Tag: Progradar

Review – Tribe3 – s/t – by John Wenlock-Smith

Tribe3 are a progressive rock band who hail from Bridgend in South Wales, there must be something in the water down there as the area is awash with prog groups emerging this year with Last Flight To Pluto and The Mighty Ra both hailing from a similar geographical location to Bridgend.

This self-titled album consists of six tracks in all and lasts for about fifty minutes so, yes, its mostly longer tracks, with The Downfall of The Birdwatcher being the shortest at at just over six minutes. The music the band make is actually rather good and has elements of Rush and Yes, although I also detected hints of 80’s prog groups like Marillion, IQ, Arena or Pendragon. It’s certainly an interesting mix of both influences and styles, obviously bands are influenced by earlier artists and that influence is going to appear somewhere so these traits are unexpected really, but it is good to hear that the band are trying to create their own style here, and are mostly successfully at that.

The album opener is Invictus and is the albums second longest track. This sets out their stall rather well, starting with Mellotron voicings and sounds, mostly choral in tone, all very epic and stately really before morphing into something different where an intricate guitar motif is played by Chris Jones. Invictus refers to being unconquerable or undefeated in Latin and the song is about that feeling and not allowing life to beat you. It’s all about resilience in the face of what life throws at you really, a maxim that we can all adopt in these challenging days in which we live. The song has more than a nod to 80’s era Rush, especially with the Bass pedals moving the track along. Fear Is The Key is about how the world is controlled by a shadowy few who wield control over governments and power brokers, all whilst running to their their own agenda, they control by using fear to get their goals actioned. This is possibly a flawed idea, but the song has credibility in its music even if you don’t agree with its lyrics, it certainly makes you think, hopefully it does at least. The Downfall of The Birdwatcher is next and this shorter track lists the names of many common birds that a twitcher would seek to see for himself. In this instance our hero falls afoul of the law when his actions are reported to the Police and, when his actions are deemed innocent and he is cautioned and released, the offended party take matters into their own hands and damages his perch so that gravity will bring about his downfall, a cautionary tale perhaps.

Lament follows is hinged on delicate piano lines and a very Alan Holdsworth legato style guitar line that runs throughout the track. I really like this one as the build of the track is good and satisfying to hear, as is the excellent guitar break that plays out against the piano motif, it really catches the ear well. This song is definitely one of the albums strongest pieces, it is also the albums longest. Towards the end the piano refrain returns in a style very reminiscent of Marillion and this really impresses. Calm Before The Storm opens with a busy bass solo, all open notes and runs and you can definitely sense the Geddy Lee influence and inspiration here. This then has chiming guitar chords and syncopation akin to Rush and their epic soundscape. The song is a mournful view of modern earth and how everything green is disappearing to be replaced with greyness and dullness. It speaks of how nature will fight back by washing it all away, global warming, the rising seas and their encroaching will address the years of harm nature has suffered at the hands of man. A warning for us all possibly? The final track of the album is Dawntreader, a song about people who work away from home, usually at night, dockworkers, miners and the like who eagerly await the dawn in order that they can return home once again. This has a excellent and emotional refrain of “Stay With Me, You’re In My Heart…”. It is very laden with emotion and expression and is a slow burn interspersed with synths and strong effective guitar work on which this excellent album concludes.

It may have come to fruition after a few years of lockdowns and altered lives but with this album Tribe3 have taken an impressive and accomplished step forward into a new world. I eagerly await their next steps, meanwhile this album will no doubt continue to impress as will their upwards progression.

Released 13th October, 2023.

Order direct from the band here:

CD ‘Tribe3’ | Tribe3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAccoPBh_U0

Review – Cyan – Pictures From The Other Side – by John Wenlock-Smith

This November sees the release of the second instalment of the Cyan story. If you recall, this project saw the resurrection of an album and concepts from the very earliest years in Robert Reed’s musical journey and development where Rob and his school friends made an album that was actually released in the 1990’s on a small dutch label that allowed further parts to be released. Although Rob felt that these releases fell somewhat short of how he saw the album should have been envisioned.

To this end, when Rob decided to update the concept afresh with a more competent and rewritten version, he enlisted the talents of Peter Jones, Luke Machin and Dan Nelson, with Rob himself handling the keyboards and other things like production. ‘Pictures From The Other Side’ continues that journey and, again, the original source material benefits both from a 2023 production and also the reimagining and experience that has been gained the last 30 years.

The album has just six tracks, including the epic Nosferatu, opening with an extremely strong and compelling opening track, Broken Man, which allows Peter Jones to sing and channel his inner Gabriel. The track begins with what sounds remarkably like Uilleann pipes but is probably more likely to be Peter’s whistles or something similar, this is accompanied with a soaring guitar line from Luke Machin that takes the track forward in style. The song has great backing vocals from Angharad Brinn ( who featured on the Kompendium album from 2013) and also benefits from the athletic and agile bass playing of Dan Nelson, who is all across this track, adding solid and expressive support. When Machin’s guitar lets fly it really warms the heart to hear this marvellous collective really making an impact and allowing the song to really flow. The vocals are very much like Peter Gabriel and, again, this really makes a strong and favourable impression, in conjunction with Angharad Brinn, this all sounds really strong and enticing, especially when you factor in the fabulous music that Cyan offer as a unit. It is very imaginative, well nuanced and textured with an expansive sound and simply excellent musicianship from all parties involved, a stunning opener all told. Title track Pictures From The Other Side opens with gentle piano lines before the band join in and a jazzy saxophone plays in tandem with the vocals. The song sings of stories from the other side of life, although what that actually means is a little abstract and unclear. It is another excellent song though, relatively short but with a strong keyboard part in the mid section and some classy saxophone lines before a sweeping Luke Machin guitar line plays out over Rob’s keyboards. This has great dynamics to it, an ethereal vocal from Angharad taking centre stage as the song moves forward. There are some fabulous guitar parts within this song and, again, it really makes an impact. The track ends on a syncopated jazzy section with guitar, keyboards and sax all playing their parts to perfection, another winner!

Solitary Angel is a more restrained piece really although, again, it builds well in its intensity and does allow room for more of Luke Machin’s flights of fingers and notes to occur. That takes the track to greater heights, Machin really lives up to his growing recognition and skills here. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this young man grow, not just in his confidence, but also in his abilities, to become the valued player that he is. This understated song has real class and adds a testament to the strengths that the group possess and display so well. The wistful and poignant Follow The Flow is a bewitching and beguiling piece of music that focuses on the twin strengths of Peter’s vocal and Rob’s piano playing to deliver just shy of four minutes of musical wonder. Once again Angharad’s beautiful, touching voice adds to what is a marvellous musical brief encounter. Tomorrow’s Here Today starts with an acoustic guitar alongside a fine vocal from Peter Jones and ethereal vocals from Angharad Brinn, who really add to this slow burn of a track as their voices blend really well and expressively. Deep keyboards are employed to add to the atmosphere and the dynamics as a synth solo is performed by Rob and, as Luke Machin joins in the fun, the song gathers pace and urgency and becomes a platform for swapping solos before returning to the previous mood. I really like this track and its use of dynamics to convey its points.

The final song of the album, Nosferatu, is also the longest at just shy of eighteen minutes in duration. Nosferatu is a reference to vampirism like Dracula but with its roots further back to Roman times in Transylvania and that region of the world. It’s all very Gothic and removed from Whitby and the Dracula legend of today. This has a gothic horror element to it but it is all done with a degree of reverence and respect. The elongated running time gives room for the track to breathe, expand and explore the themes more fully and this means lots of spaces for Robs expressive keyboards, Luke’s fiery guitar and Dan’s solid bass and gives them all the ability to have room to breathe, Angharad Brinn especially gets the opportunity to shine here. There is a definite strident section that really works well before the song returns to a more gentle feel part and then Luke’s defining guitar break takes the listener on a flight of wonder, the closing moments are especially strong with real pace and urgency to them as Peter ushers in the morning sun to dispel the vampires. This is a class ending to what is a very accomplished album of strong material.

In a year that has seen some excellent releases this one can easily be added as one of the year better ones. A real treat and one that most definitely warrants inspection and deserves being heard by as many as possible as it contains much very fine music and strong performances from Cyan. 

Here’s to the next part of the story!

Released 17th November, 2023.

Order the album here:

https://tigermothhosting.co.uk/CYANCD2023/

Steve Hackett celebrates over 50 years of music with his new conceptual studio album ‘The Circus and the Nightwhale’

Legendary rock guitarist Steve Hackett will release his new studio album ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ on 16th February 2024, via InsideOut Music. A rite-of-passage concept album with a young character called Travla at the centre of it, ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’s’ 13 tracks have an autobiographical angle for the musician who says about his 30th solo release: “I love this album. It says the things I’ve been wanting to say for a very long time.”

‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ is Steve’s first new music in over two years. It follows the beautiful acoustic LP ‘Under A Mediterranean Sky’ from January 2021 – which rose to No 2 in the UK Classical chart – and, in September of that year, his metallic masterpiece Surrender Of Silence, which hit the UK Top 40. His 2023 live album, ‘Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton’, reached No 2 in the Rock & Metal Chart.  Steve’s new LP promises ballads, blues, blistering progressive rock… and healthy measures of theatre and fantasia.

Recorded between tours in 2022 and 2023 at Siren studio in the UK – with guest parts beamed in from Sweden, Austria, the US, Azerbaijan and Denmark, the line-up for ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ includes some familiar faces alongside Steve on electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass and vocals. Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums) and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D’Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as guests on the drumstool, engineer extraordinaire Benedict Fenner appears on keyboards and Malik Mansurov is back with the tar. Finally, Steve’s brother John Hackett is present once more on flute.

The new album will be available to pre-order from the 1st December 2023 on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray mediabook (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. People Of The Smoke

2. These Passing Clouds

3. Taking You Down

4. Found And Lost

5. Enter The Ring

6. Get Me Out!

7. Ghost Moon and Living Love

8. Circo Inferno

9. Breakout

10. All At Sea

11. Into The Nightwhale 

12. Wherever You Are

13. White Dove

Summing up ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’, Steve says: “It’s a lovely journey that starts dirty, scratchy and smoky and becomes heavenly and divine. How can you resist it?”

Steve is currently on tour in North America, continuing his ‘Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights’ run. Next year he will tour the world extensively, including a brand-new UK tour under the name ‘Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo’, and that will see him return to the legendary Royal Albert Hall. For the full list of dates, head to: http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html

OPETH RELEASE PREVIOUSLY LOST VIDEO FOR ‘WINDOWPANE’

VINYL REISSUE OF ‘DAMNATION’ OUT ON 15TH DECEMBER (MUSIC FOR NATIONS)

To mark the 20th anniversary of Opeth’s ground-breaking 2003 album ‘Damnation’, a special vinyl re-issue was recently announced, which has been meticulously crafted to pay homage to a pivotal and trailblazing moment in the band’s illustrious history. Originally recorded in the serenity of Åkerfelt’s native Sweden, with additional production from Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, the album acclaimed by fans and critics alike has since received a re-mix and master in 2015, pressed to vinyl on a double LP together with the dichotomous ‘Deliverance’.

Now just a month away from its release, Music For Nations have re-discovered the long lost video for the single ‘Windowpane’. Originally released in 2003, the Fredrik Odefjärd directed video has been digitally processed from the archival tape for 2023.

Watch the video now:

Released on 15th December (Music For Nations) this marks the first time exclusive and deluxe vinyl pressings have been given to ‘Damnation’. A record that represents a paradigm shift in the band’s approach to composition, seeing them side-line their metal roots from the forefront of their arsenal. Instead replacing it with an additional insight into ambience, atmospherics, and progressive rock, this together with Åkerfeldt’s signature lyricality and musicianship creates a unique record of ethereal beauty and longing, and one which remains top of mind for many Opeth fans.

The 20th Anniversary versions sees the 2015 re-mix and remaster pressed to standard black vinyl, as well as being available on deluxe and limited colour finishes, and for the very first time available on an exclusive picture disc that highlights and reflects the album’s ethereal and bleak visual world.

Pre-order now: https://opeth.lnk.to/Damnation20

Speaking on the release, the band’s lead vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt comments,

“Hello folks! Our old “partners in crime” Music For Nations are planning a 20th-anniversary re-release of one of our odd records, this time ”Damnation”. We want our records available on vinyl at all times, and it turns out we can’t keep stock! Our vinyl editions are flying out. I’ve seen it with my own eyes when I helped out in a record shop during the pandemic. Some customers didn’t know they’re buying it from one of the people responsible for the music. Of course I went: ”Good record, good band!”. So before there’s any moaning about ”another reissue, another cash grab” I want to stress out that it really comes down to public demand. We’ll present Steven Wilson’s updated mix (first available in 2015 or thereabouts) on limited edition opaque and transparent vinyl as well as on a picture disc, which I believe is the first time ever.

 ”Damnation” is a special record, even if they’re all special to me. I remember hearing the first mix on headphones in a crummy hotel somewhere in the UK. I had trouble believing it was us, myself, Peter, Lopez, Mendez (as well as ol’ Steve on keys). It was completely different from anything we’d done up to that point, and quite frankly, since. Out of all of our records, I think this one is most suitable for the vinyl format due to the fact that it is not really cluttered with stuff. A pretty airy recording with 5 musicians and done on 2 inch tapes as well. It’s a record I’m immensely proud over and it also remains a fan-favourite I believe.

Commenting further Steven Wilson adds “At the time I remember getting death threats from metal fans for “ruining” the band!  As if it could be anyone’s intention but Mikael’s to do a record like that anyway.  Damnation was when everyone understood that he was not going be trapped within the confines of any genre or label, and that the band’s importance and influence would be far reaching.  Rightly so Damnation is now seen as a timeless masterpiece, and I’m very proud to have had my part in making it.”

TRACKLISTING

Side A

1 – Windowpane

2 – In My Time Of Need

3 – Death Whispered A Lullaby

Side B

1 – Closure

2 – Hope Leaves

3 – To Rid The Disease

4 – Ending Credits

5 – Weakness

Opeth – Damnation;

Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals and lead guitar

Peter Lindgren – rhythm guitar

Martin Méndez – bass guitar

Martin Lopez – drums

Review – John Wetton – An Extraordinary Life – by John Wenlock-Smith

John Kenneth Wetton left us too soon, much too soon sadly, he never had the opportunity to grow old disgracefully or to see his grandchildren, leaving us on the 31st of January 2017 in what was a dreadful year for the passing of legends, with legendary musicians like Tom Petty, Gregg Allman and Alan Holdsworth also passing the same year. John, however, did leave us many years of his artistry and songwriting craft with many recordings to treasure and enjoy from his work with bands like Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, U.K., Wishbone Ash, Asia, Wetton/Downes and Icon, in between which he found time to carve out his own lower key solo career, during which period he made the albums this set covers.

This new boxset gathers together all of his six solo Albums from 1979 to 2016, a sixty-four page book and two discs of unreleased tracks or hard to find demo’s. This set concentrates on John’s solo work so, whilst it has a slew of contributors, you won’t find any songs from either his Icon or Asia years. What you do get is a comprehensive trawl through John’s imaginative and artfully crafted music and his strong songwriting and playing. Further sets are a possibility, although quite what form that would take is very much a case of wait and see.

The set begins with ‘Caught In The Crossfire’ from 1980 and is followed by ‘Battle Lines’ from 1994, ‘Arkangel’ from 1997, ‘Sinister’ from 2000, ‘Rock Of Faith’ from 2003 and ‘Raised In Captivity’ from 2011! The set also has 2 discs of unreleased tracks, mainly demos or alternative mixes and takes. So, although there is a lot for your money, as always the music is very mixed in styles and approaches and not everything may be to your tastes. There are progressive parts for sure, but its focus is on John’s compositional skills and how that translates into his songs.

Many folks may feel that his best work was in conjunction with various partners who helped him hit better heights, there is certainly nothing in here that moves in the same orbit of success that Heat Of The Moment or Don’t Cry did, for example. But it definitely must be said that John definitely sprinkled his magic over the recordings he made over the years and this set clearly shows that skill here. I would imagine that most folks know a little of John’s history and hopefully of his music too, making individual reviews of the albums superfluous really, instead, I will concentrate on the more obscure unreleased music in the main. John was certainly prolific in his writing, especially when you consider that he spent a large proportion of his life merely surviving his addictions and keeping his demons at bay.

He scaled the peaks and trawled the depths of addiction but still managed to be incredibly creative in his own right, he was a true professional musician who didn’t let his drinking affect his performance. His life is documented in part in the recent autobiography published after his death, in which his exploits are recounted. I’ve not read it myself but did hear Ken Hensley talk about how important John’s compositional talents were whilst making Uriah Heep’s ‘High And Mighty’ album, lots of his fellow bandmates speak positively about John’s talent and skills.

The two bonus discs contain thirty-nine tracks in total, mostly demos or sketches of ideas that never reached fruition somehow. It’s an eclectic mix of material from the atmospheric instrumental of AD2023 to the more AOR stylings of Raven. The memorable Walking On Air with its accapella opening dissolves into a more traditional form of songwriting, mostly acoustic but with great keyboard support to  flesh out the sound convincingly. The ballad Straight From The Heart is a good song that plays to John’s strengths, especially his baritone voice that floats gracefully over the track. This could have been a good Asia song, it certainly fits the mould well enough. A fine take on Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower is a fine interpretation of a classic song, with Wetton’s clear vocal impressing greatly. Deya 1986 is, I believe, an instrumental written about his son Dylan. Again, this moody piece is good listening. Tears Of Rage would have made a good track for Icon, with its striking violin playing making a real mark.

Marianne is another power ballad that Wetton could write in his sleep, all earnest vocals and surges of restrained power chords hitting the mark. As the song builds in its intensity, its pacing is possibly too slow and would be improved with a more strident march or beat. Healer Of Shattered Hearts is another mid-tempo, atmospheric, track with a strong chorus that is most impressive. I’d Give It All For You opens with church organ (an arena that John knew well) and strong vocals, again this is very earnest and emotionally compellingly performed, making another fine track. Wings Of An Angel (Intro) leads into a track of the same name, another strong atmospheric emotional piece. All For One is another Asia style track with excellent vocals and a strong middle section. From a Distant Heart is an emotion laden tearjerker ballad of the sort that John did so many of, and did so well, giving a good vehicle for his spectacular voice. For me, Real World somehow doesn’t really work for me with its sampled voices of John Lennon and Ringo Starr. Far better is The Greatest Show On Earth with its great power chords, guitar solo and keyboard backing, this is an epic track. Adagietto is another quieter song, again very choral in tone, an atmospheric instrumental that’s very religious and the sort of thing you expect to hear in a mass. The Water Is Wide is a somewhat subdued folk type song, again this has definite religious overtones. I’m not sure if John had any religious convictions but he was a choir boy when young and grew up with a church background, so it seems something stuck there.

The second disc is also interesting, nineteen tracks on this one. It opens with Raised In Captivity which is a searching song asking questions of his growing up, it has a very 1980’s sound with a particularly effective drum beat throughout. The Other Guy (Second Best) is another unrequited love song/power ballad and would have been another good Asia track. I Will is another punchy track and, again, very 80’s sounding but a very memorable track. Bad Thing is another AOR type track with a good vocal and catchy chorus. Boys Of The Diamond City follows and is another AOR stomper with 80’s drums, a great vocal from John and a strong chorus. This would have made a great single for John or even Asia. Flesh and Blood is a further AOR number with a very 1980’s rock style production, think of John’s performances on ‘Phenomena II: Dream Runner’ for a comparison. Again, it’s good single material, maybe John should have released this after he left Asia first time around, with Geffen’s involvement he maybe could have had a higher profile solo career. It’s an absolute corker of a song, as is the next track Burn Your Name In My Heart, which would have been another contender for that imaginary unrealised Geffen album. Sex/Power/AndMoney could also be on that album, a very strong track. In fact this second disc of tracks could really be that unfulfilled album, as its all there in the first ten tracks, including a duet with an unnamed female vocalist that sounds really sweet.

So what I’m hearing here is the unrealised and unreleased John Wetton Geffen era album from the mid 1980’s which gives these songs a sense of direction and focus. After this we have several songs from the ‘Over The Top’ soundtrack that John both wrote for and sang on. The remaining tracks are in a similar vein, mid tempo AOR tracks, including Halfway To Heaven, another song for a soundtrack album. There are other gems scattered throughout the set but, for me, Disc 2 of the unreleased stuff really makes the set worthwhile and worthy of purchase.

So in all this is a really interesting set but possibly not for the casual listener, more for the fervent followers.

Released 24th November, 2023.

Order from Cherry Red here:

John Wetton: An Extraordinary Life, 8CD 12”x12” Box Set – Cherry Red Records

Caligula’s Horse announce new album Charcoal Grace, out on January 26th, 2024 via InsideOutMusic; reveal video for first new single Golem and US/Canada tour dates

Australian progressive metal outfit Caligula’s Horse are back! The four-piece from Brisbane is ringing in a new chapter with a new single and video release for Golem and album announcement for Charcoal Grace, which is set for release in January 2024 via InsideOutMusic.

Pre-Order Charcoal Grace here: 

Charcoal Grace (lnk.to)

Golem is the first taste of the new album and gives a glimpse of the thematical depth of Charcoal Grace. The band says about the new single:

“Golem is about how we all struggled with the weight of expectation through the pandemic. We felt that weight acutely as musicians, being trapped with no notion of when, or even if, we would return to the life we knew, all while feeling the pressure to create our next work rising. While that’s our specific experience, the themes of Golem are something we can all relate to. It’s a heavy song with an emphasis on riffs and driving rhythms.”

Watch the video for Golem here: 

Stream Golem on your favorite DSPs here:

Caligula’s Horse – Golem (lnk.to)

Charcoal Grace is the 6th studio album of the band, and it combines raw rock power with immense emotional depth. Charcoal Grace is borne of the static hopelessness that the pandemic forced upon the band and, indeed, much of the world, these past few years. It is an album reckoning with the experiences and outcomes of this time geared, ultimately, towards catharsis – moving towards a more hopeful future.

The title Charcoal Grace is described by the band as “the grim allure and strange beauty in stillness, silence, and loss”.  This can be heard through the album’s 10-minute opening track “The World Breathes With Me,” a mission statement for the album’s main themes. Musically, it’s a work of contrasts, moving from the lightest ebb to the heaviest flow. Meanwhile, the second track and first single from the album, “Golem,” examines struggling with the weight of expectation through the pandemic. It’s a heavy song with an emphasis on riffs and driving rhythms.

At the center of the album is the 4-part title track suite, a 24-minute opus that pushes deeper into the album’s foundational themes: connection, alienation, and the ways humanity acts under duress. Musically, it covers every facet of the band’s vocabulary, from heavy and dense orchestral-accompanied intensity embodying the song’s darkest lyrical ideas, through to soft acoustic-driven moments and introspection.

Tracklist:

Side A

The World Breathes With Me (10:00)

Golem (05:20)

Side B

Charcoal Grace I: Prey (07:48)

Charcoal Grace II: A World Without (06:48)

Charcoal Grace III: Vigil (03:22)

Charcoal Grace IV: Give Me Hell (06:13) 

Side C

Sails (04:31)

The Stormchaser (05:57)

Mute (12:00) 

Charcoal Grace is available as Ltd. CD Digipak, CD Jewelcase (US only), Gatefold 2LP in various colours & Digital Album. 

The band recently played tours in both Europe and America to fully present their 2020 release “Rise Radiant” for the first time after the pandemic. Caligula’s Horse are now supporting Devin Townsend for three gigs in Australia before returning to the US next year in support of their new album.

Australia:

10/11/2023: The Forum, Melbourne

11/11/2023: The Metro, Sydney

12/11/2023: The Tivoli, Brisbane

US: 

31/01/2024: DC, Washington, Union Stage

01/02/2024: Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts

02/02/2024: Boston, MA, Brighton Music Hall

03/02/2024: New York, NY, The Gramercy Theatre

04/02/2024: Montreal, Le Studio TD

06/02/2024: Toronto, The Axis Club

07/02/2024: Pittsburgh, PA, Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall

08/02/2024: Chicago, IL, Lincoln Hall

12/02/2024: Charlotte, NC, The Underground

13/02/2024: Atlanta, GA, The Masquerade (Hell)

15/02/2024: Dallas, TX, Granada Theatre

16/02/2024: Austin, TX, Come & Take it Live

18/02/2024: Phoenix, AZ, Nile Half House

19/02/2024: San Diego, CA, Brick By Brick

20/02/2024: LA, CA, The Echoplex

21/02/2024: Berkley, CA, Cornerstone

23/02/2024: Seattle, WA, El Corazon

24/02/2024: Portland, OR, Hawthorne Theatre

25/02/2024: Vancouver, Rickshaw

Caligula’s Horse are 

Jim Grey – lead vocals

Sam Vallen – lead guitar

Josh Griffin – drums

Dale Prinsse – bass

Review – Glorious Wolf – Mysterious Traveller – by John Wenlock-Smith

Glorious Wolf is a studio project from Dutch musician, Ruud Dielen, the name comes from his own name which, in Dutch, is derived from the Germania origin that translates as Glorious Wolf. ‘Mysterious Traveller’ is obviously a labour of love for Ruud and one that allowed him to explore his love of progressive music. After many years in various blues and cover bands Ruud decided to enlist some friends to help him realise his vision, the results being this very musical release, here Ruud gets to explore his influences and pay homage in his own style.

The album has just seven tracks, three vocally led and four instrumental tracks. If symphonic prog is your particular bag then I think you will find much to enjoy herein, Ruud was also kind enough to give an insight into the various tracks. The album has a very lush sound and is well produced with great separation between all the instruments, which gives a good overall sound and strong impressions.

The opening track Repentance begins with lush keyboards and a strong guitar riff that is repeated over the keyboards, along with some striking drums and bass. Ruud uses a wah-wah pedal to great effect here and a busy bass adds to the track’s dynamics well. That great riff gets a further airing and the bass pounds along in tandem. The song is about how the world is in repentance and needs love, which is pretty much true these days. This track has a lot of restrained power to it, you can sense it being held back, although why this is the case is not clear. Either way, it is an impressive opener and one that encourages you to keep listening to the album. The muscular sounding Slow Down is another fine track, one with strong keyboards and the organ is especially prominent on this track and to good effect. I like the great supporting bass that underpins everything and the swirling Hammond that gives body to this instrumental track. This piece has strong hints of ‘Meddle’ and ‘Obscured by Clouds’ period Pink Floyd, especially in the excellent guitar work from Ruud, who is channelling his inner Gilmour on this track before the synth comes to the fore. This is another excellent track with strong musical performances and one that oozes style. It is also one of the albums longer tracks, with that time being used to show the skill of the band, alongside their imagination. This is followed by a second vocal track, The True Story, which is a song about Mother Earth and how beautiful she is and that we should stop exhausting and depleting her resources. Again, this is a sentiment any intelligent person would agree with, I’m sure! The sympathetic support from bass, drums and keyboards really impresses. This is a slow burner of a track, one that definitely hits the mark, the great fluid guitar lines at the end are particularly impressive and give a touch of class to this track.

Howling At The Moon has a crunchy and prominent guitar riff and the pounding drums and great keyboards all give weight to this shorter instrumental track. There feels to be there a strong element of power being restrained once more and that actually makes the track all the more effective to these ears. Title track Mysterious Traveller is an instrumental about the Amazon Rainforest. This superb track has a great sound, especially in the bass department, making it another fine track and the brilliant guitar just adds to it all and making it rather impressive stuff. Battlefield is a call to stop the wars and to instead use the funds that war costs to solve world hunger. This is a highly sensible idea, except that we all know that war is a vehicle for certain industries, investors and individuals to make money, so this is an idea that will sadly go unheeded by the masses. Many a war has been used to support corrupt regimes and to enrich certain sectors of society, especially if countries involved in the arms trade have no scruples and peddle their wares to any interested parties, regardless of their record of human rights. The final track Beautifully Broken is in two parts, presented as one piece. War breaks hearts, Love heals, Greed is not what we need to feed our hearts. This song has lots of great guitar work, all of which is mostly understated, it also has lots of dynamics and contrasts, all with strong musicianship and musicality. The second half of the track is an amazing extended improvisation and runs out to the end of the album superbly.

Overall this album will not greatly tax you. It will ,however, give you a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment when you understand what it is trying to convey and the class and style it uses to these ends. There is a hell of a lot to enjoy here, I thoroughly enjoyed it and the artwork by the renowned artist Ed Unitsky is most impressive too.

Released 1st November, 2023

Order from bandcamp here:

MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER | Glorious Wolf (bandcamp.com)

Review – Fish on Friday – 8mm by John Wenlock- Smith

Often it seems to me that I review albums from the same bands on a regular basis. Whilst this may have some event of truth, it’s more because I have found the sort of prog that appeals to me the most. This is probably the reason why I have reviewed all five previous Fish On Friday studio releases, originally for DPRP, latterly TPA and now for Progradar. This can make these reviews a bit similar but then the bands sound has not changed greatly since their debut ‘Shoot The Moon’, although there have been changes, especially when Nick Beggs joined the band. ‘8mm’ is their new album, and the first since 2020’s ‘Black Rain’ album and, whilst that had a darker tone in part because of the pandemic, this one is a lot more upbeat with some great songs.

As with all previous FoF albums, there is a lot of lightness of touch in the playing and, once again, the ghost of The Alan Parsons Project is seldom very distant. This time the addition of Nick Beggs as co-producer has paid significant dividends, as do his vocals that add and weave well with those of Frank Van Bogaert. The additional voice of Lula Beggs on several tracks also adds to the overall consistency of the album.

The album begins with the track 8mm which is a song of memories or loss of a loved one. It is quite gentle and downbeat, although it does build in intensity as it continues. Collateral Damage has excellent bass/Chapman Stick from Nick that powers the song along. Again, this track is about relationships and how we can damage each other at times. Then we have cover from 1970’s band Metro’s self-titled 1977 album that impacted upon Frank and so he chose to highlight this much forgotten band on this album by covering the track Flames. This has been done in a respectful and intelligent way by not changing very much, apart from giving the songs both a platform along with a better production value. Overture To Flames has some chunky, funky riffing and a good bass-heavy part over sequencers. It is mainly instrumental apart from ethereal voices and has a picked guitar and strong bass notes. It is only a short, but very atmospheric and leads into Flames itself and a delicate vocal part.

Then we have a different style of collaboration with a Flemish musician Sofie Dykmans, who heard a piece played during lockdown and contacted the band, offering to write some lyrics for the track, with the song Jump This Wall being the result. This is a bit of an epic with lots of massed keyboard swathes and a strident step to it. Lots of good rumbling bass lines in the song help the song have pulse and pace in equal measure, A delicate flute part from Theo Travis assists in this track before yielding to a saxophone solo, again by Theo, that adds grace. Hopefully they could write together again as this track is great. This is followed by the harder, more propulsive, track Don’t Lose Your Spirit with a good descending riff, Hammond Organ and a busy bass part playing to the audience. A great fluid guitar line is played before the song switches tack and vocals commence. The song is about changes, possibly climate change, and how we wont notice fully until it is too late.

Funerals is actually rather quirky, as it deals with two people who only ever seem to see each other at funerals. It’s a song of unrequited wanting and longing for another. Lyrically it is very interesting and slightly unsettling, although the more upbeat dancing section works very well, as does the acoustic guitar instrumental that floats over it all. The song then returns to its previous tempo but overall this is a winner of a track and greatly impresses. With Fish On Friday you have to dig beneath the surface to get to the heart of the music and it’s a very rewarding listening experience when you do. Silently Raging follows, this has Lula Beggs sharing lead vocals to great effect. Instillers is a quieter, more downbeat, song and is very, initially at least, before a Chapman Stick part is played which increases the volume greatly, adding power to track which is itself a plea for us to instil positive values to our world and peace, grace and love towards each other.

The penultimate track is A New Home, which is another very atmospheric track with more superb bass accompaniment and slide guitar sounds over sweeping synthesisers and keyboards. Again, there is the call for love to be shown and cultivated in our lives. This track has a most effective and fabulous sound where Lula Beggs vocals feature once more and she does a great job. The final song, Life Is Like The Weather, acts as a wonderful conclusion to the album as it recalls past friendships and how they change, hopefully for the better. It is a beautiful and gentle end to another strong album from this extremely talented multi-national band with members from Holland, the U.K and the USA. As with previous releases the artwork, graphics and production are exemplary and add greatly to the look of the album. For me this one is definitely another Winner.

Released 27th October, 2023.

Order from Cherry Red here:

Fish On Friday: 8mm, CD – Cherry Red Records

Review – Pattern Seeking Animals – Spooky Action at a Distance – by John Wenlock-Smith

2023 has been a most excellent year for music, with many fine releases hitting the racks. They have been full of music of worth and value, not the unimaginative, tepid and vacuous drivel that dominates the airwaves, grabs the headlines and gets the promotional push and thrust of X, Snapchat or Tik Tok, the arena where things like good song craft and musical abilities are unrecognised.

This is why I like current progressive rock music as I find that it is music that contains all the elements that make music worthwhile, great song craft, strong musical performances and songs that have themes and are interesting, rather than banal and lacking these elements entirely. This all brings us to this fine new release from Californian band Pattern Seeking Animals with their new album ‘Spooky Action at a Distance’. This ten song album, has all of the elements that satisfy me, good songs and strong musical ideas and performances.

Pattern Seeking Animals are the vehicle that song writer John Boegehold uses for his music, he is accompanied by most of the current line up of Spock’s Beard, all except keyboardist Ryo Okumoto, that role being covered by John himself. On this album there is also a string section that adds significant orchestral elements to the music. In addition, for this album, extra attention has been focused on the vocals and that attention and focus has paid significant benefits, this means that the songs really are memorable and stay with you, long after the album has concluded. This time around PSA have changed this around a little to create something that is different to what has gone beforehand and this has been very successful.

Ì enjoyed and bought the previous Pattern Seeking Animals CD’s and I will buy this one as well, as I find their highly melodic approach and quality of music appeals greatly to me, as does the intelligence that lies at the heart of their music connects with me. The days of banal and misogynistic lyrics no longer have a place, I want the music I enjoy to actually mean something and be about interesting scenarios and this is why progressive music matters, as it has historically met that remit and continues to do so. This album also fits that bill, all this is most worthy but is it any good you may ask?

Well the answer is a resounding yes, it is a mature album and one that really grows on you the more you hear it. The album has lots of excellent moments and excellent performances and opener The Man Made Of Stone sets the stall out with a very memorable chorus and enough changes of direction to confuse anyone, through all of which there is a central melody that is recurrent and impresses greatly. The song opens with an almost military style drumbeat before a flute like synth sound is added and the sound then builds. There is a good solid bass part too that fills the sound out nicely, as does a neat little guitar fill and a synth line that mirrors it. The great synth fill really adds to the track, as does the cello part and the song really impresses. This is followed by the storming Window To The World which, again, features some unusual time signatures and rhythmic sections that work together to make something that is both different and unusual, yet also an a extremely fine listen. The lyrics are strong and the vocals are powerful and clear with the backing vocals sounding especially fine. What Awaits Me is hinged on a repeated bass run that plays to the bands musical strengths. Again, the string section add touches that enhance the song greatly. This track serves to emphasise just what a great band PSA are and what worth they have and offer, this is quality stuff, lovingly and carefully crafted with every song working to create a cohesive album.

The fourth song, He Once Was, is another fascinating track, slightly downbeat in tone as it is a song about a soldiers wartime reflections. This piece is very moving and well constructed, with great musicianship, it is also the albums’ longest song and the extended length gives room to expand and the time is used wisely and thoughtfully, with sections being recognisable, and different enough, to retain the listeners interest throughout. I really like this track as it shows the great skill that has gone into its making. Again, I am reminded of the classic sound of Kansas, who PSA have a similarity as they have a similar mix of sound and depth. This is possibly my favourite track on the album, it really is a great song from all concerned and a fine guitar solo towards the end reinforces that idea. The saxophone solo adds depth and gravitas to the track making it beautifully sublime, it’s a truly great song on all fronts. Underneath The Orphan Moon continues the album with another excellent song with a great vocal, sympathetic strings and bass that adds to the excellent dynamics of this shorter track. It is a very satisfyingly fine one at that, with excellent bass work anchoring the song wonderfully, this song oozes emotion and class. Clouds That Never Rain is a very upbeat and sprightly track with a recurring riff that leads the track well. An impassioned vocal really adds soul and the background vocals are especially strong. The song is only a shortish one but has lots contained within its five plus minutes running time. Bassist Dave Meros once again shows how integral he is to the bands overall sound, on this album he is most definitely on form and possibly MVP (most valuable player).

Bulletproof continues this excellent album and, again, the bass work is especially fine. The song name checks themselves as Pattern Seeking Animals and could be about resilience or maybe it isn’t, I don’t really know. What I do know is that it has a refrain that others would kill for! Somewhere North Of Nowhere is another fine track, seemingly about Aliens hunting people after an invasion. Again, there are lots of impressive bass work and touches, including some great keyboard embellishments. This is followed by the track Summoned From Afar, which is about a reluctant warrior victorious in her last battle. There are a lot of layers to this track, with subtle use of other instruments like the flute and mandolin to enhance the overall sound palette and spectrum, another most impressive track that will stay with you for certain. The album closes with Love Is Still The Light, a very poignant and gentle song with a really great vocal performance from Ted Leonard. This is a beautiful heartfelt track that tells us that ‘Love Is Still The Answer, Love Is Still The Light’. It has a neat and brief guitar solo that plays counterpoint to the vocals and really grabs the attention and this song closes the album gracefully.

This is an album of significant worth and value with some great performances and musicianship from all the band. The changes to recording location and production that the band have utilised has definitely reaped great rewards. If you want modern progressive rock with both style and substance then this album will hopefully meet that requirement for you. Why not give it a try and see if you agree with me.

Released 27th October, 2023.

Order the album here:

Spooky Action at a Distance (lnk.to)

Swedish proggers Moon Safari share first single from long-awaited album ‘Himlabacken Vol. 2’

Pre-order begins today!

After a near decade-long recording process, Swedish progressive rockers, Moon Safari are set to make a comeback this winter with their 5th studio album Himlabacken Vol. 2.The album will be released on December 6th through Marquee Inc. in Japan and worldwide on December 8th through the band’s own Blomljud Records Inc.

The band are pleased to share the album’s  first single “Between the Devil & Me’. 
You can see the lyric video now here:

“It took us ten years, for a million different reasons. But we’re not dead yet. We return with what we know is a worthy comeback album, filled with our own special brand of symphonic rock cultivated over 20 years as an antidote to the long, dark winters of northern Sweden, with those trademark vocal group-inspired harmonies, uplifting melodies and soulful romantic lyrics that our fans have come to expect. With the addition of ex. Black Bonzo drummer Mikael Israelsson to the band we’ve totally revamped and boosted the low end of our sound, tightened it up, and that attitude shift is felt through our entire arrangements.Tying it all together is the mix by the great Rich Mouser. He’s been the go-to guy for the big boys in the genre for many years, and now we understand why. The mix is clear and punchy, booming and never flat. It just sounds expensive, and we couldn’t be happier. You’ll get almost 70 minutes of this heady brew, spread over nine tracks, with zero fillers. And of course there’s the obligatory epic. The whole thing is a banger, and we’re immensely proud of it.

“The first single from the album, ‘Between the Devil and Me,’ is at it’s core a story of self-exploration. It rides the pendulum swings of an unbalanced human mind from confusion to clarity. And it rocks, hard.

“We’ve all wanted to quit at some point during the last decade. It’s been a real test of our patience and our commitment to the music. But in the end, we were pardoned by the Gods of Rock ‘n’ Roll and we’re back in great form. To hear the whole thing in one go is absolutely liberating, and well worth the wait. If this thing won’t fly, nothing we’ll ever do will.

“So welcome back to Heaven Hill, dear friends! We hope you’ll enjoy the ride.
All our love / MS”

The album is available for pre-order here:

UK – (Exclusive Double Vinyl):
https://burningshed.com/store/moon-safari/moon-safari_himlabacken-vol-2_cd-and-vinyl-bundle

USA:
https://thebandwagonusa.com/collections/moon-safari/products/moon-safari-himlabacken-vol-2-cd-pre-order
and
https://www.lasercd.com/cd/himlabacken-vol-2-preorder

Germany:
https://justforkicks.de/detail/index/sArticle/16103

Track Listing:
1. 198X (Heaven Hill) (3:55)
2. Between the Devil and Me (10:38)
3. Emma, Come On (3:19)
4. A Lifetime to Learn How to Love (8:28)
5. Beyond the Blue (2:12)
6. Blood Moon (5:44)
7. Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse
(21:03)
8. Forever, For You (10:08)
9. Epilog (3:22)

Moon Safari is:
Petter Sandström – Lead and Backing vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Simon Åkesson – Lead and Backing Vocals, Piano, Organ, moog.
Pontus Åkesson – Lead and Backing Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitar
Sebastian Åkesson – Backing Vocals, assorted keys, percussion.
Mikael Israelsson – Backing Vocals, Drums, percussion, keyboards, piano
Johan Westerlund – Lead and Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar

Special guest performance by Jamison Smeltz – saxophone on “Forever, For You”