albums, my mistake of course. Call it the folly of youth but I was definitely blinkered in my sonic appreciation. In my teens I was a heavy metal man and dismissed lots of music that I have since come to appreciate more fully as I have aged, ironic really!

Colosseum came to my ear fully in the late 1990’s when I was buying music online from a well known website that has since ceased to be. I can’t even recall what it was called but it was very popular in the day and had great deals and offers. I spent a fortune on there over the years and, in the process, I acquired all the Colosseum remasters on the Sanctuary label, all of which are, in the main, included in this ‘Elegy’ box set; ‘Those Who Are About To Die Salute You’, ‘Valentyne Suite’, ‘The Grass Is Greener’, ‘Daughter Of Time’ and ‘Colosseum Live’, along with an additional twelve bonus tracks, a highly informative booklet of sleeve notes, recollections and photographs of the time.

There are differences, however, between the remasters I already possessed and this set, in that there a few omissions and a few hitherto unreleased cuts which makes for an interesting and rewarding listen. One thing I found interesting was that the name Colosseum was chosen by Jon Hiseman whilst sitting on Palatine Hill in Rome, overlooking the actual Colosseum with Barbara Thompson, who he later married of course. They were visiting her relatives in Italy at the time when Jon announced he was going to start a band and call it Colosseum, the rest, as they say, is history.

Jon was already friends with Dave Greenslade and Dick Heckstall-Smith, both of whom he knew from his schooldays and both of whom he had played with over the years. They found guitarist James Litherland and bass guitarist Tony Reeves from auditions in London and they were off. They hooked up with the Bron Agency and Gerry Bron who got them a deal with Phillips for the first album, ‘Those Who Are About To Die Salute You’. Released in 1969, this debut was very influential in progressive music circles as here were a group who were really pushing the boundaries and embracing varied influences into a distinctive melting pot, making vibrant and exciting music for the then modern world, it still sounds highly impressive now, over 55 years later.

However the best was yet to come, Colosseum were signed to new Phillips‘ label Vertigo, targeting the demand for progressive music. So it was that the band’s second album ‘Valentyne’ appeared as the first Vertigo Records release as Vertigo 001 in 1970. This introduced both the label and the band to a whole new audience, especially as the album fitted perfectly with the aspirations of the label and the music was highly suited, being an elaborate, almost conceptual, album of linked pieces, especially in the three part Valentyne Suite which occupied side two of the record. The album still sounds outstanding and ground-breaking today, that it was a young group, most of whom were barely in there early 20’s, yet who were creating some incredibly complex and extremely well conceived and competently delivered music, is all the more remarkable.

In the USA and Canada the album appeared in different form in 1970 as ‘The Grass is Greener’ remixed and featuring a series of songs unreleased in the UK.

‘Daughter Of Time’, released in 1970, brought a change of line up, in that both James  Litherland and Tony Reeves left. These were replaced by Dave ‘Clem’ Clempson and Louis Cennamo but Cennamo found Colosseum too heavy for his tastes and left. However, Clempson had seen Mark Clarke playing in Liverpool and felt he might be a good fit for the ban, so it was that Clarke joined the band. It was also felt that a vocalist would help the group and Dave Greenslade suggested Chris Farlowe.

The final discs of the set are the previously issued and expanded version of ‘Colosseum Live’, complete with a second disc of other live tracks from Manchester University and Brighton, recorded in 1971. These do repeat several songs, namely Rope Ladder To The Moon, Skellington and Stormy Monday Blues, but it’s great to hear them here. Also here are live versions of The Valentyne Suite tracks, which are always great to hear again.

So there you have it, a potted history of the original incarnation of Colosseum, who admittedly did reform in 1991 and then reappeared frequently in the next century. However, they were never quite able to reclaim the impact of the original, who were quite simply a band for the time of the late 60’s and early 70’s, as this excellent set captures in their full dazzling and powerfully impressive manner. Excellent packaging and superlative sleeve notes add to a most welcome release. It is highly recommended indeed, especially if you like any of the latter spin offs like Greenslade or ColosseumII. This set represents an extremely influential and significant chapter in the history of progressive rock.

Released – 29th March, 2024.

Order here:

Colosseum: Elegy – The Recordings 1968-1971, 6CD Box Set (cherryred.co.uk)

Review – Mayfire – Cloudscapes & Silhouettes – by Rob Fisher

Some albums have an uncanny ability to quickly etch themselves on your soul, delivering an adrenaline-fuelled rush of tingling elation which makes you truly glad to be alive. Alive is certainly how you will feel by the time you reach the end of Cloudscapes and Silhouettes, heart-rate elevated, blood coursing through your veins, wide-eyed with exhilaration, a surprised but passion-spent ‘bloody hell’ escaping from your lips as the final notes fade.

Mayfire have created a blistering debut album which throbs, pulses, confronts and caresses, teases and goads, yet through it all, holds you captivated, enthralled and transfixed. By the time it finishes, you will, even though pleasantly dazed and perhaps a smidge flustered, truly understand with an aching certainty the fullest, deepest and most encompassing meaning of ‘epic’.

Opening track The Fall (Track 1) sets the scene, a moody, brooding, unsettling prophetic lament giving us a glimpse of the expansive cinematic canvas to come. The atmospheric panorama makes you feel as if you are being confronted by a momentous quest, a chilling, portentous challenge:

Some say it was the overpopulation that started it all
Some say it’s just human nature.
The power. The Greed.
The never-ending reach for more.
It doesn’t matter much who was wrong or right
And the Earth was left broken
And it didn’t stop human nature
So if you ask me
The fall, it was just a matter of time

The foreboding crescendo which follows is a premonition of the journey that is to come. Silence descends. We wait with bated breath.

City of Ruins (Track 2) quickly sets the scene; a light, symphonic intro dissolves into a compelling musical full frontal, the guitar work oscillating between staccato, accentuated bursts which then flow into reverberating, extended chords; an insistent, demanding drum pulsates, driving the music forward. Above it all the vocal prowess of MJX is towering, glorious, peerless, lighting the way, leading us on, a light in the darkness.

Shadows (Track 3) confirms initial impressions. An impressive opening gambit, growling with unsettling menace eases into a beautiful oasis of melodic calm. But the power of the voice returns to pierce the illusion; a voice laden with anger, despair, lament calls across growling guitar foundations into the emptiness:

Trying to understand, Never to be the same.
Now that I have seen it, it all makes sense.
Saying you’re sorry won’t suffice this time,
Giving you another chance or never to be seen again.   

Time signatures change and shift to match the mood and the pace of song; instrumental combinations weave, combine, dissipate, forming new combinations, driving the momentum forward. The magic of this album is precisely the ever-shifting textures in the soundscapes. Within the context of a song, you never hear the same thing twice. Mayfire are forging their own path, their own sound, in order to express emotional depth through the interplay of complex rhythms, sophisticated melodies, intricate changes of tempo and shuddering transitions.

The title track brings even greater contrasts. A discordant, jarring opening outburst gives way to the exquisitely nuanced and delicate melody. But it can’t last: the beauty is broken, disrupted back to discordant noise. But wait; beauty returns. That voice. Pleads. Begs. Dreams. Hopes. “Stay strong, carry on”. Vulnerability is writ large. But it can’t last, can’t withstand the onslaught which inevitably arrives. This time a soaring guitar solo replaces the voice amidst the mayhem, briefly taming the darkness.

Thicker Than Water (Track 5) is a welcome respite. Aiden’s bass carries the load and propels a reflective urge to reach tender depths as memories are recalled and the serenity of nostalgia calms the storm. For a while. Past and present conflict; the reverie breaks. Guitars leak into the musical canvas like water running down wallpaper heralding a coming flood.

A Sense of Purpose (Track 6) is a thundering, relentless assault, climactic vocals falling apart into guttural growls and screams. The melody reaches out to restore order but is quickly overwhelmed with the roar of brutal passion and raw emotion. Contrast this with Vinternatt (Track 7), a total shift of tone, mood and atmosphere. The growl remains present, but constrained, melody given an echoing, transparent musical backdrop. Like a scene change at a theatre, it’s replaced with dense, intense, busy-ness, only to shift again, and again until we reach the most glorious passage of almost shamanic chanting, unexpected and immersive in the way it mesmerises and stops you dead in your tracks.

Fearless (Track 8) brings us toward resolution. The melody is stronger, centre stage, not knocked off by competing instrumental contrasts. The song structure is almost ‘traditional’, paired back and simplified, allowing a lighter, brighter air. Closing track The Age of Kings (Track 9) brings us full circle to the feel of Track 1. Except, too much has happened, we have travelled so far, so long, so hard. It may be a return to where we started but it now feels very different. “Don’t let this moment ever be the end! / Been staring at these lights in the distance / Feeling kind of safe here / Alone.”

I found my way to prog via heavy metal and heavy rock. I retain a deep fondness for and strong affinity with both genres. In the burgeoning arena of progressive metal where so much mediocrity has unfortunately blunted its edge, what Mayfire have achieved with Cloudscapes and Silhouettes is, to my mind, remarkable. The vision of the album is both magnificent in its scope as well as monumental in its reach. Impressively ambitious. The innovative use of evolving layering to build creative shifting textures and create rich, resonant soundscapes is nothing short of triumphant. And in case I’ve not mentioned it before: that voice. Bloody hell. It gives you the world and everything in it.

Released November 17th, 2023.

Order from bandcamp here:

Cloudscapes & Silhouettes | Mayfire (bandcamp.com)

TRACK LISTING
1. The Fall 02:24
2. City Of Ruins 04:31
3. Shadows 06:33
4. Cloudscapes & Silhouettes 05:52
5. Thicker Than Water 03:51
6. A Sense Of Purpose 03:44
7. Vinternatt 05:35
8. Fearless 06:06
9. The Age Of Kings 05:24

MUSICIANS
Aiden – Bass
Eros – Drum
Locke – Guitar
MJX – Vocals
REX – Guitar

Projected Twin Unveils New Single “A Feat of Rage” from Upcoming Album “The Life & Death of Shaun Holton”

Renowned producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Shaun Holton, known under the moniker Projected Twin, is set to mesmerise audiences once again with the release of his latest single, “A Feat of Rage,” from the highly anticipated album “The Life & Death of Shaun Holton.”

Holton, who recently assumed the role of lead singer for the critically acclaimed Australian Progressive Rock band Southern Empire, has been making waves in the music industry. Southern Empire’s 2023 album, “Another World,” received widespread acclaim, with Holton’s vocal prowess earning him recognition as one of the best vocalists of 2023 by Prog Press “The Prog Mind.” The album itself was listed among the top 10 releases of 2023 by “Prog Magazine,” standing shoulder to shoulder with progressive icons Steven Wilson and Peter Gabriel.

“A Feat of Rage” marks the first single from the forthcoming Projected Twin album, which represents Holton’s fourth full-length release. This album is highly anticipated as it follows the conclusion of a conceptual trilogy of albums, the cult-celebrated “Earth/World” series.

Projected Twin’s sound is deeply rooted in progressive rock, drawing influences from 90s alternative, pop, rock, and metal icons such as Filter, Incubus, and Alice in Chains. Holton’s journey into the world of prog began in late 2005 when he was introduced to the discographies of Porcupine Tree and Opeth, alongside local Australian alt-rock/prog icons Cog and Karnivool.

Commenting on “A Feat of Rage” and the upcoming album, Holton shares, “This single is a glimpse into the sonic journey of ‘The Life & Death of Shaun Holton.’ It’s a blend of progressive elements with the raw energy of alternative rock, offering listeners an immersive experience.”

“The Life & Death of Shaun Holton” represents an ironic take on Holton’s public display of an identity crisis since Projected Twin’s conception, questioning whether he is, in fact, the artist ‘Projected Twin’ or ‘Shaun Holton.’

Listeners can immerse themselves in the captivating sounds of “A Feat of Rage” on all major streaming platforms starting 12/4/2024. Stay tuned for the release of “The Life & Death of Shaun Holton” for a musical experience that transcends boundaries and genres.

Listen to, and order, the track from bandcamp here:

https://projectedtwin.bandcamp.com/track/a-feat-of-rage

About Projected Twin:

Projected Twin is the musical brainchild of producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Shaun Holton. With influences ranging from 90s alternative to progressive rock icons, Projected Twin’s music offers a unique blend of sonic textures and emotive storytelling. “The Life & Death of Shaun Holton” represents the next chapter in Holton’s musical journey, promising an immersive experience for listeners.

GODSTICKS ANNOUNCE MORE TOUR DATES FOR 2024 – NEW ALBUM ‘THIS IS WHAT A WINNER LOOKS LIKE’ OUT NOW ON KSCOPE

After the release of their new album ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’ last year, Godsticks have continued to keep up the momentum in 2024 with a run of UK shows at the start of this year alongside an appearance at Planet Rock’s Winters End Festival. 

Now in June and September the band are continuing to build on this success with even more live dates across the UK. Frontman and guitarist Darran Charles had the following to say:  

“Our last few tours have easily been our most successful to date. Upon reading some of the reviews of those shows, it’s heartening to see that we’ve become recognised as a high-energy live act, even a ‘must-see’. This recent success is why we’re planning on touring far more regularly and travelling to places that we’ve never been to before. 

If we can keep growing the audience numbers as we have been, then it’s our ambition to create an even more special live experience and perform on some even bigger stages. However, we must admit that the intimate venues we’ve been playing of late have definitely made for some very memorable shows, so we’re determined to create more. 

One thing we’re confident of is that once you come to one Godsticks show, we’ll guarantee you’ll come to the next one – it’s a great time for both the band and the audience. Miss us at your peril!”

19/6/24 Heartbreakers, Southampton – Tickets

20/6/24 The Asylum 2, Birmingham – Tickets

21/6/24 The Globe, Glossop – Tickets

05/9/24 Three Wise Monkeys, Colchester – Tickets

6/9/2024 Le Pub, Newport, Wales – Tickets

Their love for writing and productivity had been reignited simply by being able to perform live. 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. 

Order the album here:

THIS IS WHAT A WINNER LOOKS LIKE (lnk.to)

Dark folk / prog artist Marjana Semkina (Iamthemorning) announces new album and streams first single

Sirin album out 31st May; ‘We Are The Ocean’ lyric video streaming now

Album guest features include Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse) & Mick Moss (Antimatter).

Progressive dark folk artist Marjana Semkina has announced the release her second solo LP – Sirin – on 31st May 2024 along with a Kickstarter campaign. She has also unveiled the first single ‘We Are The Ocean’ along with a stunning lyric video.

Watch the lyric video for ‘We Are The Ocean’ here:

Pre-order Sirin here:

SIRIN by Marjana Semkina — Kickstarter

Known for her work as the vocalist of prog duo Iamthemorning, self-exiled Russian Marjana has forged a successful solo career with two critically acclaimed solo releases: her 2020 debut solo album Sleepwalking, and 2021 follow-up EP Disillusioned. Like its predecessors, Sirin is a journey of dark stories and fairy tales, told with Marjana’s uniquely captivating voice, on a foundation of detailed musical arrangements. However there is a prevailing darkness and grief, inspired by of Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the first single about by the protests.

On new single ‘We Are The Ocean’ Marjana comments: “This song was inspired by all of my Russian friends coming out to protest against the war when it started, despite the fact that there was a very good chance they’d get arrested for doing so – a lot did in the end. I wrote lyrics to this song on a train to one of those protests in London, Trafalgar Square in early March 2022.”

On the album Sirin, she continues: “Sirin is a mythical creature from ancient Slavic mythology, half-bird half-woman, she’s a harbinger of bad luck and death, and it’s believed that if you meet Sirin a big catastrophe will happen – except in case with the events surrounding this album it’s already happened. Sirin cries and mourns for humankind, and nothing can be more appropriate in this day and age. Sirin is one of very few creatures that can travel between worlds – a world of gods of light, a world of dark deities (in some versions an alternative to the underworld) and a world of mortals. This felt appropriate because the album is quite diverse in sound and some might think parts of it sound happy, but the subject matter is almost always quite morbid, which creates a contrast that I enjoy.

“I was never very political and I always tried to keep my art within the realms of lore, literature and imagination. But when events like the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine happen, it is impossible – and I’d even say, unforgivable – to stay silent and do nothing. Thankfully being based in the UK I feel rather safe speaking out against the current regime and I do have a platform that I can use to try and show the world that Russians disagree with the actions of the Russian government, and there are so many of us that only wish for this to be over. I’m just trying to show it in the most artistic way I can muster.”

Now permanently based in the UK, Marjana has been an active campaigner against the Russian occupation in Ukraine and has raised thousands of pounds via her activities to support the victims of war. She will continue her work, including selling a number of a limited run of handwritten lyrics from Sirin, with the money going to Ukrainian charities. Acts punishable by 15 years imprisonment should she return home.

Marjana is joined by an array of world class musicians (detailed below), which includes two very special guest vocal performances from Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse) and Mick Moss (Antimatter).

Marjana has previously collaborated with many incredible artists, including The Flower Kings, Jordan Rudess, Blackbriar, as well as Anna Murphy with their Maer project. Combined with her work in Iamthemorning, her experiences have enabled her to become one of the most unique and exciting solo artists in the progressive world today. 

Recording musicians:
Grigoriy Losenkov – piano, bass guitar, synths, drum programming
Vlad Avy – electric guitar, synths, drum programming
Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco) – drums 
Charlie Cawood (Medieval baebes, Knifeworld) – acoustic guitar, bouzouki, glockenspiel, hammered dulcimer, luiqin, guzheng
Liam McLaughlin (Sithu aye, IATM) – electric guitar
Margarita Chernyshevskaya – 1st Violin 
Petr Chepelev  – 2nd Violin 
Julia Uliashcenkova – Viola 
Julia Romashko – Cello