soundstreamsunday #102: “Kiss It Off” by Little Feat

On By Craig BreadenIn americana, Progressive rock, Rock and RollLeave a comment

little feat2On the other side of the 70s country rock that made the Eagles fabulously famous and rich — and drove them eventually to a dark funk that produced songs like “Those Shoes” — dwells Little Feat, emerging from the Zappa/Beefheart camp of SoCal weirdness during the same period, with funky desperate darkness fully intact from the get-go.  Theirs was an American vernacular progressive rock, full of smarts and awareness, and as led by guitarist and singer Lowell George (fired as “a favor” by Zappa, who then helped him get a Warners record contract since George was a talent, no doubt), they were the rock and roll revolution from the inside, the real throwdown at the hoedown.

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Phoenix Rising

On By Mahesh SreekandathIn Heavy metalLeave a comment

Among the best to have emerged from Down Under is this band named Deströyer 666. Feels like they only entertain one single goal – destroy even the last remaining understated qualities in metal. And that’s exactly what they accomplish. Synthesized from black and thrash elements, Phoenix Rising takes extreme metal aesthetics to unprecedented loudness.

Rough harping choruses, over-the-top guitar melodies, black metal screams and galloping old school riffs. In short, 80s/90s heavy metal signatures exaggerated to the point of no return. From “Rise of the Predator“ to “I Am the Wargod” to “The Eternal Glory of War” – lyrics pretty much mirror exactly what the music conveys. With this brazen approach, they will manage to get through to even the most obtuse of listeners. With no frills old school structures, a style absolutely devoid of pretenses and adequate in substance – Deströyer 666 becomes that essential cross-over band to darker genres. Needless to say, album is rated 666/666.

By Christian Misje (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Gleb Kolyadin: The Virtuoso We Need

On By kruekuttIn Progressive rock4 Comments

Progressive rock has always attracted virtuoso keyboard players.  Parallel with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page’s moves toward British blues and heavy music, classically trained pianists like Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman fired up Hammond organs, Mellotrons and prototype synthesizers, mashing up genres and grabbing attention with gleeful abandon.  From the maelstrom of psychedelia, jazz and modern classical, a new kind of rock emerged — and one of the unspoken standards of nascent prog was that you had to really be able to play.

That standard offered multiple paths forward for proggers: jaw-dropping shredfests by Emerson, Wakeman and disciples; seamless melds of improvisation and composition from King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator; long-form, ambitious suites by Yes and Genesis.  It’s also spawned countless wannabe virtuosos — sometimes trying their hardest, sometimes just following trends, but frequently lacking the compositional chops to give their playing maximum impact.  Even after prog’s fading from mass culture, the virtuoso standard keeps attracting musicians eager to prove themselves — especially keyboardists — to the genre, like moths to a No-Pest Strip.

The problem is this: when you have to prove yourself (especially to yourself),  it may come too easily to baffle with BS rather than to dazzle with brilliance — to play more notes, not necessarily the right ones, with space and taste going out the window.  And when the seemingly endless runs of 32nd notes stop, is there anything of substance behind the flash and the “oh, wows”?

That thorny dilemma is why Gleb Kolyadin is the young virtuoso progressive rock needs.

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In Concert — “The Clock … Tick, Tock:” Back in Time with The Musical Box

On By kruekuttIn Progressive rock2 Comments

The Musical Box presents “Selling England by the Pound with Special Lamb Set Encore,” 20 Monroe Live, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 2, 2018.

Back in 1977, the Broadway musical revue Beatlemania‘s tagline was “not The Beatles; an incredible simulation.”  Little did anyone know that, 41 years later, Montreal’s The Musical Box would carve out a career applying that maxim to Genesis’ Peter Gabriel-fronted concerts of the early Seventies.

If the retro stage set (authentic down to the drum kit and keyboards) didn’t clue in uninformed patrons, the opening “Watcher of the Skies” left no doubt how hardcore The Musical Box is recreating the early Genesis experience.  Clad in angelic white, “Tony Banks” (keyboardist Guillaume Rivard), “Phil Collins,” (drummer/vocalist Marc Laflamme), “Mike Rutherford” (bassist/guitarist Sébastien Lamothe) and “Steve Hackett” (guitarist François Gagnon) built the harsh, Mellotronic tension of the opening riff to a shattering climax — only for “Peter Gabriel” (Denis Gagné) to grab the spotlight with his black jumpsuit, cape of many colors, bat-winged headgear, shaved head, luminescent eye-shadow — oh, and his committed, slightly crazed vocal narrative of an abandoned Earth seen through extraterrestrial eyes.  Right away, the bar was set high: this would be a night of prog-rock epics, meticulously performed by an ensemble that’s toured worldwide far longer than the original band, replicating the musical and theatrical quirks of legendary tours with painstaking precision.

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Interview: ENCELADUS

On By NickIn Progressive rockLeave a comment

Enceladus

Texas-based progressive metallers Enceladus have launched their second album titled “Arrival” a few days ago. In the interview below they tell us about this new release, but also about the metal scene, favorite records, and more.

Hey guys. How are you doing?

Hey there, we’re doing fantastic, thanks for having us!

You have just launched a new album entitled “Arrival.” How do you feel about the release?

Pretty stoked! Releasing music is always fun. I think a sophomore album release is quite a milestone, showing the world that we have a lot more to offer! We added a few new elements to this album, so were excited to see how it’s received.

Enceladus - Arrival

How much of a challenge was to put these songs together?

There wasn’t much of a challenge putting the songs together. Some come together easier than others, however. For instance, Universal Century was written in about an hour. We record the songs in our own time, so we’ve had enough time to let the songs breathe a bit before recording them.

What other artists similar to your genre that are coming from Texas are you friends with?

There are a number of good bands in a similar style coming out of Texas. We know some of the guys in Immortal Guardian, Aeternal Requiem, and Jessikill. I met them all in San Antonio actually. Its good to know there are bands getting that style of metal out there.

What is your opinion about the current metal scene?

The metal scene is great because I always feel like I’m in good company at a show or just talking about music. I feel there should be a wider audience and it should just be bigger overall though. Lets see some shows where just as many people come out for live bands as people do for computers! The more metalheads the better. [laughs] Id like to see more melodic power/prog metal bands coming out of the states as well.

Can you tell me something about your influences?

Any artist that dares to be different and step outside the box is an influence. Innovators inspire more than emulators for sure.

Enceladus (band)

What are you listening to these days?

Quite a few things such as classical, Jrock, video game/cinema compositions, and prog bands. We’ve been jamming some Circus Maximus. In between that there’s some chill groovy stuff to get ‘down’ to as well. 😉

Your 5 favourite records of all the time?

Thats too hard for some of us, but here is a selection at the moment:

1) Angel of Salvation by Galneryus

2) The Divine Wings of Tragedy by Symphony X

3) Destiny by Stratovarius

4) Temple of Shadows by Angra

5) Blue Blood by X Japan

Can you tell me a little bit more about the gear you use to record “Arrival”?

Sure. Its been a pretty simple process. We use Cubase 8 for our DAW / ESP LTD Bass/ ESP LTD and PRS S2 Guitars, then Focusrite Scarlett’s as the recording interfaces.

What can we expect from Enceladus in the near future?

Definitely keep on a lookout! You can expect a style that is constantly evolving and never stagnant. We have enough ideas in the works for a third album and beyond already. Some epic stuff, some chill stuff, and most of all more METAL!

“Arrival” is available from Bandcamp.

Big Big Train’s FAR SKIES DEEP TIME Reissued

On By bradbirzerIn Progressive rock3 Comments
FSDT cover-300x300
To be re-released, March 16, 2018.

According to an email from Burning Shed this afternoon, Big Big Train has redesigned and remastered its 2010 maxi-ep release, FAR SKIES DEEP TIME.  Coming after 2009’s THE UNDERFALL YARD, FAR SKIES DEEP TIME was never seen by the band as a proper studio release, but rather as a compilation of disparate tracks.

Over the last eight years, two versions of the maxi-ep have appeared, one with a remake of Anthony Phillip’s “Master of Time,” and the other with a remake of a very early Big Big Train track, “Kingmaker.”

This 2018 version will be the first to incorporate both tracks onto one release.

Big Big Train is the premier European band of third-wave prog, and this latest release will only add to the group’s massively growing but already sterling reputation.

To preorder from Burning Shed, please click here.

To see our review of “Kingmaker,” please click here.

Belarusian Progressive Metalcore Act THORNYWAY Launch Kickstarter Campaign

On By NickIn Progressive rockLeave a comment

Thornyway

Hailing from Belarus capital Minsk, THORNYWAY is a progressive metalcore four-piece emerged in 2010 whose debut full-length album “Absolution” was launched back in 2014. Almost four years later, the band is ready to unleash their sophomore effort entitled “Awaken,” but they ask your help in achieving their goals with this ambitious project. A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign was recently launched where THORNYWAY try to raise $5,000 for mixing the album at the Anthropocide Mixing & Mastering Studio.

Speaking about this new material, the band commented: “‘Awaken’ is expression of our attitude towards Human Nature: Striving, Faith, Love, Forgiveness. The album reflects the events taking place in the modern world. Each listener will find in it something close for themselves. ‘Awaken’ is a logical follow-up to our first album, ‘Absolution,’ which was released in 2014.”

All songs on “Awaken” are recorded, and the album is to be delivered to the mixing and mastering studio for further treatment. You can head over to THORNYWAY’s Bandcamp profile to hear their first album which also gives a small hint what can be expected from “Awaken.”

Visit the Kickstarter crowdfunding page and help the band in reaching their goal by contributing and receiving fine perks in return. A video where the band talks about the campaign can be seen below.

THORNYWAY on-line:

Facebook
Bandcamp
Instagram

Wilson & Wakeman: Delicate Vigor

On By bradbirzerIn Progressive rockLeave a comment
wilson and wakeman
Not in the least what I expected, but absolutely what I needed.

Being a rather huge (gargantuan?) admirer of Damian Wilson–especially his work with Arjen Lucassen–and, most especially, in his [headspace] collaboration with Adam Wakeman (another favorite), I eagerly preordered and helped crowd fund the new Wilson & Wakeman album, “The Sun Will Dance In Its Twilight Hour.”

The CD landed on my doorstep from Germany last week.  With Wilson, Wakeman, and such a Crimson-esque title, I was expecting a scorching experimental prog metal masterpiece of galactic proportions.

The last thing I expected was what I actually received, an album that sounds as though it could have been written, at various points, by Paul Simon, Seals and Crofts, or Natalie Merchant.  I’m not in any way suggesting that Wilson & Wakeman advertised falsely.  Frankly, I’m sure I just missed some memo, here or there.  It wouldn’t be the first time my 50-year old spaciness got the best of me.  Additionally, Wilson & Wakeman are each too earnest to be deceptive.

And, that’s the best place to start an actual review of this rather beautiful album.  The album is raw, earnest, sincere, heartfelt, and, from a prog perspective, absolutely minimalist.  Vocals and piano dominate this album, with only the odd strings, backup vocals, and drums coming in from time to time.

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Three Decades

On By Mahesh SreekandathIn Heavy metal2 Comments

Morbid Angel to Archspire is an interesting shift – from morbid dissonance to morbid like precision in about 30 years. There are numerous incremental steps between them, but this systematic dial up in technical intensity is a broader pattern evident across all metal genres. But, whether this is a progression or regression is a matter of perspective. Definitely there is no absolute hierarchy for benchmarks, they are always personal and often idiosyncratic.

These broader genre shifts are eventually propelled by all aspects of the music industry — listeners, artists, labels — everyone plays their own structural role. Within the economic constraints of the real world, music evolves only when all the involved factors reinforce each other. In other words, independent of our personal opinion, aggregate benchmarks are constantly emerging. It’s sort of a dispersed process with its own layered feedback loops. Artistic shifts experiencing positive feedback simply thrive. And in turn also become a factor propelling broader genre trajectories – just like any other interconnected ecosystem.

Image Attribution
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By invisibleoranges (IMG_1643) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

soundstreamsunday #101: “Those Shoes” by the Eagles

On By Craig BreadenIn hard rock, Rock and Roll2 Comments

eagles3The dark end of late 70s rock culture makes for strange bedfellows on the weekly infinite linear mixtape.  One week after Judas Priest released Unleashed in the East in September 1979, a career milestone kickstarting broad commercial success, the Eagles issued The Long Run, a (mostly) career-ending album that took too long to make, wore on too many nerves in a group of too many egos, and while feeling generally sapped of energy was still a giant hit.  Go figure.  They were a beloved band at the end of their (Seven Bridges) road.  But while the album may not have been as strong as its predecessor, 1976’s Hotel California, pieces of it shared qualities with those other California-centric, dark star rock albums of the era, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977) and Steely Dan’s Gaucho (1980).  The party goes unexpectedly wrong, and as night sets in the sparks that fly leave an even darker fringe.

The Long Run’s spark is “Those Shoes.”  As an airtight funk backs a story parallel to Judas Priest’s “Victim of Changes” — delivered with icy remove by Don Henley — Joe Walsh and Don Felder twine their talk-boxed guitars together in a dual attack as hard-hitting, in its way, as anything delivered by K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton.  It’s the swing of it, still in the late 70s a rock’n’roll staple embraced by blues to punk, country to metal, and too soon largely abandoned by the harder end of rock, that moves both songs forward.  Just as Priest’s rhythm section, with Les Binks drumming, made you pump your fist and shake your butt, when the Eagles got down to business they were masters of the hard groove.  But this is no good times, party-on disco boogie.  The song’s power is multiplied by its downer lyric, a troubling view of the predator-prey club hookup scene, ringing at once with compassion, cynical chauvinism, and studious intention.  If it’s revealing of the seamier side of the west coast lifestyle as the 70s limped to an end, in it also is the last flash of a band who commanded the era.

soundstreamsunday presents one song or live set by an artist each week, and in theory wants to be an infinite linear mix tape where the songs relate and progress as a whole. For the complete playlist, go here: soundstreamsunday archive and playlist, or check related articles by clicking on”soundstreamsunday” in the tags section.