Released Today: New John Bassett EP
“Live From The Byre” New John Bassett EP is released today!
You can hear it/get it now at
https://johnbassett.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-byre
Its a 4 track EP, recorded in a derelict byre (cowshed) in County Sligo Ireland. It was recorded in one take using 3 microphones, 1 for vocals, 1 for guitar and 1 for ambient sounds such as the birds nesting in the roof, the wind outside and the door continually creaking. The songs featured on this are
1. Unearth (from John Bassett “Unearth”)
2. Nothing Sacred (from John Bassett “Unearth”)
3. Murder in a Small Town (from KingBathmat “Blue Sea, Black Heart”)
4. Brand New Crucifix (this song is about 20 years old and I don’t think its ever been available anywhere?)
John Bassett
http://arcademessiah.com/
https://arcademessiah.bandcamp.com/
facebook – https://www.facebook.com/arcademessiah
facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/kingbathmat/
Review: Lonely Desert by FOREST FIELD
As the Forest Field website states clearly “Forest Field is not a band. Forest Field is a project.” In the way that the famed Alan Parsons Project was able to use various and rotating musicians and performers over the “bands'” discography while always availing itself of its founders and creators Parsons and Eric Wolfson, so too the album Lonely Desert is the brainchild of Chinawhite guitarist Peter Cox. Cox plays all the instruments on this 9 track album while he is joined by Phil Vincent who very admirably handles the vocals. Lonely Desert is the fifth release from this Dutch project that bills itself as melodic rock, new age/ambient, and progressive. I wish I had heard of this musical endeavor earlier on as they are quite good and I really like this album. It is a bit of a concept album based loosely on Frank Herbert‘s DUNE, but the listener need not know that classic to enjoy the listening experience.
Before some track by track comments it needs be said that this not your “classical” prog of the early founding 70’s nor even the second wave iteration. There is more classic rock afoot here than Yes, Genesis, or Spock’s Beard. Forest Field is more of Thin Lizzy meets Judas Priest with Boston stirred in…infused with very tasty mellotron and synth additives. But that is not a bad thing as the music is too good to let restrictive descriptors keep ones ears shut.
The jacket art sure is prog friendly! The Blekkmark Design Studio provides a suitably Sci-Fi/Fantasy portrait in pleasing hues of purple, violet, and blue. 10/10 for the cover.
Track 1: Valley of Pain (7:10) This song has a neo prog feel, almost Frost* like. This has solid drumming (also by Cox) and a very catchy rock arrangement. There is also the first, of an album-full guitar solo by Cox. I like it. There is a familiar feeling to the melody. At 4:45 there is a down tempo change where the synths predominate. Then at 5:40 the chorus comes back. But it is catchy. 7/10
MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON at 30
Pink Floyd’s MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON turns 30 this year. Like so much of “prog” (yes, I put this in quotes) of the 1980s, it’s still controversial.
The same thing happened to Genesis, of course. Is ABACAB really a Genesis album? Or, how about ELP? Is EMERSON LAKE AND POWELL really an ELP album? Or Yes? Are 90125 or BIG GENERATOR really Yes albums? Ok, I won’t drag this idea into the ground. But, it’s fair to note, that the question regarding MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON is not unique.
At the time MOMENTARY LAPSE came out, I was living in Austria for my sophomore year of college. My great friend, Liz Ehret (now Bardwell), was visiting an American Army base in West German and picked up a copy of it as well as copies of Rush’s HOLD YOUR FIRE and Yes’s BIG GENERATOR for me. Of the three, the only one that floored me was HOLD YOUR FIRE. Still, I very much liked MOMENTARY.
Patchwork Cacophony Five of Cups
Patchwork Cacophony is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Ben Bell, (keyboard player with Fusion Orchestra 2, and now keyboard player with Gandalfs Fist) in fact it was Stefan Hepe (Fist drummer) who passed my details onto Ben who dropped a nice little note asking if I’d be kind enough to listen to this, his second ‘solo’ excursion under the Patchwork Cacophony name.
I duly downloaded the album, and was blown away by what I heard.
Bit of background first, Ben, as a multi-instrumental plays pretty much everything on here, apart from a couple of guest guitarists (more about them later) and in a small genre like ours, it’s easier for albums like this to slip out unnoticed and slowly build up their reputation by word of mouth, particularly if bigger bands have new releases out there.
Nostalgia Rock: My High School Favorites, 1982-1986
To say that I was obsessed with rock during my high school years would be a gross understatement. Then, again, I was pretty much either obsessed with whatever I was doing (listening to music, playing DnD, debating, hanging out with friends) or I wasn’t doing it. Anyway, over at Facebook, a lot of folks are posting their favorite high school albums. Here are mine. Narrowing it to fifteen was really tough, as I would’ve preferred to have added more Rush, some Jethro Tull, some Kansas, some Pink Floyd, more Genesis, more Tangerine Dream, and more Yes.
Still, I think this is a pretty accurate list. I also tried to be honest. As such, I’ve really not listened to Oingo Boingo, the Police, or The Tubes anymore.
My 15 favorite high school (1982-1986) albums.
- ABC, THE LEXICON OF LOVE
- Genesis ABACAB
- Genesis, DUKE
- Oingo Boingo, DEAD MAN’S PARTY
- Police, SYNCHRONICITY
- Rush, GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
- Rush, MOVING PICTURES
- Rush, SIGNALS
- Tangerine Dream, FORCE MAJEURE
- Tears for Fears, SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR
- Thomas Dolby, GOLDEN AGE OF WIRELESS
- Tubes, COMPLETION BACKWARDS PRINCIPLE
- Wang Chung, TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA (soundtrack)
- Yes, 90125
- Yes, YESSONGS
Your turn.
Interview with INCREATE
Portland-based instrumetal metalurgists in Increate will release their debut album titled “Void” on February 3rd. The quartet sat down for an interview with Progarchy and we discussed what it looks like to create music in the band. Make sure to pre-order “Void” from Bandcamp.
What made you go for the name Increate?
Johannes: I got the idea from the book series: “Urth Of The New Sun” by Gene Wolfe. When I found that the definition is “existing without having been created”, it was all over.
How do you usually describe your music?
Zev: Shreddy, psychedelic, heavy.
Dustin: Instrumental progressive metal to someone who isn’t familiar with all the subgenres. In actuality I think it’s instrumental technical death metal merged with progressive metal and jazz fusion. In other words, combine our main influences: Soreption, Meshuggah, Fallujah, Animals as Leaders, and Cynic and you’re getting close. We also take heavy influence from HP Lovecraft and many of the song titles are references to his stories.
Jacob Moon’s SUBDIVISIONS
Ok, so I had no idea who this guy was until today. Progarchist Kevin Williams suggested checking out his cover version of “Subdivisions.” Ok, call me impressed.
Rush’s 2112 at 40: The Super Deluxe Edition
Rush, 2112 (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition). 2CDs, 1DVD, 3LPs, 1 vinyl single, starman turntable mat, three collector buttons, June 1976 handbill, June 1976 ticket stuff, starman sticker, LP-sized photos of the three members of Rush, LP-sized liner notes by Rob Bowman, code for digital download, cd-booklet and liner notes, vinyl single adaptor, and starman sketch. http://www.rush.com/2112-40th/
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Is there a greater anthem of individualism and anti-conformity in all rock history than Rush’s 2112? No folk song of the 1950s or protest song of the 1960s comes close to matching Rush’s power of words and music. Even more than “Bohemian Rhapsody,” 2112 makes us want to bang our heads and raise our fists. Sorry, Garth.
Continue reading “Rush’s 2112 at 40: The Super Deluxe Edition”
PROG is Back!
The purgatorial existence of PROG is over. Cato the Younger is letting the magazine and staff pass back to the earthly realm. God bless, Jerry Ewing!
Progarchy 