Some GoPro cameras captured SW, the band and Ninet Tayeb performing Space Oddity at the Eventim Apollo last week (27th Jan) as a tribute to the late David Bowie. Thanks to Lasse for editing it together.
Bruce Soord- Bruce Soord- A Review.
Before I start my review, I should mention that I have not listened to any of The Pineapple Thief (Bruce Soord’s band) before. Progarchy’s Brad Birzer asked if I was interested in doing a review, and I thought “Why the heck not.” Perhaps, this will be made interesting by someone with fresh ears.
This is Soord’s first solo album, appropriately self-titled. At first I listened straight through the album (only 40 minutes) and was surprised to learn that this isn’t really prog, at least in the traditional sense. I am a man with many musical tastes but at first listen, it seemed too simple and slow to grab my attention. It wasn’t until multiple listens that some tracks moved me such as “Buried Here”, “A Thousand Daggers”, “Born in Delusion”, and “Familiar Patterns”.
“Buried Here” and “Born in Delusion” tie for my favorite tracks on the album. While there’s nothing out of the ordinary or original in “Buried Here”, the melody is pleasant while haunting, and reminds me of some of the more mellow Blur songs, perhaps something from their 2003 album “Think Tank”. Bruce Soord’s vocals actually reminds me of Blur’s Damon Albarn with a little of Steven Wilson thrown in. “Born in Delusion” is another haunting piece here, which suckered me in by its neat 10/8 meter. Lyrically, I felt most connected to “Field Day Part 1” and “Field Day Part 2”. Even though Soord split it up into two tracks, (the first one running 3:15 and the second one only 1:50) to me, it seems like the same piece, where “Part 2” is an encouraging mantra, in reaction to the observations/ feelings in “Part 1”.
Listening to the album the third and forth time straight through, I began to understand its simplicity. The entire album does seem to have a nice arc to it, basically starting with an introduction piece so opposite of prog, it’s as if Soord is saying “Hey guys, this is just me and I’m going to do something way different now.” The album ends fittingly with an epic song “Leaves Leave Me”. And when I say epic, I mean epic in terms of the scale that has been standardized by the rest of the album, in length (5 min 21 secs), and in instruments/sounds (background vocals, children playing), but then just ends suddenly without resolve, which I thought was peculiar.
So overall I liked it, but I can’t see myself listening to it again and again, like I obsessively do with many other works. While not bad by any means, I’m guessing this album will have more to offer fans of The Pineapple Thief and Soord’s other projects, such as his collaboration with Jonas Renske for Wisdom of Crowds (which I also have not heard).
Perhaps I have some homework to do.
Kudos to Dream Theater (not a review)
A quick note about the new Dream Theater and the reviews I’ve read this far. Well, two notes.
First, THE ASTONISHING is one of the most ambitious undertakings for an album I have ever seen. Not just the music, but the story and everything that accompanies the story. For attempt alone, DT deserves the highest marks possible.
Second, I’ve seen a lot of reviews mock the story as “Young Adult” and ridiculous. Yes, names such as Faythe and Gabriel and Emperor Nayfarius are pretty obvious. But, more so than Darth Vader (Dark Invader) ?
Come on, folks, this form of naming is a fairy-tale convention, and it has been for centuries. It gives us an immediate knowledge of who is good and who is bad, who wears the white hat and who wears the black hat. If you want to make fun of the band for this, you’re welcome to, of course, but you’re making fun of one of the longest-lived literary conventions in western civilization.
I’ll have a full review of this album after I’ve had more time to listen to it, but thus far I’m just amazed at the scope of it all. What a treat.
Review: Orymus – Miracles
Orymus is a slick melodic metal band from Switzerland that first caught my ear with 2012’s ‘Escape to Reality’. Sounding close in sound to the band Savatage, the band may not have had the most original sound in progressive metal, but they executed the sound with passion and power all the same. As the band has gone on, their sound has certainly drifted increasingly towards a more accessible side of metal, and now at the point of their sophomore studio album ‘Miracles’, Orymus has drifted almost completely to melodic, rather than progressive sounds in metal. This is not to say that the technicality has been completely abolished, but it is clear that the band is becoming deadset on a more conventional rock song format. ‘Miracles’ may meet some unsteady ears from the progressive community as a result, but all things considered, the band offers some strong songwriting with this record. At the same time though, there are some issues which can make the album less powerful than it could have been.
As I thought originally with ‘Escape to Reslity’, Orymus takes quite a bit from the progressive metal veterans Fates Warning and Queensryche, possibly leaning a little more to the latter. Many bands are driven by the sounds of their influences in progressive metal, and Orymus is no exception to this. It would have been nice to hear a little more originality from the band though, and to a minor extent, Orymus is developing a more steady sound for themselves. When compared to ‘Escape to Reality’, the less proggy sound takes the band away from the Fates Warning comparisons, but does not make them any more original sounding. Instead, here the band sounds like quite a few modern hard rock bands. Orymus is still developing more of an identity for themselves however, although the more simple approach they take here is admittedly less impressive.
Although the songs are generally conventionally structured, they are well written. The vocalist here has a beautifully melodic voice that can also get aggressive when it needs to. There is also such a great variety to the music, but the songs all hold some memorable ideas going on for them. There is a dark vibe to these deeply melodic compositions, and a crisp sound to the whole thing makes it easy on the ears. One of many things I enjoy about Miracles is it’s organic style of production. The drums here sound lively, and the guitars sound warm and not over-polished. The guitar solos here are incredible, and when the band gets technical, I find myself very impressed by what Orymus have to offer.
Support Orymus by getting Miracles from Bandcamp, and following them on Facebook.
Review: Kardashev – Peripety
Technical death metal perfection. That’s pretty much all that need be said about Kardashev‘s brilliant new release Peripety. From the moment that you lay eyes on the minimalistic album art until the final notes of album closer “Lux” leave you jaw agape, this album takes you on a journey through ethereal beauty and Earth-shaking brutality. The musicianship is astounding and inventive. Even in the moments of calm in the eye of this storm, Kardashev never let you forget that this record is HEAVY in nearly every conceivable sense of the word. Stream below the full album while you’re reading through the review.
Kardashev is a Tempe-based band and Peripety is their first full-length offering. Their 2013 EP Excipio, released on Subliminal Groove Records, was nothing short of a masterful display of technical death metal musicianship. Peripety ups the ante to dizzying heights. Peripety edges other death metal releases from 2015 due to it’s sheer inventiveness. Furthermore, I believe that it has actually accomplished the task of ranking right up there with the best overall metal album of the year.
This is where I usually list the highlights of the record. In this case, the entire record is the highlight. DO NOT miss this album if you are a fan of technical death metal and insanely great musicianship.
Get Peripety from Bandcamp.
The Wordsworthian Pastoral and the Brilliance of Big Big Train
This past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a month living in the gorgeous Midlands of England – the town of Warwick, to be exact. I say living, rather than visiting, because I truly felt like I was living there. I spent my time researching Warwick church history at the Warwickshire County Records Office, during the week. The weekends, however, found me frolicking in the beautiful English countryside, villages, and cities in the area. I visited one of the local churches (one that I also happened to be researching) on Sunday mornings, and one of the families there invited me over for dinner several times during my stay. It is good to see that the English are still very much a hospitable people, and talking with locals helped me obtain a greater understanding of English culture and politics, as well as what it means to be “English.”
When I went to England, I knew that one of the things I really wanted to do was listen to Big Big Train’s English Electric Full Power whilst traveling through the country. I know this may sound strange, particularly to those of you that are British, but, as an American who has spent quite a bit of time studying English history, culture, and music, it just seemed like the right, or fitting, thing to do. Part of it, I think, is that I wanted to associate this wonderful music with my actual experiences in England. I succeeded in that desire, for every time I listen to that album, like I am right now, my mind is flooded with memories of my time in England.
I believe I was on the bus between Warwick and Coventry when I plugged my headphones in and began listening to English Electric. Gazing out the foggy window at little flocks of sheep, hedgerows, and gently rolling hills, I let the music that was born, crafted, and recorded in that magical land wash over me. I did the same on my train trips to Birmingham and London, both of which gave me the opportunity to see even more of the English countryside. On one occasion, I walked 3 miles along the side of the road to visit a mansion/art gallery called Compton Verney. Walking through the countryside gave me a wonderful chance to soak in the Wordsworthian pastoral.
An aside on England, I was particularly struck with how rural the country can be one minute and how urban it can be the next. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago where we had to drive an hour to be out in the “country.” In the roughly 12 mile bus ride from Warwick to Coventry, the landscape went from urban to rural to relatively big city in the distance of a few miles. I find that remarkable. But enough of that, back to BBT.
English Electric so perfectly captures the beauty of England, from the hills and rivers, to the coal mines and factories, to the bustling cities. The songs give you just the right amount of instrumental space between verses to ponder the beauty of both what has been said and what can be imagined. You can picture the young boy covered in coal dust deep within the earth just as much as you can imagine the miles of hedgerow marked country roads backdropped by fields of little yellow flowers, all without leaving your office. The music truly brings these images to life.
Big Big Train also connect with a different part of English culture, which, for most readers, might be the crucial reason this music is so good. Without copying or plagiarizing, they revive the sounds and motifs of classic English progressive rock. The essence of Genesis undergirds this music just enough to make it “feel” English. (I’ll add that I also listened to Genesis’ Selling England by the Pound during one of my train rides.) As an American, listening to the English progressive rock from the 70s (Genesis, Yes, and Jethro Tull, in particular) has impressed upon me an idea of what England is and what it should sound like. Big Big Train faithfully carry on that tradition. In fact, culturally, I think they improve on that musical tradition and masterfully add to it, just as T. S. Eliot added to and improved upon the poetic tradition of Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, and Keats.
As I once again sit here and let English Electric wash over me, I am reminded of the beauty of England, of her people, her music, her rivers, her fields, her castles, her cities, and her sheep. As I listen to this music, I am drawn into a world uncorrupted by current events, yet still tainted by sin and darkness. Big Big Train softly remind us of the dangers of industrialism and Blake’s “dark satanic mills,” yet above all else, they call us to walk along the hedgerows, to wander around the ruined abbeys, to think about the meaning of life. They call us to get off of our computers, to put our phones down, to leave our hiding places and go out and appreciate life, nature, and who we are as humans. Life is only so short.
That is where you will find me
Out there
Waiting
Hedgerow
Review: Anima Tempo – Caged In Memories
My obsessive hunger for more music has brought me again to Mexico, this time to a band called Anima Tempo, whose new album, which will be discussed here, I received in the latest Prog Sphere Promotions package.
Anima Tempo, was born in 2009, after long-time friends Dante Granados (guitars, synths), Gian Granados (vocals, guitars), and Pedro Vera (bass) decided to form a band where they will pour out all their creativity. After two demo records, in January 2016 Anima Tempo released their full-length debut titled “Caged In Memories.” Consisting of seven songs, the album represents the group’s take on the progressive metal genre, completed with elements from death metal, symphonic music and djent.
Musically, “Caged In Memories” is rooted in 90’s prog metal, with heavy riffing, intense drumming and vocals that range from cleans to growls and all the way back. Besides the aforementioned prog metal structure, the band does not fear to explore further, embracing term ‘eclectic.’ As it’s notable that the majority of progressive metal bands were or are influenced by Dream Theater, Anima Tempo’s closest description, by my ears, would be blending aforementioned prog metal veterans with Opeth, Between The Buried And Me, Kamelot and Hans Zimmer-inspired soundtracks. The raw energy splutters from every single tone and seeminlgy, the band does not care too much to tame it, but rather let it grease the speakers.
Anima Tempo succeeded to avoid a prejudical approach the majority of bands of the similar genre orientation have implied in their music. You might find this album “hard” for your ears, but to break that image, I may conclude that during the album’s running time you don’t feel any kind of pressure from that side. This album floats easily on its way. The Mexican and international scenes are certainly stronger by having another band under its wings.
Buy “Caged In Memories” by Anima Tempo on Bandcamp.
Big Big Train no 1 in Event Of The Year category in Prog Mag’s Readers’ Poll 2016
It’s with great delight I read in the latest issue of Prog Magazine that the wonderful social get together that was the The Big Big Gigs at Kings Place in London August 14-16 has been chosen No 1 Event Of The Year in the Readers’ Poll 2016! The grateful comment from the band is so significant of what this wonderful band is all about. Love! 🙂 As you also can see the band’s drummer Nick D’Virgilio was number 2 in the Drummer category just behind the monumental Marco Minnemann. (Thanks to Greg’s daughter Ellie for the picture which I nicked from her Facebook timeline.)
Dream Theater’s Rebellion
Not sure what is going on, but I received this in email this afternoon. Definitely more interesting than the upcoming Iowa Primaries.
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Progarchy 