Tag: Tribe of Names

2022 Progradar’s Best Of The Year – John Wenlock-Smith’s Top 20

Yesterday saw the editor’s top twenty albums of 2022, today we see what made respected contributor John Wenlock-Smith’s list….

John says, “It’s been a great year for music, especially prog, with many fine releases from established and also newer acts. Here are twenty that really struck a chord with me, in no particular order but all worthy of inspection and consideration.”

D’VIRGILIO, MORSE, JENNINGS – TROIKA

In which well known prog aficionados beguile us with their inner CSN&Y. It’s all acoustically in the main but a very strong collection of songs that must warrant a second visit – here’s hoping so at least!

Hats of Gentlemen It’s Adequate – The Confidence Trick 

A wonderful and diverse set of songs around the concept that we are being led by arrogant fools whose overconfidence is actually severely dangerous, examples being Trump, Johnson and, more recently, Liz Truss whose overconfidence nearly destroyed any chance of economic growth.

Stuckfish – Days of Innocence 

A simply marvellous album that impressed many with its thoughtful lyrics and excellent music.

SiX By SiX – Self Titled

A bit of Saga, a bit of Saxon, add Robert Berry’s muscular bass and you have a blistering rock album with very progressive elements and leanings. Again this one impressed greatly.

Kaipa – Urskog

The long established Swedish folk-proggers delivered a truly graceful album with several epics and more than a touch of vintage Yes, a great set of songs.

Derek Sherinian – Vortex 

In which the ex-Dream Theater keyboard man delivers a captivating, electric set of tracks supported by several big name friends including Steve Stevens, Nuno Bettencourt, Bumblefoot and Joe Bonamassa, to name a few. Blistering in parts and excellent overall.

The Mighty Ra – All Secrets Known 

A new band of mainly Welsh prog musicians who began writing together with this rather fine album being the result. An excellent new album with great promise.

Verbal Delirium – Conundrum

This was new to me but what a find! A very classy album with a great vocalist, strong songs and great playing from all, definitely one to discover.

Arc Of Life – Don’t Look Down

The second album from Yes spin off Arc of Life. Jon Davison and Billy Sherwood delivering the album that Yes maybe should have. Epics like Real Time World and Arc of Life were standout tracks in an album of importance and strength.

The Bardic Depths – Promises Of Hope

Literature loving progressive band deliver a fine second album about suicide via a fictional tale of a suicidal queen whose death is prevented by the Gods. Enthralling and with many guests in tow.

Tribe of Names – Evolver 

Evolutionary album from ex-Tinyfish man Simon Godfrey & colleagues that sees them stretching their legs musically. There’s a welcome strong Rush influence throughout and its a superb album overall. 

Phi Yaan Zek – Interdimensional Garden Party

This very strange but satisfying album occupies a realm the sadly departed and much missed Frank Zappa would have graced with its blend of instrumentals and strong songs. Wonderful weirdness is obligatory with such stunning tracks as Wickety Wickety being enough to make anyone smile. A seriously good album that warrants investigation.

John Holden – Kintsugi 

John lives close to me and he delivers a strong fourth album of various pieces with a stellar assembly of guests, a highly varied and ultimately satisfying and enjoyable album.

Pattern Seeking Animals – Only Passing Through

This is the third album from Spock’s Beard writer and contributor John Boegehold. With excellent support from existing members of the band, strong songs and catchy hooks abound.

Red Bazar- Inverted Reality 

Another unexpected pleasure with a harder edged sound and excellent vocals from Peter Jones, this was very welcome indeed.

Dave Brons – Return to Arda 

Simply divine and beautifully melodic Celtic-tinged music from Dave Brons and friends with a concentration on melody with moments of shredding brilliance. Totally sublime and utterly captivating. 

Ghost Of The Machine – Scissorgames

A triumphant debut from ex-This Winter Machine men who, along with sublime vocalist Charlie Bramald, fuse melody and muscle in a devastating combination. Truly awesome, well received by many and rightly so too!

Clive Mitten – Tales From A Misspent Youth Volume 1

Entirely orchestral versions of songs that inspired Clive whilst growing up. His take on key songs from Pink Floyd, Genesis, Supertramp and Rush really are a must to hear. How he brings out hitherto hidden beauties to much loved pieces is gorgeous.

Evership – The Uncrowned King Act 2

The final part of the tale is a sobering statement of intent from fine US proggers Evership and the additional vocals from Saga’s Michael Sadler impress greatly.

David Longdon – Door One

Posthumously released after David’s unexpected death in 2021, this telling collection reveals his continued evolution as a writer and, whilst short, this bittersweet album reminds us of of the great man we lost last year.

So, there you have it, that’s it for 2022 from John and myself, see you on the other side…

Review – Tribe of Names – Evolver – by John Wenlock-Smith

This album has been quite a long time in arriving so its title, ‘Evolver’ is very apt. In real terms this is the follow on from the Valdez album, ‘This’, from 2017. Their plans for recording the follow up were drastically altered, initially by a line up change and then followed by the impact of the pandemic, which meant everything changed. The result being a name change for the band to Tribe of Names. ‘Evolver’ is the delayed result and what an album it has turned out to be, the new line up and name seem to have worked out well as this album is full of genuinely progressive music and some fine tracks.

Opener Tribe Of Names begins like an 80’s synth pop number but this is soon replaced by some solid bass lines and jangly guitar then latterly by some solid, meaty guitar riffery and an epic soaring guitar line which is all underpinned by that funky bass line and that’s all in the initial 3 minutes of starting! This is solid and exciting music to hear, it has lots of Rush type elements and guitar playing reminiscent of Alex Lifeson. I believe guitarist Karl Eisenhart started by learning Rush songs and still plays in that style, well he certainly learned his chops! The song is a great one with lots of odd time signatures and a great solo from Karl that plays toward the end of the track, a very strong opener. They Live To Cry is a more subdued piece, again this has elements of Rush running throughout but is all so well handled that it doesn’t really matter, This in not a tribute though, more it feels influenced by Rush, although not overly so. The song has great melody and music and I really like it.

Liar Liar has a strong and dominant bass part with touches of guitar arpeggios and linear playing. This is a shorter but no less interesting track and is great sounding too. Everyday Haunted is another brief track filled with sustained guitar tones over a swelling keyboard, an echoed vocal adding menace and interest. This is an intriguing piece of music with tremolo  guitar notes adding to the weirdness, all very strange but brilliantly so. We are then back in somewhat familiar territory with White Nile, a track that builds in intensity with lots of drum crashes and rumbling bass over guitar tones that could be straight out of La Villa Strangiato, another great track to be influenced from. The strident opening part gives way to a more mellow section of moody music, this is a highlight of the album thus far, excellent performances and solid and inventive playing from all parties.

The Last Unsung Girl is slightly different with a quirky sound, rhythm and melody. Coupled with its mixed time signatures this is certainly distinctive and yet oddly compelling with a great guitar line after which we get a funky bass and guitar section leading to a fine solo from Karl. This is an album whose songs will creep up on you and take a real grip on you, it’s certainly stirring stuff. Mayfly is another guitar led piece with more crunching guitar lines underpinned by a sympathetic bass. There is much beauty to enjoy here, it is very accomplished and well delivered by the band and another somewhat satisfying song. The final and longest track, Dirt On The Inside concludes this excellent album with its extended run time giving lots of room for the music to evolve without constraints, the slower opening section being allowed to build in its intensity for the initial four minutes. This leaves you waiting for the track to explode into life, which it does around the four minute mark where the guitar line surges forward with power in a dramatic manner before some solid bass runs are joined by guitar unison lines with tremolo again. The pace increases again to another excellent solo with the band firing on all cylinders. This is a most impressive track with lots going on musically and it all sounds really effective, there follows a slower, less intense, part which allows guitarist Karl to play some sustained guitar lines before reprising the earlier solo as the song draws to a solid close.

This album should appeal to folks who miss Rush as it explores similar territories. Overall, this is a very strong and musically diverse album with powerful statements and an excellent sound. The sleeve by Mark Buckingham is also very noteworthy and interesting, I heartily recommend this great album.

Released 4th November, 2022.

Order from bandcamp here:

Evolver | Tribe of Names (bandcamp.com)