Progradar

Review – Sanguine Hum – What We Ask Is Where We Begin – The Songs For Days Sessions – by Rob Fisher

Good music is often unexpected. It piques your interest, takes you by surprise and gently lures you, slowly but surely, into the complex twists and intriguing turns of the journey that awaits. Sanguine Hum’s fourth studio album ‘What We Ask Is Where We Begin: The Songs for Days Sessions’ is precisely that kind of unexpected and quite delightful treasure trove of surprises which never fails to fascinate, captivate and enchant, all in equal measure.

What is perhaps striking about this release is not only the rich diversity of styles, textures and sounds which gently emerge across each track but also the enhanced and noticeable clarity of the recording itself. There is, without doubt, an inherent and quite focused understanding of the relationship between playing, recording, producing and presenting music which speaks volumes of the passion and commitment of the band to engaging the listener, on all levels, to the experience they wish to share.

Indeed, getting the mix right is supremely important given the subtle, complex and ever shifting combination of instruments and arrangements. Those familiar with the band’s excellent 2015 release ‘Now We Have Light’ will be well aware of the fluid and highly creative changes throughout each song in the balance and the relationship between the instruments which creates the wonderfully atmospheric feel and sound which has come to characterise their music.

‘What We Ask Is Where We Begin is a veritable’ smorgasbord of textures and compositions where the consistency and the character of the music is built on and maintained by the changing interactions between the musicians. This is not about individual virtuosity (though it is unquestionably evident) and there are none of the archetypal prog solos to dazzle and amaze. This is a virtuosity predicated on togetherness, on weaving musical patterns that emerge from the band having that instinctual understanding of each other’s style, skills and abilities and how these can work together.

The reward is an album which bristles with variety, celebrates the unexpected and leads you down musical pathways which are satisfyingly rewarding. Matt Barber’s keyboards are a fascinating study in how to combine technical discipline with creative adventurousness and, in the process, forms the focal point off which the other instruments play. Joff Winks on acoustic and electric guitars brings a distinctive and smoothly forceful character both to the manner of the playing as well as to the various guitar voices themselves. It is the perfect balance to the sensitively weighted and emotionally endowed vocal stories he weaves.

Brad Waissman brings scale, depth and resonance to the soundscape, his bass lines tight, crisp, never aggressive but always rounding out the sound whilst building playful patterns within it. Andrew Booker’s drumming is thoughtfully expressive, bringing playful intricacy one moment and assured reliability the next, rising and falling as the space in the sound stage warrants. Yet to single each band member out like this is perhaps unfair; they rise and fall, stand forward and fall back in balance with each other and it is this fluid and flexible relationship they share which creates the consistently intelligent music for which Sanguine Hum have become known and earned them recognition in the form of a nomination in the Progressive Music Awards in 2013.

So what is therefore surprising is that although ‘What We Ask Is Where We Begin‘ is, technically speaking, their fourth studio album it is, in reality, actually their very first! ‘Songs for Days’ was originally recorded in 2006 before the band had settled on the name Sanguine Hum and released instead as The Joff Winks Band. The inability to find a record label willing to release the album led to it being available only as a download with the unfortunate result that its public reception was extremely limited.

The choice to release it again now, and in such proximity to ‘Now We Have Light’, is to be applauded. It is intriguing and instructive to observe the lines of continuity between the two, the development of styles and techniques, the recurrence of lyrical themes and ideas as well as the introduction and evolution of novelty into and within the band’s sound.

The care and attention which has been given to the release deserves commendation. Disc 1 contains an extended remaster of the original ‘Songs for Days’ release. Disc 2 contains an impressively wide ranging selection of previously unreleased music, material written specifically for this release, outtakes, remixed singles, B sides, a Steely Dan cover and a host of other fascinating bits and pieces.

As with the original composition, careful thought has clearly been given to why the band feel this is such an important part of the Sanguine Hum archive, what the best way of presenting that feeling is to both established as well as new fans, how to preserve the integrity of the music amidst the production values and what they hope to achieve by finally letting it loose in the public arena once again.

It does pique your interest, it does take you by surprise on so many fronts and it will, ever so gently, lead you down a set of thoroughly enjoyable musical pathways.

Released 29th January 2016

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/what-we-ask-is-where-we-begin-the-songs-for-days-sessions/

Review – Circus Maximus – Havoc – by Sabrina Beever

Circus Maximus is a very apt name when you hear their new album ‘Havoc’. I may be looking at this way to creatively but that’s what music does to you, the Norwegian band create melodic material with maximum strength and force; powerful riffs and intertwining melodic lines that are not always where you expect them to be.

Looking at the idea of a circus, not just somewhere to be scared by clowns but a mastery of your own art form, Circus Maximus have achieved this with a refinement of skill and the songwriting. Each instrument compliments the other superbly. So the maybe, far too in depth, analysis of their name. It isn’t just a name but part of their nature; playing music of great skill and refinement to a maximum level, which was probably never the intention of the band name but remains a cool band name whatever way you look at it.

Circus Maximus have now released their fourth studio album, ‘Havoc’, which has more sophisticated material to offer and is like honey to the ears, especially with Michael Eriksen on vocals. Eriksen possesses an unquestionable tone, clear as crystal with no rough edges, almost a hybrid of Dio and Steve Perry but smoother, whilst still keeping true to their metal style. Circus Maximus have also been described as a progressive metal band which personally wasn’t the style I heard when I first listened to this album.

When you hear the title track Havoc you’re instantly sold on a metal style with deep ambiguous guitar chords making it hard to figure out whether they are major or minor when combined with the punchy rocky bassline. It has the potential to shake the ground with the right speakers. Now for me this doesn’t speak ‘progressive’ when thinking of bands such as Yes and Rush, but then again, they don’t have a similar style to them but rather more hard riffs propelling you forward instead of becoming lost in an ambient soundscape, that’s not the type of progression that Circus Maximus hold.

The progression the band has comes from the technicality of their material. Highest Bitter opens with a single bassline and the vocals. This gives a chance for the bassist to shine for a change and creates a deeper and more unsettling atmosphere. A bass guitar is not usually a melodic instrument but a supporting one, so in just one way they are changing the boundaries.

The mood of the material isn’t always constant which clearly enhances the music more. like in Loved Ones. Commencing with a very ambient and tranquil opening with synth tones progressing into what you are expecting to be an 80’s ballad, one of the slower glam tracks that you might expect Foreigner to play. The band display more melodic expertise in this track with an extended melodic section that, along with the ambient synth sounds, puts you into a dream.

Circus Maximus have created a fantastic album with some surprises when the tone takes a step down from weighty riffs and an unforgiving drum beat. Definitely worth a listen and a band to look out for.

Released 18th March 2016.

Buy ‘Havoc’ from Amazon

Review – Hawkwind – The Machine Stops – by Gary Morley

Hawkwind. Ah, Hawkwind.

They have formed part of my musical DNA. An alien strand possibly, but a strand nevertheless.

I’ve been a technician on Space ship Hawkwind since hearing ‘In Search of Space’ back in time.

Whilst at college, we scoured second hand shops for copies of ‘Space Ritual’, fantasised about getting hold of a copy of ‘Captain Lockheed’, dreamed of seeing them live and snapped up bootleg cassettes at Record Fairs.

Over the years they remained a firm favourite; I bought albums on vinyl, saw them live (‘Chronicle of the Black Sword’ tour and at Reading Festival), upgraded the collection to CD and followed their musical journey as they ploughed their way through space and time.

That journey has now taken a trip into the universe of top 40 albums with ‘The Machine Stops’, based on a 100 year old dystopian fable written by EM Forster.

When you are in the business of the future, 100 year old novellas seem counter intuitive but the concept of humans living isolated from each other, communicating indirectly and having all their needs met by the ubiquitous machine is as relevant today as ever it was.

This relevance has struck a chord with the people that buy Hawkwind. Hard core fans (Hawknerds) have elevated the art of supporting the band to a new level, with communal weekends; events and building on the bands counter culture philosophies to construct their own world. A world that intersects with the “normal” one in the shape and fabric of this album.

And it’s a cracking piece of art. From the disturbing cover (David Lynch does Red Dwarf) you know that this is a serious concept album.

Luckily, the music is able to match the lofty concepts that the story evokes.

If you’ve heard Hawkwind, you know what you’re going to hear. Synths burble, guitars and bass crackle and paint a vivid canvas for the lyrics to tell their story.

The album starts with a great little piece, All Hail The Machine that sets the bleak scene of the machine as benevolent dictator and god, satisfying all the protagonist’s needs. It evokes memories of the classic “sonic attack” piece from ‘Space Ritual’, with its angular narration and call and response coda.

We then rip into a Hugh Lloyd Langton style guitar riff and an up-tempo Hawk rock piece, simply titled The Machine

As with all dystopic tales, the status quo is soon in question, with the bleak reality being unveiled through the next hour.

The machine’s descent into erratic dysfunction and the effects on the people is told through the various tracks, using the entire musical palette that 40 years of invention can bring to bear.

You get post industrial percussive tracks that would give Test Dept a run for their money, those synths painting broad swaths of sound , crunchy guitars to please the Metal heads , energy and attitude to satisfy the punks drawn to the anti establishment myth of Hawkwind.

They also were the forerunners of the Ambient and post rock movements , all of this goes in the mix , the end result is a fine album that sounds stunning, lyrics that were not scribbled on a fag packet and a story worth the effort the band have spent in putting the package together.

The Hawkwind that made this album sits alongside the band that made ‘Levitation’, ‘Astounding Sounds’ and ‘Hawklords’ all of which still sound as good today as they did when first released.

The album is best consumed as a whole, either through a “real” hifi or good headphones. There are some fabulous details in this musical canvas that deserve the benefits of a good set of speakers, notably the gorgeous synth washes and chirrups in Katie, a nice little instrumental interlude that leads into King of The World, which utilises that great Eastern type vibe the Hawkwind developed with ‘Hassan’ / ‘Assassins of Allah’ on their legendary ‘Quark, Strangeness & Charm’ album, mixed with the driving mantra of ‘Psychedelic Warlords’.

I’m referencing old Hawkwind in celebration of this new incarnation. It’s the band’s DNA reproducing itself down through the corridors of time. The echoes of great men departed are all over this album. Calvert, Lemmy, Dik Mik, Simon House, The Late Hugh Lloyd Langton all have helped shape this sound and it is more than the sum of its parts. In my Room shares a melodic opening with ‘Zarozinia from ‘Chronicles of The Black Sword’, another great Hawkwind literary album based on the ‘Elric Chronicles’ written by their long time fan / collaborator, Michael Moorcock.

As you may have picked up on, I’ m a bit of a SF fan and Hawkwind were always the most SF leaning of bands, followed by Blue Oyster Cult in my reckoning.

That post industrial percussive Test Dept feel is heard at the start of Thursday which also features founder and sole original member, Dave “The Captain” Brock steering Spaceship Hawkwind through this mid paced number splashed with artificial beats and hammerings echoing through the golden void.

In conclusion, this album sums up Hawkwind for the uninitiated without alienating the hard core Hawknerd fan. There are, as with all their recent albums, echoes of their past reverberating through the threads, but this adds to the feeling of “belonging” that it encourages.

The band has just completed a well received and visually spectacular UK tour with a stage show based around this album. The reviews have been great, I’m amazed at the love for a 40 year old institution that was always outside the norm and thrived in the space between.

Hawkwind, with this album have stopped being a shared secret cult and become an institution for all the right reasons.

Released 15th April 2016.

Buy ‘The Machine Stops’ from Cherry Red Records/Esoteric

Syndone announce new concept album – ‘Eros & Thanatos’ – featuring Ray Thomas and Steve Hackett

The tireless rock band from Turin have announced a new concept album dedicated to the ‘Song of Songs’, with two great special guests: Steve Hackett and Ray Thomas!

Eros & Thanatos: the “movierock” of Syndone!

“We make a very expressive and quite symphonic music, so that one day I began to define it movierock! “Sometimes it is really comparable with the “film scoring” composition’s style and founds itself on the idea of the concept album not on a more segmented speech of unrelated songs.”

Nik Comoglio is ready for a new season with Syndone and with the highly anticipated new album ‘Eros & Thanatos’, released by Altrock/Fading only two years after the excellent ‘Odysséas’.

Thanks to the success of 2014’s ‘Odysséas’, Syndone strengthened their six-piece line up with a string of well received live performances, combining the rhythmic power, the charisma and the energy of rock with the dynamism, the charm and nobility of classical music.

This time lead singer Riccardo Ruggeri has attemped a re-envisioning of the Song of Songs:

“The human being’s journey through its tensions, passions and emotions is something deeply fascinating to me. When these elements join with Science, Research, the Ethnomusicology, the history of raped territories devasted by religious wars, the cocktail becomes lethal… and hit me. I’ve read the “Song of the Song” for a year collecting materials and information taken from internet and libraries; I forfeited images, absorbed the point of view of Guido Ceronetti, lived my personal life experiences in the meantime… then I let this bag explode on Nik’s music. it was exciting, and it’s still a thrill for me to hear it.”

Skilled in uniting the stylistic continuity with the refinement and the addition of new elements, Eros & Thanatos has something more, as pointed Comoglio:

“The most important difference from Odysseas is now finally you can hear a real band. Thanks to the several gigs we played the line-up has now become so established to give an added value of unity and style to the new work, being more cohesive. Then the string orchestra, which opened a new, more powerful and interesting sound, the Arabic and Hebrew sung, which emphasizes the derivation from the ‘Song of Songs’.”

Syndone:

Nik Comoglio – all keyboards/pipe organ/orchestration

Riccardo Ruggeri – vocal/backing vocals/vocoder/12 string ac.guitar/lyrics

Marta Caldara – vibraphone/piano, mellotron

Gigi Rivetti – piano, hammond, moog, electric piano, clavinet

Maurino Dellacqua – bass/fretless/taurus bass

Martino Malacrida – drums/percussions

Special Guests:

Ray Thomas: flute in L’urlo nelle ossa

Steve Hackett: electric guitar in Cielo di fuoco

Also featuring:

Tony De Gruttola: acoustic guitars

Pino Russo: classic guitar/oud

Puntorec String Orchestra

Conductor: Fabio Gurian

Review – Alex Carpani – So Close. So Far. – by Shawn Dudley

Alex Carpani – So Close, So Far

“Incommunicability increases distances between people, self-alienation increases the isolation of an individual from the rest of the world and technology can enable dramatic consequences to happen. However human beings have the power to avoid all these things by listening to their heart and living their real lives first. “

The above paragraph lays out the thematic concept at the heart of ‘So Close. So Far.’, the fourth album from Italian progressive rock artist Alex Carpani. It’s a topic that seems to inspire a lot of musicians in our social media-fueled world of the 21^st century. A world more connected then ever (So Close), but really a facade, an illusion flickering from millions of handheld devices (So Far). But unlike many albums that broach this topic, the mood flowing throughout these catchy, melodic songs is one of hope.

‘So Close. So Far.’ is a significant departure from the previous album ‘4 Destinies’. Whereas that album was comprised of four epic-length compositions, this time out the focus has been tightened into brief (by progressive rock standards anyway) melodic rockers that should appeal to fans of IQ and mid-period Porcupine Tree.

The album is beautifully produced by Alex Carpani with the mix by Marco Barusso, dynamic and spacious and a real treat for the ears in a time when far too many albums are compressed and abrasively harsh. The performances are uniformly excellent; Alex Carpani (keyboards, programming and vocals), Ettore Salati (guitar), Joe Sal (vocals & additional guitar), Giambattista Giorgi (bass) and Martin Malacrida (drums). The arrangements are tasteful, tightly reined in and tailored to highlight the consistently accessible songs.

The album is overflowing with earworms and several tracks would make excellent singles. Man On Wire gets stuck in my head for hours, it’s a simple driving 4/4 with a killer chorus hook that just latches on and won’t let go. Let My Drop Of Sweat Fall Down is a gorgeous pop song with a huge, lush chorus and Crystal Falls is a Neo-Prog gem that would actually work quite well on a dance floor. The whole album flows together beautifully; it’s a concise 51 minutes that just breezes by.

My favorite song is Stay With Me which has an extended instrumental section in the middle (despite still clocking in at only 4 minutes) that really shows off Carpani’s tasteful layering of disparate keyboard sounds, it’s a lovely combination of synth, organ and piano.

Overall this is a fairly straight-ahead melodic rock album, the ties to “Prog” are more textural, more about the sophistication of the arrangements and quality of musicianship. Personally, I usually tend to lean more toward the experimental, bands that stretch out and improvise. But ‘So Close. So Far.’ is so lovingly conceived, so well written and arranged that it’s a most pleasant exception.

Released 4th March 2016

Buy So Close. So Far. from Amazon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDvGMs8LtBQ

Review – Gandalf’s Fist – The Clockwork Fable – by Progradar

Cogtopolis – The city beneath the surface, no daylight has been seen by the inhabitants in living memory. The Sun: a whisper, a legend.

For two hundred years tales have been passed down from father to son. Tales of mankind’s folly and technical abominations. Tales of the day clouds engulfed the sun.

Tales of the twenty year winter and the slow, agonising death of “The Surface”. But the greatest tale of all was of mankind’s ultimate salvation within the warm, safe, belly of the earth……..

“There is hope in dreams, imagination, and in the courage of those who wish to make those dreams a reality.”
― Jonas Salk

Ambition is something that should be encouraged, lauded even, especially if what it produces is something quite remarkable and unique. However, there is a small proviso, ambition is no good if it isn’t backed up with the necessary skill and intelligence, for what is ambition without intelligence but a bird without wings ( I sort of borrowed that last bit from Walter H. Cottingham but, if you don’t tell him, neither will I…).

When Gandalf’s Fist announced that they were going to release a 3 CD Steampunk Concept album based in a world of their own creation I think quite a few people thought that they’d moved on from ambition into sheer madness and lunacy.

Would ‘The Clockwork Fable’ end up being a huge undertaking that could prove to be their undoing?, when I was sent this behemoth of musical enterprise I approached it with a lot of caution, not knowing what to expect and wondering if my friends had bitten off more than they could chew….

To be fair, three albums, thirty three tracks and over three hours long, it would tax even the most dedicated listener and, for me as a reviewer, would mean a complete sea change in how I would actually review this release. Normally, I do a track-by-track review which generally leads to something quite lengthy.

How would I write about this complex undertaking so as not to leave my readers comatose and in a world of TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read – you can thank David Elliott for that acronym) and yet be able to really encompass the whole musical endeavour and give people a flavour of what it is all about? That conundrum has taxed me for the last couple of weeks while I have spent the time to immerse myself completely in the wonders of Cogtopolis and its many and varied residents.

I think I’ve come up with an answer but, first, some background on Gandalf’s Fist and ‘The Clockwork Fable’

Imagine, if you will, the parallel universe whereby Monty Python were commissioned to write a Doctor Who-style period drama which was subsequently scored by an imaginary supergroup formed by members of Maiden and ELP and you’d get somewhere close to what Gandalf’s Fist have created with “The Clockwork Fable”.

Originally formed in 2005 by Multi-Instrumentalist Dean Marsh and lyricist Luke Severn, Gandalf’s Fist draw on their mutual love for the ‘Golden Era’ of Progressive Rock, The New Wave of British Heavy Metal and even Renaissance Folk to create concept albums that are both nostalgically engaging and experimentally innovative in nature.

Following the addition of drummer Stefan Hepe and bassist Chris Ewen for their last album, the acclaimed ‘Forest of Fey’, ‘The Clockwork Fable’ is their second release as a four piece.

Let’s start with my thoughts about what ‘The Clockwork Fable’ actually is. It is a huge project to get your head around, in no way a mere CD or album, it is progressive rock as musical theatre. Imagine, if you will, the sinister, yet childlike, humour of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ set in steampunk universe that has come straight from the mind of ‘His Dark Materials’ author Philip Pullman and you are still only scratching the surface of this epic labour of love.

It almost feels like it was written for the stage or screen with a darkly humerous script provided by the likes of Neil Gaiman or the recently departed Sir Terry Pratchett and then delivered in a kind of ‘War Of The Worlds’ fashion.

The band’s imagination holds no bounds as they have meticulously created the world of Cogtopolis, its residents going about their daily business in the three huge, interconnecting caverns of this subterranean city, Ardel, Cartoe and Porfan with their unique cultures and denizens.

It is a world that has been conceived down to the minutest detail, hierarchy of the society, religions and even their own ‘alphabet of the underworld’. With Braille and Morse Code among the many strands of knowledge and learning lost amidst theobliterated libraries of the surface, the industrious scholars of Cogtopolis devised Cypheridia. A new, basic way of writing that could be scratched into metal surfaces with ease, or – for the brass-bound worker – etched into the mud of the cavern floor at the very least.

From this detailed and precisely constructed world emerge a cast of characters brought to life by a fantastic cast including Mark Benton, Zach Galligan, Bill Fellows and Alicia Marsh, to name a few. In fact, it was Mark himself who put the effort in to get the majority of the crew together.

Between them they bring the richly envisioned world of Cogtopolis and its inhabitants to life. At its heart, it is a story of the age long struggle between light and the dark. An utterly spellbinding tale brought to life by the fantastic cast of voice actors.

A suppressed populace labouring under a misheld belief that they will never see the light again. My fellow scribe Phil Lively, correctly, pointed out that it is the fight of the heroic northerners against the evil cockneys and Mark Benton’s jolly lamplighter is the first character we encounter. Living a lifetime among the bowels of Cogtopolis, scurrying tirelessly amidst the endless streets of derelict machinery, he has, man and boy, lit every lamp in the city beneath the surface.

It is a tale that we have heard many times before but we never grow tired of and, in this incarnation, you find yourself rapt as the establishment refuse to believe that the sun has returned to the surface, wanting to keep their citizens subjugated.

The Tinker and his assistant Eve are the hero and heroine of the tale, trying to repair the mechanism that will return sunlight to Cogtopolis and hounded by The Primarch and his cronies at every turn.

Woven perfectly between the voice acting is an incredible music backdrop that blends with the storyline to create an amazing musical experience. The talented Arjen Lucassen, Blaze Bayley and Matt Stevens all add their considerable musical weight to ‘The Clockwork Fable’ to create something fantastical.

Melissa Hollick returns for the third album in a row, this time as the singing voice of Eve and you can hear her dulcet tones lighting up Shadowborn with it’s ‘female-fronted metal’ feel. What you have here are accomplished musicians who can turn their skills to virtually any musical style with aplomb. On the three epic Lamplighter tracks (one for each disc) we get proper, intricate progressive rock delivered expertly, each track a musical journey in its own right.

Eve’s Song is a delicate track of ethereal beauty where Melissa gives a delightful vocal performance that just leaves you open mouthed with admiration. The acoustic guitar the is prevalent throughout Victims Of The Light gives it a real feel of Richie Blackmore in his folk mindset before exploding into something from Neal Morse era Spocks Beard.

A particular favourite is the brilliant Ditchwater Daisies, a complex and involving track that enthralls from beginning to end. There is a touch of Pink Floyd to this song, in my opinion, thoughtful and nostalgic. A touch of early Genesis? That will be The Bewildering Conscience Of A Clockwork Child and A Solemn Toast For The Steam Ranger Reborn.

What you do get is the thought that every note is there for a reason, to tell more of this extraordinary tale, none of it is superfluous or gratuitous. The music blends seamlessly with the voice acting to enhance the story and give it added layers of meaning.

The Climb is a song that mixes the intricate with the dreamlike leaving you hanging on every word and note. These guys have the ability to draw you into their tale and making you feel like you belong there and it is the incisive and intelligent songwriting and voice script that is primary in their ability to do this.

I’d been waiting for a bit of a metal track and Fight For The Light gives you that with its symphonic power and tasteful vocals. There is a guitar section in here which could come from an early Maiden album and it just put a huge grin on my face.

The final track that really stood out for me was the title track. The Clockwork Fable is a heartfelt, fervent and wistful song that just grabs at your heartstrings and leaves an indelible impression, just beautiful.

And, well, The Lens, is that a tear in my eye? I’m not saying – Oh Bugger!

So, do the citizens of Cogtopolis escape the dark underworld, do The Tinker and Eve repair the cog mechanism of The Aperture, despite the attentions of The Primarch and his allies, to finally return sunlight to the murky lives that they are forced to live? Don’t ask me, buy the album and find out what happens in this utterly captivating story yourselves.

Gandalf’s Fist have delivered a mesmerising musical masterpiece epic in scope and utterly breathtaking in its delivery. It’s length may deter you from listening but, believe me, you are missing something quite exceptional and utterly marvelous. This is not just piece of music, it is a wholly engrossing experience that will make your life richer for having taken part.

Released 1st May 2016

Get your hands on The Clockwork Fable direct from Gandalf’s Fist

Mothertongue release live video of Perfect Zero – recorded at The Castle Hotel launch gig

Following the succesful launch event for the release of their debut album ‘Unsongs’, Manchester band Mothertongue have released a video of them performing a track from the album – ‘Perfect Zero’ – recorded at the gig at The Castle Hotel in Manchester on the 8th of April. The video was filmed and produced by the band’s drummer John Simm.

‘Unsongs’ is 13 tracks that make up an inspirational, progressive-pop melting pot with touches of punk and ska thrown in for good measure. Along with drummer Simm, the band consists of Louis Smith (guitar, vocals), Mark Wall (guitar), Phil Dixon (guitar), Will Holden (bass) and Andy Malbon (trumpet).

With its incisive, intelligent lyrics and first-class musicianship, ‘Unsongs’ is unlike anything you will have heard in recent years. The music will lead you on a roller-coaster journey of acid jazz inventiveness that’s a big heap of noisy and light and also includes a lot of brass because everyone likes brass, right?

‘Unsongs’ was released through Bad Elephant Music 15th April 2016.

Buy ‘Unsongs’ from the Bad Elephant music store…

Band pictures by Ed Sprake Photography

Check out the rest of Ed’s great photos of the launch event, including support band We Are Kin

Review – Oktopus – Worlds Apart – by Progradar

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

– William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.”
– L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

So, there you have two different schools of thought, good old Bill Shakespeare was basically saying that it doesn’t matter what you CALL something, it is what that something ACTUALLY is that matters (well, that’s the way I interpret it anyway).

Yet the differing opinion is that the name can make a difference to how we interpret something and how we actually react to it. Names that give negative connotations can actually inhibit where names that give a positive vibe can add appeal.

I know what you’re thinking, “What is he waffling on about?”, but this very conundrum came up earlier this year for the band formerly known as Progoctopus. The band’s moniker was seen as being detrimental to their progress as if there was an unwritten law that any band should not have the word ‘prog’ anywhere within its title.

This wasn’t just the general public and listening audience, those that make up the mighty cognoscenti of Progressive music had said it was so.

So, what did the band do? well, here’s a clue…..

So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the reborn Oktopus and the changes didn’t end there either.

Original singer Jane Gillard, who sang on the band’s well received debut (as Progoctopus) EP ‘Transcendence’ left the line-up and, to the surprise of many, was replaced (in an almost Genesis style) by guitarist Alistair Bell, making Oktopus a ‘power trio’ completed by drummer Tim Wilson and bass player Samuel C. Roberts.

The band have married the traditions of progressive music with stellar contemporary musicianship and big production values in performance, song duration or tongue-in-cheek humour.

Look, I’ll be honest here, I’m a big fan and friend of these talented musicians (hell, I even wrote the press release) but, as ever, this will be a very objective review and I won’t let my ties cloud my viewpoint, okay?

Discord (Approach) is like a musical Amuse-bouche for the album, a little bit of music which is served before the rest of the album to stimulate the musical appetite. A slow burning, disturbing appetite stimulator at that too!

Now onto the main feature and the first track released from the album, Eyes Open. A frenetic and intricate opening of carefully choreographed disharmony between guitar, bass and Tim’s manic drumming paves the way for some tasty, punk infused, jazz-funk. The staccato riffs and stylish bass provide a counterpoint for Alistair’s actually rather impressive vocals, this lad can sing and sing well. The driving force behind the punchy music is the ever present drumming of Tim Wilson who has some metronomic skill behind the kit. There is an upbeat, tongue-in-cheek feel that runs throughout, especially on the rising chorus that becomes a real ear worm. Never a track to rest on its laurels though, the elaborate jazz/prog fusion section is quite an involved trip for your ears and mind and adds some cerebral gravitas, a great start to the album.

Title track Worlds Apart is a full-on jazz infused prog-fest from start to finish. Here the musicians get to show off their not inconsiderable prowess and you get flashes of Alistair’s Aeon Zen persona with his skilful guitar playing (albeit utterly jazzed up rather than ‘heavy metalled’). Stylish jazz lounge drumming from Tim (light cymbal tapping ahoy!) and some silky smooth bass from Samuel all add to the feeling of panache, the vocals having a touch of the laconic and ironic Ben Folds. Busy and energetic, this song takes you on an enjoyable series of twists and turns that leaves you with no idea of where you’ve been or where you are and not caring anyway. A labyrinthine guitar solo leaves a smile on your face as this jazz/prog fusion special closes out.

The Adventures of Jerry Troutmonto (Part 1) is a humour filled three minute instrumental homage to a (possibly) fictional character. A musical smorgasbord of wilful guitar wankery, frenzied drumming and maniacal bass playing. Alistair is having a field day with his fiery licks and unabashed noodling and his partners in crime give him the canvas to perform on.

Haru, a mid-album break of oriental pipes and mysticism. Just over one minute where you can step off the world and take a break in its peaceful and ethereal atmosphere and come away emotionally cleansed before taking on all comers once more.

The Hand On Your Shoulder begins with real laid back and chilled vibe, gentle guitar and vocals being the artist’s utensils. But this is Oktopus so the calm and collected doesn’t last for long and we set off on another convoluted journey, this one with a decidedly darker shade of fun and games. The vocals have a more serious tone and the whole song has a much more grown-up and sober atmosphere. Shut the door and leave the kids outside, this is where it gets deadpan and no prisoners are taken. I like the contrast between the light and the dark that this track invokes, it’s clever and no-nonsense.

So the final part of this thirty four minutes of musical mayhem and japery, Minotaur, begins with another slice of the funktastic, restless prog/punk/jazz fusion as the guitar slaps you in the face with some pin sharp riffing, the drums do what the hell they like (as usual) and the bass tries to restore some semblance of order. Alistair gives another excellent vocal delivery, he has some lungs on him this lad, and you are sucked into a thoroughly enjoyable vortex of tomfoolery and horseplay from which you emerge laughing hysterically and with your eyes not quite focused. However, if you look below the thin veneer of humour, merriment and gaiety, you will find three musicians who really know their stuff and this prowess is on display for all to experience on the dextrous and inventive instrumental section running throughout the middle section of the track. The last part of the song is all about the ‘power’ in power-trio as the guitar hits you with some seriously heavy riffing, the drums mount a final attack and Sam’s bass acts as the conductor and hold on for the little surprise in the last sixty seconds or so….

So, what’s changed with the moniker? Perhaps a more mature and concise feel to the reckless abandon and boisterous energy? Alistair steps up to his vocal duties with aplomb and these three musicians deliver an exciting, high strung and irascible thirty four minutes of near perfect jazz-infused prog that leaves you asking, “What happened to the rest of the album?”, it’s that good!

Released 1st April 2016.

Buy ‘Worlds Apart’ from bandcamp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUw3wv9_KBg

Review – SDANG! – La malinconia delle fate – by Progradar

“If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.”

‒Ludwig Wittgenstein

Music, we think, transcends mere language. A song sung in a tongue not our own can still mean as much whether you understand the words or not, in fact it can add something to the enjoyment due to the mystery of its meaning.

However, when it comes to instrumental music, it is all written in the same language….or is it?

I’m not saying that I’m a complete expert but I do like a lot of instrumental music and, to my ears, you can sometimes tell where the artists call home. Maybe it’s just a knack or maybe there is something to be said for each country or region having its own signature iconic sound?

Well, as soon as I heard the first notes of SDANG!’s second release (and first full-length offering) ‘La malinconia delle fate’ I had this high energy duo pegged as Italian and found that I was subsequently, correct in my assumption.

What gave the game away? The irrepressible, slightly madcap and frenetic playing by these two accomplished musicians resonated with me in a way I had felt before, usually when delivered by Italian musicians.

‘La malinconia delle fate’ is a record full of dreamy atmospheres, explosive dynamics and a concentrated energy that defies easy classification. It is a happy island of memories and hopes and of things getting hectic and yet, is full of sentimental complicity.

Nicola Panteghini (guitars) and Alessandro Pedretti (drums) are musicians who were involved in the national music scene for a long time. Sharing many thoughts and a common love of music, they have returned to the musical background of their youth: grunge, heavy metal, stoner rock, prog, post rock and math rock.

Working on their own original compositions, they released the debut EP ‘Il giorno delle altalene’ in April 2014 and, from October 2015, have been working with Marco Franzoni (Bluefemme Studio) on the much anticipated follow up.

It is not a question of gender, label, fashion or style, it is a matter of sensations, feelings and emotions. SDANG! want to tell stories through their music.

‘La malinconia delle fate’ is thirty-six minutes of intense instrumental music that demands your attention throughout. The extended soundscape that these musicians create is quite remarkable considering that there are only two of them.

Delving into the six tracks, opener Primo Giorno Di Scuola has a subdued opening, lulling you into a false sense of security before the atmosphere builds and then these two musicians create a cacophonic wall of noise that just blows you backwards. Edgy, funky and full of angst, you ride along on wave of chaotic good humour, not caring where you will end up next. Alessandro’s drumming has an intensity that almost gives it a life of its own and Nicola seems to be able to sound like a whole band or one calming influence, seemingly at will. Full of laid back lulls and energetic turbulent highs, it is a instrumental thrill ride of immense proportions. Get your breath back and have a rest for a while as the elegant opening tones of Martina take over the narrative in your mind. Once again, these stylish refrains are brutally cast aside by the interjections of a monstrous wall of sound created by the crushing riffs of Nicola’s guitar and the colossal drum beat that Alessandro creates. The lovely, peaceful sections have a wistful note to them, calm and collected, a complete juxtapose to the deranged power that this duo can unleash and it is an addictive interplay.

Stevie Ray Vaughan met Eddie Van Halen and they recruited John Bonham on the kit, that’s the immediate thought that goes through my mind at the start of Astronomica with its 70’s blues-infused riffing and thunderous drumming. A real wild musical ride of prodigious proportions that is brought bang up to date by the spaced out, psychedelic interludes that are dropped in throughout. A real mind-bending track that takes you up some blind alleys before laughing in your face and buggering off to leave you utterly bemused at your predicament. Scrivimi Una Lettera Tra 9 Anni begins with low key staccato riff, edgy, tense and nervous that leaves you on the edge of your seat. It then opens up into a real bluesy early Led Zeppelin influenced piece of music where the booming guitars and thunderous drums create a massive musical mosaic before seamlessly transforming into something that could have come from the mind of Steve Vai or Joe Satriani. A musical journey through differing sonic landscapes with edgy riffs, extended guitar runs and frenetic drumming that takes no prisoners yet offers a deeply involving musical experience.

Buckle up, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal. To my ears, 100 Metri Al Traguardo is a shameless homage to the guitar greats. Vai and Satriani would be happily tapping their feet to the hard rock riffs while simultaneously reaching for the copyright infringement rule book. I jest really, this is a fun filled, no holds barred jaunt that powers along at a fair lick. There is a segue into a sombre, unhurried section that seems to be slightly at odds with the convivial feel of before but it eventually comes together in your mind and makes for a rather impressive track as it plays out. So we come to the close of the album and all too soon a ending it is too. The final, and title, track La Malinconia Delle Fate begins in an unhurried, pensive manner before someone lights the blue touch paper and Nicola’s guitar signals the off with a hard-edged and repetitive riff, ably backed by the blur of Alessandro’s drum sticks as they thrash the skins. There is a skittish, agitated feel to the music, interrupted by the occasional calm moments of candour and clarity. Its is the forceful and dynamic parts of the song that really grab you and demand your compliance that stand out for me though. A driving force of nature that brooks no argument and lays waste to all before it before its inexorable advance. As this compelling piece of music comes to a close it is the imposing power of this commanding duo that is left burnt into your psyche.

An aurally stimulating release that will impress all who hear it, ‘La malinconia delle fate’ is stimulating, thought provoking and, well, just damn good fun. You will struggle to hear a better thirty-six minutes of purely instrumental music this year.

On 2nd May 2016 “La Malinconia delle Fate” LP will be released by following labels: Acid Cosmonaut, La Fornace Dischi, Dreaminggorilla, Taxi Driver Records and Totem Schwan.

iamthemorning confirmed for the BE PROG! MY FRIEND festival in Barcelona

BE PROG! MY FRIEND FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE FINAL BAND IAMTHEMORNING

CO-HEADLINERS STEVEN WILSON & OPETH

MAGMA, BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN, THE PINEAPPLE THIEF, TEXTURES, OBSIDIAN KINGDOM, EXXASENS

1ST – 2ND JULY

Barcelona based festival Be Prog! My Friend have announced the final band for this year’s line-up. Russian progressive duo Iamthemorning who released their new album ‘Lighthouse’ earlier this month will join the likes of co-headliners Steven Wilson and Opeth as well as Magma, The Pineapple Thief, Between The Buried and Me and many more. Vocalist Marjana Semkina comments:

‘It’s a great pleasure for us to join the amazing line up of Be Prog! My Friend this year – such a lovely surprise at the very last moment. It’s a great pleasure, but also a great challenge. We’ll be playing the chamber set with our string duo (cello and violin) and some percussion, and you can’t get more different from other bands on the festival. So, we’ll see how the audience responds to such a huge contrast and our almost classical sound. It will be our first appearance in Spain and first big prog festival – wow, so many things for the first time. Very exciting.’

Since its inception in 2014 the Barcelona based festival Be Prog! My Friend has played host to the likes of Anathema, Devin Townsend, TesseracT, Camel, Meshuggah, Katatonia, Riverside, Isahn and Alcest.

Taking place in the beautiful open air surroundings of Poble Espanyol, the site is one of the most important landmarks of tourism in Barcelona. By day the Catalonian hotspot is an architectural museum and on the first weekend of July it will play host to some of the world’s finest progressive bands.

Sponsored by Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine, 2016 will see Be Prog! My Friend co-headlined by Steven Wilson and fellow progressive heavy weights Opeth.

Friday 1^st July Is a free entry show only for those who have purchased tickets for the Saturday. This will also now take place at Poble Espanyol having been moved from the Sala Apolo concert hall to meet demand. The line-up features Steven Wilson’s label mates The Pineapple Thief who will be joined by the highly rated Icelandic band Agent Fresco and Barcelona’s very own Obsidian Kingdom and Exxasens as well as the newly added iamthemorning.

The line-up so far:

Friday 1^st July, Poble Espanyol:

The Pineapple Thief, iamthemorning, Agent Fresco, Obsidian Kingdom, Exxasens

Saturday 2^nd July, Poble Espanyol:

Steven Wilson, Opeth, Magma, Between The Buried & Me, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Textures

Tickets priced at 90 Euros are available here:

http://ticketmaster.es/es/entradas-musica/be-prog-my-friend/6279/

http://www.beprogmyfriend.com/

facebook.com/beprogmyfriend

Be Prog! My Friend takes place in the heart of Barcelona and with an airport only 12km away, regular, cheap flights make it an easy festival to get and from the UK. Bands will start playing from mid/late afternoon each day which will also mean visitors have plenty of time to explore the stunning city of Barcelona while they are there.

http://www.barcelonaturisme.com

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