Brace yourself for an exhilarating musical expedition as HeKz unveils their latest single, the energetic ‘Terra Nova.’ The accompanying video seamlessly weaves together electrifying moments from the band’s return to the live stage at the Underworld in Camden (September 2023) and the album launch spectacle at the Cart & Horses (November 2023), capturing the raw energy and intensity of these unforgettable performances.
“’Terra Nova’ is a perfect example of HeKz’s distinct fusion of intricate musicality and raw emotion,” explains singer and bassist Matt Young. “It kicks off the live show with a blast of energy and everyone on the stage gets their chance to shine – we really love to play this one and hear the audience shouting that anthemic chorus along with us! It’s one of the highlights of any performance.”
Check out the video:
Young, alongside Mirko Fadda (guitar), Lucia La Rezza (violin), and Jerry Sadowski (drums), will be performing live throughout 2024, commencing with a co-headline performance at The Black Heart in Camden on Saturday, 27th January, alongside the metallurgical talents of Primitai and Toledo Steel. HeKz will be onstage at 8:40pm.
Catch HeKz at these venues in 2024:
– Saturday, 27th January – The Black Heart, Camden, UK
Emerald City Council is an American progressive rock band, formed in 2021 out of a recording project produced by saxophonist/keyboardist Brent Bristow. The band features vocalist Jake Livgren (Proto-Kaw, newphew of Kansas’ Kerry Livgren) and drummer Noah Hungate (Team Illuminati, son of Toto’s David Hungate), along with Jeremy Nichols (Erin Coburn) on bass, and up and coming guitarist Seth Hankerson. Brandon Goff, Associate Professor of Music Industry at Francis Marion University, has also contributed significant guitar work as special collaborator to the band.
‘Motion Carries’ was written and produced by Brent Bristow and boasts a wide variety of styles and influences. The album has a unique blend of saxophone and guitar-driven material that fans of both classic and modern progressive rock will love. The album includes several guest appearances.
Bristow says of the album, “Producing this album has pushed me on many levels as a musician and songwriter. Everyone who worked on it put their heart and soul into bringing this material to life, which forced me to be better, and I could not be more grateful. While the songs can all stand on their own, I think we are providing a true album experience for those that want to lose themselves in music for an hour.”
I really love it when I get sent an email introducing me to a new band that I’ve never heard of and asking if I’d like to find out more. Music isn’t just there for enjoyment, it is a voyage of discovery and asks questions of the listener. When Brent Bristow contacted me and I checked out the two videos he had sent me, I knew I needed to know more about this intriguing band and immediately Jeffrey Combs narration and the dynamic, fast paced feel to opening track Realize I –Escape From the Ancient drew me in to this impressive and immersive musical journey. There’s a proper feel of truly American progressive rock to ‘Motion Carries’, which is not surprising knowing the musician’s pedigree, I can hear Spock’s Beard, Pattern Seeking Animals and Kansas throughout the album’s sixty minute running time. Realize II – Brutal Camouflage introduces us to Jake Livgren’s energetic and lyrical vocal delivery and to a really fluid delivery of the eloquent music which is dotted with intense saxophone at every turn and did I ever tell you, I love the saxophone?! Noisy Talking carries on the impressive storytelling with it’s edgy, high energy feel and Jake’s almost rap style vocals. The guitar playing on this album is next level good, Seth Hankerson providing the driving forward motion, ably assisted by Douglas Case, and Paul Bielatowicz delivering some incendiary soloing.
Mortal Game takes a more measured approach and heads down a more AOR/ classic rock route. Jake’s emotive vocal is superb and works perfectly in harmony with Heather Bristow and the sax is just spine tingling. It is a beautiful, soulful piece of music that will really touch you. Ice Thinning brings the exciting rhythm section of Noah Hungate and Jeremy Nichols into focus and really could have come from a modern Kansas album. The song is both powerful and graceful at the same time and packs a real stirring punch, especially on the notable chorus.
Now we get to the pièce de résistance, the gloriously pompous and wonderfully overblown prog epic Platforms of Illusion. This piece of music is just brilliant and has everything that a song of this nature should contain, all combined with a palpable sense of fun and enjoyment, isn’t that what music should feel like? Just sit back, relax and let this twenty minutes of pure musical inspiration wash over you. The time changes and segues keep you guessing at all times and the skill on show is just incredible. I’m a big fan of both Kansas and Spock’s Beard and, on this song especially, Emerald City Council give us a perfect amalgam of all that those two bands are great at. I’ve already said that Jake Livgren has a great voice and he really gets to shine here and as for Brent Bristow, this multi-talented musician is proving to be a force to be reckoned with.
Rather cleverly, after the mind blowing previous track, the band give us a lovely little musical amuse bouche in the shape of the light stepping, enjoyable instrumental Diversion 1 before we get back to the main event with the punchy, rocking No Thanks To You, a song that leans more towards the Toto edge of AOR and hard rock. The driving piano and rhythm section combine with the edgy riff to give a more classic rock focused feel, one that is only endorsed by the superb vocals and Mike Thompson’s epic solo. Realize III – The Comfort Of Suffering closes the album with another superb slice of hard rock infused prog. Soaring guitar and vocals and elegant bass and drums all combine to deliver another highly addictive song that will linger in your mind for quite a long while, especially the superlative melody.
Emerald City Council have entered the progressive rock scene with a massive bang. ‘Motion Carries’ is a superb album, utterly immersive and uplifting with incredible musicianship, soaring melodies and a real sense of fun. This is music that touches the mind and lifts the soul and I haven’t stopped smiling yet. Trust me, you need this album in your life!
There are few great bands on our planet that you can infallibly identify within the first few bars of one of their songs. Their unique melodic skill, their tasteful instrumentation, the right balance of depth and catchiness, and then of course that charismatic voice: Magnum are Magnum!
I spent a lot of 2022 rediscovering Magnum after losing touch with their musical output after ‘Goodnight LA’. This was quite expensive, yet also really enjoyable, especially when I found some of their SPV output was very worthwhile. I was even more excited when they announced a show near me at KK’s Steel Mills in Wolverhampton in December 2022. I attended the concert on a very cold December evening, finding the venue to be a bit challenging, especially Its solid concrete floor, which transmitted cold through your shoes to the feet. It was so uncomfortable that I spent the last part of the show sitting outside in the bar area where they had a few old chairs.
Furthermore the show itself was underwhelming and the band actually seemed to be going through the motions, on auto pilot as it were. For a show that was supposed to be a celebration of 50 years of Magnum I felt decidedly let down and disappointed. So, when this new album, ‘Here Comes The Rain’, was released I was pretty undecided about whether or not to actually get it for my collection. As it happens, I did order it but recent developments in the Magnum camp have meant that I am still waiting to actually receive my copy (the one with a film of the show that so disappointed me). Thankfully, due to my amazon account, I am able to access an online copy of the album and it is this that I am using to review the album.
The album was released on Friday 12th January 2024, although, sadly, Tony Clarkin, Magnum’s sole writer and guitarist since there formation, had passed away a few days beforehand. He was suffering from an previously announced spinal condition that made playing very difficult, so much so that they had cancelled previously announced tour dates. When I received this information, I was extremely saddened by it as I knew that this same condition may have been part of why that show had been so sub par. I also knew that this could prove to be the end of this fine group. So, with this in mind here are my thoughts on the album.
I am pleased to report that, if this release proves to be the final Magnum album, then ‘Here Comes The Rain’ is definitely one of the better offerings from the band. I had felt that ‘The Monster Roars’ was a little too safe by Magnum’s standard, whereas this album has both great dynamics and strong material alongside excellent performances from all parties.
With Magnum you pretty know what you will get, a mid tempo song usually around the 5 minute mark with strong keyboards and a strong rhythm section, some solid guitar work and great vocals from fellow co-founder Bob Catley, whose voice is so integral to the Magnum sound. This album does not disappoint on any of those fronts, in fact it serves as a reminder, as if one were needed, of just what a strong group Magnum are.
The album opens with Run Into The Shadows, which is a great statement of intent with punchy guitar and cowbells or cymbals even! It storms along at a fiery pace and maybe just lacks a killer guitar solo. Tony tends to not play too many of those somehow but still this one really rocks impressively and reinforces their pomp-rock roots most eloquently. Title track, Here Comes The Rain features a sinewy guitar line and chugging bass and drums. The song has an airy, lighter feel to it, you can imagine fan’s lighters aloft swaying to the music (it would be mobile phone lights nowadays though, of course). This is another strong song from the boys and the great keyboard sound towards the end really works well. Some Kind Of Treachery begins with a ripple of piano before the bass kicks in, mirroring Bob’s emotive vocal. The drums then arrive and the song’s chorus begins. The dynamics of this song are excellent, as is the bass work of Dennis Ward adding much depth and subtlety to this great track. The keyboards of Rick Benton also sprinkle inspired magic over the track. After the Silence is a slightly faster paced song, lifting the tempo intelligently, it also has a strong backbeat to it and works really well. Blue Tango has more than a touch of the ‘Goodnight LA’ era, namely Rockin’ Chair ,as it lies in a similar territory. It is definitely the hardest rocking track so far and makes you want to get up and punch the air, it’s that good! It’s a real Magnum classic with a great organ break and a Clarkin solo as well, where he cuts loose in the closing bars, it’s wonderful.
The Day He Lied is about a relationship it seems and is suitably emotional, it also has a great guitar line running throughout that adds real depth and emotion. The Seventh Darkness is another superb track with brass embellishments which add a different texture to the song, as does a brilliant saxophone that duels with Tony’s guitar fills. It’s a subtly different sound for Magnum but it’s Dynamics certainly make a fine impression. This is a very strong track that is every bit the equal of Blue Tango. Broken City is is a moody, brooding track with lots of keyboards and a heartfelt, emotive vocal. It’s sublime and suppressed emotions really hit home. I Wanna Live opens with a subdued piano line before the song builds in tempo and power. Bob’s vocal is really on song on this rather fine track, one that reminds me a bit of those classic Magnum power ballads that we have all come to love. The last track, Borderline, is a fitting finale to what is possibly a sublime final statement from the band. It is the albums longest song and opens with an Arabic sounding intro before things take on a typical rock swagger. There is another a strong vocal from Bob and the song also has two short guitar breaks from Tony along with a strong keyboard solo from Rick Benton. I really like how this song plays out with an elegant piano melody that is almost bringing the curtain down on Magnum’s long and distinguished career. It may not have been intentional but it’s a graceful manner in which to end the album.
Unfortunately it is now all over and you are left thankful for a wonderful last shout from the band who will, probably, not be able to continue now that Tony is gone. I am so glad they were able to finish on a real high all these years after ‘Kingdom Of Madness’ in 1978. I really enjoyed this, their twenty-third album and eagerly await for my copy to arrive soon.
In this Interview Steve Hackett gives John a pretty in depth walk through of his forthcoming album ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’.
JWS: Hi Steve, good to talk to you again, let’s Talk about the forthcoming album ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’, out next month. I believe it’s a concept album of sorts?
SH: Well it’s more a themed album, autobiographical in nature, but with some fantasy elements included. It has been incredibly well received by those who, like yourself, have been allowed to hear it in advance. It’s actually my 30th solo album release that began with ‘Voyage Of The Acolyte’ back in 1975, all those years ago.
The album is not actually a concept album as such, rather it is a collection of tracks with a central theme of my life growing up in post-war London in the 1950s and 1960s and going through the momentous changes of those years, living in Pimlico and experiencing the magic of a musical revolution.
The album begins with radio sounds of the 50’s moves onto a soundbite of listen with mother and a baby crying. That first song, People Of The Smoke, has a wonderfully evocative video which encapsulates that era very well. It’s by Paul Gosling and captures the black and white, smoky, foggy and murky London of those times, its an interesting video.
The album also has a number of instrumental tracks, each with different styles and flavours, all of which allowed me to stretch out a little in my playing.
JWS: What is the track Taking You Down about?
SH:That one is about a friend I had at school, he was rather a character and was always up to something, running a wheeze or wheeler-dealing or similar. We had lots of escapades and got up to fair amount of mischief I suppose. We both shared a love of music but, ultimately, our paths diverged and we went our separate ways in life. I often wonder what he is doing these days, probably running drugs from some African country or South America or something! He’s probably still up to no good though.
Found And Lost is about first love, my first love actually. She was lovely, came from a good family and was very intelligent. After a while she decided I wasn’t what she wanted and dumped me, I was heartbroken and it took me a while to get over her. Later I found out that she’d gone off the rails and got involved with drugs to the extent the she ruined her life and was incarcerated, I used to get letters sent from her in prison. It’s a terrible tragedy really, although it did serve as a warning to me and the love of music saved me from many pitfalls, like excessive drinking and drug use, for which I am very thankful. Music both provided a goal and direction, doing so certainly saved me from such excesses.
Enter The Ring is about the circus ride of fame I experienced with Genesis. We were all over the place and frantically busy, with little time to draw breath, it was a wild ride for sure. During that time I had the ideas that were to lead to my first solo album, ‘Voyage Of The Acolyte’, which came out in 1975.
JWS: You were still with Genesis at that point though?
SH:Yes, Peter had just left after we toured ‘The Lamb’ album and before Phil took over the vocals. We recorded ‘Trick Of The Tai’l and then ‘The Wind And The Wuthering’ and ‘Seconds Out’. After which I’d had enough, I was feeling increasingly marginalised and so decided to do my own thing.
As mentioned, Enter The Ring is about my life as part of Genesis and the circus ride it became, whilst Get Me Out is about the frustrations I felt towards the end. The trio of Mike, Tony and Phil were a very tight unit and that resulted in me feeling that my contributions were dismissed lightly, which left me feeling marginalised, resulting in me keeping my material for my own future use. Whilst I loved being a part of it all, in the end I was glad to be out of it and able to concentrate on my own efforts completely. Also, the success of ‘Voyage’ caused a rift that was never fully addressed or resolved and, while we are all still amicable, somehow it was never quite the same again.
Ghost Moon And Living Love is combination of heavy and softer tones in the same song, I get to let it out a little and play some fiery guitar lines. I know some folks don’t like love songs and just want rock but it’s part of who I am. Love is important to me, celebrating and expressing my feelings and not just in my playing. Jo (my wife) says this album combines both of these aspects, from the rage and the fury through to the flames of love, which I think is a good summation of the album.
Ghost Moon And Living Love is the albums longest track and a centrepiece of the album, this is followed by the Circo inferno, again more circus imagery to express a crazy period of my life. The track Into The Nightwhale is about facing your Demons and overcoming them, resilience and the like. When we started the album the term Nightwhale was not as widely used as it is now but, overall, it reflects a big part of my Life Journey.
Wherever You Are is unashamedly romantic and, again, it has heavy sections and much fiery guitar lines. The album booklet explains the songs far better but I don’t have a copy myself as yet, but I will be signing them in Birmingham and London when we tour.
JWS: Steve, I’d like to thank you for this immersive look into the songs on the album and wish you all the best.
‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ will be released on 16th February, 2024.
Super Realm Park is the new single from the new sleepmakeswaves album ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’ due out Friday 12th April.
From the band:
“Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the new single from sleepmakeswaves.
The main riff and synth on this track was inspired by F-Zero, the old school Nintendo 64 game. We developed and refined the concept into the first half of the track to bring in some late 90s influences.
We hit a few walls with how to close the track, until one afternoon in 2020 at an apartment in Erskineville, we suddenly realised it needed a slow, crushing, hypnotic wall of noise. We can’t wait to play it live.”
The new album ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’ was produced by the band themselves, at Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney, Australia. Written during the pandemic, it was originally recorded during 2022 just before the band embarked on a 3 month tour for their previous EP trilogy ‘these are not your dreams.’ Further recording was completed in 2023, including string arrangements by Simeon Bartholomew (SEIMS). The record was then mixed by Andrei Eremin (Closure in Moscow, Tash Sultana, G Flip, Luca Brasi) in Philadelphia USA and mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston USA.
The first single ‘Super Realm Park’, prefiguring the record as a whole, is a majestic return to the classic hallmarks of the band’s melodic post-rock sound, whilst introducing new production and arrangement elements. Fans of the band’s heavy bombastic aggression will resonate with tracks such as ‘All Hail Skull’ and ‘Ritual Control.’ They also shine with invigorated melodic and emotive performances and arrangements on tracks like ‘Black Paradise’ and ‘Terror Future.’ Retaining their signature approach to heavy dynamics and crescendos the band are still at their unmatched peak when they turn their hand to cataclysmic emotional epics such as the title track and the album closer ‘This Close Forever.’
The band recently announced that they will tour Australia, Europe and the USA in support of their new album ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It.’
They will kick off their world tour in Australia in April, playing shows in Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane with support from Taiwanese math rock legends ELEPHANT GYM and fellow Australian post-rock veterans MENISCUS.
sleepmakeswaves will then return to Europe in May to headline Belgium’s Dunk Festival, and North America to co-headline PostFest in Indianapolis in July. Further shows will be added.
NEW ALBUM ‘COLD WAVES DIVIDE US’ RELEASED 8TH MARCH (MONOTREME RECORDS)
Monsters is the second single from Cold Waves Divide Us, the fifth studio album from Scottish alt/post/progressive-rock trio Midas Fall.
On Monsters, the band show a more contemplative side, with an ethereal intro giving way to gorgeously syncopated guitar and drums.
Says Elizabeth Heaton, “The monsters I sing about in this song are the intrusive, anxiety ridden thoughts that decide to rear their ugly heads from time to time, especially when you least expect it, just to remind you that you never truly have full control. There is a feeling of defeat and submission in this song, juxtaposed with the idea that the act of writing the words and music itself can be the resolution”
The single is accompanied by a video from producer David Gregory of Cineoteric Films, featuring the band members. Describing the approach he took to the video, David recounts, “Liz explained to us that the song Monsters came to her during a tough time. Composing it happened quickly and organically as it very much helped get her through it. We wanted to explore the idea that art and specifically music is ever-present. As if we’re conduits to the vibrations around us and we’re pulling the lyrics, music and inspirations directly from our surroundings. Sometimes music reveals itself when we truly need it”.
Watch the video for ‘Monsters’:
Cold Waves Divide Us will be released on 8th March, digitally, as well as on CD and a limited pressing of 500 LPs on 180g vinyl (150 black, 350 clear with orange and black splatter). The first 50 physical pre-orders from the Monotreme Records web shop will also receive a limited edition printed A5 booklet with images of handwritten lyrics drafts and drawings from Elizabeth Heaton. Pre-order here:
The award-winning progressive rock band Big Big Train will release their 15th studio album ‘The Likes Of Us’ on 1st March 2024 (InsideOutMusic). The album is the internationally-based group’s first full collection of songs since the unexpected passing of long-serving lead vocalist David Longdon in late 2021. Besides marking the debut of new frontman Alberto Bravin, a former member of the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi, it also heralds the beginning of a new relationship with InsideOutMusic, the group having self-released their music for almost two decades.
Today the band are pleased to reveal a second track taken from the forthcoming album. ‘Miramare’ is an edited version of a song that features in a longer format on ‘The Likes Of Us’. You can watch the video for ‘Miramare’, created by Miles Skarin of Crystal Spotlight, here:
Gregory Spawton comments of the track: “BBT is known for its story songs, and I was keen to find a story which is set in Italy. Alberto lives in Trieste and mentioned the story of Maximilian and Carlotta, which was both a romantic (but doomed) love story and also a tale of the end of empires.
Miramare was their castle home, a castle of dreams, set on the shore just outside Trieste. It turned out to be a grand folly and a place of madness and nightmares. Alberto had written a lovely piece of music and melody to set the words to and so it was simply a process of reading some books on the history and finding the way to tell the story.”
Alberto Bravin adds: “Having grown up in Trieste, and recently returned here after living for some years in London and Milan, the Miramare castle has been a backdrop for most of my life.
Putting the story of Maximilian and Carlotta into music with Greg has been hugely satisfying for me. It was very fulfilling to co-write this song together and create what will hopefully be regarded as a Big Big Train future classic. With all its twists and turns as the story progresses, Miramare should be great to play live as well.”
‘The Likes Of Us’ will be released on several different formats, including for the first time as Dolby Atmos mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord, while the stereo mixes were undertaken by the band’s regular engineer Rob Aubrey together with Alberto Bravin. The Dolby Atmos mix will come as part of the Limited CD & Blu-ray Mediabook edition that also contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo. The album will also be available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP (available in black, sky blue, olive green and orange formats), Standard CD Jewelcase and Digital Album. The stunning artwork was created by the band’s longstanding collaborator Sarah Louise Ewing, with layouts by Steve Vantsis.
Big Big Train will perform for the first ever time in the USA in March 2024, including an appearance on Cruise To The Edge. The full list of shows can be found below:
1st March – Sweetwater Performance Theatre, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2nd March – Rivoli Theater at the Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey
3rd March – Rivoli Theater at the Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey
5th March – Regent Theatre, Arlington (Boston), Massachusetts
8th-13th March – Cruise To The Edge, Miami, Florida
The band have also confirmed two summer 2024 festival appearances at the final Night of the Prog Festival in Germany on 21st July, and Cropredy Festival in the UK on 9th August.
Look out for more dates to be announced soon.
ALBERTO BRAVIN – Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
NICK D’VIRGILIO – Drums, percussion, vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, vocals
“The EP, ‘The Management of Consequences’ is, in some ways, a companion piece to the album ‘Mad & Killing Time,’ in that, it deals with and resolves many of the issues raised in that album. If ‘Mad & Killing Time ‘was a comment on the human condition, ‘The Management of Consequences’ is a more personal examination of the same. Having only three tracks, although the first track is split into 3movements, it is a more compact expression.
The EP is dedicated to SagitariusA*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy which is referenced to throughout the work. The gist being: that the human condition and indeed, any condition, all find terminal irrelevance on a cosmic scale.“
So says the press release for EBB’s latest EP…
When I got an email asking if I’d be interested in reviewing the new EP from the mad but refreshingly brilliant and different EBB, the answer was always going to be a resounding yes! I had nearly missed the previous product of their irreverent genius, ‘Mad & Killing Time’ and didn’t want that to come back and haunt me again. This collective create music that is subtly different from even the most left-field stuff that you will hear, cleverly constructed but with a flippant, iconoclastic, devil-may-care attitude that clearly resonates with their fans and they are gaining more admirers every time they take to the stage at the many festivals they play.
This new EP, dedicated to the cosmos and supermassive black holes, is another brilliant creation and please, if you can, buy the CD with its superb booklet and narrative, I’ll not leave any more spoilers but, trust me, its worth the money and that’s without the music!
What you get here is three tracks that make up just over eighteen minutes of scintillating, dynamic music that definitely has a smile on its face and wears its hat at a jaunty angle. The musicianship is second to none, seventies prog influenced keys, Hammond organ and the like combine with funky psychedelic guitars and a rhythm section born to groove with the best of them, Bootsy Collins eat your heart out, these girls (and guy) have it all!
The three part, in your face, intricate brilliance of Silent Saviour demands your attention like a punch to the solar plexus with it’s almost theatrical drama and musical complexity. And don’t get me started on the vocals, that’s what drew me to this band in the first place, I just love them. Just in case you thought there may be some normality we get what sounds like a sea shanty/folk outro at the end of the track, utterly brilliant! Cost & Consequence takes a more Canterbury scene approach to things but beefed up to the max. If 70’s progressive rock had joined forces with some of the more excessive rock of the time (and maybe some illegal substances) then I’m sure this is what it would have sounded like. It is attention grabbing music but EBB have the necessary chops to back it all up, which they prove time and time again in a live setting. The EP closes way too early with the incendiary Nieu, an in your face, frantic four minutes of pure musical genius. The guitar and keys hit you with an addictive, demented riff and the drums and bass feel hewn from granite, add in the darkly delicious vocals and you have something utterly, and wickedly, addictive. Damn, this is all over way too quick so you just have to go back and press play again!
The incredibly entertaining EBB have returned with another brilliant piece of musical flair, ingenuity and imagination and are cementing their place at the top of an incredibly diverse musical scene that exists today. ‘The Management of Consequences’ is another indicator of what this highly original band are capable of and I, for one, can’t wait to see what comes next, it’s as near to a must buy as you can get!
I can’t recall exactly where I came across Regna, a progressive rock outfit from Barcelona in Spain. However, I do recall that whatever I saw piqued my interest enough to warrant some further investigation with a view to reviewing the album, ‘Cinema’, and hopefully being of assistance in heightening the band’s profile amongst prog fans looking for some good quality material to listen to.
This album was released on the 22nd of December 2023 so narrowly managed to avoid eligibility for my end of year listing. It’s possibly not the best time to release your debut album when the world is on the cusp of Christmas celebrations, no worries though as we here at Progradar are always open to hearing new music like this rather interesting release.
The album has just six tracks, including one epic of some twenty minutes plus duration. The album followed an earlier release of the ‘Meridian’ E.P. that emerged in the summer of 2015 and introduced the world to their somewhat unique style and sound through is four tracks. The E.P. ad a theme of alienation and abandonment, this theme was carried through the four separate movements of the EP.
This new album declares itself to be a musical arch of two hemispheres and, whilst not exactly a concept album, there are recurring themes and common threads, such as fear and loneliness and the need for an emotional shelter. So this is not exactly easy listening as such, rather it is a voyage of discovery for the listener. The album is beautifully presented in a lush and solid digipak sleeve with a thick and well defined booklet containing all the lyrics and the credits for the album, the inner sleeve shows a row of empty cinema seats, hence the album’s title of ‘Cinema’.
The album begins with Opening Credits, an instrumental track performed mainly on Hammond organ, although there are some arpeggio guitar lines and chords played. This leads into Return to… , the first vocal track and one that is sung in English, even if the phrasing is a little different in places. It certainly sets out the band’s stall sound wise, i.e. heavy organ imbued with great melodic guitar lines in parts and latterly synth pieces. This is a very organic sounding album that could have come from earliest days of prog, it sounds that convincing. In fact, I would offer to suggest that Uriah Heep were an influence, aong with Italian prog bands of the time. Spyglass opens with more arpeggio guitar before acoustic chords are played. This song has great dynamics, especially when the organ re-emerges like an old friend, a single guitar notes adding to the tension of the song and to the dynamics. I really like this track as it is very clever and builds well in intensity. With good synth lines dotted over the strong beat, this one is a winner to these ears.
Tangent is next, and is nothing to do with Andy Tillison and his group of the same name, apart from both like complicated time signatures and rhythms, as are on offer here. Strong bass work powers this track along, it’s always good to hear solid bass as very often it can get overlooked next to the guitar and keyboards. Here the bass is keenly felt, inventive and central to all that is going on as it really does provide an anchorage from with the other musicians can truly fly. This track has some excellent rippling piano lines in its latter stages and also a guitar line that echoes the vocals, it really adds to the great dynamics of the track, making it another standout for me. After the short, immersive interlude of Dramatis Personae, the longest track Accolade follows and opens with a very Greenslade vibe and sound to it, although it majors on guitar. The song flows through its sections in a carefree manner, the organ is really gripping and exciting to hear as it storms away in conjunction with some bass parts. This track certainly impresses, especially in the long instrumental section in the middle of the track, an undoubtedly fine musical segment that really showcases all the bands skills and talents, along with their influences before it comes to a close on sustained chords.
‘Cinema’ is a most interesting album of exquisite sounds and textures and a great representation and platform for Regna and the talents of singer Marc Illa, guitarists Alejandro Domínguez and Xavier Martínez, keyboard player Miquel González, bassist Arturo García and drummer Eric Lavado.
Be aware that you will need to listen intently to really appreciate the music but the effort is most definitely worth the investment. Fans of 70’s prog from America, Germany and Italy will find familiarisation threads to follow in the music, highly recommended.
Mark Whiteside seems to have the midas touch in that everything he does musically is utterly fantastic. The man who gave us the wondrous One Sided Horse project, Desks and the incredibly sublime The Opening Song (and who also drums for Evil Blizzard!) returns again, with some pretty impressive guests, to give us his new project Sunday At Six.
The first fruit of this new project is the single It’s Funny How The Time FliesBy and joining this prolific musician is Mickey Dale of Embrace fame who, as well as producing and mastering, plays keyboards, Phillip Vietch from Ship’s Cat supplies soundscape guitars and the legendary Peter Coyle of The Lotus Eaters provides the glorious vocals. Mark humbly tells me that all he does is write the song and play acoustic guitar…
Music, to me, must mean something, there has to be a reason any song is created and not just to get additional plays on Spotify or just to be the most popular song that listeners want to hear on the radio (do people actually listen to the radio any more?). I love music that moves me, takes me to another place and leaves an indelible mark on me and all the music that Mark writes has that effect.
The ethereal keys and spacial guitars just add a beatific air to the music on It’s Funny How The Time FliesBy, it’s music that feeds the soul with its lush soundscapes and Peter Coyle’s vocals are just dreamlike in their delivery and intangible beauty. Mickey Dale’s ability to deliver the perfect sound from the keyboards is uncanny and Phil’s guitars are spine-tingling in their rarefied grace, making the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Mark is like the conductor here, his acoustic guitar elegantly directing proceedings but it is how this all comes together as an exquisite whole that makes it so wonderful.
The song is set for digital release soon and there will be more news about his exciting project in the coming months but, to my ears, this could well be the best thing that Mark has created and, with his monumental back catalogue, that is really saying something!
You can catch Mark playing live as One Side Horse on Saturday, 6th March at The Vault in Hexham, ticket details here:
Peter Coyle is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the The Lotus Eaters‘ album ‘No Sense Of Sin’ and you can see it performed live, in its entirety, at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, ticket link here:
