Wow. This is an unexpectedly impactful album from Neal Morse. You never know what you’re in for with any of his new projects, but this one has surprised me with its unusually profound emotional immediacy.
Right out of the gate, “Leavin’ California” delights the listener with an autobiographical reflection from Neal. He delivers it in a piano-laden style that reminds us of Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s big hit, “The Way It Is.” However, we get here something even deeper than Bruce Hornsby’s observations about an uncaring jerk who tells a hard-luck case to “get a job.” Instead, Neal himself sings from the POV of the down and out. He tells his own story about getting fired and being miserable. This epic and encouraging tale is alone worth the price of admission.
But the whole album continues with music of the highest caliber. The next song, “New Man,” tells a fictional tale that is no less moving than Neal’s own—no doubt because its composite image is based on a variety of true-life stories. Here, Neal quite effectively takes us down the road to redemption, guiding us to a thrilling musical catharsis where we can exclaim along with him, “God bless the new man.”
“Reach Deep and Grab It All,” with its perfect hook and killer horns, shifts gears from the consummate storytelling of the first two tracks into a dazzling display of hitmaker songwriting. Neal shows the same ability on the penultimate track, “The Heart Always Knows,” which combines a catchy chorus with the rollicking good time of a barn-burning stomper. He even throws in a perfect-fit sax solo on that penultimate track, as well as on the album’s closing track, “Breathe the Air.” That lush finale, along with two other tracks, succeeds in presenting the listener with an unusually intimate mode of prayer that displays a fully naked emotional honesty: “Open Up Again” and “The Most Important Person.”
The album thus has a unique mix of singer-songwriter mini-hits, short stories, and humble prayers. But “Never Been Down This Road” is the impressive title track that adds something further—a prog dimension—to the album’s many-sided gifts. “Never Been Down This Road” has lyrics infused with a mystical poetry that seals the whole album as another upper-echelon, Dylan-level achievement by Neal Morse. So, drink in and enjoy this whole beautiful album. It’s a satisfying and deeply moving artistic achievement.
Now here it is in all its official glory, downloadable from Bandcamp. Take a listen and then decide if you want to go all in on supporting this awesome band.
Happy release date to Brass Camel! Nice work, gentlemen. Prog on!
Vancouver band Brass Camel is only a handful of days away from releasing their genre-bending sophomore album, CAMEL.
Progarchy has already seen them perform live the most tantalizing parts of this amazing disc. We can attest that you will be thrilled to hear its contents. The prog is strong with this one.
Clocking in with six tracks across 40 minutes (a runtime supremely suited for those of us with refined vinyl sensibilities), two of those tracks are prog extravaganzas that are over 11 minutes long. Take note, folks: these brilliant tracks open the A-side and close out the B-side. Now that’s how one bookends an album in the most impressive way!
While Progarchy is presently preparing our review of the imminent CAMEL album (SPOILER ALERT: we love it!), here’s a press release from the band to get you so excited you’ll fall off the edge of your seat:
After successfully criss-crossing Canada three times on the strength of a word-of-mouth reputation and a hard-earned live following, Vancouver-based Brass Camel return with their second full-length record: Camel. Clocking in at 40 minutes across just six tracks, the album is an unapologetic artistic statement from a band whose sound resists easy classification—equal parts progressive rock ambition and deep-pocket groove, with no shortage of swagger, surprises, and soul.
Their self-styled “prog-funk” sound may raise eyebrows on paper, but as multiple Grammy-winner Fantastic Negrito put it: “They sound like a funky Rush.” Or, as Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson (who also guests on the record as the group’s Zappa-tinged “cat whisperer”) once declared, “Brass Camel…man, they’re good worldwide.”
Following their 2022 debut Brass, the band doubled down—both on the road and in the studio. Camel is the result of that momentum: two 11-minute bookends, four shapeshifting shorter tracks, and zero interest in playing it safe.
The album opens with “Zealot,” a tense, swinging epic about the inquisition inspired by The Pit and the Pendulum, and closes with “Another Day”—a three-part reflection on life, death and the promise of peace in eternal rest, written after the suicide of Sveinson’s sibling. The track climaxes in an explosive Minimoog solo by keyboardist Aubrey Ellefson, which sees the guitars step out of the picture as the trio of Ellefson, bassist Curtis Arsenault and drummer Wyatt Gilson put their respective instruments through the paces, not unlike a hard-rock “The Cinema Show”.
Lightening the tone, bassist Arsenault’s cat Lionel gets his own theme song in “Pick of the Litter,” which melts seamlessly into the riff-heavy “Chain Reaction.” Side B brings the slinky, Little Feat-tinged drug-running tale “On the Other Side,” followed by the strutting “Borrowed Time,” praised by LouderSound in their “Tracks of the Week” feature as a stomping, riff-driven anthem about burnout and the grind with no shortage of swagger and subtle weirdness.
Recorded at Vancouver’s iconic Hipposonic Studios (formerly Little Mountain Sound which saw the likes of AC/DC, Metallica and Aerosmith roll through) and co-produced/mixed by multi-Juno-winner Ben Kaplan (Biffy Clyro, Rise Against, Mother Mother), Camel captures a band at a turning point—gritty, gutsy, weird enough to stand out, yet fun enough to make people move. They’ve played over 120 shows together in the past two years. They’ve got the chops, the chemistry, and the catalog. All they need now is the world to catch up. As Crown Lands’ Kevin Comeau put it after seeing the group live for the first time in 2024, “I have seen the future of prog rock…and it is Brass Camel”.
Brass Camel is: Daniel Sveinson – vocals/lead guitar Curtis Arsenault – bass/vocals Wyatt Gilson – drums/percussion Aubrey Ellefson – keyboards/vocals Dylan Lammie – lead guitar
If you end up listening to this album on streaming (while you are waiting for your vinyl copy to arrive, of course), here are the liner notes for you to keep handy:
Brass Camel – Camel
liner notes
Side A:
1. Zealot
2. Pick of the Litter
3. Chain Reaction
Side B:
4. On the Other Side
5. Borrowed Time
6. Another Day
I.The Crystal Vase
II. Is it Any Brighter?
III. Echoes of Eternity
Brass Camel is:
Daniel Sveinson – electric guitar/vocals
Curtis Arsenault – bass/vocals
Aubrey Ellefson – keyboards/vocals
Wyatt Gilson – drums and percussion
Dylan Lammie – electric guitar
Written, arranged and produced by Brass Camel
Co-produced, engineered and mixed by Ben Kaplan
Mastered by João Carvalho
Recorded at Hipposonic Studios and Camelot Studios
Mixed at Kaplan Krunch
Street scenes recorded at St Peter’s Basilica
Assistant engineering by Jeremiah Gowen
Drum setup by Flavio Cirillo
Special thanks to Gordie Johnson for being our cat whisperer
The end of the year is a great time to look back at all the best new music we have discovered in the preceding months. But December’s homestretch is a particularly exciting time. The whirlwind of solstice celebrations presents us with many additional opportunities to discover overlooked albums.
One of my favorite finds during the past few weeks has been Richie Kotzen’s fantastic Nomad album, which I somehow missed earlier in 2024 (despite being a big fan). I’ve been playing it repeatedly as the year closes out. It’s rocketed onto my top ten list, but more on that later.
For the moment, I wanted to mention a cool album from a couple of years ago that I’ve just now gotten into. Clear your headspace and get ready to discover strange new worlds with this little gem from Mi’ens (pronounced “mittens,” but of course with the requisite accent):
Mi’ens is a mathy noise rock duo from Vancouver, Canada, founded in 2012. Experimental, with a side of sparklepop. Mi’ens is the female-fronted shredding of Kim Glennie on guitar/loops/Moog, backed by the polyrhythmic blastbeats of Evan Heggen on drums. Their unique brand of math noise consists of live loops, layered textural guitar and effects, the warm, analog drone of the Moog, coupled with well-placed vocalizations, all atop breakneck beats. Mi’ens veers into the territory of art rock/post rock on their latest, Future Child, a follow up to 2017’s Challenger, their 2014 LP experimentalsparklenoisepop and the 2013 demo EP Mi’ens. Mi’ens has toured the US, UK and Canada, and has opened for Tera Melos, Elephant Gym, LITE and Drug Apts.
I think Coming Up to Consciousness (2024) is my favorite Pure Reason Revolution album since The Dark Third (2006).
People say that Pure Reason Revolution disappeared for a decade. But really, Jon Courtney was just continuing the explorations begun on Amor Vincit Omnia (2009) and Hammer and Anvil (2010). He did so, for example, with Bullet Height and the album No Atonement (2017).
In my view, Jon Courtney has always been up to something interesting. But with Eupnea (2020) and Above Cirrus (2022), he returned to working with Chloe Alper to put those lovely trademark PRR harmonies to work again on albums of deliberately more progressive (more than just electronic) rock.
I always liked Chloe’s ability to sound like Kate Bush whenever she sang a solo line. But the magic sound of PRR has forever been their combined male and female vocal sound. With Chloe replaced by Annicke Shireen on Coming Up to Consciousness (2024), the main question is whether or not the magic continues.
Happily, it does. The characteristic male-female vocal mysterium coniunctionis of PRR is unmistakably present throughout. Jon deploys his trademark solo snarl whenever it is most effective to do so. And when Annicke sings a solo line, she may not be Kate Bush, but she has a pleasing ethereal quality, like a chanting Tolkien elf.
Greg Jong joins in with Annicke and Jon to keep that beautiful PRR sound going strong throughout the album. I find their work as a vocal trio to be exactly what keeps me a rabidly enthusiastic PRR fan. It’s such a great sound, and I can’t find it anywhere else.
What is most impressive is that on Coming Up to Consciousness (2024) the whole album feels like it is animated by the dreamlike sound and vibe of their debut album, The Dark Third (2006).
I haven’t verified the feeling by listening again to the back catalogue. But for the purposes of this review, it is enough for me to communicate my undeniable impression and firm conviction. This album truly feels to me, when I listen to it, like The Dark Third (2006). And that means I am in heaven again.
Jon wrote, produced, and engineered all the tracks. But Greg joined him in those three tasks on “Betrayal,” “Bend the Earth,” and “Lifeless Creature.” Jon wrote all the lyrics. But Greg is a production wizard who leaves his mark everywhere. Also, Greg played slide guitar and harmonica on “The Gallows.”
Ravi Kesavaram of the PRR touring lineup delivers a stellar drum performance here as an official band member. The fantastic sonic experience delivered by the drumming is no small part of what made me feel like I was in The Dark Third territory again. And Ravi did the drum mixing and added his hand to the production as well. Very impressive.
Guy Pratt played bass and did the bass production, and it sure sounds good all throughout. “Betrayal” is a particular favorite of mine in that regard. So smooth, so good. But Jon Sykes played bass on one track: “Worship.”
Lewin Krumpschmid supplied additional Fender Rhodes work along with piano and Hammond organ finesse. I love how everything blends together in the sort of spacey atmospheric and unusual tonal experience that is the PRR sound.
Bruce Soord mixed everything. Steve Kitch mastered the album. So now we have PRR sounding extra special good. I’m sure Bruce’s work is no small reason why the dreamy vibe of this whole album has me ranking it in favor next to The Dark Third (2006).
Bruce also added guitars to the three tracks that were released in advance of the official album release day (September 6, 2024): “Dig Till You Die,” “Betrayal,” and “Useless Animal.” Bruce also added guitars to a fourth track: the insanely great “Worship.”
I’m guessing that the especially cool combination of Bruce’s contribution to PRR in this regard—namely, both production and guitars—helped the band to decide which three songs to share with the public first.
I confess that I needed the full album context, hearing all tracks together at once on the same day, to be properly floored by the album. There’s something about PRR that makes them truly an album makers’ and album lovers’ experience. Jon wisely recognizes that about 40 minutes is the perfect album length (as he agreed with me when I interviewed him for Progarchy), but even short songs are marked by a prog aesthetic. They change through many moods, shift tempos, and toss in electronic oddities and textures, all to surprise and delight. It’s like mini prog. Just perfect.
The electronic download before release day listed 14 tracks. The advance reviewers’ copy of the album (supplied to us by the record company in MP3s of quality so crappy that I refused to review them in advance) also had the 14-track division. I notice that many advance reviewers complained about the six transition songs of interludes and a prelude, which seemed too ridiculously short to merit reviewers’ comments or even their own independent existence as distinct tracks.
I can happily report that the CD release has only eight songs. The “Prelude: Coming Up to Consciousness” (0:32) has been assimilated into “Dig Till You Die” (now 5:08 instead of 4:36) as its beginning, and so on with all the interludes, which have been assimilated as the true beginnings of the songs that they had previously preceded. The exception is “Interlude 5” (0:38), which is added to the end of “Lifeless Creature” (now 6:48 instead of 6:10).
I wanted to mention these facts, because the version you own will differ, depending on whether you buy a download from Apple (14 tracks) or buy physical media (8 tracks). If you’re a true fan like me, you own both, in order to support the band to the maximum.
Speaking of support, I did order the CD from Amazon, but only so the precious cargo could arrive exactly on release day, to be held in hand as the treasure that it is. However, to financially support the band, I ordered the special rare track CD, In the Realms of the Divine, from their Web store, Glassville Music.
Despite paying a pretty penny, and despite paying extra for tracking so that I could conduct surveillance on the thrilling progress of the disc to my mailbox, absolutely nothing has shipped yet. How disappointing. I think more fans would order direct from the band, and not Amazon, if they could be assured that their merchandise would arrive on release day or, even better, in advance of an official release day.
But I don’t want to end on a sour note. What I’m really saying is that PRR fans love PRR, because PRR keeps on delivering the best music to us. Congratulations, folks, on the truly beautiful work you have given us on Coming Up to Consciousness (2024). Many happy returns. We love what you do.
Pure Reason Revolution, Coming Up to Consciousness (2024)
It’s all true. Exactly what you’ve been hearing. This is the best Yes album of the past two decades.
On the one hand, a review of Jon Anderson’s True seems pointless. You would think all the Yes fans, like me, would have pre-ordered the CD and also listened to the singles as they were released.
I limited myself to only one listen of each advance song, so that I could save the full context, full album experience until release day. Of course, I was then blown away on August 23, 2024, just like so many others for whom Yes is their favorite band.
I read the advance reviews. They said it was best Yes album since The Ladder, or since Magnification. I was getting excited. Because those two albums have not been surpassed by any others released under the “Yes” name since.
But we all know a band doesn’t have to be called “Yes” to really be Yes. We learned that was true long ago, thanks to the eponymous album by a little group called Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe.
“Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe” sounds like a law firm, doesn’t it? I guess the joke was: We could sue you to prove that this group should really be called Yes, but why waste the time and energy, because we can instead just make an album that is obviously a Yes album to anyone with ears to hear.
We’ve had a couple of really nice Yes albums from Arc of Life. And you can insert your own favorite examples here. But my point is that it no longer matters what is an official Yes album or not. What matters is if it has surpassed The Ladder, or Magnification, or is on the same level.
What matters is that Yes has transcended being a band. Yes is really a style of music. A good example would be hearing something really good and having difficulty trying to identify the composer. For example, is it Bach or Buxtehude? In one respect, it doesn’t matter. It’s simply the greatest kind of music. The greatest musicians become influencers. In the same way, Yes has left their mark. Yes is classic. Yes is classical music.
Enter the group of musicians known as the Band Geeks. They can play live with Jon Anderson and sound just like Yes. They have clearly mastered the classic idiom of Yes music. And they are brilliant musicians and composers in their own right. They can work with Jon to compose new Yes music of the highest calibre.
And the music on True is so much more than derivative homage. Take the opening track, “True Messenger.” Andy Graziano surprises and amazes with his beautifully realized Steve Howe-like guitar tone and fretboard acrobatics. But by the end of the track, he has flipped into the 80s, by flawlessly rendering a Trevor Rabin guitar tone and its concomitant dive bombing attack.
So, on the one hand, a review of True seems pointless, since every track is absolutely killer. They each rank up there with the great Yes classics. “Counties and Countries” (9:51) and “Once Upon a Dream” (16:32), in particular, are the one-two knockout punch for anybody who would dare to argue that this is not a Yes album. And it seems that anyone who cares would have learned this by August 23, at the latest.
By the way, I read in one review a snarky comment about “Realization Part Two” (3:33). Namely, that that is such a prog-like title. Because, hey, where’s Part One? But it is clear when you listen to the album that “Realization Part Two” (3:33) is the finale to “Make It Right” (6:07), to which it is conjoined. So, really, there you have a third knockout punch for all the disbelievers. It’s a bona fide Yes epic: “Make It Right / Realization” (9:40).
Okay, now back to my thought that, on the one hand, anyone who cares would have been known by August 23, at the latest. Three punches. Knockout.
Yet, other the other hand, not everybody has heard the good news. I myself was walking through my neighborhood this week, happily listening to music off of my iPhone, when I saw a guy coming towards me. I already knew that he was a Yes fan, since my wife had taught piano for years to his stepdaughters and we had chatted about music many times before. So I silenced my EarPods and opened the conversation by asking how he liked the new Jon Anderson album.
Turns out, he had not heard of it! After I went on enthusiastically for about a minute about why it was the best Yes album since The Ladder, or since Magnification, he cut me short and said he was looking it up right now, to summon it into his own EarPods. Well, I felt so happy that I was able to bring the glad tidings and to spread a little joy into one more corner of the neighborhood.
And that, dear reader, is why I am writing this seemingly pointless review for you today. Do not miss out on True. If you haven’t yet heard about it, go get it now.
Because it’s all true.
By the way, I don’t want to spoil your fun, but be sure to notice that the word “true” is skillfully deployed in four songs, marking this as a coherently satisfying concept album: “True Messenger,” “Shine On,” “Build Me an Ocean,” and “Once Upon a Dream.”
Jon Anderson, True
★★★★★ A+ 10/10
Jon Anderson – lead vocals, production, musical arrangement
Brass Camel has just completed a nationwide tour after trekking 25,000km across Canada. Back home to record their next album, they played a triumphant gig at the Canada Day celebrations yesterday at McLeod Athletic Park.
The band took the stage as the grand finale for the day. They were billed on the program as 70s-inspired rock ‘n’ roll, but I think most of the crowd was unprepared for the heavy prog onslaught that blasted forth from the stage. Is progressive rock the official national genre? From Rush to Brass Camel, the torch of musical liberty is certainly shining like a beacon down from the Great White North. The lucky audience that day got to witness something special.
Brass Camel played six tracks from their debut album Brass, and then finished the show with a track from their forthcoming disc (which apparently has the working title: Camel).
They kicked off the show with “Pressure Cooker,” and to fit the special occasion they threw into the middle of it a version of Canada’s national anthem as a solo section highlighting guitar and synth synergy.
Next up was “I’ve Got the Fox,” complete with an extended scream that must have jolted the audience into realizing they were witnessing something historic, because it was on the order of magnitude of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
The next tune was the witty prog extravaganza, “King for a Day,” which was introduced by a proggy medley of Canadian musical references. Must stunning of all, there was an extended bit of Rush’s “La Villa Strangiato” included as part of the tribute.
The group sounded amazing. No doubt their close musical bonding on their recent tour is what had them sounding so tight. The only flaw I could notice was in the sound mixing, which I assume was beyond the band’s control at this festival gig. The bass, drums, and synths were louder in the mix than the vocals and the twin guitars.
I was okay with that happenstance, since I know all the songs by heart. Thus, I can fill in any gaps in the sound mix by using my memory and imagination. But it’s a shame that new listeners in the crowd would have missed out on the subtle excellences in the vocals and guitar performances. I noted this missed opportunity during the band’s next song, “Only Love,” which has exhilarating lyrics lifted aloft by guitar heroics. So it was sad that some in the crowd may have missed out on the uplifting enunciation within the song’s chorus: “only love conquers all.”
Brass Camel proved that they were pulling no punches in the prog department when they proceeded to play one of my very favorite songs next: “Last Flight of the Vulcan.” How incredible that they expose a mass audience to this elegant flight of extended musical excellence. Perhaps some kids in the crowd had a sonic epiphany that day which will change their musical tastes henceforth. At the very least, it transported the adults in the crowd over 50 years back in time to the heyday of prog.
Continuing the relentless prog onslaught, “Easy” was up next. This song had the most hilarious introduction of all the tunes in the set. The band tossed out frisbees into the audience, but the kids who caught them threw them right back at the band. After all, if you throw a kid a frisbee, their natural reaction would be to continue the fun game and reciprocate your throw.
This went on for awhile as the band tried to explain to the young frisbee enthusiasts that the frisbees were the band’s gift to them and they could hang on to them, keep them, and take them home. It took some time for this message to get across. Eventually the band gave up and announced, “okay, it’s time to rock!” and they charged ahead into “Easy.” Thankfully, they didn’t get pelted with frisbees as the song got underway. But it sure wasn’t “easy” getting it started!
After playing that dazzling set of a half-dozen killer tunes from Brass, they broke out the double-neck guitars for a mind-blowing preview of their next album. The song was called “Another Day,” and it seemed to supply proof positive that Brass Camel has doubled down on the prog for their next album. The song was so epic that the band ran well over their scheduled stage time. Piercing screams, blazing guitars, 70s synth sounds, and even gong crashes treated everybody to a spectacle as wondrous as any acrobatic airshow.
Anyone who was there to witness this concert knows what a national treasure Brass Camel is. I can’t wait for when the nation’s Rush fans — and everyone else around the world — gets to find out what this band is doing to fly the flag for prog.
Rock on, Brass Camel. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to celebrate Canada Day. We can’t wait to hear your new album. Thanks for keeping the prog alive.
Brass Camel live in Langley at McLeod Athletic Park on July 1, 2024 playing a song from their next album.
We’re only five months into the year, but Witherfall has just released this weekend what definitely seems mostly likely to claim the title of the prog metal album of the year. The classic heavy metal album of the year has already been claimed by Judas Priest in March, with their untoppable Invincible Shield. The closest rival to Witherfall’s melodic death metal excellence that I can think of so far this year is Unleash the Archers, who gave us their amazing new disc Phantoma in early May.
With so many great new albums in 2024, it’s hard to pick favorites, especially with Neal Morse’s The Dreamer—Joseph: Part 2 from January still wearing the crown for prog epic of the year, and Big Big Train claiming prog album of the year in March with The Likes of Us. So I’m just going to declare a seven-way tie for the best albums of the year-to-date, and then proceed to explain below my rationale for giving upper-echelon placement to Witherfall’s Sounds of the Forgotten:
Prog Metal AOTY: Witherfall, Sounds of the Forgotten
Classic Metal AOTY: Judas Priest, Invincible Shield
Metal Epic Concept AOTY: Unleash the Archers, Phantoma
Prog Epic Concept AOTY: Neal Morse, The Dreamer—Joseph: Part 2
Prog AOTY: Big Big Train, The Likes of Us
Glam Metal AOTY: Sebastian Bach, Child Within the Man
Doom Metal AOTY: Pallbearer, Mind Burns Alive
Okay, let’s talk about Witherfall. Witherfall gathers together a stunning array of talent: guitarist/songwriter Jake Dreyer, vocalist/songwriter Joseph Michael, bassist Anthony Crawford, drummer/percussionist Chris Tsaganeas, keyboardist Gerry Hirschfeld, and studio-only drummer Marco Minnemann, whom you may be familiar with from The Aristocrats, Jordan Rudess, and Steven Wilson, not to mention Witherfall’s superb previous album, Curse of Autumn (2021). I’ve been following Witherfall’s underrated audio excursions from the very beginning. I count this as their fifth album, taking its predecessors as Nocturnes and Requiems (2017), A Prelude to Sorrow (2018), the substantial EP Vintage (2019), and Curse of Autumn (2021).
Their latest album is their greatest album—Witherfall’s Sounds of the Forgotten (2024), which I like to think of as built on a spine of seven epic, nicely prog-length tracks:
“They Will Let You Down” [Track 1 (5:59)]
“Where Do I Begin?” [Track 2 (6:30)]
“Insidious” [Track 4 (6:47)]
“Ceremony of Fire” [Track 5 (7:32)]
“Sounds of the Forgotten” [Track 6 (5:23)]
“When It All Falls Away” [Track 8 (6:39)]
“What Have You Done?” [Track 10 (10:19)]
Even if you wanted to pin down Witherfall as melodic death metal, you’d have to admire the perfect pacing along this seven-song spine. The songs alternate between the more demented death forays and the more melodic metal earworms: “They Will Let You Down,” “Insidious,” “Sounds of the Forgotten,” “What Have You Done?” are the four darkest of the spine tracks, whereas the highly melodic, multi-layered vocal choruses of the others pull you into singing along every time (“Where Do I Begin?”, “Ceremony of Fire,” “When It All Falls Away”).
The other three tracks on the album are clearly intros or outros to that seven-track spine, which is evident simply from their time lengths:
“A Lonely Path” [Track 3 (1:33)]
“Aftermath” [Track 7 (1:31)]
“Opulent” [Track 9 (2:45)]
These three snippets are characterized by brief but effective instrumental evocations of mood and atmosphere and by half-sung word paintings by vocal frontman/songwriter Joseph Michael, in which the other half of the vocal timbre is spookily spoken or growled. “A Lonely Path” offers a seamless introduction into “Insidious,” whereas “Aftermath” seals “Sounds of the Forgotten” with a suitably harsh coda. “Opulent” starts off with a nice instrumental break before the final epic “What Have You Done?” as Jake Dreyer dazzles us with more Spanish-style guitar licks, but Joseph Michael also returns at its end with more dramatic vocal narrative.
It’s impossible not to be floored by the band’s instrumental virtuosity. The central track in the seven-song spine, “Ceremony of Fire,” thrills me to no end with its soloing section, because the emotions I feel during that excursion parallel the excitement I once felt when I first heard the guitar-bass-drums interaction on some classic Rush tracks. The ecstasy induced by the guitar-bass-drums interaction on “Ceremony of Fire” is consolidated by the track’s sudden tempo change and downshifting into Joseph Michael’s magical bridge. That magic lasts right to the final notes, with concluding guitar and organ chords that invoke the heights of musical mysteries. If hearing one song will get you to buy the album, this is the winner.
But while all the musicians contribute to making this Witherfall’s most astounding album, it is perhaps Joseph Michael who leaves me with the mightiest impression here. Yes, it was Jake Dreyer’s guitar playing that drew me to the band, since it is rare to find such shredding talent anywhere that also deploys itself in service of unusually brilliant songwriting. But with Sounds of the Forgotten I have to declare that Joseph Michael is the one who has now stepped forward and truly achieved his own personality. By “personality” I mean that, no matter who he may remind you of here and there, he has a distinct voice that has attained an incomparable individual incarnation. Some examples of iconic musical personalities: Ozzy, Dio, Rob Halford, Chris Cornell, Freddie Mercury. When you hear these guys, they sound like themselves. Same with Joseph Michael, who I would venture has joined the pantheon with this latest performance. The range of what he does on this album is quite something to hear. Screams, shrieks, growls, whispers, howls, layered choruses, he does it all. He’s thereby the perfect frontman to epitomize Witherfall’s overall chameleon-like musical abilities.
I’d advise ordering the CD direct from DeathWave Records, which was created by Witherfall headmen Joseph Michael and Jake Dreyer. I did, and it was most gratifying to receive the CD in the mail in advance of the official release date, along with a bunch of extra goodies like snazzy art and band photo postcards, a band name sticker, and an Anthony Crawford Witherfall guitar pick.
The disc doesn’t have a bonus track, but maybe it will eventually be released with the cover version of Aerosmith’s “Kings and Queens” that the band unveiled earlier. If I could advise the band, I would tell them to release a full album of covers, including their own past covers. The thing about Witherfall’s versions is they put their own stamp on the songs and they morph them into their own delightfully demented renderings. What’s the point of doing a cover if you don’t unexpectedly transform the song into a new reward? Witherfall knows the secret to making a good cover. Witness their contrarian takes on Boston’s “Foreplay/Long Time” (from the Curse of Autumn era) and Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” (from the Vintage era). I say we need more. In the meantime, enjoy one of the best albums of the year: Witherfall, Sounds of the Forgotten. ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ = 10/10 = A+.
Progarchy 