There is a saying about an artist’s difficult second album that usually applies to bands whose debuts gained a very little of recognition. Advent Horizon from Salt Lake City are in a similarly difficult juncture. They knew that if they wanted to start making waves they had to create an album who would wake people up, an album that would take attention from a bored music listener.

Advent Horizon haven’t gone out of their way to entirely distance themselves from 2011’s debut “Immured,” but instead they have refined and honed their strengths. The energy from the mentioned debut is still present and is multiplied by better songwriting, performance and production.

Using the “progressive” tag to describe “Stagehound” really does very little to explain Advent Horizon’s instinctive grasp of melodicism. They’ve made decision to stay away from everything that is nerdy on the modern progressive rock/metal scene, and have instead stuck close to the softer, more focused songwriting. Instead of muddling Rylee McDonald’s vocals, Advent Horizon use heavy, tonal guitar lines and atmospherics to lose the listener in the album’s sweetness.

The album opens with “Invasion Theorem,” a decent display of the band’s vows to address themes in a more direct way. Much more successful is the mid-album instrumental peak “Magic Chef,” which shows Advent Horizon’s multifaceted surface.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for an album written by prog youngsters, this is a record best listened to as a whole. The second half of “Stagehound” has all sorts of really amazing sections. It’s worth spending the time with the record again to reveal them. This is a sophomore effort that truly outplays its predecessor.

Listen to “Stagehound” on Bandcamp. Advent Horizon are on Facebook too.

Behold, the Tarantella is a project of 24 year old Matty Apel who released his debut EP “Resonance” last year, and have just put out two singles for his upcoming full length titled “The Particle Rendition.” Matty is also involved with a band Phi, and about this all he talks in an interview with Progarchy.

How would you describe the first two singles taken from the upcoming album “The Particle Rendition”?

I would have to describe them as experimental in many ways. Each song is part of a developmental process in my writing style. I’m experimenting with different techniques I’ve learned and taught myself over time while trying to allow them to fit the story line I have in place for this album.

What can be expected from the rest of the material that will take place on “The Particle Rendition”?

Quite a bit, actually. The plan is for it to be a concept album that not only has in depth description of what’s taking place, but has music guiding your emotions through each scenario in the album. I want people to really paint a picture of what’s happening.

I suppose that you record your music in a home studio environment. What are the drawbacks and benefits of working in such surrounding?

Is it that easy to pick up on? Haha! Honestly, I don’t really find any drawbacks in recording my own music. I don’t have a time frame to record my music and I have the ability to mix and master it the way I want it. It’s not perfect, but I’d take it over something that’s been over-processed.

What are the themes you explore in your lyrics?

“Resonance” was all about the expansion of your mind and becoming comfortable in the body you inhabit. “The Particle Rendition” will still touch on that subject, but will go further by giving you a storyline and characters to follow. I’m basically writing this new album as a movie script or a play. At this point in time, I don’t want to reveal too much about the story and the ideas I’m playing around with, but I’m hoping to make it well worth the wait.

How much the music you make is the actual reflection of your personality?

I particularly enjoy this question, because art should be a reflection of who you are in some way. That’s why we all seem to have our own unique touch on the things we do. I’d like to say that the music is a pretty good reflection of who I am and the things that cross my mind on a daily basis.

Are you satisfied with Behold, the Tarantella’s position, and what would you love to change and improve?

It may seem cheesy, but I’m extremely satisfied with my current position, because I’ve gathered a larger fan base than with any other previous project. 500 likes on Facebook may not seem like much, but I’m grateful for every single one of them. So THANK YOU to all of you fans out there. I really appreciate all of you.

Have you ever experienced those moments when a song, or an album can change your views on something?

All of the time! Painted in Exile’s “Revitalized” is the best example, because the chorus contains a metaphor that I live by every day. The Contortionist’s album “Language” is also another incredible album that really spoke to me on a personal level. The flow of the music was extremely beautiful as well.

What do you do in your every-day life?

My life consists of music, video games, hanging out with my girlfriend and other friends, enjoying nature and the outdoors, chilling with my cats. I take it all day by day and I’m just grateful for what I have, because I know it’s more than some other people have even though it may not seem like much.

Are you involved in any other bands or projects beside Behold, the Tarantella?

I actually am involved in another project. The project is called “Phi”. We are a 5-piece band with influences like Animals as Leaders, The Contortionist, The Helix Nebula, Plini, and many more. You can check us out on our Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/PhiBandia

What do you think about djent?

If it’s music, I give it a chance. I’ve jammed Meshuggah, Volumes, and Aristeia to name a few. I really enjoy the way they throw some crazy time signatures and tempo changes at you.

What are your plans by the end of the year?

My plans by the end of the year are to hopefully get out and play, release some new material, and just enjoy life. I haven’t been on the stage for over 3 years and it’s calling my name, so hopefully I can find a way to make things work out for both Behold, the Tarantella and Phi. A lot of people tend to set goals without enjoying the journey to hitting their goals, and I personally don’t want to be the kind of person that forgets what it took to get there.

Listen to Behold, the Tarantella on Bandcamp, and like the project on Facebook. You can also follow Matty’s other band Phi on Facebook.

According to various online source, the definition of the term “telergy” is “a hypothetical action of one person’s thought and desire upon the brain of another person by the transmission of some unknown form of energy.” Somehow this very description feels very fitting with the subject of this review.

I’m always on the lookout for new prog bands releasing new albums, so I was quite pleased when I received Telergy’s third studio album “Hypatia” from the good folks at Prog Sphere Promotions. I was even happier when I started listening and found out that I loved the album. I’ll go more into detail on the music itself in a little bit, but first, some history.

Robert McClung is a New Hampshire based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with a long history in the music business. In 2009 he decided to abandon the world of popular music and dedicate himself full time to the music he truly loved – instrumental, symphonic, progressive rock. He wanted to create a project that could feature amazing artists from all over the world and provide the framework for the epic, classically inspired music he longed to create, and thus, Telergy was born.

Over the last three albums (including the newest release “Hypatia”), Telergy has featured performers from groups such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Yes, Kansas, Queensrӱche, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Living Colour, Symphony X, Kamelot, Rhapsody of Fire, Savatage, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Night Ranger, Porcupine Tree, Hawkwind, Spock’s Beard and more, as well as musicians from some of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies.

Now that I’ve bored you all to the verge of leaving this page forever, let’s get back to music.

“Hypatia” is divided into 17 tracks, from which the odd numbers are the spoken-word tracks which actually tell the story that inspired this record, and that is Hypatia – the mathematician and philosopher of Alexandria, who was the daughter of the mathematician Theon Alexandricus. The most obvious thing about this record is, as mentioned above, the presence of guest contributors who helped Robert McClung present the work: Chris Caffery, Durga McBroom-Hudson, Bryan Hicks, Mike LePond, Oliver Holzwarth, David Ragsdale, Anna Phoebe, Oliver Palotai, to name but a few.

The whole album exudes an inspiring atmosphere, and symphonic harmonies go in favour to that. Unlike previous two albums, “Hypatia” moves away from regular song structures in exchange for a more spontaneous theatrical flow; the musical ideas feel structured episodically. Perhaps that has a lot to do with how the whole album is conceptualised and adjusted to story-telling. There are nine “scenes,” spoken-word tracks that help to understand the story of “Hypatia.” These scenes are intersected with “standard” songs that musically follow up. Fusion of traditional progressive metal, ambient, and classical music really shines here, and this eclectic approach to instrumentation and style feels consistently fresh and engaging.

“Hypatia” has so many brilliant moments that deserve to be heard by any self-respecting fan of modern prog. Telergy have once again delivered a complex, bombastic, no-holds-barred progressive rock epic with “Hypatia.” It will be really interesting to hear what comes next.

Track listing:

1. Scene, No.1 (0:38)
2. Astronomer (7:16)
3. Scene, No.2 (0:37)
4. Philosopher (11:44)
5. Scene, No.3 (0:39)
6. Mathematician (4:24)
7. Scene, No.4 (0:25)
8. Teacher (6:57)
9. Scene, No.5 (0:29)
10. The Burning of the Library of Alexandria (11:37)
11. Scene, No.6 (0:39)
12. Scapegoat (2:55)
13. Scene, No.7 (1:05)
14. Murder (9:30)
15. Scene, No.8 (1:04)
16. Martyr (3:12)
17. Scene, No.9 (0:27)

Line-up:

Robert McClung – guitar, bass, violin, viola, mandolin, piano, organ, keyboards, flute, balalaika, ukulele, sitar, lap steel, bodhran, percussion, tenor and baritone vocals, mob vocals

With:

Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Durga McBroom-Hudson (Pink Floyd, Blue Pearl) – Hypatia
Bryan Hicks (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) – Theon
Corey Glover (Living Colour) – Synesius
Blake Carpenter (The Minstrel’s Ghost, Corvus Stone) – Cyril
Peter Kelley – Peter the Reader
Almus Kenter – The Professor
Chris Bonito – drums
Kyle Wybranowski – drums
Mike LePond (Symphony X, Silent Assasins) / bass
Oliver Holzwarth (Rhapsody of Fire, Blind Guardian) – bass
Kristen Miller – cello
Adam Nunes – cello
Tim Nunes – violin, viola
David Ragsdale (Kansas) – violin
Anna Phoebe (Jethro Tull, Trans-Siberian Orchstra) – violin
Scott Page (Pink Floyd, Toto, Supertramp) – saxophone
Parker Lundgren (Queensryche) – guitar
Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) – guitar
Angus Clark (Kitaro, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) – guitar
Connor Wybranowski – guitar
Oliver Wakeman (Yes) – keyboards
Oliver Palotai (Kamelot) – keyboards
Mattan Klein – flute
Scott Page – saxophone
Jaimee Joroff – harp
Jennifer Lanter – French horn
John Halloran – clarinet
Barbara Lafitte – oboe
Mac Ritchey (Esthema) – oud
Mike Dolan – mob vocals
Tim Clark – mob vocals
Gary Wheaton – mob vocals
Laura Sanscartier – soprano vocals
Tamara Mcshea – soprano vocals
Stephanie Slabon – soprano vocals
Angeliki Theoharris – mezzo vocals
Joshua Collier – tenor vocals

https://www.facebook.com/telergymusic

http://www.telergymusic.com

Instrumental rock band from Brno in Czech Republic, Ucan2 have recently put out their new single titled “Pompeii.” Check out what the band had to say about it, among other things.

How do you feel now that “Pompeii” has been unleashed?

We are so amazed for all the reactions we got from all over the world, it’s just amazing! We didn’t expect that at all, thank you everybody for downloading and for listening! The numbers speak for themselves, just great!

Are you satisfied with feedback you received so far for the new single?

YES, very satisfied! Lots of new fans and a lot of questions which we answered concerning gigs all over the world. We promise that we’ll do our best to fulfill our fans’ wishes to perform for them live in their city.

What was recording process like for “Pompeii”?

We had the song quite well prepared and figured out so it was just about going to the studio. As usual we recorded the drum track and then layed down the bass and guitars. Everything was recorded on Positive Grid app, great mature sound and no time wasted on setting up the mics in the studio, then we just did the master mix in the studio. We played a bit with the pans of the guitars and some sounds thats true, so we made 6 different versions and then just sat down and picked the one closest to what we felt is truly us.

How do you feel about the single’s production?

We did it all by ourselves so we had full control of the out come but the promoters did a great job, it just couldn’t do any better.

What inspired “Pompeii”? Any references to Pink Floyd?

No, we didn’t even thought of Pink Floyd when naming the song. It was about the feeling we had inside of us when we first played the whole song through, and it was definitely a crazy/burning feeling in the chest. So we looked for the right word and Pompeii came as the best one.

How do you feel “Pompeii” differs musically from the previous work?

Previously, Petr wrote all the music and the rest of the band did some tweaks here and there so it would be fun for the whole band to play, but this time, on the single we started writting together and more thought out the little details which make the song special, the Indian part in the middle with the 12 string acoustic was obvious right from the start.

Are you working on the album no. 2, when can we expect to see it out?

We are waiting for the right time, we are really not in a hurry, all the preparations just take time and we want it to be BIG next year. At this moment we are leaving Pompeii do its work for the band, we have been introduced to the world of music by this song and there is still our 1st record which we would like the new fans to discover and get used to our work.

What does the future hold for Ucan2?

We have in plan to record two more records named after the rest of two elements left, which will close one chapter of our band’s life. Other than that we think the most important thing nowadays is to play gigs all around Europe since we got so many invitations we would have to quit our work to perform everywhere. So we’ll do our best. We all love travelling and meeting new people and fans. We love to go site seeing in every city before we perform there just to feel the energy of the city and learn a little bit of the culture. Our biggest plan is to fly to Japan.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yeah, we are having a great time and we enjoy every little bit of it.

“Pompeii” is now available from Bandcamp. Check out the band on Facebook here.

Brisbane prog metallers, Therein recently re-released their debut album “Nobelium.” Guitarist, singer and mandolinist Cameron Whelan answered our questions.

How did you guys come together in Therein?

I moved to Brisbane to recruit people for Therein, and I was introduced to Kned (drums) through a mutual friend. Then I met our old bassist Krishan at uni. Shortly after, Ryan (guitar) joined as he happened to be studying with Kned and was keen on some Prog. It all came together rather easily come to think of it.

Your debut album is titled “Nobelium.” What does its name mean, and how does it reflect on the material?

It’s sort of a silly title, but it stuck. Nobelium is a synthetic element, and it’s chemical properties are not entirely known yet. But it definitely exists. It also sounds like an imaginary place. I’m not sure exactly how it came to be, but I felt it was an appropriate title when Nobelium first came together. We had just finished our first collection of recordings and it felt complete, it made sense. But it was something new for us, we didn’t fully understand it.

“Nobelium” was recently reissued . I suppose that there were quite a few outtakes from the original recording, is that right?

Actually, no! The extra tracks were recorded during the years after it’s initial release, but we felt that they belonged on Nobelium.

What are some of the themes you explore in your lyrics?

Quite a few things. On Nobelium we have (in tracklist order) – Greed, introspection and self-repair, optimism, debauchery, sadness, horror and possession, fishing and fighting, and culture. So human things mostly, though it really depends on the song. One of our new songs is about a meteorite!

What are you referring to when saying “Every changing of habit makes a change in the machine” in “Introspect”?

It’s a quote from George Gurdjieff. I don’t follow his teachings or anything, but he had some good ideas. It’s the last line of the song, everything before it was pointing to looking inwards and realizing you are the cause of your own problems. So in this context the line is saying that for every small change you make to fix it, you make a change in yourself as a person.

Are you satisfied with how “Nobelium” turned out? Do you believe in improvement?

Yes, for both questions. Nobelium was our first real crack at recorded work. I think it turned out pretty well for the time, but we’ve improved significantly since then. As long as we’re working, there will always be room for improvement.

I guess that “Samual’s Reel” is a showcase of your Tom Waits influences. What is your way in general to maintain a good balance between employment of acoustic and electric guitars in a song?

Firstly I just need to point out that Tom Waits has nothing to do with Samual’s Reel. We’ve had this comparison once before. It’s very much rooted in Celtic music and Tom Waits is… well, Tom Waits. Experimental Jazzy-Blues-Something… I’m not sure what to call his music. But it’s pretty great, even if it isn’t Irish!

But, to answer your question. I think a good way to maintain that balance is to identify which guitar is the lead, and build the other guitar parts around that. In the case of Samual’s Reel, the acoustic guitar took the lead. So the electric parts bounced off of that to draw out some of the rhythmic and melodic elements.

What do you guys do in your spare time?

Drink beer and play music… Sounds awfully similar to what happens during our working hours too.

What is the last concert you attended?

WACKEN.
Oh, and Plini.

To people who don’t know about Therein, what would be your message in order to get their attention?

Listen up!

You can buy “Nobelium” from Bandcamp, and like the band on Facebook.

Boston power trio, The Under released their second self-titled EP this June. Singer and guitarist Dan Costa talked with Progarchy about the band’s music, influences, inspiration.

Describe the music of The Under.

I think I would say it’s a metal band with no agenda. We don’t try to conform to a specific style, nor do we set out to incorporate anything particular into our writing. It’s three guys with a healthy music catalog who set out to do some heavy, expressive stuff.

Tell me about the complexities of creating your recently released self-titled EP? 

A lot of the songs were written in the jam space over the last few years, so the arrangements you hear is what we went into the studio with. The recording process itself was not very complex, but writing the songs certainly took some time.

How long did it take you to complete the work on “The Under” EP? 

It took the better part of a year because not long after we started recording we had to recruit a new bassist and we had yet to lay down the bass. Our drummer Randy knocked his parts out in a day and over the next month or so I went back and did the guitars and leads. Then Ben finally joined and over the next few weeks he would learn a tune and then we’d go into the studio to lay down the bass tracks. During that time I was recording the vocals on my own so that I’d have the time to capture the performances I want.

How come there are two releases under the name “The Under”? 

Because the first EP was our recording debut, we thought it was appropriate to self-title it. However, I had my eye on using the artwork that we settled on for the second EP, which came from an old flier. We just thought “why add anything to something that already jumps out at you?”. So we just left it as it was.

What can you tell me about the new songs comparing with 2009′s album “Mercurial”? 

Ultimately, I think all those songs could co-exist on the same recording. Because it often feels like our songs write themselves, you get a similar amount of variation on both discs. I do think the newer songs have a bit more of a bite and a crunch to them that might be lacking on Mercurial. But aside from the fact that we recorded and mastered them in two different locations, the songs all kin to each other.

Give me a snapshot of the topics you explore on the new songs. 

The songs tend to have a philosophical, existentialist slant to them. I think a common theme is the individual versus different types of mechanisms, such as society or time for example. Some tunes express an attitude of triumph while others touch on the despair and anxiety certain institutions can bring.

How would you describe your music to someone who didn’t hear you before? 

I’d probably ask them what they enjoyed listening to and go from there. If I had to do a quick pitch, I’d say we’re a loud, heavy band with a lot of melodic and rhythmic peaks and valleys.

Which bands  influence your work? 

I think as a band we channel a lot classic Rush, Sabbath and Zeppelin but with a strong injection of thrash, punk, jazz, hardcore and indie/experimental rock. ELP, Slayer, Black Flag, Don Caballero, Genesis, Iron Maiden, DRI, Metallica, Carcass, Jeff Buckley can make their influences heard in our music.

Where do you draw inspiration from? 

I think I speak for the other guys in that music has long been a reflex, something you have to do to process the things that go on in the world and in your life. So overall, we’re always inspired to play and write. But for me I would say reading a good book or going to an art museum can certainly get the creativity flowing in new ways.

Name five albums that had huge impact on the musical direction of The Under.

I’m the only one picking these 5 but I’m going to say:

Kill Em All-Metallica

Hemispheres-Rush

Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti

Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath

Piece of Mind-Iron Maiden

Where do you see The Under in the future?

We just hope to be writing, recording and playing live as we have been doing. We’re a bit past the whole big rock star thing and more focused on music as art and expression. Trying to write and play a little better than we did yesterday is a very satisfactory goal at the moment.

The Under’s new self-titled EP is available from Bandcamp. Follow the band on Facebook.

Hombre Bestia is a band that promotes a broader conscience by painting humans as fundamentally dual beings. Violence, love, war and art are simply some of the consequences of the inner clash between reason and instinct.

Drawing from genres such as progressive rock, metal, alternative, and psychedelic rock; and supported by introspective and social lyrical content, Hombre Bestia’s act is a reflection of constant movement: from the purest silence to the most chaotic noise.

The band from Mexico City will release a new EP titled “Janus” this fall, which will include acoustic versions of songs from the band’s 2013 full-length debut “Claroscuro,” but also previously unreleased tracks. Bassist Alejandro de Buen talks about the band’s beginnings, the new EP, live performances, and more.

Tell me about the band’s beginnings. How did you go about forming the band?

The band was formed by Bruno (Alexei) and Santos around five years ago, taking common musical influences and topics of interest that they had from long ago (they are friends since childhood) as the foundation for the band. Originally, the centerpoint of the band’s lyrical focus was the duality of man, the clash between reason (The Man) and instinct (The Beast).

Little by little the lineup started to adjust itself to include the rest of us, until the whole band had a unified vision of what we wanted to do and how, taking the aforementioned internal clash as a starting point to create our sound and derive our lyrical vision towards a broader perspective.

What does the name of the band mean, and how does it reflect to the music you make?

The name literally translates to Beast Man, and it aims towards reflecting the constant clash, which can be both struggle and synergy, of the forces of reason and instinct that drive us as species.
Musically, we try to balance extremes: tense, heavy and visceral stuff with calm, quiet and very harmonic cuts, so we think the name describes the music quite well. We try to make music that’s both introspective and direct, that speaks to the mind and the gut.

Tell me about the topics you explore in your lyrics.

Dualities are a recurrent topic for us, but we try to go beyond simply that. We try to use this perspective to talk about human nature in general, and to give our lyrics a social twist without falling into common places. We like to talk about society and dreams, and like to aim our lyrics towards working as a wake up call to people, a scream to make you look around yourself and realize the darkness and the light that surround us.

You are about to release a 6-track EP. What was the creative process for this material like? What can we expect from it?

A honest answer would be that it was polarized. There are two previously unrecorded tracks. The first one, Coro del Adios, is brand new, and reflects the most collaborative musical process within the band to date. It really shows a little of everyone. The other is one of the oldest songs in Hombre Bestia’s history (back from the Bruno-and-Santos-only days), but it has evolved a little every time we bring it back, until the point where it sounds more current than the first album. Both tracks flowed quite easily and enjoyably (though both had a slow evolution, the second one being obviously way slower!), but since both were born at such different times for the band, the process felt really different.

The rest of the tracks are acoustic recreations of already released tracks, which were quite fun to make because it took us out of our comfort zone (distortion and soundscapes!) and let us have a fresh way to play songs we’ve been playing non-stop for a long time.

How would you describe your music to someone who didn’t listen to you before?

The keywords contrast, introspection, and viscerality would come to mind. There’s a blend between prog, psychedelic rock, and small hints of metal, I think there’s also a very subtle latin touch somewhere in the mix, and there’s a huge amount of passion and honesty, which I’d say are our two main drivers.

What’s the point of Lalo’s covering his eyes in the video for “Matar Por Ti”? What is the story of the song?

The one covering his eyes is actually Bruno. The song, sometimes misinterpreted as a love song, is not dedicated to a person but to our country. In our case, Mexico which suffers from a lot of political abuse and inequity, and many times the problem is that both people in power and civil society seem to refuse to see this fact and the damage it is doing to all of us, condemning us to stay in this position. The veil over Bruno’s eyes is a way to convey this general refusal to actually see the current situation.

Fake Dreams is the only song on the EP that is sung in English. Do you have plans for releasing more songs in English?

Fake Dream was born in English because of the huge amount of English-spoken musical influences we have. Santos wrote it and it felt great that way, but we have only written music in Spanish since then, having a huge majority of Spanish-speaking followers and currently focusing our act nationally, as well as Spanish being our mother tongue.

We haven’t discussed any plans to write more music in English but I wouldn’t say we are closed to that possibility. If it feels good and honest to do so at some point, I think we could definitely do it again.

You’ve performed live before. What are the reactions from audiences like on your music? Are you satisfied with the reception you receive?

In general we are satisfied. It is not uncommon to see people seem to daze away at our shows, which we really dig because it shows they are really getting into it. When you play a quiet part and notice that the crowd is in utter silence, you know you really have them. Sometimes we would like to see more people reach deeper into the lyrics, but I guess that takes time and more listens.

Are there any plans to present your music to Europeans?

There are few things we would love as much as playing in the Old Continent, though there are no current plans for a European tour (soon, hopefully!). Still, we feel there’s a bigger interest in our style over there, so with this new EP and with future releases, we are trying to push our music to reach European audiences and hopefully get that to get our plans closer to jumping the Atlantic.

Which bands influence your music?

As a band, some well-known names in the progressive scene, such as Riverside, Opeth, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, and Steven Wilson; some modern and classic rock legends like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Alice in Chains, and some awesome bands from Mexico and the rest of Latin America like La Barranca, Soda Stereo, Caifanes, San Pascualito Rey and Cafe Tacvba. Individually tough, each of us draws from things as distant as Jeff Buckley, Nine Inch Nails, Screaming Headless Torsos, Angra, and Joy Division (it could be a fun exercise to try and guess who’s who!).

Follow Hombre Bestia on Facebook.

Prog funkers (yeah, you read it right!) from Boston, Sound Struggle are definitely one of my most favourite new bands, and I cannot wait to hear their second studio album “Rise” once it’s out on September 25th. The band has been active since 2012, and in June last year they came up with the full-length self-titled debut album. The six-piece band from the Massachusetts largest city are ready to take on the prog world with “Rise,” and bassist Joe Calderone and singer and guitarist Cameron Rasmussen talked with Progarchy about this.

Tell me about the Sound Struggle beginnings.

Cam: It started with me realizing that at Berklee College of Music it is very hard to be inducted and accepted into a band or other kind of group that has already been rolling for a while, or at all, and if you could you would have to really like the music they were making. That made me start from scratch on my own band that would be exactly what I wanted and would have the people I wanted in it.

The main idea behind what I wanted it to be was a very heavy metal band with improvised solos that have lots of jazz influence. I like to play a lot of jazz and jazz influenced things, so when I solo I like to steal from those influences and the harmonic vocabulary from that. I had some songs already somewhat written and had other ideas that I flushed out onto sheet music scores and charts for different guys to read through when I was finding the first lineup that the band would function with. From that starting point we have evolved to “Rise”!

Funk and prog metal – that’s a really crazy combination. Where did this idea come from and how much of a challenge it is to mix these two genres?

Joe: It’s a really fun combo. Funk and metal were both styles that we were all really interested in and enjoyed listening to and playing. The two styles can be melded different ways too. So I don’t think there is much of a challenge, because were just combining our biggest musical influences into our songs, the influences just happen to be a pretty diverse spectrum of styles.

You are about to release your new album titled “Rise.” What can we expect from the record, and how does it differ from the self-titled debut?

Joe: On the first album the interpretation was very much straight Funk section, and in the same son straight metal section, and they were a bit disconnected. On Rise we really took a more integrated approach, where the funk comes from something like the guitarists doubling thumbing guitar like Victor Wooten, but in a metal context, or possibly using jazz and funk harmony on a metal riff.

Cam: Yes it’s more of a fluid and integrated approach as opposed to the almost bi-polar method of the first album.

What kind of gear did you use to record “Rise”?

Joe: We used whatever we could find. All the guitar and bass, and even some EWI (electronic wind instrument) parts were recorded through a Fractal Axe FX II. I recorded most of the album on my trusty Fender Geddy Lee signature jazz bass, downtuned to A-E-A-D. The guitars were done with a Strandberg Boden OS 7, a custom Carvin 7, a Fender Strat, a Yamaha Nylon String acoustic, and a few other guitars thrown in. Joey loves the sounds on his Motif piano, and you’ll hear a lot of them, but there are also a few soft synths being used too from plugins like Massive. Another change from the last album is the introduction of the EWI. Since we don’t have a full horn section anymore, Mike will switch between a tenor sax and an EWI, and the EWI really expands what he can contribute musically. It’s been a really cool addition to the sound. Joey also engineered the drums to perfection and we used whatever mics the studio had to get a great drum sound.

How does the name of the band reflect on the music you create?

Cam: Well we originally picked Sound Struggle because it was the right mix of serious sounding and comedic value to describe the music we were playing. The “Struggle” is just a funny comment on how we use all of the genres we like in our writing, whereas some people might still say nowadays that you should stick with one genre and that’s it. That doesn’t sound like much fun to me!

What was the toughest moment in the band’s career so far and how did you go about overcoming it?

Cam: The toughest part so far was probably members leaving the band or having to let people go. We have had a few members who we were really happy with, like the first solid lineup that we played our first show with, but a few of them had to leave because they needed jobs elsewhere or went to other colleges. We really miss those guys like. I have also had to kick a bunch of guys out, which is never fun, but if its not working its no fun for anybody.

To overcome it we just did our best to find people who would be killer players and friends at the same time, and when we were short on people we got whatever work we could get done, done, so that we weren’t sitting around waiting for new members. Not having a band makes having a band a really hard thing to do. (laughs)

I have watched all videos you uploaded on YouTube, and it seems that you guys have lots of fun. Does funk make it easy for you?

Joe: Well it’s all fun! We really enjoy playing funk, and we really enjoy playing metal so we’re always having fun. The metal riffs are challenging enough to keep us on our feet, and the improvisational funk sections are just inherently jammable and entertaining to us.

Name five albums that had huge impact on the musical direction of Sound Struggle.

Cam: Probably:

1. Vulgar Display of Power – Pantera
2. Ego – Alex Argento
3. Heavy Metal Be-Bop – The Brecker Brothers
4. Silent Machine – Twelve Foot Ninja
5. The Joy Of Motion – Animals As Leaders

Are you satisfied with where you landed in the music scene?

Cam: Yes, I think we all are! Earlier in the bands history we were wondering if we could market ourselves as a funk band, as well as a metal band, but we pretty much realized that …no. So, though our approach to music hasn’t changed we landed in a metal scene that we all really like!

Where do you see yourself in the future? Can you read your own story?

Cam: Well, every member of this band is a genius to me, and they all do so many things of their own outside of Sound Struggle, I do as well. I have a feeling that we will all support ourselves financially with our other skills while doing Sound Struggle in tandem in the months and years to come, until it becomes a big enough enterprise that we could call it our job.

If that happens sooner, then I’m positive we would be all over it!

What is your favourite beer?

Joe: I’m a sucker for Sam Adams, especially the seasonal stuff. Or anything brewed with chocolate and coffee.

Sound Struggle’s second studio album “Rise” is out on September 25th, stay tuned via Facebook and Bandcamp.

Advent Horizon from Salt Lake City released their second album titled “Stagehound” in May this year. Guitarist and singer Rylee McDonald talks in an interview for Progarchy about the album, prog rock today, Rush and more. Read on!

Let’s talk about your newly released studio offering “Stagehound.” My opinion about the album is that it’s a tribute to the sound that’s been forgotten. How much of a challenge it was for you to create this work?

Every member of Advent Horizon developed a love for the classics years before we discovered new music. Therefore, our roots lie in music that was written much before our time. Because of this, our writing style automatically has a bit of a vintage flare to it. Stagehound is a product of our roots, combined with the modern influences that we have picked up along the way.

Is there a certain concept that “Stagehound” follows?

Stagehound is not a concept album, but there are pieces of it that follow a storyline. Tracks 8,9 and 10 tell a story based on the Greek Myth of Orpheus and Eurdice, which we have called “The Stagehound and Serpentine Suite”. As for the rest of the album, there do seem to be common themes that pop up. One that comes to mind is how easily the course of our lives are altered by seemingly insignificant events. It’s always been very interesting to me to think about how easily my life could have taken a totally different path.

Describe how the album art for “Stagehound” fits the story of the album?

The album artwork for Stagehound was designed to go along with the “Stagehound and Serpentine suite”. The character in the picture is “Sally”, a main character, whose beauty is overshadowed by the unfortunate events that ultimately lead to her demise.

Where does “Stagehound” stand comparing with “Immured”?

There are many key factors that set Stagehound and Immured apart. Immured was written by Mike and Rylee between the age of 15 and 19. At the time that the album was recorded, Advent did not have a bass player, so all of the bass parts, guitar parts and Vocal parts were played by Rylee. For Stagehound, we made a big effort towards collaboration. While the framework for the songs was created by Rylee, the rest of the band had a large influence on the direction that each song took.

Because of this, Stagehound explores many genres, and sounds, while Immured keeps to one style throughout. One other key difference is the use of Keys. For Immured, we used lots of Synthesizers, Pianos, Organs, and string sounds to create an atmosphere for the album. With Stagehound, we set out from the beginning with a goal to write an entire album without using a single keyboard. Instead, we relied upon guitars to fill in all those extra spaces. The album ended up using an almost Devin Townsend-esque “Wall of guitars” sound. This makes it much more intense, energetic, and loud.

What does the new album’s name represent?

“Stagehound” is the main character in the “Stagehound and Serpentine suite”. He was a musician during the great depression in New Orleans. He is known as being “The one who speaks for the masses”. The poor and underprivileged related to him, and word spread like wildfire of his talents.

When you describe your music you mention that your sound is a mixture of classic and modern progressive rock. Would you be able to draw a line that separates the classic from contemporary progressive music in your sound?

This is a thought provoking question. I guess the vocals are a big part of what give our music a classic sound. Some of my biggest influences in writing vocal lines are Yes, Styx, Boston, Tears for Fears, and Early U2. I have always loved how good those bands were at creating vocal parts that were very rhythmically involved, and interacted with the drums a lot. I think that Mike’s drumming is a big part of what gives the modern edge to our music. Mike has been Heavily influenced by Danny Carey of Tool, Martin Axenrot of Opeth, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, and Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree. All of these influences work together to craft his very unique style. Some of the songs on Stagehound are obviously more classic rock leaning than others. “Dying Blue”, “Magic Chef” and “Oceans” to name a few. While “Invasion Theorem” and “Midweek Maniac” are much more modern by design. Those songs were influenced by my love of what I call “Modern Pop Prog”. Bands like “Coheed and Cambria”, “Mutemath” and “Devin Townsend” fall into that category.

You showed your admiration towards Rush on quite a few occasions. Which era of the band in particular inspired Advent Horizon mostly?

I am a total Rush Nerd in every way. Everything they have ever released has been a huge influence on me. Mike and I spent the first 2 years of our musical lives learning every Rush song that we could wrap our heads around. Because of that, it’s very difficult to put a finger on any particular era of their music that inspired me more than any other. But If I had to pick one, I would probably say their “Classic Prog” Era, which is my term for the albums 2112, Farewell to Kings, Hemishpheres and Permanent Waves. To me, Permanent Waves was the album that had the best proportions of Proggy music to Catchy, accessible music. Plus, Geddy’s voice on that album is Incredible!

How do you look at the prog rock scene today?

The Prog Rock Scene today is very exciting to me. The last 10 years has really seen a huge increase in the worlds interest in Prog. So many great bands have been popping up all over the place! Haken, Riverside, Pain of Salvation, Jolly, Spocks Beard just to name a few. There are a few small Prog record labels that I think have done wonders for the genre lately. Namely ‘Inside Out’ and ‘KScope’. Both have been doing a great job of bringing our overlooked genre back to the world!

As a band that cherish vintage over modern, do you think that Internet, software and technology in general are hurting the real music/art?

Well, this is a double edged sword. I think that the digital age has done wonders for the music world. 30 years ago, without a record label, Advent Horizon would have never been able to get our music heard by people around the world. But now thanks to social media and online music stores, we have been heard by people thousands of miles away. It really is incredible to think that people in places I have never even heard of are listening to my music!

However, in my opinion, the biggest problem with the digital age is The Devaluation of music. Most people no longer think of music as a product, or even an art form. Services like Spotify, Pandora, Google Play and Apple music have turned music into a method of generating ad revenue. They have given free access to anything anyone could ever want to hear, so music no longer has any worth to the general public. When you tell someone you’ve just released a new album, their first response is usually “Oh cool! I’ll check it out on Spotify”. If they think theyre “supporting your music” by doing that, they’re cheating themselves. My general rule of thumb is: If you’re ever offered anything for free online, YOU are the product. I could go on and on about this, but I won’t. The reality of it is that this is the future. Now that people have been given unlimited music for free, they’re never going to go back to purchasing albums. This is a fact that we as musicians have to be able to cope with. Luckily, in our little world of Prog Rock, many people still value music enough to purchase CD’s. Long live prog!

On August 20 you played a show together with The Mercury Tree. What does an Advent Horizon concert look like?

Our music appeals to many different demographics of people. It’s always a blast to look out at our audiences and see Older couples, college kids, parents taking their youngsters to their first rock show, and other Musicians. This mixture of people makes for a very friendly environment. A place where people who normally wouldn’t meet to come together through music. There’s something really cool about that. As for our stage show, our music goes from high energy Rock, to soft acoustic, to jazz, to funk. And with all these changes, our interaction with the music also changes. We will go from headbanging, to skipping across the stage, to sitting still staring intently at our fretboards. We also have a lot of fun messing with each other on stage. Theres a constant playful banter between band members as we’re playing that gives the audience something to chuckle at. We try to make our live shows a fun experience for all.

Get “Stagehound” from Bandcamp, and follow the band on Facebook.

5R6 from Kharkiv in Ukraine are preparing to launch their debut full-length album “Islands” on September 25th. In an interview for Progarchy, singer and guitarist Igor Zubko talks about the upcoming release, influences, gear and more.

You are about to release a new studio album titled “Islands.” Describe the creative process that informed the album.

By the time we recorded the “+6.5 and Brighter” EP and went on tour supporting Stoned Jesus in 2012, we already had a couple of new songs in work, I had plenty of the song drafts and ideas to select from. We were very inspired after the tour. So we wanted to make an album in a year. But then, as they say, life happened.  And all of the songs that eventually made it to the album were formed only by mid-2014. Which I think was for the best, because time made the selection process more effective, many ideas were dropped even before they made it to the rehearsal room. We also significantly changed some of the song structures and arrangements during that time.

At some point there were 8 songs that sounded like a good selection for an album. However, somewhere during the recording, we decided that one of the songs that was already recorded will not be on the album. The song was good, but it just didn’t belong there. We released it as a single/outtake through our Bandcamp, it is called “Vermin”.

This time we recorded everything at our friends’ studio where our drummer is working as sound engineer and technician. It’s the same studio where we rehears usually. So it felt almost like home and we had plenty of time and equipment to play with to find the right sound for each song. Which was great at first, but than became a little frustrating because it slowed down the whole process. Nevertheless, I think we reached our goal.

The album’s concept is inspired by Aldous Huxley’s famous essay “The Doors of Perception.” Can you tell me more about it?

I recommend to read the whole thing, it is short enough. Hey, a piece of writing after which The Doors named themselves worth reading. However, there is a particular part in the essay, where Huxley refers to every human group as a society of island universes. We experience both the joy and suffering on our own, we can communicate about our feelings, evoking sympathy or compassion, but we cannot communicate the feelings themselves. It struck me when I first read it, I had the similar feeling and thoughts for a long time, of course, I could not explain them as clear and exquisitely. The complete quote is beautiful and much more elaborate.

It is the normal way of things. But a though about being all alone even among your close ones appears very sad at a certain angle.

So. long story short, the lyrics on the album are about “islands”, about us – people; our connections, detachment, confusion, alienation, hopes and delusions, ignorance, aggression, apathy, will and all the fun stuff. It also touches on the so-called “meaning of life”, the most successful franchise over the last few millennia.

What were the biggest issues you experienced during the recording sessions of “Islands”?

It is about 300 km from Kharkiv to the war zone, and only 50 km to the common border with the aggressor state. So, at times it was hard not to ask ourselves what the point of this, or is this a good time for making records, for art. And the answer is – for art, it is never a good time, that’s why it is always the right time.

Regarding the process itself, It was hard to organize everyone schedule, and was frustrating when we could not continue for weeks, because of the schedule conflicts. Waiting for weeks and not making any progress, this was driving me mad. The last delay was my fault though. I just kept starting and rewriting lyrics to the title track until the day we finally recorded it.

5R6 sound is described as a mixture of metal, progressive rock, grunge and alternative music. How do you manage to channel that variety in your writing?

We do not manage it, it is just how it goes. We are influenced by very diverse bands and scenes, even with contradicting approaches towards the music. For example, Kirill and I both love Pink Floyd and Black Flag. In my playlist Beck’s album may be changed by Napalm Death, Steve Reich might be followed by Beastie Boys, John Scofield may meet Swans, etc. We’re just do not keep ourselves within a very strict limits of a sub-genre. We try to keep our own identity and this kind of “proggy/alternative” basis though. and not to wander into dream pop or IDM territory for example.

You say that the band’s purpose is staying open minded. What does it involve?

It is rather an attitude toward art, rather than a purpose. I guess I answered this question above.

Which bands or musicians influenced your works at the most?

The list would be too long to not become boring. I’ll try to name the bands that come to my mind first in no particular order. Slint, Tool, Pink Floyd, Death, Motorpsycho, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Swans, King Crimson, Deftones, Massive Attack, Fugazi, Alice in Chains and many-many others.

What kind of gear do you use in studio?

I cannot name every piece of equipment involved in the recording, but here are some of what we used: Orange Rockerverb 50 amplifier,  some custom-build-no-name amplifiers, Pignose “Legendary 7-100”, Mesa Boogie 4×12 and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 cabinets. Most guitar parts were recorded using my Gibson Les Paul Traditional Mahogany Satin, we also used Fender Jazzmaster, some Strat, Fender Acoustic-Electric Guitar and maybe a couple of other guitars. We also used plenty of different pedals mainly overdrives, fuzzes and delays from EHX, MXR and Boss.

And it was really cool that we were able to play around with the vintage electric organ Yamaha YC-45D, We used it here and there in the record, and we were just stoked with the result.

Can you see a clear progress in your music since the band’s early days until today?

Yes, I feel that there is more individuality and less limits in our music today. By individuality I mean that we sound like 5R6, not like 5R6 playing some other band covers, in spite of the songs being considerably diverse. And I would like to think that we improved as performers (laughing).

It’s always hard to make something different, and it’s hard to make people accept the things that are not frequent and that change. 5R6 has come long way since your debut release, so where do you see the band in the future?

Well, I feel emotional exhausted right now, because of all the pre-release activities and decision making. So, it’s a bit hard for me to think about the future. A plan for the rest of the year is too release this album present it in big cities of Ukraine, work on promotion, work on new material(?), tour Europe in 2016 in support of the “Islands”, and we’ll see where it takes us.

Is there anything you want to share with our readers about your upcoming album “Islands”?

Do not forget to check our Facebook page for updates from time to time (wink). And don’t miss the release on September 25th.

Pre-order “Islands” on Bandcamp, and follow the band on Facebook.