Ms Amy Birks announces new single Brothers from her sophomore solo album In Our Souls available digitally today, with physical album release on June 17th. 

ALBUM LAUNCH: Jubilee Hall in Stoke  – June 18th TICKET LINK

Award-winning vocalist and songwriter Ms Amy Birks is thrilled to announce the second single BROTHERS, taken from her forthcoming self-produced sophomore solo album IN OUR SOULS. The video was premiered by PROG MAGAZINE today – LINK

In Our Souls is available digitally today, and for fans of vinyl and CD, it can be pre-ordered in a limited edition of 500 copies that is due for release June 17th 2022 and combines a 140g black vinyl pressing in a gatefold sleeve with a compact disc.

Brothers is accompanied by an official video and is without-doubt the most personal track on the album, Amy explains; “I have two estranged brothers and those tumultuous relationships have been the subject, or at least the undercurrent of many a song. For whatever reason, we have never seen eye to eye, hence the opening words of ‘I don’t understand why. Do you? Do you know why?’ and the build-up of aggression through the instrumentation. This, I suppose, is my therapy.”

For In Our Souls, out of the twelve tracks on the album, Birks, a long-standing fan of the Bronte sisters, sets the words of three Bronte poems to music. Birks furthered her knowledge of the sisters and their personal musical leanings through several trips to Howarth and the Bronte’s parsonage prior to selecting poems that would provide inspiration for the album. 

“I did English literature at college,” Birks said in this issue of PROG MAGAZINE “and I’ve always had a fascination with the Brontes, I thought, ‘Well, Kate Bush has done Wuthering Heights so I’m not going to touch the novels, but what about the poetry?’ So I went through them and landed on three that I loved, one from each sister.”

The first single and title track of the album (released Feb 2022) draws on Charlotte Bronte’s poem In Our Souls, A Death Scene was inspired by a work by Emily Bronte, while The Dream comes from Anne Bronte. 

“Anne was into vocal music,” Birks explains, ‘so I kept The Dream more like a singer-songwriter piece. Emily was quite passionate and dark, she was into Beethoven and Liszt, so I pushed the piano to the forefront on that, I found their words went very well with the sort of melodies I write.” 

Amy, lead singer and lyricist of Beatrix Players, is  joined on the album by Helena Dove and Tom Manning , two   co-writers from the original line-up of that award-winning band.  Manning also composed and played all the guitar parts on the album. Amy is once again accompanied by flautist John Hackett while introducing violinist Frank Van Essen and cellist Clare O’Connell to what is a virtuosic line-up.

The In Our Souls album represents Birks’ second time around as a producer and mixing engineer. She recalls the process as being “a time of solitude, of many a late night, exploring ideas and losing myself in the books and     poetry of the Bronte’s and my own personal journey over the past few years, developing my ears, skills and confidence as a composer.

My first record, All That I Am & All That I Was, was very much about deeply personal experiences but with this album I wanted to extract more strength and feeling from the musical palette and have more fun with it, which has enabled me to step back a little from the lyrics and put more faith in my ability to write not only songs but pieces of music.”

UK TOUR DATES 

APRIL 24th – (TRIO) – ROBIN 2, BILSTON

MAY 8th – THE 1865 – SOUTHAMPTON

JUNE 11th – (TRIO) – LONDON MUSIC MUSEUM – OPENING FOR TIM BOWNESS

JUNE 18th – (FULL BAND) ALBUM LAUNCH – JUBILEE HALL @ STOKE TOWN HALL TICKETS

JULY 2nd – (TRIO) – STRETHAM HOUSE CONCERTS, ELY

JULY 19th – (TRIO) – GREEN NOTE, LONDON – TICKETS

OCTOBER 21st – (DUO) – FORUM, DARLINGTON  (OPENING FOR THE JOHN HACKETT BAND)

A new era of EVERGREY: A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) is dark melodic metal mastery!

Gothenburg’s finest export of darkness, EVERGREY, enters an astonishing new chapter in the band’s history with their thirteenth studio album and Napalm Records debut, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament), to be released on May 20, 2022. This overwhelming journey through progressive heaviness and searing emotionality is repeatedly accented by sonic melancholy and gripping lyrics – leaving the listener speechless and re-cementing the Swedish five-piece at the top of the scene without a shadow of a doubt!

Celebrating over 25 years of metal mastery, EVERGREY, led by founder, singer and guitarist Tom S. Englund, are known for wandering the realms of progressive and heavy melodic metal and painting sonic renderings with their twelve studio records released as of today. Now, the follow-up to the unit’s highly successful 2021 full-length, Escape of the Phoenix (which landed at numerous chart positions worldwide), reveals a 10 track mélange of which every note, every riff and every word seeps pure poetry – creating a ceaseless intensity that mesmerizes from the very first second. 

A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) impresses with flawless, meticulous production that deftly depicts both heartfelt honesty and scorching metallic intensity, while its instrumental force of furious, technically driven riffs, skyrocketing solos and dramatic synths merges with the expert, brooding vocal performance of Englund – one of the most distinctive vocalists in metal. He skillfully balances harsh and heavy tones with an inarguably soulful approach, all topped by melancholic, thought-provoking lyricism that digs deeper with every spin, leaving a long-lasting impact. Pounding opener “Save Us” reflects everything the album stands for, as it kicks in immediately with stunning guitar work and unveils a chorus sure to top the annals of EVERGREY history!

To spice things up even more, EVERGREY invited their fans to join them on this special track and recorded hundreds of voices that ended up on the final result. Songs like “Midwinter Calls”, which also contains fan participation with atmospheric audience recordings from the band’s latest tour through Sweden, and “The Great Unwashed” draw the listener in with grooving, glistering instrumentation, flowing between boisterous dynamics and a next level vocal performance, while emotive “Wildfires” turns the volume down as a goosebump-worthy ballad that hurts and heals all at once. “Call Out The Dark” begins atmospherically with accented keys, suddenly evolving into an intense opus of symphonic and power metal attributes in the blink of an eye, whereas the record’s longest track, “The Orphean Testament”, impresses by revealing its heaviest facet. A sensitive introduction lures the listener into “Heartless”, and offers one of the album’s most engaging verses, followed by a hauntingly beautiful chorus and variety in pace to create a magnificent listening experience.

A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) is a striking testament to the fact that while the Swedish five-piece doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone at this phase, they still impressively showcase that, after over 25 years of existence, their creativity sees no bounds – dropping yet another sensation within their impressive catalog!

Pre-order the album here ahead of a 20th May, 2022 release date:

Evergrey – A Heartless Portrait (The Orphéan Testament) (lnk.to)

Tim Bowness celebrates 40 years of making music with new solo album ‘Butterfly Mind’; first single ‘Always The Stranger’ out now 

Coming 40 years after he first started performing in bands in his native North West of England, Tim Bowness returns in 2022 with his seventh solo album ‘Butterfly Mind’, due for release on the 17th June 2022. Produced in conjunction with long-time collaborator Brian Hulse, and mixed & mastered by Steven Wilson, this new album is his most surprising release yet. 

Watch the video for the album’s first single ‘Always The Stranger’, created by Crystal Spotlight here:

This track features the brilliant rhythm section of Richard Jupp (in his first major session since leaving Elbow) & Nick Beggs, as well as featuring haunting backing vocals from Martha Goddard of The Hushtones. Tim comments: “The title of the song derives from the name of my first ever 1980s solo project. Despite being pretty experimental – I was a very intense teenager! – and only existing on home-produced demo cassettes, ATS got a lot of very welcome support from local media (BBC GMR, Piccadilly Radio, Manchester Evening News and Warrington Guardian, in particular). In some ways, the lyric is something of a ‘what might have been’ or even ‘what may be’ scenario. It’s about what can happen when you don’t embrace change or challenge and creative restlessness gives way to cynical stasis.”

Butterfly Mind will be available as a Limited 2CD Edition (incl. alternative mixes and outtakes), as well as a Limited Edition 180g LP+CD featuring a striking die-cut artwork by Carl Glover. Burning Shed have an exclusive green vinyl edition, and you can pre-order now here: https://timbowness.lnk.to/ButterflyMind

To celebrate the release of the new album, Tim will play some select UK live dates, including an instore + Q&A at Rough Trade East in London. 

10.06.2022 – Prohibition, Liverpool, UK 

11.06.2022 – The Musical Museum, Brentford, London, UK

18.06.2022 – Rough Trade East, London, UK

Tim’s seventh solo album – his sixth for InsideOutMusic / Sony – features the rhythm section of Richard Jupp (ex-Elbow) and Nick Beggs alongside a spectacular guest list including Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Dave Formula (Magazine), Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator), Martha Goddard (The Hushtones), Gregory Spawton (Big Big Train), Mark Tranmer (The Montgolfier Brothers / GNAC), Saro Cosentino (Franco Battiato), Italian Jazz musician Nicola Alesini, US singer Devon Dunaway (Ganga), Stephen W Tayler (Kate Bush) and, marking his first studio work with Tim for nearly three decades, former No-Man violinist Ben Coleman. 

James LaBrie announces new album ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’

Launches first single “Devil In Drag”

James LaBrie, known internationally as the vocalist for progressive metal icons Dream Theater, embarks on uncharted waters with his fourth solo album, titled ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’, out 20th May 2022. Today sees the launch of the album’s first single and opening track, “Devil In Drag”, and you can watch the Wayne Joyner-produced video here: 

The new endeavor sees him traverse personal maturation, loss, a myriad of complex relationships, and most importantly – LaBrie’s burning passion for music. On paper, the latest studio offering from the Canadian singer first took shape shortly after the global pandemic began to emerge. But in reality, LaBrie formed a bond with his fellow collaborator, bassist Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse), nearly a decade earlier. 

The two first met in 2011, when James would lend his voice to a feature for Logue’s band, UK melodic metal outfit Eden’s Curse, on the song “No Holy Man”. As years went by the two remained in touch, occasionally kicking the tires on the idea of working together on another project. But when Dream Theater performed in Glasgow during the late winter of 2020, LaBrie and Logue would run into each other at the airport – once again asking the question. But this time, armed with the knowledge that a drastic change in the world was all but imminent, LaBrie made the decision to set things in motion.

On the album, Logue plays acoustic rhythm guitar (both six & twelve string) and acoustic bass, while guitarist Marco Sfogli, who’s contributed on all of LaBrie’s solo albums since 2005’s ‘Elements of Persuasion’, handled the leads and solos. Logue recruited Eden’s Curse keyboardist Christian Pulkkinen to lend his playing on the record, while the suggestion to recruit James’s son Chance to play drums would also come from Paul. ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’, as LaBrie describes it, was a title that only came to him once he identified the record’s two core themes throughout its track list. “A lot of these lyrics are dealing with the beauty of human beings, and a lot are dealing with the grey areas of the in between. You’re not exactly happy, but you’re not exactly sad, either.”

The record starts off (and ends) with the track “Devil In Drag”, which emerges as a wall of synthesizers and acoustic strumming before exploding into a full-blown ensemble. LaBrie expresses that the song was written about “someone who started out as a decent human being, but along the way lost touch with their roots – overtime becoming self-serving, narcissistic and devoid of principles or values.” Going on to say, “’Devil In Drag’ is written from the perspective of someone who’s known them all their life and, seeing them now, asking ‘what happened?’”

‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’ will be released as a Limited CD Digipak, 180g LP + CD & as Digital Album, with artwork by Thomas Ewerhard. Pre-order now here: https://jameslabrie.lnk.to/BeautifulShadeOfGrey

The full track-listing is as follows:

1.     Devil In Drag

2.    SuperNova Girl

3.     Give And Take

4.     Sunset Ruin

5.     Hit Me Like A Brick

6.     Wildflower

7.     Conscience Calling

8.     What I Missed

9.    Am I Right

10.  Ramble On

11.  Devil In Drag (Electric Version)

Look out for more information in the coming months!

Review – Kenny Bissett – The Balancing Act

Kenny Bissett is an artist, producer, and songwriter in San Antonio, Texas. He is currently the vocalist for the San Antonio Progressive Rock band, Built for the Future. For his solo work, Kenny writes, arranges, and produces each song, and plays guitars, bass, and synthesizers. Kenny also creates and programs drum tracks for his songs. ‘The Balancing Act’ is an album inspired by the idea that we each need to determine what we should keep in our lives, and what we should drop from our lives. Balance.

Sometimes you just want to listen to music that is unpretentious and does exactly what it says on the tin (so to speak). Kenny’s music fits that purview perfectly, the energetic and dynamic guitar and well balanced drum tracks drive the songs on, the bass and synths given a structured framework for everything to work in and his vocals are powerful and compelling.

While on tracks like opener Radiate and Holding Pieces there is a definite Rush comparison (which, by the way, is no bad thing!), the general vibe of the album is less heavy than the Canadian power trio’s signature sound. It’s more akin to Geddy Lee’s oft forgotten wonderful solo album, 2000’s ‘My Favourite Headache’ and this can be heard on the elegant Wake Up with its laid back, urbane feel and the gossamer thin delight of Life and Time, a properly refined and cultured piece of music that shows the intelligence of the musician at its core.

We venture into retro pop-punk with the funky, upbeat edginess of Human Nature, a really vibrant song that gets stuck in your head and even 80’s dark-synth pop with the wonderful pastiche of Imposter Syndrome. This album keeps throwing up surprises at every turn and keeps putting a smile on your face, take the wistful dreamy nostalgia of Lost and Found, a really cool song that never outstays its welcome.

The harder edge returns with the jangling guitars of Balancing Act, there’s almost a stadium rock feel to its expansive soundscape and it brings to mind Gary Numan at the height of his powers to me. Now to my favourite track on this impressive release, Alive is one of those excellent, slow burning songs that builds with layers of potent and forceful energy. The heavy riffing and pulsing rhythm mesmerising and hypnotic, it’s a really anthemic piece of music that just gets under your skin. The album closes with the chiming guitars and reflective musings of Brief Mortal, a song that is almost spiritual in atmosphere and delivery, a suitable introspective end to a very clever record.

Kenny Bissett has delivered a very impressive solo release indeed. Thoughtful and reflective songwriting, combined with some rather impressive musicianship has given us one of the surprise releases of the year and one that deserves a much wider audience!

Released February 2nd, 2022.

Order from bandcamp here:

The Balancing Act | Kenny Bissett (bandcamp.com)

Review – Tiger Moth Tales – A Song of Spring

Much loved multi-instrumental progressive musician Peter Jones returns with his best known project, Tiger Moth Tales, to deliver his much anticipated brand new album ‘A Song of Spring’.

Peter, who is also keyboard player with Camel and Francis Dunnery’s It Bites tells us: “I’m cautiously excited about this album. Ha-ha. I think I’ve taken some interesting decisions (musically speaking), and the stories which inspired the writing process meant there was a lot to work with. I think this is a return to TMT form, which I hope the ‘mothingtons’ will enjoy.

Even as far back as the writing stages of ‘Cocoon’, I already had the idea in mind to do the Four Seasons thing, which started off with ‘The Depths of Winter’ in 2017. A fair few things have happened since then, to say the least.”

He adds: “I have a few albums in my head that I want to complete someday, but the time felt right to continue the Seasons saga. As with ‘The Depths of Winter’, I wanted to touch on both the lighter and darker sides, so it’s not all about the joys of spring. There’s some fairly grim stuff there to get your teeth in to.

It was a real pleasure to work with John and Elizabeth Holden on this album. I can normally come up with a few good tunes, but lyrics can sometimes be illusive. So it was wonderful to have some collaboration on some of these new songs. Tracks such as Rapa Nui and Light have some fantastic lyrics in there. It was also amazing to get a contribution from the one and only Andy Latimer on the latter track. I’m very pleased with it all and I can’t wait to see what people think of it.”

A new Tiger Moth Tales release is always a joyous occasion and this new album is no change. Peter Jones is a consummate musician and performer and has that knack of knowing how to write a catchy tune that just clicks. Take opening track Spring Fever another jaunty track that just oozes joy and the feel of the seasons changing, lighter mornings, hazy sunshine and a massive feeling of goodwill. Pete’s sax playing is just phenomenal and adds an added layer of class and a feel of 80’s jazz to proceedings. Forester, with its penny whistle, sees Peter take us back to his earlier works and that impish, at one with nature, fairytale brilliance that only Tiger Moth Tales can imbue. Don’t be fooled though, there is a bit of the dark forest shadows about this song too, very clever songwriting.

Dance Till Death definitely shows Peter’s darker side being, as it is, his take on Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring‘, which is based on about arcane rituals that revere the advent of spring in which a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances herself to death. There’s not much light and joy in that as a subject is there? This song, however, is beautifully constructed, hypnotic and mesmeric, almost like a musical opiate. Deliciously dark and yet strangely euphoric in places, it really does stand out on an album full of superb tracks. John Holden wrote the lyrics to the Hindu Festival Of Light based Holi and it is a short but dynamic piece totally infused with that far eastern feel. The stunning, ethereal brilliance of The Goddess And The Green Man is another short piece, this time with the lyrics contributed by Holden’s wife, Elizabeth. Wistfully elegant piano and acoustic guitar contribute to one of the most endearing tunes you will hear.

Peter Jones’ can always inject a whimsical, humorous tune into his works and, on ‘A Song of Spring’, it’s the brilliant, tongue in cheek, capriciousness of Mad March Hare. These kinds of songs from Peter never fail to make me smile and the jolly sax and playful vocals help to deliver another moment of delight. It might just be me but, when the intro to Rapa Nui starts, I immediately think Led Zeppelin! Just me then? The staccato riff and energetic drums and bass combine to give a real hard rock rhythm to another John Holden penned track lyrically. Jones is on top form vocally and delivers a fantastically dextrous performance on what could be considered the most progressive track on the album and one that weaves its tale quite superbly.

Final track Light is about coping with the death of a partner and recovering, with the notion that the new season and curative powers of Spring will bring a sense of healing and of being thankful for the end of darkness and the end of Winter. Written by John and Elizabeth in conjunction with Peter, this song is utterly gorgeous, thoughtful and, ultimately, uplifting, bringing the album to a close with a stunning guitar solo from Andy Latimer.

Actually, to be truthful, it isn’t the final song as there is a bonus, hidden, track that starts about a minute after Light. A funky, heavily jazz infused, instrumental, Maytime could stand on its own as a really, really good piece of music but, tagged on at the end of the album as it is, it just seems a bit out of place to me!

‘A Song of Spring’ sees Peter Jones’ Tiger Moth Tales return with a triumphant collection of songs that touch on love, loss and everything in between but, ultimately this sublime album heralds the return of spring and celebrates the love of life itself.

Released 4th March, 2022.

Order from White Knight Records here:

Tiger Moth Tales – A Song Of Spring (whiteknightshop2.co.uk)

Review – Bjørn Riis – Everything to Everyone

Airbag co-founder, songwriter and lead guitarist, Bjørn Riis is ready with a new studio album titled ‘Everything to Everyone’, his fourth full length solo record. Six epic new songs, clocking in at 50 minutes. 

In addition to Bjørn Riis on vocals, guitars and a wide variety of instruments, the album features Henrik Bergan Fossum (Airbag), Kristian Hultgren (Wobbler), Simen Valldal Johannessen (Oak), Ole Michael Bjørndal (Caligonaut), Mimmi Tamba, Per Øydir, Vegard Kleftås Sleipnes and Anders Møller.

‘Everything to Everyone’ deals with the toll that continuously having to meet the expectations of others takes on ones emotions, heightened by the fear of losing oneself in the effort to do so.

I’ve never hidden the fact that I am a huge fan of Bjørn’s wild and almost desolate soundscapes that tell of unspeakable beauty and the power of the vast landscapes of his homeland. While I also really like the music of Airbag, it is his solo work that I feel really shows us the true Bjørn Riis and his albums are most definitely some of the best that I own.

‘Everything to Everyone’ is, without doubt, this fantastic musician’s best piece of work yet. His immediately recognisable guitar is signature across the whole record, from the power and dynamism of the intro to opener Run, through the bewitching beauty of The Siren (one of the best songs you will hear this year) and all the way to the final track on the album, the triumphant title track Everything to Everyone. It’s not just the guitar that stands out though, it is the enchanting and enthralling songwriting throughout which, along with the standout collection of guests, makes this a release that really stands out.

Brooding, thoughtful and yet graced with a pared back elegance, this is music for the thinking man or woman. When Bjørn wants to cut loose then his prowess on the guitar is ultimately evident, he can make the instrument sing and, to my ears, is one of the foremost guitar players alive today. There is a gloriously emotive side to this man too and you hear it on the wistful, melancholic, wonder of Lay Me Down with its heartfelt, and heartbreaking vocals. The mesmerising languid guitar is superbly intense, as you would expect.

Every Second Every Hour has a calm and contemplative feel to it, nostalgic and beautifully compelling and Descending is soothingly hypnotic and dreamlike, a track that, as it begins, seems to exist in a place of serene tranquility. A harder edged middle section of the song threatens to disrupt the harmony before it closes on a sanguine note.

The stand out track on an album of superlatives is the spellbinding The Siren, As Bjørn explains:

“Musically the song derives its inspiration from the more mellow side of Roger Waters, Richard Hawley and Tim Bowness, and is told from the perspective of someone observing a dancer. Lyrically it depicts how one can be easily misled by temptation and hurt by the need for approval.“

It is just ethereally seductive and the guitar is utterly entrancing, almost painfully so, such a brilliant expression of the musical art.

Every good thing has to come to an end and the title track, Everything to Everyone, is another piece of inspired songwriting and delivery, it builds superbly to a heart-wrenching climax and, once again, the vocals lift this song above the mere mortal and Bjørn’s soulful guitar playing is just the icing on the cake.

Music can make a world that seems to be falling into monochrome light up and be revitalised with blazes of colour and vitality and this wondrous new album from musical maestro Bjørn Riis brings all that and more. Power, soul and grace are infused throughout its six tracks and combine to make it one of the outstanding releases of 2022 so far.

Released 8th April, 2022.

Order from Burning Shed here:

Everything To Everyone (burningshed.com)

Review – If Not If – ‘Sunshine Everywhere’ and ‘Forgiveness’

If Not If is the artist name for multi-instrumentalist and producer Graeme Ginsberg. “Rules defined by their possibilities, possibilities defined by their rules”.

With foundations in classic rock, prog rock and jazz-rock fusion, Ginsberg draws on diverse genres to produce exciting music that is as familiar as it is unusual. His approach to composition is that nothing should be out of bounds.

As a guitarist, Ginsberg’s playing style is distinctive and personal. He cites Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, Frank Zappa, Adrian Belew, John Scofield, Robert Fripp and Carl Verheyen as having had the biggest impact on his approach. Meanwhile, he is an obsessive synth sound developer and designer. He uses a mix of MIDI guitar and keyboards when playing synths, to realise the widest range of dynamics.

Graeme released two EP’s at the end of 2021 and said this about the pieces;

“These EPs, which were produced in parallel and released at the same time, form a kind of diptych – what would have been a short album comprising two complete 15-minute progressive pieces if such a format had been available in distribution options. 

Each EP contains a complete progressive piece, made up of distinctive sections that are separated into different tracks — the pieces were written as whole pieces with tracks segueing, but the tracks help the listener move from distinctive part to distinctive part, and also the tracks can be enjoyed as self-contained in their own right (although, being full progressive pieces, best context inevitably comes as whole).”

One of the great things about music is that it can take you out of your comfort zone and down a road less travelled. Well, the music of If Not If is a road that you would only travel in a fever dream! At first dissonant and chaotic, I really found these two E.P.s a struggle to get into.

From an email conversation I had with Graeme, these were his thoughts on ‘Sunshine Everywhere’;

“Immediately compelling, the music is as familiar as it is unusual, building from a hypnotic, harmonised textural spoken word development and moving through a variety of contrasting moods and genres, primarily progressive rock, fusion, electronic, cinematic, new wave, post-rock, experimental and world rhythms.”

He encouraged me to persevere with the music and I am so glad that I did because, once you allow yourself to open to the music and immerse yourself in it, it starts to tell you a story in your mind. Now this story will probably not be the same for any of us but I found ‘Sunshine Everywhere’ became fascinating and making more sense with each further listen. Dark, dystopian and almost mischievously stygian in places and then, at times, the metaphorical sun would come out from behind an obfuscating cloud and lighten up the whole piece with an impish impudence. This E.P. reminds me of some of the work of King Crimson and VdGG, almost impenetrable for the man in the street but, for those prepared to step into the unknown, the rewards are there to be found.

Written in four parts, yet you need to listen to the whole E.P. in once listen as each part is a sum of the whole and does not stand easily alone. This unique sound is actually quite refreshing after the diet of relatively audience friendly music I have been fed recently and it almost resets the brain to what music can actually be.

“Written and produced between March 2020 and September 2021 as a response to the confinement during, and subsequent release from, the Covid lockdowns, ‘Forgiveness’ is, by turns, provocative, electrifying and cathartic, the piece moves through diverse genres, primarily progressive rock, electronic indie, art rock, cinematic, post-rock, experimental, jazz fusion and world rhythms.”

Graeme’s words on the second E.P. tell of a more relaxed piece of work than ‘Sunshine Everywhere’, less discordant and turbulent and that is the case in most ways. However there is still that note of anarchism in the music and an anti authoritarian vibe running throughout.

After repeated listens I came to feel that this E.P. could lend itself as theme music to an obscure early 1970’s sc-fi film or a seriously warped version of 1960’s TV favourite ‘The Prisoner’, it has that eery but knowing feel to it where, to most people, the notes just don’t make sense but when you get it, it’s a eureka moment.

The deep, thoughtful intelligence of this music comes through as you let it infuse your mind, almost like a raw, otherworldly, out of body experience, it really isn’t for everybody but once you’ve experienced it and it rhymes with your soul and your mind, you are hooked.

So, to sum up, if you like to challenge yourself and you are prepared to move out of your comfort zone when it comes to your listening pleasure, you really ought to let If Not If into your life. It may not be for you but, if we didn’t challenge ourselves and expand our horizons, we’d still be lighting fires with sticks and living in the stone age!

‘Sunshine Everywhere’ released 26th November, 2021.

Order here:

Sunshine Everywhere | If Not If (bandcamp.com)

‘Forgiveness’ released 3rd December, 2021.

Order here:

Forgiveness | If Not If (bandcamp.com)

Review – Omega Point – A Great Escape

Omega Point is the brain-child of bassist Matthew Cohen (Magenta, The Reasoning, Ghost Community) who not only brought the other musicians together but also produced the album. On lead vocals is John Paul Vaughan (Ghost Community) bringing a depth of emotion rarely heard on a debut, whilst the guitars and keyboards of Paul Davies (Karnataka / Panic Room) and Rob Wilsher (Multi Story) compete for the listeners’ attention with their virtuosity. Underpinning the album and its complexities is Vinden Wylde (The Reasoning) on drums. Together they have made a very accomplished and atmospheric progressive album for the discerning rock fan.

Matt Cohen tells us, “This was truly a record created with passion, drive and steely determination in the face of much adversity recently experienced by so many. It’s not a concept album, but there is a strong theme running through all of the songs and it definitely tells a story about looking at beauty from a very different perspective. It’s been a real labour of love for the band”

‘A Great Escape’ is a powerful statement in more ways than one, apart from the delicate brevity of opener Hourglass, the album is chock full of power chords, thunderous drums, dynamic keyboards and compelling vocals, all held together by the metronomic brilliance of Matt’s bass playing. A prog-rock album with more emphasis on the ‘rock’ than the ‘prog’ then? I definitely think so.

You can feel the influence of the past history of the band members throughout this great selection of songs, Fall of Empires and Darkest Son are grounded on the superb guitar playing of Paul Davies and John Paul Vaughan’s enigmatic vocals. Add in the excellent virtuosity of Vinden Wylde’s authoritative drums and the guiding light of Matt’s bass and we are on to something special, Rob Wilsher’s dextrous keys being the icing on the cake. Dynamic and dominant in delivery and intent, they stride confidently across the musical landscape.

A Great Escape is moody and magnificent, everything a ten minute plus track should be. There is a brooding disquiet to the track at the start and John’s vocals have a deliciously Delphian feel to them. It’s a true monster of a song with an intense feel to the keyboards and rhythm section and one that carries a thoughtful edge to it throughout.

Thank You brings a weighty dynamism to the album, a slow burning, extended opening of coruscating keyboards and guitar focusing your attention before the elegant vocals begin, soulful and reflective. Matt’s bass is in full flow on this great song as it opens up and becomes edgy and forceful, a piece of music that ebbs and flows as it weaves its magic and tells its story. The album closes with Shells, possible the most earnest track on the album, passionate and heartfelt but with a definite edge to it, the guitar riff is one with determination and direction. There is a 90’s stadium rock feel to the song, expansive and all-embracing.

Matt Cohen has brought together a stellar group of musicians and, in Omega Point, created a powerful musical statement, close-knit and cohesive. ‘A Great Escape’ is another fantastic addition to the ranks of accomplished new releases we have already been lucky enough to hear in 2022 and can proudly hold its head high along with the best of them. Let’s hope this is just the start of things to come!

Released 4th February, 2022.

Order from Rok Music here:

Omega Point – ROK Music Sales (therokshop.co.uk)

Review – Moon Halo – Together Again

Moon Halo’s 2nd album ‘Together Again’ is set for release on 14th March. The 70 minute/13 track album has been almost 2 years in the making and has been put together by the same creative team that released debut CHROMA in 2020: Iain Jennings (Mostly Autumn) keyboards, Marc Atkinson (Riversea) vocals, Dave Clements (Riversea) bass, Martin Ledger (Heather Findlay Band) guitars, Alex Cromarty (ex- Mostly Autumn/Riversea) drums and Anne-Marie Helder (Panic Room) additional vocals.

As most of you will know, I have always been a big fan of the vocal talents of Marc Atkinson, be it with Riversea, his own solo releases or the first Moon Halo album. He has one of those distinctive voices that I just love and, when combined with the array of musical talent that constitutes the make up of Moon Halo, you just know you are in for something rather special.

Well, on ‘Together Again’, I think they have hit the motherlode, so to speak. This is, in my opinion, the best thing that Marc has ever been involved in and just a wonderful release. Iain Jennings’ keyboard skills are consummate, Alex Cromarty and Dave Clements combine to deliver a rhythm section of the highest quality and Martin Ledger is on fire with his guitar.

All of this would be a moot point if the songwriting wasn’t up to scratch and, thankfully, on this album, it is properly top drawer. Opener Light In The World gives a really upbeat start to the album, Together Again is a really funky track where the keyboards have an excellent vibe to them, a properly grin inducing piece of music. Embrace This Life is anthemic, moody and brilliant and makes it obvious, only three tracks in, that the band have delivered something special.

While the album may have been created by musicians with a progressive rock background, it isn’t what you’d necessarily call a prog album, it is just a great album where the music does the talking, led by Marc’s velvety smooth vocals. That’s not to say that there isn’t seriousness to the music, take If This Is All There Is, a sombre, almost melancholy tale that is delivered perfectly. We’ve Still Got Time, an ultimately uplifting track that tells us that we shouldn’t give up and one that just bleeds wistful serenity. Wasteland is a powerful statement underpinned by the excellent keyboards once again.

There’s a calm reassurance from the music that Moon Halo create, they are storytellers of great skill and class and musicians of no little skill, combine this and you get tracks like Reconnected, emotive and passionate and ultimately consoling. Fancy a bit of 80’s soul? About Me And You has that brilliant piano note and wah-wah guitar that takes you back, it’s just a superb track and one of my favourites on the album, Marc once again proving he has the voice for any genre and Martin given free rein on a superb guitar solo. The genuine, thoughtful feel of Stories To Tell backs yet another elegant and impressive track and there’s a fluid grace to the funky, soul infused delight of Back To Normality.

It Was You has a childlike innocence and Sandman Is Waiting a darker, more deliciously chaotic note. The album closes with the bluesy Life Goes On, an inspiring song that wears its heart on its sleeve and has an overarching deep south Americana soulful feel to it and is a perfect way to finish the album.

Moon Halo have returned with an album full of impressive, heartfelt songs that just leave a smile on your face. It is one of the best releases I’ve heard this year so far and one that the band should all be rightfully proud off. Hesitate no more, just go and buy it!

Released 14th March 2022

Order direct from the band here:

Moon Halo (moonhalomusic.co.uk)