You may have heard the news already. . . in fact, I’m guessing almost no one in the prog world has NOT heard the news. . . . but tickets for Big Big Train live, King’s Place, August 14-15, 2015, have gone on sale. To purchase your tickets, go here: http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/big-big-train.
As most of you probably know, progarchy.com started, in very large part, as an unofficial fan site for BBT, so we’re especially proud of the band and their desire to explore their music in a live setting.
[My own desire was for them to come to the U.S., but I’m happy to have them play live anywhere. I worry a bit that I might have played a role in their deciding to play in the U.K. rather than the U.S. Several years ago, I made Greg Spawton promise that if they played live in the U.S., they would do so sporting ZZTop beards as well as offering a performance of a double-length BBT blow out version of 2112. It’s quite possible that my then-forced promises are coming back to haunt me.–ed.]
Seriously, what wonderful news. Passengers (that is, the name of BBT fans on Facebook) have flooded Greg Spawton’s announcement of the sale, which he posted 20 hours ago. Considering that BBT represents the highest and best not only of the prog tradition, but of the rock and bardic traditions, the outpouring of enthusiasm from the prog world is quite understandable.
As an editor of progarchy.com, I have absolutely no right to publish this. In fact, when the four founders of progarchy created the thing–almost exactly 2 years ago–we decided to avoid as much as possible the topics of politics and religion. Each of us is a writer, and we spend way too much of our professional lives “talking” politics and religion to let either seep into our leisure activities.
But, here I am, breaking a cardinal rule.
I’m so, so sick of war. I just recently turned 47, and almost all of my adulthood has seen my own country involved in some kind of war–here, there, everywhere.
My home country, the grand republic of the United States of America? Well, we create and sell nearly 70% of the arms that exist in the world, and we have troops stationed (at various levels) in 150 out of nearly 200 countries. What began as a noble experiment has been corrupted, abused, and destroyed from our own so-called leaders. Bastards all.
In particular, I offer the nastiest gesture I can think of to the last four presidential administrations.
Greetings from Neal! I’d like to invite you to join me in a LIVE Q&A SESSION, TOMORROW (9/26/14), 10am (CST). I’ll be here: http://ow.ly/BSdbo on Radiant Record’s Facebook page eagerly waiting to hear all of your questions about Morsefest! And hopefully, will be able to provide you with some answers as well. Get your questions ready! I look forward to chatting with you about this exciting event!
For the first time ever, you can join Neal in his home town for a two-day music festival! Special guests, like Mike Portnoy, will be joining Neal in performances of the entire “One” and “Testimony 1” albums. Hear the music in the very place it was inspired! This weekend will be full of legendary status events such as:
an exclusive, free INNER CIRCLE ONLY acoustic set
VIP Meet and Greet with Neal and special guests
VIP contest of “Name that Tune” – PROG style with Mike Portnoy
special prizes… and so much more!
This is sure to be a once in a lifetime event that you do not want to miss! Make your travel plans to Nashville now for November 14-15!
In Search Of Sun
The World Is Yours
Raging Demon Entertainment
7 October 2014
LONDON, ENGLAND – U.K. rising rock/metal quintet, In Search Of Sun, has announced an October 7 release date for its debut album, The World Is Yours, to be released digitally via Raging Demon Entertainment.
Formerly known as Driven, The World Is Yours marks a significant step up in songwriting, production and maturity for In Search Of Sun, with head-bopping beats, epic choruses and ambient soundscapes replacing the groove-laden metalcore roots of its debut EP, ‘A Breakdown of Character.’ The album itself is built upon a foundation that’s been developing over the last three years, with the name change being the final piece of the puzzle in terms of crafting and sealing the band’s identity.
Commented the band, “The World Is Yours has been a while in the making, but it’s a big shift up for us in terms of direction and sound and we can’t wait to get out there and start playing these songs live. Expect an uplifting and hard-hitting journey through groove-ridden riffing and punching beats.” The World Is Yours was produced by Phil Kinman at MTR Studios (Deadly Circus Fire, Tank, Paul Di’Anno) and mastered by Harry Hess at HBomb Mastering (Cancer Bats).
Track list:
01. The World Is Yours
02. Give In
03. 51 56
04. In Search Of Sun
05. Idle Crown
06. Burn
07. To The Axe
08. Skin
09. Draw The Line
10. The Eyes Behind I
Radiant Records posted this just today. Well worth watching and admiring.
***
Album cover of the year? Rivaled only by Cosmograf’s Capacitor.
Also, though I will offer a proper review soon, let me take this moment to praise the new Flying Colors’ album, Second Nature. I thought the first album was a great AOR album. It’s become my oldest son’s favorite album (all of the Birzers love everything Morse does, to be completely honest). For me, it was amazing, but it should’ve and could’ve been a bit more so.
Not only is Second Nature “a bit more so,” it’s a HUGE bit more so. I’m not even sure quite how to label it except as proggy-AOR or gospel AOR.
The song writing is excellent, but what really makes the album is the intertwining of McPherson’s and Morse’s vocals. They seemed a bit stilted as a team on the first album. On this album, they’ve clearly discovered how to play off of each other, to better the other.
The end result of Second Nature is something that can only be described as elegant.
Mark Judge gives us a great commentary on U2’s new album, in the form of a confessional review … and on his birthday, no less!
A taste:
If you were into some bad stuff in the 1980s, and a lot of us were, U2 could confront you like a tough, poetic, and compassionate priest. I remember spending a lost summer at the beach (in a house that would eventually be raided by police) and when I looked up out of the haze, I saw U2 performing “Bad,” one of the greatest anti-drug songs of all time, at Live Aid. The song was about a drug addict who eventually commits suicide. It’s a desperate, retroactive cry for the person to not throw himself away.
Thanks in no small part to U2, I avoided that fate. I gave up the mind enhancers and one night stands and became a Catholic. I also never lost my love for rock and roll, and now, thirty years later, with Songs of Innocence U2 has given us one of the best records of their career. They have kept true to the punk ethos of writing honestly about what’s in your heart and what you see as the truth. The album is smart and dynamic, diverse, and mesmerizing.
Like U2, I’m not afraid of making the grand statement — it’s probably just genetic to the Irish — and I think that Songs of Innocence is needed today. I mean that both in terms of the world and for me personally. America, which was always a source of musical inspiration for U2 as well as a kind of great spiritual hope, seems lost. The great progressive dream has resulted in more economic inequality, and political correctness imposes the kind of burden on free speech and thought that punk came along to destroy.
When I first fell in love with U2s music in the 1980s, I had my heart set on being a writer. I was from an Irish family that idolized Joyce and Yeats, which is probably why Bono fit so well into our pantheon of greats. For a time the dream of being a writer came true, but the reality of the digital revolution has made it a profession that can no longer be sustained. There is intoxicating freedom, but it simply doesn’t pay any longer. I have to take Bono’s advice. I have to surrender.
And yet, inside me is still that punk rock spark of hope — the idea that you can in fact do it yourself, keep your soul, flourish spiritually, and survive. It’s a feeling U2 addresses in “Cedarwood Road,” one of the best tracks on Songs of Innocence. It’s a recollection of how the band formed.
The final track is a no holds barred epic including guest ‘cameo’ appearances by Pete Rinaldi (Headspace) and Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic / Flying Colors).
Have you noticed that everyone is releasing “albums” these days that are the length of double LPs? (See the new Slash, for example!)
And that “EPs” are now the length of LPs? (Like you, Haken!)
A 1,000 years ago, this guy would have terrorized your monastery. Now, he wields the guitar rather than the double bladed axe.
OVERVIEW
Airbag lead guitarist and main song writer Bjørn Riis is releasing his debut solo album, “Lullabies in a Car Crash”. The album is very much a personal statement, with lyrics dealing with fear of abandonment, alienation and loss. It’s also homage to many of Bjørn’s musical influences.
Bjørn is one of the founding members, the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the highly successful Norwegian band Airbag. Their three releases have all received great reviews worldwide and all become favourites among fans all over the globe.
“Lullabies in a Car Crash” feature six songs with a coherent and thematical composition. Bjørn’s soulful guitar playing and low-key vocals creates a rich listening experience. Although Bjørn as a guitarist have developed his own sound with a unique tone and his own technique over the years, the playing and tone are reminiscent of David Gilmour, Steven Rothery and Steven Wilson. As a singer this is the first time he takes the lead, normally doing the backing vocals in Airbag. His singing style is in the area of the mellow vocals of Tim Bowness and Nick Drake.
In addition to playing with Airbag, Bjørn is a highly respected guitarist within the guitar community, where he has a huge fan base. His guitar page “Gilmourish.com” has, with more than 40 million hits in total and an average of 150000 hits every week, become a centre for gear and music discussions online.
“Lullabies in a Car Crash” feature Airbag’s Henrik Fossum on drums and Asle Tostrup providing loops and effects. Long-time Airbag collaborator Vegard Sleipnes has co-produced the album together with Bjørn. The album is mastered by Jamie Gomez (Orgone Studio).
Glass Hammer is an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee. They formed in 1992 when multi-instrumentalists Steve Babb and Fred Schendel began to write and record the Tolkien-themed concept album “Journey of the Dunadan”. While many musicians have appeared on Glass Hammer albums over the years, Babb and Schendel have remained the core creative force of the band. Both play a variety of instruments, but Babb is better known as the bassist while Schendel is the primary keyboardist. And though they also sing, a number of other vocalists (most notably Michelle Young, Walter Moore, Susie Bogdanowicz, Carl Groves and Jon Davison) have also handled lead vocal duties through the years.
Lyrically, Glass Hammer is inspired mostly by their love of literature (most notably Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and John Krakauer) and Babb’s love of Victorian prose and medieval mythology.
Musically, they lean towards 70’s driven symphonic rock, focusing on epic-length songs anchored by Babb’s distinctive bass guitar work and strong keyboard playing from Schendel; specifically Hammond organs in the tradition of ELP. They have a superb melodic flow to the music they make, encapsulating real power and dynamics without ever becoming overpowering. Their most apparent influences are ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant and, to a less noticeable extent, Camel. Fans and critics are usually quick to attest that Glass Hammer have managed to combine those influences into a unique style all their own.
Critically acclaimed albums have continued to flow from the Glass Hammer studio, with the most successful and noteworthy being “Chronomtree” (2000), “Lex Rex” (2002), “The Inconsolable Secret” (2005) and “IF” (2010). Vocalists and fan-favorites Carl Groves and Susie Bogdanowicz took a temporary hiatus from the band after 2009 and vocalist Jon Davison took over as lead vocalist for three studio albums; “IF”, “Cor Cordium” and “Perilous”. Kamran Alan Shikoh joined the band at the same time taking on the role of guitarist. Both Shikoh and Davison remain in the group currently, though Davison has also assumed the role as front-man for Yes. This led to Carl Groves rejoining the Glass Hammer in 2013 for live performances and recording. Aaron Raulston joined at the same time as drummer for the group. Susie Bogdanowicz rejoined in late 2013 and is slated to appear along with Raulston, Groves and Shikoh in 2015 concerts.
Glass Hammer’s 2014 release “Ode To Echo” features performances by many of the band’s vocalists, including Bogdanowicz, Young, Moore and Davison, though Carl Groves handles the lion’s share of the vocal duties.
Other prog musicians and rock artists have made contributions to Glass Hammer projects, including Jon Anderson of Yes, Arjen Lucassen, Rich Williams and David Ragsdale of Kansas, Rob Reed of Magenta and Randy Jackson of Zebra. Glass Hammer has also appeared with The Adonia String Trio and performed two concerts (2006-2007) with 120 plus member choirs from Belmont University and Lee University.
Currently, Glass Hammer is in the studio recording their sixteenth studio album which is set for release in early 2015. The current live lineup for the band is Babb, Schendel, Groves, Shikoh, Raulston and Bogdanowicz.
Progarchy 