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.
Me and GregMe and Alberto
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.
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.
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 years
Lying here staring at the sky above From the bottom of the hole I’ve dug Another day of solitude Alone, alone
Cuz it’s another f***ing breakdown Breakdown
I’m losing everything I’m losing everything
Doc 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.
Atan, Ugly Monster, 2022 Tracks: Clenching Teeth (4:04), Abducted (5:30), Faces (4:33), Ugly Monster (3:36), Origami Doll (2:37), Protected (5:45), Words (5:30), Sorrow (5:41), The Mind (4:51), Second Fig (4:43), Absentee (Bonus Track featuring Derek Sherinian) (6:28) Players: Claudia Moscoso (vocals), Andrzej Czaplewski (guitars, samples and synths), Jerry Sadowski (drums), Marcin Palider (bass)
While Atan recently released a new EP, here at Progarchy I seem to be stuck living in the past (I am an historian, after all). Last year’s Ugly Monster was the band’s debut, and it stands tall for a debut record. Featuring a blend of heavy progressive metal subgenres led by female vocals, Ugly Monster has offered a lot to enjoy on repeated listens.
Just as comfortable exploring a spaced out metal zone a la Tool as they are a smash-mouth djent riff, Atan easily and interestingly bend metal subgenres throughout the course of the album. The only song where it doesn’t work for me is “Origami Doll,” where the track takes on a Japanese-influenced style of metal. That likely appeals to some (like it or not, Babymetal is popular for a reason), but it isn’t my cup of tea. Thankfully that’s the shortest song on the album. Musically the song is fine, but the vocal lines do nothing for me.
Atan is at their best when they blend both ends of the metal spectrum – moving seamlessly in and out of heavy, gritty bass-driven djent riffs with passages of minor-key spacey metal brilliance. In many ways “Protected” sounds like it could have come off Meshuggah’s last album, which featured a healthy dose of quiet but densely brooding tracks. Atan also tries their hand at a wall of sound approach to metal with “Words.” A slower track, the guitars seem to create a wall in the midst of the mix. The result reminds me somewhat of Chevelle with a mix of Devin Townsend. Or Tool. That’s probably a better comparison. “The Mind” has a touch of Rush with the bombastic drums and towering guitars punctuated by higher end vocals.
The bonus track features some synthy noodling by Derek Sherinian, who often does keys for hire for bands looking to add a little something to their songs. I’m often skeptical when bigger name musicians do this, but it really does add a lot to this track and to Atan’s sound. I hope they add more keyboards to their sound in the future.
Atan really took me by surprise with this polished and mature record. It contains plenty of variety in terms of styles of metal without feeling disjointed. The album isn’t overly heavy or djenty, despite displaying those influences. As such, progressive rock fans more skeptical of the heavier end of the genre should still find much to appreciate on Ugly Monster. It holds its interest, and I think the band have a solid base to build upon in future releases.
Moon Letters, Thank You From The Future, 2022 Tracks: Sudden Sun (4:19), The Hrossa (6:19), Mother River (4:32), Isolation and Foreboding (6:34), Child of Tomorrow (5:27), Fate of the Alacorn (7:06), Yesterday Is Gone (6:47) Players: John Allday (keyboards, vocals), Mike Murphy (bass, vocals), Kelly Mynes (drums), Michael Trew (vocals, flute), Dave Webb (guitar)
Moon Letters offer what could be called standard classic progressive rock. It is guitar, drums, and synth heavy, and the vocals are harmonized in a quintessentially late 60s and early 70s fashion. Gentle Giant is certainly an influence, and “Thank You From the Future” definitely has that sense of playfulness in the music and vocal arrangements. I hear elements of the Moody Blues, Genesis, and maybe even a little Procol Harum as well.
One might be surprised to hear that the band hails from Seattle, as the music reminds me more of English classic prog than of American progressive rock. Thank You From the Future is the band’s second album, following up 2019’s Until They Feel the Sun.
The band has a science fiction and fantasy influence. I’m pretty sure the band’s name comes from the moon runes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” and “The Hrossa” is a reference to the alien species that live on Mars in C.S. Lewis’ “Out of the Silent Planet.”
Dave Webb’s guitar has a slight Steve Hackett flair to it, especially in the sustained notes. That alone adds a Genesis influence, although Genesis isn’t the first comparison that came to my mind when listening to Moon Letters. But in listening closely to the guitar, Hackett is clearly an influence. Hackett is my favorite guitarist, so that’s a win in my book. The opening to “Yesterday Is Gone” is particularly delightful in its proggy sustained guitar. The sparse guitar notes and licks interspersed between the lyrics throughout the song really elevate the track.
Thank You From The Future is an upbeat entertaining nod to classic prog with modern sensibilities. The album does tend to sound a bit uniform in style, and a little variety would have been nice. But it’s a short album (by today’s prog standards, at least) at 42 minutes, which is a good length for this sort of record. The guitar work is what sets this record apart for me, as I’m sure it will for many of our readers. That’s worth the price of admission by itself.
Hot on the heels of the release of Big Big Train’s Igenious Devices, the band has announced the upcoming remaster and reissue of the late David Longdon’s first solo album, “Wild River,” complete with new artwork.
More from the band:
‘Wild River’, the first solo album from David Longdon has been re-mixed, re-mastered and expanded and will be released on 20th October. It is preceded by a single ‘Always’, which is available now.
‘Wild River’ was originally self-released in 2004 and at that time only a minimal quantity of CDs were produced. Whilst it was briefly available via the Big Big Train website, it has long been out of print. David had always intended to remix and repackage it. However, his sudden death in November 2021 meant that his plan never came to fruition. In a final act of remembrance by his long-time colleague Rob Aubrey, Big Big Train’s engineer since 1994, David’s wishes have now been fulfilled. The album packaging has also been re-designed by Longdon’s friend and collaborator Steve Vantsis.
Sarah Ewing, David’s partner, recalls why he was so keen to revisit ‘Wild River’. “David was really proud of those songs,” she says. “He produced and engineered the album himself, but always felt that the recording, the production and the mix never quite met his expectations. Over the years he became much more skilled at his craft, and had he been alive now, he would have been able to deliver the album the way he always wanted it to be. He’d also always wanted to improve the cover art, but at the time he’d spent all his money on the recording and mixing.”
Wild River’ represented a transitional period for David, both artistically and emotionally. His father, Eric, had passed away in 1994, he had been through a divorce, and he’d auditioned to be the lead singer of Genesis following the departure of Phil Collins. However, after a protracted audition-cum-rehearsal process, he was immensely disappointed to lose out on the role. Which, with hindsight, was a blessing in disguise.
Around this time, XTC guitarist Dave Gregory was playing a session where he first met David. Between XTC projects, Gregory had been recording a version of the Genesis epic ‘Supper’s Ready’ and David, a big XTC fan, offered to sing on it, adding, “I really need to do this.” Gregory was astonished at how quickly David recorded the vocal parts: “Soup to nuts in an afternoon and an evening.” Rather than accepting payment for the session, David invited Gregory to play guitar and Mellotron on the work-in-progress ‘Wild River’. Gregory recalls, “The Genesis experience galvanised him. He was saying, ‘Look, this is what I can do. And I’m gonna f*cking show you’. That was a huge motivation for him. He felt rejected, so had to work a lot harder.”
Big Big Train’s sound engineer and David’s friend Rob Aubrey was asked to remix the album earlier this year. “It still fills me with sadness that he’s gone, but ‘Wild River’ needed to be made available again as it is such a strong album.” The last word on ‘Wild River’ goes to Sarah: “I don’t think it sounds like an album that’s 20 years old; it sounds very immediate and contemporary and that speaks of David’s talent,” says Ewing. “It’s hard for me to be objective, but I hear the younger David and in that regard it’s a beautiful time capsule.”
Echo US, Inland Empire, 2023 Tracks: Across The Star (3:50), Echo Us (9:38), Dark Shock (8:35), It’s Time For Winter (3:42), Inland Empire (7:43), Nest Egg (2:09) From The Furthest Memory (1:14), Far Above The Sky (5:20), Solarium (6:33), Singing With You (10:17)
For the first of my ridiculous backlog of albums to review, I bring you a review of Echo Us’ album from the beginning of the year, Inland Empire. You may remember the band from past Progarchy reviews: James Turner’s review of 2014’s XII A Priori Memoriae and my review of 2021’s The Windsong Spires.
My review of InlandEmpire begins similarly to my review of their last record: eclectic, atmospheric, ethereal. Waves of guitar, claps of percussion, strangely spacey vocals. While not a typical rock album, much like The Windsong Spires wasn’t, it does incorporate rock and certainly progressive elements. Electric guitars and clever percussion, along with aptly placed synths, create a wall of sound that draws from myriad musical influences. New age? Rock? Certainly ambient, yet it retains enough melody to keep the album engaging.
The atmospheric elements occasionally take on a Floydian edge. “Echo Us” has some spacey yet rock-hardened tones before introducing some spoken word fragments, much in the way Pink Floyd did on The Wall. The second half of “Dark Shock” features more Floydian atmospherics, with some particularly enjoyable guitar work.
Some elements of the guitar remind me a bit of Big Big Train, as well, which was a bit of a surprise. But overall, their sound is still more atmospheric than traditional prog. The album flows together almost too well, making most of the songs sound a bit the same. Since the music is contemplative and rather ambient, it’s more palatable even if there’s not much variety. The vocals aren’t a strong point, but they’re heavily filtered with various effects, adding a synth-like quality to them which helps them recede into the ambient wall of sound.
Overall “Inland Empire” is a worthy successor to 2021’s “The Windsong Spires.”
Light, The Path, January 8, 2023 Tracks: Seekness (14:15), Cornua (1:31), The Sweet Release Of Death (5:04), Blue Sun (8:38), Tibia (1:19), Betray (3:13), Newts (6:44), Electris (1:40), The Sublimation Of An Oak (4:13), Tympana (1:23), Dive (13:57), Chalemia (1:47), Mesmerize (3:12), Burning Birds (7:12), Lux Æterna (3:24)
Light is the brainchild of Toulouse, France, based artist Camille De Carvalho, who wrote The Path together with Auriann Rossard, Loup Vaillant, and Paul-Henry Touzac. Carvalho plays an astounding number of instruments on the record, from keyboards to clarinet to duduk and everything in between. She’s joined by a talented cast of other musicians providing additional orchestral work as well as guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. The record is a unique blend of prog, jazz, and classical, leaning most heavily on the symphonic with a distinctly modern flair.
“Blue Sun” perhaps best exemplifies what Light does best. The symphonic overtones dominate, but the overall sound gradually builds adding in the rock elements as it crescendos in a King Crimson-esque wall of controlled chaos. The vocals come in after the midway point, adding further depth to the sound. As the record moves along, the vocals increase, typically in a more classical form than the lead vocals to which rock listeners might be accustomed.
The album’s mix is very lush, with the varied instruments all sounding clear in the mix. There’s a lot of depth to the overall sound as well, making it a very immersive experience.
The Path is an album that will stretch the typical prog fan’s ears, but there is much to enjoy in this album.
Progarchy got the chance to interview Light mastermind Camille about her recent release and what it took to make this project a reality.
You released an album in January 2023 entitled “The Path” How do you feel about the release?
I’m very excited ! I’ve been working on this for 14 years, almost half of my life !
I’ve spent so much time and money in it, it’s really strange to see it done. I thought (and many of my friends too) that I’d never finish it, that I’d always find something to change, to add, to tweak… Having now the CD in my hands feels unreal.
How much of a challenge was it to work on the album?
It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Basically, I wanted to write for orchestra, but I had no orchestra and the ones I contacted were not interested.
I had to learn to play around 100 instruments, spend all my evenings playing, writing, practicing or reading books about how to write for all of these instruments.
And then when I met the first persons interested by the project, I had to manage the recordings, the rehearsals, the writing of the lyrics, the communication…
It was really a lot, but I stayed determined.
Speaking of challenges, did you set any in the early phase of what has become the final result?
Yes, at the very beginning, the challenge was to record an album featuring only keyboards (then I heared White Noise 2, hated it, and decided it was a bad idea)
Also, every piece I wrote was challenging : there’s always a point where I tell myself «and what if, instead, I did this ?» and it’s always some horrible over complicated polyrythm, or scale… the piano part of Dive, for example, is really a nightmare to play. I wrote it in 2010, and managed to play it in 2020, after years of working on my fingers independance and stamina
Tell us about the different instrumental aspects that you explore on these new songs.
I tried to mix a lot of genres, mainly prog rock but also jazz, classical and a little bit of metal. But the main way I see my music is that I want to write impossible things.
Apart from the interludes and maybe one or two simple tracks, all are impossible to play live as is : it can be because of the polyrythms (particularly the infamour 107:100:93 in Blue Sun, or the 48:47 in The Sublimation of an Oak), the time signatures (I used some things like 61/32 and 47/16), or the instruments’ balance : as every instrument is recorded separately, I can make the ocarina sound louder than the trombone for example, and it’d be impossible in real life. I wanted to push the complexity as far as I could, but keep “listenable” by anyone. I don’t want my music to be seen as really harcore to listen to, even though I love some pretty hardcore bands. I want people to groove, in a way, when they listen to it. To think it’s strange, but in a good way.
I love math, and used a lot of formulas or concepts to create a starting point for the tracks. I don’t let math do all the work, because I didn’t like the results obtained by the people who tried it; I only use it as a basis and it’s often a challenge to adapt to what it has created, because it doesn’t follow musical logic. I drew explanation for the things I used and put it in the booklet, you can try to decypher it and find how it has helped me.
Also, all the interludes are inspired from plain chant, a singing technique used by monks in medieval times. I love it ! And it’s so rarely used
What is your opinion about the current progressive rock scene?
I must confess I don’t listen to enough new bands, there are so much things to discover in the past I tend to forget the present ! But still, Auriann, the drummer of the band, is constantly searching for new music and dragging me to shows so I know some, like Ni, PoiL, Piniol, Pryapisme, Sungazer, Haken, Myrath… I think prog rock never died and will never die, and now with modern techniques and instruments, we can push the music further than ever. You have to search for them, but there are really good bands currently.
Let us know about your influences—the artists that in a way shaped and continue to shape the your music.
Haha it’s hard to answer without being boring so I’ll limit myself, but I have to categorize :
In classical music, I’m really fan of the beginning of the 20th Century : Ravel is my first love, Holst the reason why I’m not single anymore, and Lili Boulanger my current obsession.
For rock, my 2 main and most obvious inspirations are Magma and Frank Zappa, and I’m a huge fan of Gentle Giant, King Crimson and all the 70’s era.
For jazz, I’d say that Coltrane, John Zorn, Andy Emler and Louis Amrstong shaped my tastes, even if their influence isn’t as prevalent as Zappa’s or Holst’s in this album
What are your top 5 records of all time?
Hard question, I think it is for everyone. I think the best way to answer it is with rare unknown albums, as they’re better to help understanding the tastes of someone. So yes, I could say Relayer by Yes, or Kid A by Radiohead and sure, they’re great, but it’s also obvious that I love them.
Here is my pick :
1 – “Everywhere At The End of Time”, by The Caretaker : my biggest musical shock, an album about dementia ; you can’t stay the same after you’ve listened to this madness
2 – “Trout Mask Replica”, by Captain Beefheart : well known, but I had to. A lesson in what is freedom, and music. Try again if you hate it : you’ll get it (eventually)
3 – “8”, by Supersilent : it’s an improvisation band, without any planning or concertation. First time I listened to this, I was at work : the walls and roof disappeared and I suddenly was in a cold storm, completely lost. My tasks did not progress after that
4 – “Rire, c’est pas sérieux”, by Raoul Petite : I love Zappa but as english is not my main language, I don’t always understand the lyrics. Well if you love Zappa but speak french primarily, there’s Raoul Petite for you
5 – “Circus”, by Circus : this album taught me something very important : to shut up. Sometimes, there are unexpected silences in their music, and it creates a very peculiar atmosphere that can be mimicked by nothing else. I can’t say I used it in my album, at all, but I will probably in the future
Besides the release of “The Path” are there any other plans for the future?
I’ve already started to write the concept of the next album, which will be greatly inspired by the life of Lili Boulanger (and her music).
Also, a music video will be released with the album, and I have a few covers I still have to finish recording, as they were rewards of the Kickstarter campaign. I’m currently working on Shine On You Crazy Diamond, it’s nearly finished ; it’ll contain no guitar, no bass and no drums… you will see!
Soen – Memorial
Transatlantic – The Final Flight, Live at L’Olympia
Dream the Electric Sleep – American Mystic
Big Big Train — Ingenious Devices
Haken – Fauna
Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex
Southern Empire – Another World
Moon Safari – Himlabacken Vol. 2
3. Riverside – ID.Entity
2. Molybaron – Something Ominous
1. TesseracT – War Of Being
Progarchy 