Venue: Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN
Tesseract, War of Being Tour, Part 2
Band: Daniel Tompkins (vocals), Acle Kahney (lead guitar), James Monteith (rhythm guitar), Amos Williams (bass), Jay Postones (drums)
Setlist (one hour): Natural Disaster, Of Mind – Nocturne, King, Sacrifice, Legion, War of Being, The Grey, Juno (with Concealing Fate Part 3: The Impossible outro)
Devin Townsend, Powernerd Tour
Band: Devin Townsend (vocals, lead guitar, theremin), Mike Keneally (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Darby Todd (drums), James Leach (bass)
Setlist (~one hour fifty minutes): Powernerd, Love?, The Fluke, Lightworker, Dimensions, Aftermath, Deep Peace, By Your Command, Bastard, Why?, Gratitude, Almost Again, Truth, Kingdom
Encore: Ih-Ah! (Devin solo acoustic), Deadhead, Bad Devil
Talk about a power lineup. For me, anyways. This show was only on my radar for the last couple weeks when I first saw it when stumbling across Devin’s Powernerd tour. When I saw TesseracT were opening for him on part 2 of their War of Being tour, I was intrigued. I saw them on the first part of this tour back in 2023 in St. Louis, and they were phenomenal. I had never seen Devin live before, but I’ve really fallen into his music since 2019’s Empath. I didn’t buy the tickets until a couple days before because work has been so busy and I’ve been so tired, but when Devin announced early last week that after this tour he would be stepping back from regular touring, I figured I needed to go. Nashville is a little over an hour from me, so it’s an easy trip and can be back in my own bed the same night. Or in my case falling asleep on the couch at 1am with the dog barking at me for leaving her at home.
I left work a little early to go home and feed the hound before heading south early for some BBQ near the venue and to get a free parking spot on the street near the venue, Marathon Music Works. Marathon Motor Works was a brass-era automotive manufacturer in Nashville, active from 1909-1914. The buildings still stand all these years later, and one of them is the home of this deceptively large venue. It looks like a small club from the outside, but inside has a standing capacity of 1800. For being in what is essentially a large open warehouse, the sound quality was quite good. More on that later. Multiple discretely located bars and a hot dog stand round things out inside. The weather was a bit crap, so the venue opened the doors long before the stated 6:00pm doors open time, allowing people to line up in the vestibule area. They also offered free water at the bars and security handed out free water bottles in the interim between bands. I’ve never seen a concert venue do that before, and considering the inexpensive cost of the show ($43 plus ~$13 fee), I was pleasantly surprised. This was a great venue. Parking is limited, but there are a few paid lots nearby and street parking in the area if you show up early.
Beginning right on time, TesseracT take the stage to a largely Devin-focused crowd. While it seems most people haven’t heard of TesseracT before (to their shame), the band seems to impress all-around. They thoroughly impressed me, playing a strong setlist of some of their best tracks. Unsurprisingly they pull from their heavier output, with crunching riffs and Tompkins distorted vocals. As the first show of the tour, Tompkins wisely paced himself. Their songs require a lot from him, so he has to pick and choose which high notes to reach for and which to knock down a notch. He knows which ones to shoot for to really make the songs. His distorted vocals were always stellar, and his high notes never disappointed.
I suppose you could say I was in the second row, standing right behind the folks leaning on the rail, off stage left (so, right side of the stage from the audience perspective). I had a great view of prog metal’s giant (literally – he looks like he’s 7 feet tall) James Monteith. When I saw them before, I was in the loft at that venue, which afforded a great overall view. This time it was nice to get a closer look at Monteith’s fingerwork. Their music is so complicated that often he was in the zone and focused on his fretwork. But he still took time to engage with the audience, even climbing on the little stool that Tompkins took more use of. Bassist Amos Williams also made several trips over from his side of the stage to engage a bit. Sadly Acle never wandered over to our side.
Watching the band up-close I was struck with how they really don’t get their power from a particular virtuosic player or excessively technical noodling, but rather from exquisitely tight riffs and technical polyrhythms. To stay in sync as well as they do is a remarkable accomplishment. While standing in line to get into the show, I saw a young dude with a t-shirt that asked, “Does it even djent?” TesseracT answered that question with a resounding YES. The heavy repetitive crunches, the stuttered drops, the thundering bass and drums – oh yes, it djents.
I brought earplugs as I usually do to shows like this. I found myself standing rather close to one of the stacks, although I was so close and it was hanging that I don’t think the full brunt of it was aimed at me. I could feel the bass though, but not in a makes you run to the bathroom way. I could actually feel my hair moving, and my pant legs had the signature quiver of a good subwoofer. With my earplugs in, I found it hard to hear some of the more dynamic elements, so I pulled them out for probably 60-70% of the entire show (both TesseracT and Devin). Taking them in and out may have been a bit awkward, but it worked out well and I left without the fuzzy head feeling. That’s a testament (ha!) to the sound engineer and whoever designed the sound system at the venue. There was no unpleasant distortion like I was expecting when I took the plugs out. The sound was clear and loud, but not overly loud. For it to sound so good when I was so close to the action was quite surprising.
TesseracT are a serious outfit and put on a serious show. Their stage is clean, and their lighting show it pristine, befitting the technical prowess present on stage. Tompkins had a serious demeanor, but he also clearly plays the role of the showman well, with precise movements on stage that mirror the riffs the band is playing. He had dark makeup on the upper part of his face (eyes up), fitting the aesthetic of War of Being. He talked to the crowd a little bit, at one point commenting that they opened for Devin fifteen years ago on his first solo headlining tour. That was probably one of their first tours as well, so it was cool to see them together again. Devin generously gave them an hour to play, which was a pleasant surprise. I figured they would have a 45 minute set, so when they played three songs more than I was expecting, I was thrilled. That was a switch from when I saw them headline in 2023, when they had two opening bands and only played an hour 15 minute headlining set. I enjoyed that show, but I was disappointed they didn’t play more. Here they played a little less than that but more than I expected, so I left very happy. All in perspective, I suppose. I look forward to seeing them live again someday.
I think they deserved more love than they got, although I saw a much longer line at their merch desk than there had been before the show started (Devin’s line was massive before the show), so hopefully they gained new fans. I, for one, bought my copy of the newly re-released CD of Concealing Fate before the show. It hasn’t been issued since it’s initial release, and it is darn near impossible to find, so it was great to pick up an overpriced copy at the merch desk.
Devin Townsend’s show is somewhat of a stark contrast to TesseracT’s, or to most other heavy metal or prog metal bands. Anyone who has seen Devin before or followed him at all could attest to that. I had never seen him live in-person before, and I was surprised at just how engaging he is with the crowd. And how much of a goof he is. He’s absolutely hilarious on top of being extremely talented. Right off the bat he came onstage without any kind of intro and started talking to the audience. He made it sound like there was some sort of issue with the intro music, but he may have been kidding. Whatever the issue was, he lightened the mood.
This was obviously Devin’s crowd. TesseracT put on a fantastic show, but most of the people were there to see Devin, and it showed with the energy level once he took the stage. That energy was infectious, but truth be told I couldn’t sustain the energy myself for very long. I used up a lot of my energy in TesseracT’s show, but it has also been a long few weeks. After a few hours of standing, I found myself wishing I had brought along my roll-on Icy-Hot for my lower back, and my feet were killing me. That put a damper on my enjoyment of Devin’s set, but it didn’t impact how good his set was and how much fun it was to see him live.
Since this was the first show of the tour and he didn’t play his Powernerd material on his more recent European shows, it was the live debut for the two songs he played off his new record (“Powernerd” and “Gratitude”). The title track was a great way to start the show, getting the audience revved up right away. I was thrilled he followed it with a Strapping Young Lad song (“Love?”), one of my favorite SYL songs. I overheard some people before the show commenting on how Devin doesn’t play the Strapping stuff anymore, but they clearly haven’t been paying attention the last several years because he re-introduced some of that material to his live shows, including three songs at this show (“Love?”, “Aftermath,” and “Almost Again”).
This was a very balanced set displaying the many sides of Devin. His heavy side dominated with tracks like “Powernerd,” “Love?”, and “Kingdom,” but his softer and sometimes spacier sides showed themselves in “Lightworker,” “Why?”, and the impromptu acoustic version of “Ih-Ah!”. He said that particular track wasn’t actually on the setlist, and I saw he didn’t play it at last night’s show in Georgia.
Devin’s humor was sprinkled throughout, whether it be through his belching, forgetting lyrics to the new songs, his balls jokes, inappropriate maneuvers with the theremin, air humping behind the security guy, briefly twerking, or the way he knelt down and wistfully looked at Keneally as that master played a keyboard solo with one hand and played some guitar notes with the other. In talking with the audience, Devin brought up the weird feeling of playing live after having been cooped up in the studio for so long. He lets his fans in on how he’s feeling, which helps create a connection between fan and artist.
I was over on the same side of the stage as Mike Keneally, and he was really fun to watch. He looks older than he is (he’s 63 but easily looks 70), which could be because of his borderline business-casual attire, in sharp contrast to both Devin’s hoody and the brutal riffs of much of the music. He was clearly having a blast, and watching him play those heavy Strapping riffs was hilarious. It is fitting that he’s playing with Devin now after playing a similar role for Frank Zappa many years ago; Devin reminds me a little of Zappa with his talent, quirkiness, and prodigious output.
The fun thing about this setlist is just how deep it is. Devin covered the length and breadth of his career. Despite the decades of music under his belt, his voice sounds as good as ever. From the operatic styling of “Why?” to the emotional distortion of “Deadhead,” Devin seemingly hasn’t aged a day. His voice really is a rare talent. Speaking of “Why?”, I’m so glad he played that. I love that song, and so did the crowd, judging by the unanimous sing-along that ensued. “Kingdom” is obviously always a hit, but I especially enjoyed hearing “Deadhead” live. It is probably my favorite Devin song, combining the best elements of his different styles. A perfect choice for an encore.
The show ended close to 11pm, with Devin giving us close to 2 hours of music – a surprise considering TesseracT played an hour. With Devin’s goofiness and chill personality the perfect balance to TesseracT’s seriousness and technical prowess, it was a stellar pairing, one I am glad I decided to go and see. They are only touring together for a couple weeks, so catch them if you can before they part ways on their respective tours.
Band: Alberto Bravin (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals, acoustic guitar), Oskar Holldorff (keyboards, vocals), Clare Lindley (violin, vocals, keyboards, guitar), Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Gregory Spawton (bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar/12-string), and Paul Mitchell (trumpet)
Setlist: Light Left in The Day, Oblivion, Beneath The Masts, Skates On, The Last English King, Transit of Venus, Miramare, Telling The Bees, Black With Ink, Last Eleven, Apollo
Encore: Love Is The Light
Paradoxically, there is perhaps no better time to take a break from work than when things are busy and overwhelming. They say when it rains, it pours. That seems to have had both a figurative and a literal meaning as of late. Work is overflowing with good and not so good, and it has been raining buckets across much of the American Midwest and South. Here in South Central Kentucky, we have had about 12 inches of rain over the last several days. Of course this rain had to come the week Big Big Train were playing their show at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That wasn’t about to stop me, though. This concert had been one of the few things I was looking forward to over the last few months, and frankly I couldn’t wait.
Into my boat I sailed. Okay, land yacht. I drive an ’08 Mercury Grand Marquis. A 5 hour drive (made ten minutes longer than it needed to be due to my refusal to pay a $5.22 toll on I-65 across the Ohio River in Louisville) is merely a pleasant outing sitting in that living room on wheels. My first stop was to the vet to drop off my dog for an overnight stay. Sorry Éowyn. (I think she’s forgiven me since she’s half laying on me as I write this.) Big Big Train serenaded me the whole drive, beginning with The Likes of Us before going back to Ingenious Devices, Grimspound, The Second Brightest Star and I think some excerpts from Merchants of Light. The weather co-operated the entire drive, with only a light drizzle glazing my windshield in the last half hour. I could have done without the immense truck traffic, but it didn’t really slow me down much on the drive up.
Since I couldn’t check into my hotel until 4pm, I made the compulsory (for me, anyways) trip to Hyde Brothers books, one of my favorite used books stores. Their prices are good, and their selection is exemplary. Pick a topic and they have something to suit your needs. As usual when I visit, I spent too much money.
A trip to Fort Wayne for me isn’t complete without a stop at Portillo’s, which was a convenient 3 minute drive from the hotel. As a born and raised Chicagoan, Portillo’s has long been one of my favorites. They’re the king of fast food, since they’re actually quality. Italian beef (a Chicago favorite), hot dogs, burgers, fries, and exceptional chocolate cake and lemon cake. Since Illinois is an expensive cesspool, they have been expanding to places Illinoisans are fleeing to. Indiana is a popular spot for Illinois ex-pats.
After watering the local economy with my money, I headed over to Sweetwater. I got there early, allowing me some time to wander their magnificent retail store. I’m not a musician, but if I was, I’d be in heaven. They seemed to have everything, including a couple members of Big Big Train! I left Alberto and Rikard alone, though.
After that I made my way to the line, which was just beginning to form. Prog concerts are always a fun way to meet people, since we’re typically of like mind and they are one of the few places I can talk in-person with someone about my beloved progressive rock and not see eyes glaze over. I even met people who were familiar with Progarchy and had read my reviews over the years. Pretty neat!
I had paid for a general admission ticket between rows C-G, and due to my place early in line, I was able to snag a brilliant seat fourth row center. I believe this was two rows closer than my seat at last year’s show. As things got going, the next round of bad weather rolled in, although you wouldn’t know it from inside the theater. The dude who introduced the band, who started a little later than the advertised 7pm, perhaps giving a chance for latecomers to show up because of the weather, commented that the auditorium was Sweetwater’s designated safe space for storms, so the show would definitely go on. The auditorium never quite filled up, which I suspect was due to the rain. They are also playing shows outside Detroit and Chicago soon, which may have limited people who would have otherwise come from those areas. But since Nick works for Sweetwater as his day job, the venue makes a great warm-up show for a tour.
The band was met with applause as they entered the stage one by one. They opened with the instrumental “Light Left In The Day” (they left out Alberto’s opening vocals), a brilliant interlude to a show that leaned heavily on the band’s latest output. Alberto quickly showed he’s so much more than the band’s lead vocalist, playing some of the leading keyboard lines on this track. Paul Mitchell’s trumpet showed us we would be getting a full Big Big Train sound.
Continue reading “Big Big Train, Live at Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, IN, April 2, 2025”
Press Release
Glass Hammer’s “Rogue” spins the tale of one man’s fateful, final journey. “He leaves everything he knows behind,” explains composer Steve Babb. “And thinks he’s returning to a place where he once knew happiness, but in reality, his odyssey will sweep him away to somewhere completely unexpected.”
Babb explains that the ten-song album explores themes of regret, heartache, and the mortal salience that comes with age. “Life is fleeting,” he continues. “It’s a heavy topic for an album, but the music isn’t as heavy as our last few releases. Rogue is much more like the Glass Hammer albums our fans refer to as “classic.”
And who’s in the lineup? “It’s no secret that Glass Hammer reinvents itself every few albums,” says Babb. “It’s happened again! This time with a lot of new faces.”
Rogue features performances by Fred Schendel, Reese Boyd, and David Wallimann (GH guitarist 2006-2010). Vocalists Thomas Jakob (Netherlands) and Olivia Tharpe (USA) are new to the band. They’re joined by guitarist Oliver Day (UK), keyboardist Ariel Perchuck (Argentina), drummer Evgeni Obruchkov (Poland), and others. “It’s an international cast of characters,” Babb points out. “A super-talented group that our fans are sure to love.”
The hour-long Rogue is Glass Hammer’s twenty-second studio album. Fans can pre-order autographed copies, t-shirts and downloads on the band’s website. www.glasshammer.com
Track list:
Well here we are in early 2025, and I’m just now getting to my Best Of list for 2024. I know I’ve been pretty much AWOL from Progarchy over the past year. That wasn’t initially intentional, but it was a busy year with a lot of change for me. I started 2024 unemployed before having to move from St. Louis to Kentucky for a new job at the end of February. I’ve also been reviewing albums for over ten years now without much of a break, so I ended up using 2024 as a break, apart from a concert review here and a couple albums reviewed for the DPRP. My plan is to get back into it this year, starting with some highlights from last year.
Perhaps representative of my lessened interest in writing reviews over 2024, I wasn’t quite as adventurous with my listening. My list, then, is shorter than past years, and I think it is a weaker list than past years. I don’t know if that reflects the year in music or just my year. Whatever.
Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks – True
A fun poppy yet progressive album from the man with the ageless voice. Anderson sounds just about as good today as he did 50 years ago, and I’m glad he’s still making music. I didn’t listen to the album all that much, but it is one I want to return to in the future.
Vanden Plas – The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
Germany’s best prog metal outfit returned with another concept album. It isn’t particularly groundbreaking, as very few of their recent albums have been. If you like Vanden Plas, you’ll know what to expect – symphonic, progressive metal with excellent vocals and cryptic storytelling.
Wheel – Charismatic Leaders
A solid album from the Finnish band. Unfortunately it didn’t go in the direction I hoped it would after their stellar 2022 “Rumination” EP, which is included at the end of this album on CD. It isn’t as heavy, and plays it a little safe. Nevertheless, it still drew me back again and again.
Devin Townsend – Powernerd
I haven’t given this one much time as I haven’t purchased the CD yet, but it is a fun run through Devin’s heavier but still approachable side. He has been busy with multiple projects over the last few years, with Powernerd being the first of more to come.
The Tangent – To Follow Polaris
With band members busy with other projects and mastermind Andy Tillison feeling the urge to create, this record is a Tillison solo Tangent album. He plays and sings it all here. Not to worry, though, because he’s still the masterful lyric-writer. He’s also learned a lot from his bandmates, making this a fine addition to their discography until they all get the time to sit down and work on another record as a group.
Steve Hackett – The Circus and the Nightwhale
A proper concept album from my favorite guitarist. This record didn’t speak to me as much as his past solo records from the past decade, but it is still very good and worthy of inclusion on this list. I still wonder how much of my apathy towards it has to do with what was going on in my life when it was released.
Airbag – The Century of the Self
I’ve been familiar with Airbag for years now, but I never really listened to much of their music. Over the last several years, however, I have dug into guitarist Björn Riis’ solo output, which is criminally underrated. So good. So when his main band released a new album, I gave it several listens, and it is quite good. Atmospheric, gloomy, contemplative – definitely a record worth checking out.
Frost* – Life In The Wires
Nice to have Frost* back making albums on a more consistent basis. This one is heavy, bordering on metal at points, but retaining that sound this is so unique to them.
Big Big Train – A Flare On The Lens (Live in London)
A brilliant live record from my favorite band. After seeing them live for my first time in March, this record is a wonderful companion with a similar setlist. The live record is taken from two shows played back-to-back nights at Cadogan Hall in London, with a bonus set featuring seven tracks only played the first night. The result is three hours of music with a terrific light show and brass band. The audio and picture quality are both top notch.
2. Big Big Train – The Likes Of Us
The band’s first studio album without David Longdon, and their first with Alberto Brevin on lead vocals. It’s a masterpiece, nodding to the band’s past while embracing its future. I have returned to the album consistently throughout the year, and it never fails to disappoint. “Miramare” is my favorite track off the album – the guitar solo making it worth the price of admission by itself. So glad the band decided to keep going and growing.
1. Caligula’s Horse – Charcoal Grace
The best album yet from Australia’s premier prog-metal outfit. Heavier than past efforts while retaining earworm melodies, crunchy riffs, and exceptional vocals. I’m bummed I only found out about their North America tour, including a stop in nearby Nashville, after the fact. This record has been the one I’ve returned to most consistently over the course of the year, and as such it receives my top billing for album of the year.
My favorite concert of the year goes to Big Big Train. I’m so glad I was able to be there for the band’s historic first-ever American show at Sweetwater in Indiana, and I’ve already purchased my ticket for their upcoming show there in April. I’m not usually one to travel long distances for concerts, but this is one band for which I will make that exception. Here’s hoping it can be an annual event.
Sorry again for being so absent this year, but I do hope to change that in 2025. Prog on.
Happy Easter. Someone at Progarchy usually posts some version of Marillion’s “Easter” every year, but this year it seems more fitting than ever. The lyrics of the song refer to The Troubles Ireland experienced for much of the second half of the twentieth century, and the title and lyrics also reference William Butler Yeats’ poem, “Easter, 1916,” about the 1916 Irish rebellion. In troubled times like these, with violent bloody wars popping up all over threatening to draw us back into darker times, Marillion’s “Easter” rings out truer than ever:
What will you do?
Make a stone of your heart?
Will you set things right
When you tear them apart?
Will you sleep at night
With the plough and the stars alight?
Big Big Train, Live at Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, IN, March 1, 2024
Band: Alberto Bravin (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals), Oskar Holldorff (keyboards, backing vocals), Clare Lindley (violin, vocals, keyboards, guitar), Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals) and Gregory Spawton (bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar/12-string), and Cade Gotthardt (trumpet, keyboards)
Setlist: Folklore, The Connection Plan, The First Rebreather, The Florentine, Summoned By Bells, Mead Hall in Winter, Telling the Bees, East Coast Racer, A Boy in Darkness, Love is the Light, Apollo
Encore: Victorian Brickwork
I didn’t think I would ever see the day, but there I was Friday evening sitting sixth row center at Big Big Train’s first ever live show in America. It’s been a long time coming – 11 years for me. I discovered Big Big Train back in 2013 while in college in Hillsdale, MI, less than an hour and a half from Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. But for this show I drove 5 hours from Bowling Green, Kentucky, where I just moved from Saint Louis, MO last Monday. A wild week, to be sure, but I wasn’t about to miss this show.
After a moderately expensive visit to Hyde Brothers books in Fort Wayne (a must visit for fans of used books), I made it to a local restaurant for a dinner meetup with folks from the Big Big Train Facebook group. Friend and fellow Progarchy editor Rick Krueger kindly invited me (as I’m not on bookface), and he even bought me dinner. Thanks Rick! After that, the group emigrated to the Sweetwater campus, a beautiful building with an intimate auditorium that seats around 260 people. At that size, there probably isn’t a bad seat in the place.
The show was general admission, but I found a fantastic seat about two seats left of center in the sixth row. My only complaint with my choice was Rikard ended up blocking my view of Greg most of the show, but Greg made his presence clearly known on the low end. Sonically speaking, it was a fantastic seat. Overall this may have been the best sounding rock concert I’ve attended. The volume was perfect, and distortion was minimal. At times some of the keyboards were a little low in the mix (not Oskar’s, but the keyboards Alberto periodically played). Other than that, it sounded great – a testament to Rob Aubrey’s important role in this band. I don’t remember the last show where I didn’t have to wear ear plugs.
The show got off to a rousing start with a more accessible number in “Folklore,” which was followed up by a more recent accessible track with “The Connection Plan” off 2022’s “Welcome to the Planet.” The prog came into the station with “The First Rebreather,” a welcome throwback to 2012’s “English Electric: Part One.” The energetic pieces were a great warmup to the slower, more contemplative classic. I think First Rebreather may have been the first BBT song I ever heard, making it extra special to hear it live.
New lead vocalist Alberto Bravin was a fiery storm of energy from the opening notes of the show, running onto the stage and firing up the crowd from the get-go on “Folklore.” He continued this energy throughout the night, with a particularly fun trip through the aisles of the venue with Nick D’Virgilio as they sang a vocal duet on “The Florentine.”
The setlist was replete with long tracks, including “A Mead Hall in Winter,” “East Coast Racer” and encore “Victorian Brickwork.” The instrumental passages highlighted the talent of this band, particularly the tightness of stalwarts Greg Spawton, Nick D’Virgilio, and Rikard Sjöblom. Nick didn’t miss a beat all night, with his intricate drumming a joy to witness on the audience’s right side of the stage. Greg’s Rickenbacker boomed, but his bass pedals shook the building. Rikard really shined for me in this show. His guitar solos were excellent, along with his work on the Hammond organ. He was clearly having a blast, as he always seems to be on the band’s live Blu-Rays. Considering he was playing parts for two guitarists, it was all the more impressive. Alberto picked up an electric (and acoustic) guitar at points, but Rikard took the lion’s share of the work, and he performed flawlessly.
Nick and Rikard had a touching tribute to David Longdon with their acoustic version of “Telling the Bees,” with Nick on lead vocals, demonstrating how versatile everyone in this band is. The duet gave the rest of the band a chance for a quick bathroom break before returning to steam their way through “East Coast Racer.” The highlight of the track had to be Alberto’s astonishing “She flies.” He carried the note far longer than I expected, and it was a very moving moment. Also moving was “A Boy in Darkness,” an unexpected choice from English Electric. Overall those albums were well represented at this show.
They only played one song from the new album – “Love is the Light” – but they really shined with it. It was great hearing Alberto sing at his most natural, and the song tastefully blends accessible lyrics with subtle complexity in the music. Alberto was truly in his element on this track, showing what a natural performer he is. Even if his interactions with the audience between songs were a little awkward (due to the slight language barrier, I think), once the music is playing, all of that falls away and he shines.
“Apollo” was a treat as an instrumental, and when Alberto wasn’t playing something, he was running around the auditorium with a tambourine (which I overheard someone in line say they saw him buy in the Sweetwater store earlier that day) stirring up the enraptured audience.
Instead of leaving the stage and coming back out for an encore, the band merely asked if we wanted a final song. They asked us what we thought they’d play, and people shouted out some requests. “The Underfall Yard” was heard clearly, and one enthusiastic fan wanted deep cut “The Wide Open Sea.” Neither request was granted, the band giving us “Victorian Brickwork” instead. I don’t think anyone complained about that choice. A fine way to end the show.
As the band’s first show of the tour, there were a couple expected hiccups. They weren’t playing at full strength, and thus everyone had to contribute in multiple ways. I only picked up on two noticeable mistakes, and I’m not even going to bother identifying them here because everyone was so professional and carried on so well that it isn’t worth pointing it out. For music this complicated, you’d be justified in expecting more mistakes, but instead they played incredibly well. I told Oskar when I met him after the show that he played really well, and he had big shoes to fill playing Danny Manners’ parts. He pointed out that he was essentially playing the parts of three people since the live band is normally much larger! So yeah, they played great.
As they’ve done at past shows, the band made themselves available to the fans out in the lobby after the show. After my long wait at the merch desk to pick up the new album on CD/BR as well as the reissue of David Longdon’s Wild River on CD, I was able to wait in shorter lines to meet and get photos with several of the band members. I was especially excited to meet Greg. His art and his support are a huge reason behind Progarchy’s existence, and his music and lyrics have been a major intellectual and artistic influence for me for over a decade now. It was an honor to meet him, as well as the other members of the band. It’s so cool that they are willing to meet people after the show. I’m sure it’s tedious for them, but it’s cool for us as fans. They were all so kind.
I’d say Big Big Train’s first show in the US was a rousing success. Hopefully this short tour will be enough of a financial success for the band to warrant them coming back to America in the future – hopefully on a longer tour. I know I’d go see them again in a heartbeat.
We’ve come to the end of yet another fine year in prog. It has been an extremely difficult year for me personally and professionally, and that’s been reflected in my output here at Progarchy. I wish I had had the bandwidth to write many more reviews this year, but such is life. I currently find myself unemployed (my temporary job ended at the end of 2023 due to lack of funding) and many months in to a thus-far fruitless job search. This year’s musical output has been a soundtrack through some incredibly uncertain times. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order apart from my top three albums at the end.
Soen – Memorial
While not as good as their last few albums, this record has still been in frequent rotation for me. It has more quiet and orchestral moments than they typically include, but there is still a lot of their heavier crunchy prog metal riffing and signature melodies. Soen isn’t a band to be missed.
Transatlantic – The Final Flight, Live at L’Olympia
I’ve long preferred Transatlantic’s live work to their studio albums. Their studio albums are great, but this is a band that is best experienced live. While I’ve never seen them live in person and perhaps never will as it sounds like this could be the end for them, their live albums are always a treat. They are especially good for long car rides. I remember listening to KaLIVEoscope on a long car ride home from college back in the day, and just a few weeks ago I listened to The Final Flight during a long drive to eastern Tennessee to meet a special someone in person for the first time (at least something has gone well for me this year). The complexity of the music and the skill of the musicians keep your brain occupied on the long open roads. Transatlantic create a fourth version of their epic The Absolute Universe with this live outing, adding in a final set featuring a Whirlwind Suite, “We All Need Some Light,” and a medley from their first two records. It’s a great way to get into Transatlantic’s music for the uninitiated.
Dream the Electric Sleep – American Mystic
I’ve been following Dream the Electric Sleep since 2014, and I think American Mystic is their best album. It’s more concise and more focused with subtle variety. It’s distinctly American prog, reminding me of the heavier prog of American prog bands of the 70s and 80s. Their vocal harmonies are definitely worth noting. Check out my full review at the DPRP.
Big Big Train — Ingenious Devices
While not exactly a new album, Big Big Train’s Ingenious Devices caught my attention and held onto it tightly. The band worked for years revisiting their “mankind and machine” trilogy of “East Coast Racer” (off 2013’s English Electric: Part Two), “Brooklands” (off 2016’s Folklore), and “Voyager” (off 2019’s Grand Tour). They re-recorded most of the instrumentals and added full string sections to the first two (“Voyager” was recorded with full strings). They also added a short track to bridge “East Coast Racer: with “Brooklands,” and they added a live version of “Atlantic Cable” featuring new singer Alberto Bravin. The mix is phenomenal, and it’s great to hear these songs set apart on their own. A must listen for Big Big Train fans. Check out my DPRP review.
Haken – Fauna
Haken’s Fauna is somewhat of a mixed bag for me. It’s a solid album throughout, but it leans a little too much on the softer side, but when it gets heavy and creative it slays. “Elephants Never Forget” is simply fantastic – one of Haken’s best songs. Check out my full review.
Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex
This album grew on me slowly. At first I was mildly indifferent and then grew to like it, as opposed to my immediate and lasting distaste for The Future Bites. I think The Harmony Codex rather tactfully blends the spacey progressive elements of Wilson’s abilities with the pop edge that strongly influences his recent work. I don’t know if it was commercially successful for him, but the final product is a solid record that actually sounds more familiar. No it isn’t Hand. Cannot. Erase., but I think it’s his best solo record since then. But it isn’t for everybody, namely Progarchy’s Time Lord. Rick Krueger found more to enjoy.
Southern Empire – Another World
The Aussie band’s first record since 2018 finds them with a new vocalist – Shaun Holton. He has a great voice, but former vocalist Danny Lopresto’s voice is so unique and one of my favorite elements from their last album. As such it’s been hard for me to like Another World as much as I like Civilisation. With that said, it’s still a solid album with moving melodies and a stellar almost 20 minute-long track blending heavy with symphonic prog. Definitely worth checking out.
Moon Safari – Himlabacken Vol. 2
Finally! After wondering for ten years “whatever happened to Moon Safari,” the band returned this month with the follow up to 2013’s Himlabacken Vol. 1, an album I don’t listen to frequently but will always have a warm spot in my heart because it came out around the time I really started getting into newer progressive rock. Vol. 2 is even better than it’s predecessor, making the decade-long wait worth it. The 21-minute “Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse” is the finest long track I’ve heard this year. I’m a sucker for intelligent writing, and this song incorporates influences (and lyrics) from T. S. Eliot’s masterpiece “The Wasteland” (a poem that also inspired Genesis’ “Cinema Show”). The subtle inclusion of the melody from “London Bridge is Falling Down” throughout the song is itself a nod to part of “The Wasteland”. The song is great and a must listen. Nobody does vocal harmonies better than Moon Safari.
3. Riverside – ID.Entity
Riverside have yet to make a bad album. They’re all great in their own way. ID.Entity finds them taking a synthier approach to criticism of modern technosociety, and it works really well. They still get heavy when they need to, especially with Mariusz Duda’s vocals on “I’m Done With You.” It’s a solid album throughout and shouldn’t be missed. Check out my full review.
2. Molybaron – Something Ominous
This album was the unexpected musical surprise of the year for me. I liked the band’s previous album, but I wasn’t as much a fan of the lyrics. This time around, it seems western government’s tyrannical overreach during the Covid-19 debacle has made vocalist and lyricist Gary Kelly rather based. The songs are short, but that doesn’t keep this from being a prog metal funfest. Kelly’s vocal acrobatics make the album thoroughly entertaining. “Billion Dollar Shakedown” is a magnificent teardown of modern society’s incestuous elitist blend of government and big business marching in lockstep to ruin all our lives. “Breakdown” is a refreshing and real take on mental illness, and it’s been a bit of a themesong for me since it was released. The title track points out how the elites are pitting the rest of us against each other instead of against them. “Daylight Dies in Darkness” takes a spacier tone before building into heavy metal. It’s a fantastic smashmouth rock n’ roll heavy metal album. The only thing I don’t like is it’s only 38 minutes long – it’s so good I want more. Check out my review.
1. TesseracT – War Of Being
Unfortunately I never got around to reviewing this one, but I did review their concert. This is such a fantastic album – the band’s best to date. It’s also their heaviest since their debut. Singer Dan Tompkins demonstrates that he has one of the best voices in the business. One minute he can sing high like Matt Bellamy from Muse and the next he’s doing distorted vocals a la Devin Townsend. He even learned new methods of distorted vocals for this album, enabling him to create different sounds for the different characters, since this is a concept album. I’m still trying to figure out the story, but the djenty crunch is a headbangers dream. Everything about the record is great, and it easily tops my year-end list.
So there you have it. TesseracT was the only concert I went to this year, and it was a banger. I bought tickets to the upcoming Big Big Train show in March, so hopefully I’ll be able to make it to that (life is pretty crazy right now being between jobs). I didn’t read any prog books this year, but I plan on starting Geddy Lee’s “My Effin’ Life” tonight. Hopefully the new year will suck less for me, and I hope it’s a good one for you all.
Thanks so much for reading and sticking with us here at Progarchy this year, even though our output was rather thin compared to last year. Hopefully we’ll get things rolling again in 2024.
Happy New Year, and prog on!.
TesseracT, Live at the Red Flag, St. Louis, MO, October 21, 2023
Opening acts: Alluvial and Intervals
TesseracT Setlist: Natural Disaster, Echoes, Of Mind – Nocturne, Dystopia, King, War of Being, Smile, The Arrow, Legion, The Grey, Juno
Encore: Concealing Fate Part 1: Acceptance, Concealing Fate Part 2: Deception
Hot off the heels of the release of their best album to date, TesseracT lit up St. Louis last night – quite literally. You’d be hard-pressed to find a band with a more interesting and atmospheric lighting setup. Between the strobes and the many light bars set up along the stage, the band creates a unique stage vibe with their light show. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’m a toddler TesseracT fan, having really only dug into them with the release of the brilliant livestream turned live album PORTALS in 2021. I’ve been aware of them since at least 2015 with the release of live album Odyssey. I would always give their records a chance, but at the time I didn’t really get it. I suppose the combination of my maturing tastes and the release of PORTALS perfectly coincided, and TesseracT have since become one of my favorite bands. I was very excited for the release of their latest album, War of Being (yes, I need to review it). With tickets pretty affordable, even for premium balcony seats at a small venue, I decided this show was not to be missed.
I hadn’t been to a show at the Red Flag before. It’s essentially a rectangular-shaped club with the stage on one of the long sides and a balcony on the back side and the left-hand short side. I got there early and was able to get a spot just to the left of the sound booth. I generally dislike these club-type shows because you have to stand for 4 hours, but the balcony had seats and a rail with a little table, so it was a super chill spot to watch the show, and the view was absolutely perfect.
The venue is in St. Louis’ midtown next to Saint Louis University. As such I figured there would be more options for food. Nope. The only two restaurants near the venue had stated closing times of 7pm on a Saturday, which is beyond lame, but even lamer was they were both closed by 6:15 because they sold out of food. So if you ever come to the Red Flag for food, don’t come hungry. Clearly I should have planned better, but come on. You expect food to be available near a concert venue on a weekend.
The guy behind me in line had a Soen shirt on, and after I had a run-in with a praying mantis that dropped onto me from the tree above, I struck up a conversation with him. Turns out he was from Chile in the US temporarily on business and had driven down from Milwaukee primarily to see Intervals, one of his favorite bands for a long time but that he had never had a chance to see. He also had a balcony ticket, so we hung out for the rest of the night chatting about prog and metal. It was great to meet you, Sebastion. I told him I always meet somebody cool at these prog concerts, and he commented about how chill prog and metal fans tend to be. I saw this in action when part of the crowd turned into a mosh pit multiple times during the night and every time someone fell down, the others in the pit immediately picked them up and made sure they were ok.
I was unfamiliar with both Alluvial and Intervals, but both put on solid performances. Alluvial could be described as more death metal, and as such I didn’t understand a single word of the vocals. But the band played heavy and tight and brought a solid energy to the room.
Intervals really surprised me. They are an all-instrumental melodic progressive metal band with some djent influences. They reminded me a lot of Polyphia. They played a blend of their old and new music, and even that reflected the changes Polyphia has made, with the older music being heavier and the newer far more technical. Intervals is the brainchild of lead guitarist Aaron Marshall, who can really shred. Sadly they had some tech issues multiple times. At one point, their entire sound went dead, so the drummer used it as a chance for an impromptu drum solo. Then during another song Marshall’s amp went dead. There wasn’t much he could do while his techs worked to fix it, so he played his solo anyways even though nobody could hear it. Despite the setbacks, they put on a solid show and are definitely worth checking out.
The stage was cleared for TesseracT, leaving them with a clean workspace, much appreciated I’m sure by the barefoot Amos Williams (bass). The stage setup featured a lineup of vertical light bars behind the band and several light boxes at the sides of the stage and around the drum kit. These were used to great effect throughout the set, along with the overhead lights and the smoke machine. Despite being a small stage, the clean layout and lighting made it seem much bigger.
The band jumped right into it with the first two tracks off their latest album, both of which are heavy and full of energy. These songs gave vocalist Dan Tompkins a great opportunity to show the range of his voice and the heavier edge that the new album has compared to their last few records.
Despite playing for only about one hour 15 minutes, the band played songs from every album, and every one was expertly performed and equally well received by the excited crowd. The band even got my lazy butt out of my balcony seat. The setlist on this tour includes “The Smile” and “The Arrow” played back-to-back for the first time. Those songs close off 2018’s Sonder, and they sounded fantastic live. That album also was well represented at the show with “King” and “Juno” getting played.
Some bands have musicians that stand out with flamboyant and virtuosic performances, but TesseracT’s members work together to create a wall of sound. The technicality is on full display when you watch the fingers of lead guitarist Acle Kahney, rhythm guitarist James Monteith (who looks like he’s 7 feet tall), and bassist Amos Williams. But they aren’t particularly showy about it – they let the music speak for itself. Williams is probably the most mobile of the band aside from Tompkins. Jay Postones is also a machine on the drums.
Due to the wall of sound style of production TesseracT uses, the band uses sequencers to fill out the background of their sound. The result is their live shows sound very similar to their albums, which is a win in my book.
The vocals are also heavily layered on the records, and you can hear those backing tracks in the live show too, which gives Tompkins some wiggle room if he isn’t feeling a particular note on a particular night. He easily has one of the best voices in the business. His range is impressive, and he has added new styles of distorted vocals on both the new album and in the live show. That was most pronounced on the tracks from the new album. My favorite is “Legion,” which I think may be my favorite TesseracT song overall. The performance certainly grabs your attention on the record, and it was equally impressive live. He hit some very high notes on that song, and the distorted vocals on the track are some of his best.
His banter with the crowd was also solid, giving him a firm command of the stage and the crowd. He mentioned the long five-year gap between albums, promising that it wouldn’t take that long for them to make a new album. He also hinted at a return to the US and St. Louis next year for another tour.
The light show certainly adds to TesseracT’s overall stage presence. If you’ve watched PORTALS or seen them live, you know what I’m talking about. The lighting often makes the band stand out as silhouettes, which furthers the idea of TesseracT’s sound coming from the whole rather than any one player. It can make it a little difficult to see clearly at times, but the total result is an impressive headbanging affair.
My only complaint would have to be with the length of the setlist. I definitely wanted more. Sure, it was a long night with two opening bands, but I really wanted to hear more from TesseracT. I was surprised to see how many people left after the band walked offstage after “Juno.” They gave it a minute or two before coming back on for an extremely heavy closer of “Concealing Fate” Parts 1 and 2. Even though it may have been short, it was a solid set. Every song was stellar, and the band played their heavier moments. With a longer set, I would expect some more extended atmospherics from the band, as we saw on PORTALS.
Overall I had a blast seeing TesseracT, as well as their openers Alluvial and Intervals. This was the first concert I’ve been to this year, and it didn’t disappoint. If you get a chance to see them on this tour, don’t miss it. The prices are reasonable, and the performance is stellar. They’re touring the western US and then the southern states over the next few weeks before traveling back to Europe for some shows in early 2014 and then a tour leg in Asia and Australia.
You can find upcoming tour dates at TesseracT’s website: https://www.tesseractband.co.uk
Molybaron, Something Ominous, Inside Out Music, September 15, 2023
Tracks: Something Ominous (4:05), Set Alight (3:25), Billion Dollar Shakedown (3:38), Breakdown (3:16), Anyway (4:14), Daylight Dies in Darkness (4:06), Dead On Arrival (3:21), Pendulum (3:34), Reality Show (4:17), Vampires (3:45)
Players: Gary Kelly (vocals/guitar), Sebastian De Saint Angel (bass), Camille Greneron (drums), Florian Soum (lead guitar)
Molybaron have become one of the most intriguing bands in prog metal over the last few years. Formed in Paris in 2015, the band is led by Dublin-based vocalist, guitarist, lyricist, and composer Gary Kelly. With a voice and vocal styling that stands apart from most others in the genre, Kelly shines on this record with his playful and aggressive performance.
Something Ominous is remarkably fresh and engaging. It’s heavy, gritty, riffy, and catchy. I loved 2021’s The Mutiny, but some of the lyrics were very political, something I’ve complained about regarding other artists in the past. Beyond the politics, Kelly’s lyrics incorporate a lot of cultural critique. Even if I may have disagreed with some (certainly not all) of his points, I found the music and his performance too good to keep me away. Something Ominous is a major step forward lyrically. The politics is still there, but it’s more of a critique about how everything sucks and how the powers that be are turning us (the people) against each other. There’s also some open and raw emotional moments, like on “Breakdown,” which looks at the struggles of emotional and mental health.
There were multiple points on the album that reminded me strongly of Muse, if Muse played heavier rock and metal (they came close on “Won’t Stand Down” off last year’s We The People). I could probably come up with other comparisons, but that might water down how unique Molybaron are. No one else sounds quite like them. Their overall sound is punctuated by a loud and driving bass and layers of guitars playing both crunchy and soaring tones. But, again, it’s Gary Kelly’s performance that truly sets the band apart. His voice is unlike any other singer I can think of, and he mixes up the way he sings on different tracks and sometimes multiple times in a single song. It keeps the album trotting along at an enjoyable pace, and at points it brings a smile of sheer musical joy to my face.
“Billion Dollar Shakedown” is scathing in its critique of the elites running/ruining society, and Kelly’s vocal acrobatics make this an absolute blast to blast. There’s a slight hip hop influence to the singing on the verses, but you can understand the lyrics just fine. The chorus is sung in a very fun up and down way that is angry yet playful at the same time. The guitar solo towards the end is heavy metal heaven (or hell).
The narrator on the verses on “Billion Dollar Shakedown” takes on the part of the ones in charge, and it’s done with a healthy dose of sarcasm. I particularly appreciate what I think is a critique of years of pointless Covid lockdowns that didn’t save anybody, as well as other more general nonsense in modern society:
Shut your eyes shut your eyes, forget what you see
Control the narrative, bury the lead
Gaslit, triggered, terrified
You’re a danger to your neighbor get the f*** back inside.Shoot em down shoot em down, resist temptation
You’re next in line for some cancellation
Big Tech, laws, manufactured consent
Professional suicide for those who dissent!
Kelly writes about his lyrics overall,
In general, a lot of my lyrics tend to focus on mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, but I also write about political corruption, collusion between state and corporate media, big Pharma, big tech and systematic censorship. This new album explores aging and the acute awareness of time passing by the anticipation of losing the ones you love, lingering regrets about precious time spent on unimportant things, the fear of being old and alone.
“Breakdown” looks at mental breakdowns and how overwhelming they can be. The song opens with some simple piano chords before quickly pounding into a bombastic shout of, “Cuz it’s another f***ing breakdown!”
Maybe tomorrow I’ll find happiness
An antidote for this emptiness
Carry the weight of tomorrow’s fears
Deep inside my belly all these yearsLying here staring at the sky above
From the bottom of the hole I’ve dug
Another day of solitude
Alone, aloneCuz it’s another f***ing breakdown
BreakdownI’m losing everything
I’m losing everythingDoc tells me I’ll feel better if I learn to take a breath
But the lunatic inside my chest, has a grip as cold as death
Maybe one day I will be alright
Or maybe it was all just a waste of time
It’s a refreshingly honest and deeply personal take on these issues. Having artists be open about this can help with reduce the stigma, especially for men.
“Daylight Dies in Darkness” shows off a more contemplative side of Molybaron. It starts with quiet electric guitar strumming followed by heartfelt vocals from Kelly that soon take on a sense of desperation: “Father I’ve come – do you remember I’m your son?” The song slowly swells until it takes on a heavy brooding metal riff and guitar solo in the last quarter. It’s a ballad of sorts, but not in any kind of sappy romantic way. It’s a ballad of melancholy, and it shows Molybaron excels with emotional songs as well as they do with bombastic metal.
Every song on this short (38 minutes) album is worth playing on repeat. The tracks I’ve highlighted are the ones that have jumped out at me in the early days of playing the record on repeat, but the others are just as good in their own ways. I haven’t enjoyed a new album as much as this one in a while. Molybaron may not be your typical prog metal band – if anything they could be considered accessible. Yet their music and themes remain complex, even if packaged in 3-4 minute tracks. Something Ominous is a must listen, and it’ll find its way near the top of my year-end best-of list.
Album is out September 15: https://molybaron.lnk.to/SomethingOminous
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