Mike Portnoy has shared on his social media that he is off to Florida to begin writing a new Flying Colors album with his bandmates. I’m very excited to hear this, to say the least. I love their music, and I was blown away when I saw them live. I’m definitely looking forward to their new album.
Off to Florida to begin writing @FlyingColors album #3 with Deez Guyz…can’t wait to see what we cook up this time! pic.twitter.com/hPbSfGdVE9
— Mike Portnoy (@MikePortnoy) December 5, 2016
Among the Progarchy editors, I happen to be the resident metalhead. So, on that basis, here is my list of the 10 best metal albums of the year. I have listened to them many times with the utmost enjoyment. They each have aspects that grab you right away, while other aspects must grow on you over time. In any event, they are all musical achievements of the highest quality, and I give them each my highest recommendation.
The albums below are listed in chronological order. As each month of the year went by, it was clear which album I was listening to the most and enjoying the most. So, on it went to my Top 10 Metal playlist. By November it was abundantly clear, simply from my daily listening habits, what my top 10 picks for the year are. So, here they are, but please note that I will also publish a supplementary “pure prog” Top 10 list later on this month. For now, here is the metal list.
Megadeth — Dystopia ★★★★★
Holy Grail — Times of Pride and Peril ★★★★★
Haken — Affinity ★★★★★ Continue reading “The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016”
By 1977 Jethro Tull was beginning to wear out its welcome in punk-crazed Britain, but the band was still in its prime creative period. Since 1971’s Aqualung, Tull had been working toward a singular brand of progressive rock, fusing its blues and jazz leanings with the sound and presentation style of traditional songs to create, in the hands of Ian Anderson and his cracked, acerbic writing and vocalizing, an often wickedly pointed baroque folk songbag. Songs from the Wood gave full voice to Tull’s rural idylls, and provides a kind of bookend to what the Incredible String Band began with 1968’s The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter: a freeform referencing of traditional song without going all trad arr (leave that to the Fairports and Steeleye….). The lyrical and electrical possibilities had ripened as Dylan‘s revolution took a turn towards more European forms, and Tull’s often exaggerated English-ness pervaded both songwriting and production: if Traffic’s “John Barleycorn” gave the impression that the band was plugging directly into the Yorkshire dales, Jethro Tull’s entire catalog depended on the conceit that you might see them — grubby around the edges — performing as a troupe on any given corner of any given English village on any given May Day. Disturbing. Liberating. And when Martin Barre goes to eleven on his Les Paul, thundering.
The live version of Songs from the Wood‘s “Velvet Green” was not included on 1978’s concert album Bursting Out, even though it was performed during that same tour, but was one of the many lovely additions that made the boxset Twenty Years of Jethro Tull (1988) so fascinating and worthwhile. If the band was ever in better form live, they were never captured so well as here on “Velvet Green,” a tune of some finessing, with all members of the band playing multiple roles. Part morris dance, Bach concerto, and dazzling 70s progressive musicianship, the song is a reverie of countryside and sex, rendered in the film without, ironically, Anderson’s trademark flute-between-the-thighs histrionics (his hands here are perhaps, um, full enough, with actually playing said flute and a Martin slot head acoustic). It is one of their finest moments, and as performances go — sympathetic to the song and to the strengths of its players (even though Barre doesn’t even get near a guitar!) — hard to think of a comparison.
Over the last few years, instrumental releases within the progressive rock/metal genre have been on the rise, and like with everything else, the quality of the releases vary from hit-and-miss to some absolutely amazing gems. Guamskyy, based in Houston, Texas, is a project of Christian San Agustin, a composer and guitarist who has been releasing music for a few years. Seven Parallels is a full-length debut by Guamsky. Scheduled for the December 20th release, it can be said that this album is definitely one of the latest releases to find its place in the AOTY lists for 2016.
Well composed, arranged and wonderfully performed, Seven Parallels is an ambitious piece of largely instrumental prog metal, with more than enough epic ideas to keep a listener engaged and attentive. Suffice to say, there is more than enough of a variety to keep the music from sounding stale or rehashed. Although Agustin’s true calling lies in melody-driven progressive metal guitar, the stylistic curveballs here are fully-realized and sound great. “All In Spite,” the album’s opener, is an excellent example of Agustin’s skill as a multi-faceted composer. And this skill just keeps on improving throughout the nine-track release. “Shellfish” features a guest performance by guitarist Dean Murphy, who performs an engaging solo, adding yet another layer to the already multilayered piece. Song structures seem arranged to cater to a string of individually satisfying moments, as opposed to the ideas all contributing to the overall whole of a composition. Even in the most ambitious progressive rock/metal moments, I tend to look for some of the same qualities found in conventionally good songwriting.
Obviously, much of the spotlight here is placed on Agustin’s prodigious grasp of the electric guitar. Although the album’s djenty side doesn’t stand any bit above what we’ve already heard from that corner of prog metal, Agustin makes himself out to be an absolutely brilliant fusion guitarist, possibly one of the best I’ve heard in recent years. “Hyper Beam” might be my favourite track on the album for this very reason; Agustin’s marriage of keen instrumental wandering and tight melodic passages is gorgeous.
Seven Parallels is an album packed with instrumental inventiveness and technical proficiency. Christian San Agustin excels here both as a composer and musician.
Pre-order ‘Seven Parallels’ on Bandcamp here.
Here’s hoping I’m only one of millions who download this rather–not surprisingly–excellent version of “Empires Never Last,” recorded with a full orchestra. Very nice. Very nice, indeed. These guys never cease to surprise and delight me.
https://galahad1.bandcamp.com/track/empires-never-last-orchestral-version
Muse, B-Sides and Rarities, 2012
Tracks: Disc 1: 1. Coma 2. Jimmy Kane 3. Agitated 4. Twin 5. Host 6. Forced In 7. Do We Need This 8. Pink Ego Box 9. Con-Science 10. Ashamed 11. Yes Please 12. Recess 13. Sober (The Saint Remix) 14. Nishe 15. Nature I 16. Execution Commentary 17. Map Of Your Head 18. Piano Thing 19. Sunburn (Timo Maas Sunstroke Remix) 20. New Born (Paul Oakenfold Perfecto Remix) Disc 2: 1. Shrinking Universe 2. Spiral Static 3. Hyper Chondriac Music 4. Screenager (Live) 5. The Gallery 6. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want 7. Futurism 8. Shine 9. Cant Take My Eyes Off You 10. Dead Star 11. In Your World 12. The Groove 13. Eternally Missed 14. Fury 15. Crying Shame 16. Easily 17. Glorious 18. Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) 19. Prague 20. Resistance (Tiesto Remix)
Muse is such a brilliant band that it is hard to imagine them creating anything that isn’t wonderful. Even the controversial (for die-hard fans, at least) The 2nd Law has grown on me – after all, it is a concept album. It should come as no surprise, then, that an album of rare songs and B-sides from Muse is excellent. I didn’t even know this collection of songs existed until our loving founder shared them with us last week. After listening to them, I’m amazed at the sheer number of songs – 40 of them across two discs. What’s even more amazing is the number of songs here that I had never even heard before.
While there are a few remixes, such as “Sober,” “Sunburn” (both originally from Showbiz), “New Born” (Origin of Symmetry), and “Resistance,” as well as a live version of “Screenager,” the vast majority of these songs are rarely heard tunes that never featured on an official album. The first disc largely reminded me of their earlier, more progressive sound, as found on Origin of Symmetry. There are a few others that don’t strike me as being like Muse at all, particularly a few of the remixes. They have a bit of a Dubstep sound that grates on me – I really hate the contemporary party scene and the music that accompanies it. I’m not sure why they decided to have these songs remixed like this, but it is only a few selections from this whole album.
“Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)” is definitely my favorite song from the album. It has all the makings of some of the strongest songs in the band’s catalog. Sadly, this song was made for one of those dog-crap awful Twilight movies. The less said about that the better – it is still a great song.
Many of the other songs strike me as being worthy of inclusion on albums such as Origin of Symmetry, Absolution, and Black Holes and Revelations. These songs aren’t as politically motivated as their more widely regarded work, but I believe they stand well with songs like “Hyper Music,” “Falling Away with You,” “Blackout,” “Butterflies and Hurricanes,” and many other overlooked Muse songs. “Piano Thing” (track 18 from disc 1) finds Matt Bellamy at his absolute best on the piano. I wish the band would include interludes like this in their music a lot more than they do. His piano work takes their music to a whole other level.
So, who should check out this collection of B-Sides and Rarities? Certainly any big fan of Muse and definitely fans of their Origin of Symmetry sound. If you can’t tell, that’s my favorite album by them, and it is probably why I find this collection of songs so appealing. I’m amazed that even the songs that few people hear by this band are of such a high quality. This collection could easily stand up against other similar bands’ best albums.
Kerzner is seeking Kickstarter pledges:
Here’s a brand new 75+ minute album (the length of a double album) of Progressive Rock you can get for as low as $10 (or $20 with an exclusive bonus only available on Kickstarter). If you like bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Porcupine Tree, Marillion, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Radiohead and Sound of Contact (my band with Simon Collins) then just watch the video where I talk about and play music from my new album “Static” here: https://www.kickstarter.com/…/static-a-progressive-rock-alb…
Less than 9 days to join to get the exclusive extras and a glimpse behind the scenes during the making of the album all the way up through our performance on Yes’s Cruise To The Edge (including updates from CTTE itself with Steve Hackett, Nick D’Virgilio, Billy Sherwood and more!)
Fire Garden Live at Martyrs’ with Sonus Umbra and Erzulie
Recommended for the fans of Progressive Rock, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Pink Floyd.
Venue: Martyrs’ Chicago
Date: Wednesday Nov 30, 2016
Tickets: $7
Doors: 7:30 PM
Erzulie 8 PM – 8:50 PM
Fire Garden 9:10 PM – 10:00 PM
Sonus Umbra 10:20 PM – 11:10 PM
Tickets at
http://martyrslive.com/wed-nov-30-8pm-7
Come and enjoy great music, venue and atmosphere.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1678754159103385/
Progarchy 