BANDOLIRUM: Bandoneon Prog Metal

On By NickIn Prog, progressive rockLeave a comment

Bandolirium

Argentinian Prog-Tango Metal act Bandolirium, led by bandoneon player Amijai Shalev, are set to release their self-titled debut album this Friday, May 12.

Although there were tries in the past to blend Tango and Progressive Metal together, Bandolirium’s approach to this idea goes a few steps further by including a bandoneon—a type of square concertina popular in Argentina—in their music.

About the idea to create Prog Metal music with the inclusion of the instrument, Shalev commented: “I feel it’s a natural result of the music I listen to and my personal background. Great part of being a composer is finding the unique combination that we are and the way we see our environment. Living in Buenos Aires,  this combination seems obvious to me, it hasn’t been done before just because people have a tendency to keep on doing the same stuff. In Prog Metal you hear very often rhythms and melodies from different cultures, so if we want to do Argentinian Prog Metal, Tango is a great inspiration, also using the bandoneon in metal parts is interesting because the sound is similar to keyboards but you can work the dynamics of an acoustic instrument, and of course for Tango audience the metal sound is something new.”

Progressive Metal and Tango have a lot in common, the intensity and drama especially, but even specific rhythms that are used in metal are found in tango.

Bandolirium has previously released a cover of Metallica’s classic “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Shalev said: “I think that our version of ‘For whom the Bell’ tolls is an example how close tango and metal (in this case thrash) can get.”

About the creative process of the self-titled album, Amijai said: “I composed all the parts with scores at home, a very intimate process, for the drums I only wrote a reference and our drummer, Marcos Edwards, composed the real drums. While rehearsing we made the changes and corrections; there were many of them. It was a very interesting work, we learned a lot doing it.”

Bandolirium is out on May 12th.

Bandolirium is:

Amijai Shalev – bandoneon
Marcos de Cristobal – guitars
Matias Brandauer – bass
Marcos Edwards – drums

Bandolirium online:

Website

Facebook

Bandcamp

From White to Red: Ultravox, LAMENT (1984)

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock3 Comments

Review of Ultravox, LAMENT (Chrysalis, 1984).  Tracks: White China; One Small Day; Dancing With Tears in My Eyes; Lament; Man of Two Worlds; Heart of the Country; When the Time Comes; and A Friend I Call Desire.

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The end of the quartet of excellence.

Though the album came out in 1984, Ultravox’s LAMENT is as relevant today–perhaps more so–than it was then, at least in terms of its themes.

Considering the position that China now occupies in the world, especially when compared with its third-world status 1984, it’s hard not to wonder if Midge Ure had more than a bit of the prophet in him.  From Pale to Pink, from White to Red, the road toward totalitarianism is a slippery one.  Though Ure was probably thinking of Margaret Thatcher’s horrific betrayal of the people of Hong Kong on the first track, “White China,” he might well have been writing about the Red Chinese, the Nationalist Chinese, or the Koreans of 2017.  Or, he might have been talking about Britain and America, wrapped in Asiatic imagery.  It was, after all, 1984 (que Orwell. . . .)

Continue reading “From White to Red: Ultravox, LAMENT (1984)” →

Blair-Pongracic Band East (U.S.) Coast Tour, 2017

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

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This looks wonderful.  Ivan Pongracic is, of course, the lead guitarist of The Madeira, the world’s greatest surf band.  The Blair-Pongracic Band is one of his side projects.  An important one to be sure.

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For those of you who haven’t already heard, The Blair-Pongracic Band is about to bring nine, very high energy appearances to the East Coast in just a few short weeks. Here are the June dates:

16th Star Bar (Atlanta GA)
17th Snug Harbor (Charlotte NC)
18th The Station (Carrboro NC)
19th Hill Country BBQ (Washington DC)
20th Brighton Bar (Long Branch NJ)
21st Lucky 13 Saloon (Brooklyn NY)
22nd Happy Dog (Cleveland OH)
23rd Urban Artifact (Cincinnati OH)
24th Melody Inn (Indianapolis IN)

Help spread the word. Hope to see YOU along the way!!!

Haim: “Right Now” (Live) & “Want You Back” @HAIMtheband

On By Time LordIn progressive rock1 Comment

For me, the Haim sisters are even reminiscent of stratospheric artists like Peter Gabriel or Steven Wilson at their most thrilling moments of pure pop perfection. No wonder, when their personal playlist unsurprisingly includes the likes of Kate Bush and ELO.

With what promises to be one of the best albums of 2017, the supremely talented Haim will return to the charts by releasing Something To Tell You on July 7.

The appropriately titled track “Want You Back” is already now available. Not to be missed is also a preview of the track “Right Now” from that same forthcoming album. Here it is, superbly performed, as a live, one-take version in the studio, filmed by Paul Thomas Anderson:

Haim will be live on SNL this weekend. Here’s how good they were last time, when they played my favorite track from 2013’s Days Are Gone, “The Wire”:

I’ve wanted them back for a long time, so I’m really looking forward to a new, full-length album from Danielle, Alana, and Este. It’s going to be a great summer!

Born to make music, check out this window on the band’s nice life story:

By the way, if you think you have them pegged as a pop band, think again. It never makes sense to put talented people in a box. Here’s proof that Haim can rock hard with the best of them:

The Tangent: SLOW RUST OF FORGOTTEN MACHINERY–Album information

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

tangent slow rust

FROM INSIDEOUT music MAY 9 2017

The Tangent, the progressive rock group led by Andy Tillison, have announced the release of the first new music since 2015. Their new ninth studio album ‘The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery’ is set for release on 21st July 2017. The line-up for this album once again features Tillison on keyboards, vocals (and for the first time on a Tangent record – drums), Jonas Reingold on bass, Luke Machin on guitars and vocals, and Theo Travis on sax and flutes plus new member Marie-Eve de Gaultier on keys and vocals. There are also guest appearances from author/playwright and Chumbawamba founder Boff Whalley on vocals, and upcoming DJ/producer Matt Farrow.

Band leader Andy Tillison had this to say: “Roger Waters did prove the ability of Progressive Music to act as a vehicle to communicate ideas about the current world scene. In both Pink Floyd’s “The Final Cut” and his “Amused To Death” albums, Waters set a challenge to others in the genre. A challenge which has not been frequently accepted.”

The album sees The Tangent in political commentary mode once again – this time often focussing on the horrendous plight of refugees from war torn parts of the world – and the way in which they are treated by the West, and in particular by the tabloid press. The album laments the new trend in building walls and defending borders across the world yet takes time to look at the breakup of friendships and other more personal issues – along with a song about the fate of wildlife in the modern consumer world.

And it’s a Progressive Rock Record. Full of intricacies, long developed pieces, challenging arrangements and virtuoso playing from all members. New sounds and styles (the band have brought a DJ on board for some sections) – new voices and techniques (first female vocals in The Tangent since the “Not As Good As The Book” album 10 years ago). A new producer in the form of Luke Machin whose open and deep/clear sound is a major factor of this album, a new drummer in the form of Andy Tillison who decided at long last (after drumming for 30 years) to let his own performances guide the rest of the band rather than adding another musician later. And after 13 years of asking, Jonas finally agreed to play some double bass in a song where Luke also plays some Scat guitar and Andy does a full on drum solo.

“The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery” also features stellar artwork from Marvel / DC Comics artist Mark Buckingham. The sleeve of the album is totally based on the music it contains and was especially created for this project.

The album will be available on limited digipak CD, gatefold 2LP + CD, and digital download, and you can find the full track-listing below:

Two Rope Swings
Doctor Livingstone (I Presume)
Slow Rust
The Sad Story of Lead and Astatine
A Few Steps Down the Wrong Road
Basildonxit

The band will head out on tour in support of the new record, once again joining forces with Sweden’s Karmakanic to present albums by both bands. The full list of dates is as follows:
Aug 26th 2017 – Bierkeller, Reichenbach, DE
Sept 1st 2017 – 2 days of Prog +1 Festival, Veruno, Italy
Sept 9th 2017 – The Boerderij, Zoetermeer
Oct 8th 2017 – SUMMERS END Festival, Chepstow, UK
Oct 21st 2017 – Progtoberfest, Chicago, USA
Oct 22nd 2017 – Shank Hall, Milwaukee WI, USA
Oct 24th 2017 – Token Lounge, Westland MI, USA
Oct 26th 2017 – Roxy & Dukes, Dunellen NJ, USA
Oct 27th 2017 – The Regent Theatre, Arlington MA, USA

Look out for more information in the coming weeks!
The Tangent online:
www.thetangent.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alltangentmembers/

INSIDEOUTMUSIC ONLINE:
www.insideoutmusic.com
www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV
www.facebook.com/InsideOutMusic
www.twitter.com/insideouteu
www.myspace.com/insideoutlabel

Visit the new Insideout Shop:
www.insideoutshop.de

Pre-Order New Steven Wilson

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment

Just about two hours ago, the pre-orders for the new Steven Wilson album, TO THE BONE, began.  The release comes in four versions, with the deluxe box set being limited in number.

To pre-order from Steven Wilson’s official store, go here: https://store.universalmusic.com/stevenwilson/*/*/To-The-Bone-Box-Set/5IVP0000000

Below is the first video from the album.  According to the official write up, Talk Talk’s THE COLOUR OF SPRING and Tears for Fears’ SEEDS OF LOVE serve as two of the three inspirations for the album, labeled as “progressive pop.”  The third is Peter Gabriel’s SO.

Latest Tillison/Tangent News

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

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Posted by Andy Tillison an hour ago:

So at long last there will be a chance to see the much vaunted album sleeve tomorrow – Mark Buckingham‘s art for this sleeve is absolutely stellar. The dropbox for pre-preorders will be updated with some new excerpts from the album and we’ll have something for everyone to hear whether they have ordered or not. Shortly after that we’ll hope to get regular pre-orders going. I’ll be around this page tomorrow from 2.00 pm UK time and be up for any questions etc from that time onwards…. Hope to catch some of you tomorrow!

2017 might very well go down as the greatest year for prog, ever.  Very excited.

NAO’s THE THIRD DAY

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

NAO, THE THIRD DAY (Kscope/Snapper, 2014).  Tracks: Great Plains II; Elsewhere; August; A Nice Little Place; Penrose; Do Something Useful; Wires; Pines of Eden; Dust; When to Stop.

NAO TTD cover art
Not sure if The Third Day is related to Genesis, but it is epic.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.  The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.–GENESIS, Chapter 1

Though NAO’s Sam Healy is not religious in the least, there might be something culturally reflective here.  I have no idea, frankly.  But, I’m sure I’m not the only who imagined the Jewish creation story when reading the title of NAO’s third album.

Whatever the origin of the title, I was actually prompted to re-reveiw the album because of listening to the NAO compilation, LIBRARY STRIKES THE LIBRARY TWICE.  Listening to  the three tracks on that “best of,” taken from THE THIRD DAY, and listening to them out of context gave me an entirely new perspective on the 2014 album.

Continue reading “NAO’s THE THIRD DAY” →

soundstreamsunday: “Born Under Punches” by Talking Heads

On By Craig BreadenIn post punk, progressive rock2 Comments

The-Talking-Heads-perfomring-in-Boston

Again with the Eno! Always with the Eno! I’ve said it before here, but there’s no avoiding Brian Eno in any discussion of late 20th century pop and rock, and his work with the Talking Heads is just one more example of his everywhereness.

Having developed a friendship with David Byrne and seeing in the Talking Heads a vessel for pushing forward a longstanding passion for African music as realized by Fela Kuti, Brian Eno produced two records for the band that became central to their story.  But it was on the second of these albums, Remain in Light, where Eno and the Talking Heads — with a significantly fleshed-out band — captured a critical density of sound measuring up to the giant slabs of Afro-Beat/Jazz jams Kuti conducted.  The record, importantly, also marks a point in transit for Adrian Belew, who in a span of three years would go from Zappa to Bowie to Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club to King Crimson, while beginning his own fruitful solo career.  Belew’s presence on Remain in Light (1980) and King Crimson’s Discipline (1981) make the albums a natural pair, as Fripp’s great reinvention of Crimson drew heavily from his new guitarist-vocalist’s recent adventures.

Remain in Light contains only one well-known Talking Heads song, the superb “Once in a Lifetime.”  The balance of the record spins extended grooves cooked up from percussive, bass-driven jams borrowing in their feel from an African music aesthetic, creating a shared kinship too with the Eno/Byrne collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, albeit voiced more organically.

This live version of “Born Under Punches” shows a Talking Heads — with Belew, Busta Jones on second bass, Bernie Worrell on keys, Dolette McDonald on backing vocals, and extra percussionists — morphing into a band that, as George Clinton might say, could tear the roof off the sucker, a product of the ever-shifting crossroads Brian Eno always seemed to leave in his wake.

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 above.

Unleash the Archers: “The Matriarch” Video @UnleashArchers

On By Time LordIn progressive rock2 Comments

Click through to BraveWords to watch the exclusive (currently unlisted) lyric video for the awesome new track “The Matriarch” from Apex, the forthcoming album from Unleash the Archers. Not only is this track pure metal excellence, it is a harbinger of the epic feel of the whole concept album. Here are some details:

It has now been 10 years of Unleash The Archers. These heavy metal heroes are celebrating this honour with an exhilarating feast on their upcoming album, Apex, out on June 2nd via Napalm Records.

The band states: “We are extremely excited to release another full on concept album; it’s just so much fun to play out a story when you’re up on stage. This one has a protagonist that we call ‘The Immortal’ being forced to serve the antagonist, a.k.a. ‘The Matriarch’ as she embarks down a very dark path to achieve immortality. We had a great time writing this record, and I think the cohesiveness of the story has really shone through in the music as well. It has a certain vibe throughout, from beginning to end, and we can’t wait to hear what our fans have to say about the direction this album has taken. We don’t like to write the same record over and over again and we are very happy with the progression of our sound on Apex. We think it will appeal to all of our fans old and new; it has the best parts of our past albums combined into one with just a little more spit and polish.”