Category: progressive rock music

Press Release for IQ, “The Road of Bones”

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Some great information from Giant Electric Pea.  Plus, Rob Aubrey is the engineer.  What else could you expect but perfection?  And, Russell Clarke has already given his full seal of approval.  Finally, a huge thank you to Peter Huth for his help.

 

IQ2012

IQ “The Road of Bones” (CD, Giant Electric Pia)
Release GSA: May 16th 2014
Release Europe: May 19th 2014

Info:
The tenth studio album by British progressive rock mainstay IQ shows them at their best, and with a definite edge.

Is it possible that a band, like a good wine, can continue to improve with age? Can you possibly top legendary albums such as ‘The Wake’, ‘Subterranea’ or ‘Frequency’? After just one listen to IQ´s tenth studio album the answer is a resounding Yes! Without doubt ‘The Road Of Bones’ is a unique masterpiece, fitting perfectly into the band´s impressive  body of work – whilst adding a new perspective.
IQ’s secret has always been to evolve their style while maintaining the essence of the band´s own unique brand of progressive rock: strong guitars embedded in lush keyboard melodies, a pounding yet still jazz-influenced rhythm section and the distinctive vocals and unmistakable lyrics of frontman Peter Nicholls.
On ‘The Road of Bones’ you’ll find all this and more. Take the title track for example. You may be surprised by the heavier approach of this track, beginning life as a stripped-down, almost cinematic piece until breaking into a massive wall of sound over a relentless groove – I defy you to listen to this without nodding your head.
Frontman Peter Nicholls: “Yes, the overall mood of ‘The Road of Bones’ is darker than our last album, but its not something we planned. When we come together to write there is no preconceived direction – stuff just happens.“
‘The Road of Bones’ demonstrates the free spirit of a band in complete control of their craft. From the explosive ‘From the Outside In’ to the 20-minute-epic ‘Without Walls’, all things are possible. “The advantage of being independent is that we have complete artistic freedom to do what we want, when we want. Its what allows us to be 100% IQ”, says Mike Holmes, IQ´s guitarist and musical director, who also produced the album. As with all IQ releases in the last 20 years, ‘The Road of Bones’ was recorded at Aubitt studios, with long-time engineer and live sound man Rob Aubrey.
Keyboard player Neil Durant, who joined in 2011: “Actually the process of recording with IQ was exactly as I’d imagined it – a unique mixture of concentration and creativity… and several gin and tonics in the evenings.” Bass player Tim Esau, who makes his return to the studio with the band, says: “Rejoining the band after twenty years really bought home to me what a very special atmosphere it is working with IQ…”
This atmosphere is noticeable on each and every one of the 53 minutes the journey on The Road of Bones takes. A journey that will lead the band to Portugal, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Poland and the UK to perform the album this spring and summer. Drummer Paul Cook: “Yes, the new album might sound a bit heavier than the last one, but as a drummer I appreciate that. I can´t wait to play it live.”

‘The Road of Bones’ is available as a single CD (GEPCD1046) and a special edition 2 disc package (GEPCD2046) containing over 40 minutes of extra, brand new music produced during the writing sessions.
IQband1
Tracklist:
01 From The Outside In
02 The Road of Bones
03 Without Walls
04 Ocean
05 Until The End

See The Road of Bones live:
Apr-10   Sala Music Hall   Barcelona, Spain
Apr-12   Echoes Progressive Rock Festival   Lisbon, Portugal
Apr-24   Melkweg Oude Zaal   Amsterdam, Netherlands
Apr-25   Colos-Saal   Aschaffenburg, Germany
Apr-26   Spirit of ’66   Verviers, Belgium
May-03   Islington Assembly Hall   London, United Kingdom
Jul-18   Night of the Prog Festival   Loreley, Germany
Aug-30   Ino Rock Festival   Inowroclaw, Poland
Oct-11   The Met   Bury, United Kingdom
Dec-20   O2 Academy   London, United Kingdom

IQ are
Paul Cook – drums
Tim Esau – bass
Neil Durant – keyboards
Mike Holmes – guitars
Peter Nicholls – vocals

The Road of Bones
Produced by Mike Holmes
Engineered by Rob Aubrey
Artwork by Tony Lythgoe
IQband3
Links:
www.iq-hq.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/IQHQLive
www.gep.co.uk 

Tangent News

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music2 Comments

My great friend and hero, Andy Tillison, just posted this on Facebook:

So… Jonas Reingold promises to make the Karmakanic set as simple as possible to play for everyone. Nice Guy.

Three weeks ago we received the set, which includes a brand new piece. None of their band has played it before. It is a little ditty which clocks in at around half an hour. It has about 30 sections in it. It takes as its lyrical subject matter that oft discussed little chestnut.. THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.

“this is some definition of the word ‘simple’ i wasn’t previously aware of….”

CELEBR8.3 May 31 and on tour in Europe late May….The insanity goes on…

Andy Tillison and Jonas Reingold.
Andy Tillison and Jonas Reingold.

Flaming Row’s “Elinoire”

On By russellclarkenzIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

I was browsing the extremely cool progstreaming.com site the other week and stumbled across a band called Flaming Row. I’d never heard of them, so like all curious progheads, I thought I’d give their album “Elinoire” a spin*.

What I found was a great story wrapped in a wonderfully-realised piece of symphonic prog rock opera pomposity, but with some interesting twists that made it a lot more enjoyable than your run-of-the-mill release.

Flaming Row

“Elinoire” was released in 2012. How it passed me by, I’ll never know. I’m eternally grateful to the progstreaming chaps and chapesses for making it possible for me to hear it.

Anyway all you really need to know is that THIS ALBUM KICKS ASS!

If you like Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon material, then you will love this. It’s symphonic, heavily electric, melodic, beautifully-written, with superb vocals and wildly varied in its instrumentation. You won’t always get big ballsy guitars and power chords, and  that makes listening to this album very refreshing. In many ways this release is less ponderous that some of Arjen’s material, making it much more fun to listen to.

And that’s what hooks me into this album. It’s not your standard, run-of-the-mill prog metal rock opera (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) There’s lots of fun to be had here due to the wide variety of genres on display – metal, country (!), funk, good old fashioned pop, but it’s all beautifully woven into the greater story, which still sticks to the big-theme melodrama that makes our favourite genre so uplifting. With song titles as varied as “Overture”, “Do You Like Country Grandpa?” and “Rage of Despair” you know you’re in for an eclectic experience!

A warning to you delicate snowflakes – there are Cookie Monster vocals in the second half of this album – in my opinion, too many – but I must admit that they’re appropriately used given the story being told.

Anyways, this one’s definitely worth a purchase. You can have a listen, and buy it here.

*This may sound like a metaphor in this day and age of digital music, but somewhere that music is on a hard disc, and that disc is spinning at some outrageous rate of revolutions per minute. And failing that, if it’s on SSD, then there’s some electrons spinning even faster, so don’t give me your pedantic nonsense, mister!

The Siren Songs of Se Delan

On By Thaddeus WertIn progressive rock music1 Comment

Se Delan Cover There are music labels, and there are music labels. By which I mean: occasionally a label appears that maintains such a high quality roster of artists, and its production is so consistently excellent, that discerning listeners will buy anything that label releases. 4AD (home of Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Lush, and This Mortal Coil, among others) was such a label for many music fans in the ’80s and ’90s. ZTT was another, with its over-the-top Trevor Horn productions, and copious and entertaining liner notes that more often than not baffled rather than illuminated the reader.

In this decade, KScope has become the go-to label for fans of edgy and intelligent music. One of my first posts (back in 2012) on Progarchy was a brief overview of KScope’s roster of “post-progressive” artists. Since then, they have expanded their offerings to include many new artists, and the latest star in their constellation is Se Delan (pronounced “say deh-LAN”, it’s Old English for “the deep”.). Consisting of multi-instrumentalist Justin Greaves (Crippled Black Phoenix) and singer Belinda Kordic (Killing Mood), their début album, The Fall, is a seductive, languorous gem that sneaks up on you and draws you into its dark beauty before you’re even aware of it.

Kordic’s breathy vocals bring to mind early Lush, while Greave’s acoustic-based compositions sound relatively simple until you allow yourself to be carried away by the multilayered deep grooves he develops. The songs feature slow yet insistent beats, punctuated by spaced-out bursts of bluesy guitar (i.e. the outstanding track, “Dirge”). If Twin Peaks were airing today, this album would be the perfect soundtrack.

Kordic’s lyrics imbue the music with a sense of  the surreal, while expressing a resigned longing:

Tonight, as you sleep

Time to let go

of those haunted thoughts

that keep you so damned low.

Dream…Tonight….Dream…

from “Tonight”

The only misstep is “The Hunt” – a dissonant track that doesn’t really fit the mood of the rest of the album. However, the closing song, “Lost Never Found” has an absolutely heartbreaking and spare beauty to it. Beginning with an unaccompanied piano, Kordic eventually sings a few lines while a violin softly enters. Drums, bass, and guitars join in and bring the song to a stirring conclusion. Fans of Nosound will love it.

With The Fall, Se Delan have delivered a very impressive début. The first listen intrigues, the second pleases, the third leaves you somewhat discomfited and wanting more. Here’s hoping this is not a one-time collaboration.

 

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship – Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Moving Pictures”

On By Kevin WilliamsIn Prog, Progarchy, progressive rock, progressive rock music13 Comments

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I don’t know how many people can actually point to a single moment that changed their lives forever and for the better.  Yes, many would point to traditional milestones such as a graduation, wedding day, the birth of their children, etc. All valid events and experiences, to be sure.

I’m talking about something different. Something that might be best termed, to quote Robert Fripp, a “point of seeing.” A singular experience that truly alters your life’s course, where you can look back on that point, that one moment in your life where “your earth” seemingly moved under you. Everything in your world, everything you know, the very lens in which you viewed the world forever changed because of that moment.

Many might cite a religious experience as fitting the bill described above. For me, it was a musical experience.

First, a little backstory…

As a pre-teen kid from around 1978 to 1980, my musical “sun” rose and set with KISS, a band I spent hours upon hours listening to, reading about and talking about. I drew their iconic logo on anything I could find, thumb-tacking any poster of them I could come across on my bedroom walls and ceiling, playing air guitar and drums to them, dressing up like one of them (Ace, circa “Dynasty”) for Halloween, and just staring at their album covers for hours on end. As a beginning drummer, I first picked up the basics of rhythmically separating both hands and feet playing along to “Strutter” while on a family vacation.

Despite this level of fandom, my level of music appreciation probably wasn’t too different from most kids growing up at that time. Having been born in the late 1960’s to parents who parents who kept a couple dozen albums  – “Meet the Beatles” and “Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite” among others – in the record bin of their furniture-sized record player/stereo (yet didn’t really use it), I cut my musical teeth on late-70’s pop, AOR and disco that came across AM radio. Artists such as Styx, Foreigner, The Bee Gees, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, and a couple others were among my first active musical experiences as opposed to passive ones.

That all changed In the spring of 1981 in a Northern California suburb, when a kid two doors down from me invited me over one afternoon following school to hear some music from a band called Rush. I knew nothing of Rush save for an entry in a late-70’s World Almanac that showed a number of their albums going gold or platinum. That was it.

I walked into my friend’s parents’ family room, sat cross-legged on an off-white, plush carpet floor as he took out an album, placed on the turntable and sat down near me.

The next 4 minutes and 33 seconds changed me forever.

rush-ts

It was “Tom Sawyer,” the leadoff track from Rush’s new album, “Moving Pictures.”

The blend of instruments, how every instrument fit perfectly into this new (to me) music, the spacey sound that triggers throughout and, of course, a level of drumming I hadn’t heard before. It was rock and roll, yes, but the sound that spilled out of the stereo speakers was on a level of which I had no prior knowledge.

Without knowing anything about Rush, without knowing anything about the genre of music I was experiencing for the first time, I was hooked on this music.

I hadn’t even begun to decipher what was sung, but no matter; to paraphrase another quote of Fripp’s, “…music leaned over and took me into its confidence. I honestly can’t remember if my neighbor played it again after the first listen or not; for all I know, I probably went home in a daze.

Whenever I “came to,” I’m certain my first order of business was to ask my parents for some money so I could go to my small town’s record shop and see if they had “Tom Sawyer.” Despite it not quite being a Top 40 single in the U.S., it had been released as a single and the store had a copy in stock.

So, for the next month or so, I proceeded to listen to my “Tom Sawyer” 7-inch single over and over (not so much the B-side, “Witch Hunt,” at the time), never tiring of it and surely wearing out my family who heard the same song from my bedroom every weeknight and weekend.

Later, with school out and with some half-decent grades, I was rewarded with the opportunity to buy a couple albums and “Moving Pictures” was, of course, the only album I really cared about owning. The rest of my summer was mostly spent holed up in my bedroom, playing one side of “Moving Pictures” and then the other, over and over, every day.

With what was possibly my first album lyric sheet, I first memorized the lyrics to the six songs with vocals and later began to draw mental pictures of what Neil Peart wrote (with Pye Dubois’ help on “Tom Sawyer”) and what Geddy Lee sang, most of those pictures still vivid all these years later, available simply by playing any of the songs on the album…the “repeatable experience” that Peart has commented on.

I’ve never been able to recreate that first-listen experience, no matter how many hundreds times I played it again that year and the (likely) thousands of times I’ve heard it in the last 33 years. It was almost like the Nexus in “Star Trek Generations,” where Guinan explained to Captain Picard that being in the Nexus was like “being inside joy,” prompting one to do ANYTHING to get back to that place.

“Tom Sawyer” gave me my first exposure to a philosophy put to music:

“No his mind is not for rent…to any god or government.” 

What a WAY of thinking for an impressionable teen! Only years of maturity keeps me from determinedly thrusting my fist into the air any time I hear that line sung.

“Red Barchetta” was the first telling of a short story put to music I had heard, “YYZ” was my first rock instrumental (rock bands PLAY instrumentals?) and “Limelight” seemed like the perfect side closer. Really, is there a better album side (of songs) in progressive rock? In all of rock?

“The Camera Eye” was the first epic I ever heard; the intro to it remains one of my all-time favorite intros. “Witch Hunt” initially served as a perfect soundtrack to drawing up AD&D adventures in my bedroom – yes, I was THAT kind of kid – and much later I came to really appreciate Alex Lifeson’s riffs on that track. Finally, while reggae was an unknown genre to me, I came to like “Vital Signs” as something different, more “digital” in the sequencers, shimmering chords and tight snare in the track – and boy, would we be treated to something different on their next album!

The front and back covers of “Moving Pictures” are legendary images to me, as are the sleeve notes, lyrics (down to the fonts) and the images of the band playing their instruments; until that point, the only pictures of them I saw were the ones from the “Tom Sawyer” single and I didn’t who played what!

Aside from being exposed to a couple Rush classics such as “Fly By Night” and “Working Man” – both doing almost nothing for me as they lacked the modern sounds and playing of “Moving Pictures,” my next Rush album was “Exit..Stage Left,” then I moved backwards to take in – in order – “2112,” “Permanent Waves,” “Hemispheres” and “A Farewell To Kings,” all before “Signals” came out in the fall of 1982.

“Moving Pictures” turned out to be the first of four albums that would define and dominate the soundtrack of my life: 1982 brought me “Asia,” in 1983, Yes’ “90125” was released and soon after I got my first listen to their previous masterwork, ‘Drama.” While these albums might not carry the same level of adoration for many that numerous progressive rock albums of the ’60’s and ’70’s do, they set me on a musical journey that continues today, pointing me towards a genre of music where MUSIC is valued above all else.

IMG_6080

However, I can trace my love of music in general – which, to me, is like breathing – as well as anything I do musically, back to those 4 minutes and 33 seconds on a spring day in 1981, when I experienced “Tom Sawyer” for the first time…

…because you never forget your first time.

The Song That Didn’t Get Recorded

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

rvkeeper's avatarrush vault

spirit_vision_quest Neil has talked a few times about “Telescope Peak,” a set of lyrics he wrote while Rush was recording Vapor Trails after the band’s five–year hiatus. The lyrics are about a climb he took to a mountain peak of that name in Death Valley, Calif., during his Ghost Rider days but they didn’t work for Geddy and Alex and were never turned into a song, although lines from the lyrics were folded into two of the songs on the album. From the “lowest low to the highest high” made it into “Ghost Rider” and you “can’t tell yourself how to feel” made it into “How It is.”

“The words still ‘sing’ to me,” Neil says in his latest blog post, called “Telescope Peak Revisited.”

The lyrics are about that pivot point in 1999 when the trek up to Telescope Peak helps him to finally put the “bad old life” behind…

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Majestic News: The New LP–EPSILON

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Just a little over a year ago, I had the great privilege to review Majestic’s astounding two-cd release, V.O.Z.  At the time, I wrote:

No matter how many times I listen to this CD, I find it enthralling.  While certainly “prog rock,” VOZ has unusual sounds, atmospheres, and mysteries around every corner and at ever turn of this stunning album.  If Jeff Hamel is half as interesting in real life as he is in the studio, an astounding person he must be.  Indeed, though listed as producer and primary song writer, he is, for all intents and purpose, a director and an orchestrator.  Truly, every aspect of this release is a work of art.

https://progarchy.com/2013/04/14/the-mysterious-driving-majesty-of-jeff-hamel-and-majestic/

Today, I received great new.  A new Majestic.  Here’s what came


New Release Announcement

 

Our Adventure Begins With

 

Well, it is that time again and we want to share our exciting news with you. From progressive rock artist Majestic comes the new release titled Epsilon 1. This is the first disc in a two CD concept conceived by Jeff Hamel for 2014.

Building off the success of our 2012 V.O.Z release, the Epsilon release promises to deliver what progressive rock fans will call a favorite of 2014. Jeff Hamel is joined by the amazing Mike Kosacek on drums to create a sonic landscape rich in texture and depth. Jeff and Mike are once again supported with a very talented cast. Beginning with the artwork,  french graphic artist Jonathan Maurin (Aeon Lux) handles visuals. Joining us for vocals is V.O.Z alumni David Cagle (Liberty & Justice), Celine Derval (Scythia) and Chris Hodges (Every Living Soul).  Majestic veteran Jessica Rasche returns to make a special cameo appearance. Finally, we introduce Marc Atkinson (Riversea, Nine Stones Close, Mandalaband) who contributes his amazing voice to Majestic. Your new adventure is waiting for you!!!  

We invite you visit our website to hear audio clips and find additional information about this new exciting release.

 

www.MajesticSongs.com

IQ’s “The Road Of Bones” Is Astounding

On By russellclarkenzIn Prog, Progarchy, progressive rock, progressive rock music20 Comments

If you haven’t already bought IQ’s recently-released “The Road Of Bones” here’s a public service announcement:

MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BONUS DISC TOO!

CD1 is absolutely stonking (that’s British for ‘good’,) and while most ‘bonus’ discs are rarely a bonus (instead usually filled with oddities and detritus) IQ has actually released something that’s absolutely the opposite.

I consider the The Road Of Bones bonus disc (bones disc? – hur hur!) to be absolutely essential listening. It’s difficult for me to understand why this wasn’t released as a double album – there’s so much top-notch material on these 2 CDs!

For GBP4 on top of the single CD (which is selling at GBP10) you get the bonus disc too. You won’t regret it!

Get it here.

“Executive Summary”

Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!

Indeed, what music they make!

The highest accolade I can grant music I adore is to lovingly transfer it to my car’s MP3 player and then purposely drive to work during the height of rush hour, thereby being left alone with it for extended periods of time at a blistering number of decibels.

And that’s precisely how my Thursday morning went.

IQ has gone back in time, finely minced up all of its previous material, strained out all the dull bits, distilled the concoction, added many tricks and traps, clicked the heavy button, and produced a breathtaking piece of work.

So does the above suggest there’s nothing new to listen to here? Well, a lot of it will be familiar territory for IQ fans…but that’s why we’re fans…right? And there’s still plenty of new stuff going on, and new approaches to old stuff, and old approaches to new stuff and…oh I’m sure you get the point!

To (mis)use a food analogy, this is IQ steak tartare. All flavour, no filler, and no buggering about with stoves.

For you vegetarians there’s no analogy that could possibly apply so I’ll just move on.

Themes

In line with most of IQ’s material, things are pretty downbeat thematically. The title is the first clue that this isn’t children’s party music (unless you really don’t like children, in which case it could be kind of fun to play it at volume 11 outside a kindergarten.) The Road of Bones is the Russian Kolyma Highway, built by political prisoners exiled by the Stalin regime between the 1930s and 1950s. Nice chap. Thousands died during its construction – not exactly bright and breezy subject matter. Slavery, mental illness, relationship breakdowns and violence all make an appearance in various guises, producing some dark moments that make this release all the more effective, moving and somewhat disturbing. The album artwork sets the scene for what’s to come.

Sounds

First, the rhythm section is absolutely on fire! Tim Esau’s bass work is superb – punchy, intricate and up front in the mix – just the way I like it! There’s also a ton of bass pedals, which gives proceedings an immense kick in the low frequencies…so to speak.

Paul Cook’s drum work provides a solid backbone on every track, with fewer intricate and noodly distracting flourishes than on previous albums. This is a good thing.

This album has been variously described by some of the Big Big Train Facebook group stalwarts as ‘synth-heavy’ and I’d have to agree. Neil Durant has done a great job on keyboards. There’s some powerful stuff here, with bass, synths and guitar producing walls of sound that are simply irresistible.

Michael Holmes is in great form as usual, although there aren’t as many standout solos from him as I’d like. But he’s ever present alongside Tim’s bass doing the heavy stuff, and he gets a chance to let loose on plenty of occasions with some soaring work. I always enjoy his playing, and he has certainly added plenty to the atmosphere of this album.

Peter Nicholls’ voice is like my loudspeakers – great when driven hard. On previous albums I’ve not been so keen on his quieter vocals but at higher energy levels there’s a howling edge in his voice that always brings chills. Thankfully the vocal energy across the album is high and he hits the mark (and my spine) many, many times, and even in the quieter moments he still sounds damned good.

The album was recorded and engineered at Rob Aubrey’s Aubitt studios in Southampton, and Rob’s engineering wizardry is once again very evident, bringing a nicely-expansive sound that, to my poor tinnitus-damaged ears, makes the most of the band’s extensive talents. I’m a sucker for bass, and it’s positioned right up front – what’s not to love!

Much of the album is very percussive – there’s always punch in various forms (all good) and even the quieter material has a real presence to it. Expect to uncontrollably tap your foot in the ‘Restless Leg Syndrome’ manner that only a true prog fan can muster.

Time signatures are (as is mandatory for IQ) extremely variable throughout. This makes the punchiness even more fun and appealing, and I defy you to resist headbanging at the heavier moments – but only when nobody’s watching, of course.

So here goes – a brief review, including the bonus disc, that you can still buy here in case you forgot.

Tracks – CD1

From The Outside In

Opening with suitably-spooky atmospheric synths and a special guest appearance by Bela Lugosi (isn’t he sounding well?) things soon get going with some solid pumping basslines backed by synth flourishes and Peter’s voice cutting through it all. There’s more atmospherics to come, before a return to the pumping rhythms. A great opening track. But wait, there’s more…

The Road Of Bones

A slow-burner this one, opening again with synths and piano. This is a particularly haunting track, and Peter’s lyrics and vocals are astounding. “For now the need is met, I almost hate myself. Almost. But not quite.” And cue the slow, understated bass-driven buildup to an eventual and very welcome musical kick in the face.

You’ll find this track on IQ’s website.

Without Walls

I was fooled by this track the first time I heard it. The first couple of minutes I found pretty uninspiring, but during its nineteen minutes it morphs several times through much more interesting territory, and ends up going all over the place quite brilliantly. This is actually quite common right across the album, which is what makes it so appealing. There’s always something unexpected around the corner.

Ocean

One of the less-energetic tracks on the album, there’s power, warmth and intricacy that carries it along quite nicely to a satisfying conclusion.

Until The End

Another stunner, starting slow with plenty of atmospherics, eventually getting going with synths taking centre stage, giving way to Peter’s vocals with some great bass work around the 7 minute mark and a storming performance by all personnel, coming to a very poignant piano and acoustic guitar-led conclusion.

Tracks – Bonus Disc

And on to the bonus disc. You need to own this! Did I mention you can get the 2 CD release here? I’m sure I did…

Knucklehead

This is the first of many excellent reasons why you should get the package including the bonus disc. A brooding combination of drums, bass and synth open, cutting to acoustic guitar and Peter’s voice. And then all hell breaks loose. Play it loud, people!

Hateful, vengeful numbskull.

1312 Overture

This one starts off with some very triumphant and very nicely sampled orchestra and choir, and then immediately dives into the sort of complex IQ rhythms that we know and love – it always puts a big smile on my face. I defy you not to play air drums! This track’s an instrumental, and while I usually prefer my songs to come with a big dollop of lyrical goodness, this one just keeps me wanting more.

Constellations

Electronic rhythms open this one, making it sound rather intriguing right from the first bar. There’s a feeling of frantic energy, which eventually moves into something less so, but once again eventually more epic territory via a brief-yet-urgent (and great fun!) mid section.

Fall And Rise

Fall and Rise is the only song that doesn’t sound immediately to me like IQ, and while I love their signature sound, there’s no harm in moving in a different direction. So after all that punchy heaviness of previous tracks, this one features fretless bass, acoustic guitar, gentle synths (and is that a banjo?) and a much smoother, yet no-less fun ride. Think Japan and you’re not a million miles away.

Ten Million Demons

When I first heard this opening I was reminded of….well every song Muse has ever recorded. I considered that a black mark, but thankfully things very quickly turn a corner and transcend the aforementioned unmentionables, becoming another really solid tune with a great, chugging bassline, once again full of atmosphere and surely ending with a delightful nod to T Rex? (Actually it’s Chicory Tip! Thanks to Stephen Pieper for the correction!)

Hardcore

More punch for the final track, starting slightly weird and ethereal, but then grabbing you by the ears, with stabs of synth over a bouncing bassline, into a quiet passage and we’re into long instrumental territory. A nice, if somewhat subdued way to end the second disc.

Summary

I am a big fan of IQ’s past material, but the consistently high quality of every single track across 2 CDs makes this their strongest release to date.

Kudos, chaps!

A Challenge

Finally, a small challenge to you, Dear Reader. Given the second CD is a bonus disc, how would you re-sequence both CDs to create a classic double album?

Best answer gets my undying admiration.

BBT Video Opportunity

On By Dr NickIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Fancy appearing on the forthcoming Big Big Train DVD?

All you need to do is film yourself asking the band a question. Greg Spawton provides further details on his blog.

Let’s see if any Progarchists can be immortalised on video…

Kaukasus – ‘I’ (2014) Exciting new debut release.

On By ericbfgIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Fantastic new release
Kaukasus – ‘I’

Out on May 5th
Out on May 5th

From May 5th the new debut album from Scandinavian group ‘Kaukasus‘ is released.
PRESS RELEASE  – Described as “Dark, Nordic progressive rock, with excursions into kraut & art rock”

Scandinavian Prog Rock legends Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (Jaga Jazzist, Motorpsycho), Rhys Marsh (The Autumn Ghost, Opium Cartel) & Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, White Willow) have joined forces as Kaukasus to record and release their outstanding debut album Kaukasus ‘I’ out on Autumsongs Records via Burning Shed on 05 May 2014.

Starting life as an experiment into Krautrock style, the project morphed into a fully fledged and modern sounding dark, Nordic, progressive rock album, with elements and excursions stylistically into Krautrock, art-rock, and world music calling into mind such bands as Japan, Genesis, Can, Brian Eno and early Peter Gabriel.

Kaukasus view themselves as a musical tripod — its weight firmly in the middle, where the three musicians ideas and styles meet, each band member bringing their own signature to the music, from Olsson’s supple and dynamic drumming and Mellotron textures, Marsh’s impassioned vocals and guitar work, to the strange, snakelike and evocative woodwind and synth lines from Einarsen.

‘I’ will be released on Compact Disc, in a mini-LP gatefold sleeve, with artwork by Henning Lindahl on 5th May 2014.

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Personally I have found this album to be rather interesting, diverse with a really enjoyable touch of old school rock.

As much as it is described as Nordic it really has a broad range of styles in the sound and particularly I have heard some other elements such as the piano on ‘In The Stillness Of Time’ that reminds me of the same progression in Talk Talk. There is a superb bit of Tangerine Dream in the track ‘Starlit Motion’ – an ambient piece of excellence layered with a Moog from ‘Wish you were here’ to chill out to.

Perhaps even more obscure is the taste of ‘Black‘ via the voice of Colin Vearncombe (80’s kids will know who) on ‘The Witness’.

The final part of the album ‘The Skies Give Meaning’ could be a little Steven Wilson from his early period and yet mixed with U2! 

None of these elements invade the music significantly, they are the salt and pepper seasoning only.
This is a really excellent find and will be one to look out for.

Check out the video of the single ‘Lift the Memory’ which was released on April 7th 2014 and is available on all digital & streaming services.

TRACK LISTING
01. The Ending Of The Open Sky
02. Lift The Memory
03. In The Stillness Of Time
04. Starlit Motion
05. Reptilian
06. The Witness
07. The Skies Give Meaning