Discovering Vanden Plas

On By Gianna EIn progressive rock music1 Comment

A progarchy confession: I’m not a big fan of progressive metal. I think bands like Dream Theater and Opeth are downright impressive musically, but their albums aren’t ones I often return to. I rarely find myself “brought home” by prog metal, the way that the best (more recent) offerings of Anathema seem to place everything around (and within) me in perfect balance. Give me the sonic and soulful perfection that is Marillion’s Brave over the collected virtuosity of Dream Theater any day.

 

But as I’m quickly discovering, exposure to excellent bands and new prog genres is one of the great benefits of citizenship in the Republic of Progarchy. So far, I’ve fallen for The Reasoning, a band that rightly gets a lot of love on these pages. And more recently, Chronicles of the Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1) by the underrated German prog metal band Vanden Plas, a concept album where the virtuosity of Dream Theater meets the storytelling of Marillion — compelling, personal, and one of the best prog offerings of the past year.

 

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Vanden Plas features Stephan Lill (guitars), Torsten Reichert (bass), Andy Kuntz (vocals), Andreas Lill (drums), and Gunter Werno (keyboards), a lineup unchanged since 1986. For Chronicles, the band teamed up with German author Wolfgang Hohlbein (a self proclaimed fan) to interpret his Netherworld novels for the stage. The concept is perfect for prog: a mortal protagonist caught in the apocalyptic battle between heaven and hell, each track revealing one of his “visions.” Its themes are at once cosmic and human, haunting and hopeful. The perennial themes of darkness versus light, good versus evil never seem tired. They get reimagined track after track, complimented and heightened by dynamic musicianship. Between heavy guitar riffs, spoken word, and stunning vocals, the album perfectly balances the intensity of prog metal and moments of deliberate – and startling – restraint. Everything in its rightful place. Listening to this album, you can’t help but feel that Vanden Plas has focused more on revealing, uncovering something true than creating anew.

 

Dissecting Chronicles track-by-track seems all wrong; this is truly a narrative album. Chronicles displays the unique power of prog music to pull the listener into its own horizon. By the album’s end, we stand on the precipice between blinding beauty and darkness, grateful to Vanden Plas for bringing us there.

RochaNews: New Engineers, September 16

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music1 Comment
ENGINEERS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM “ALWAYS RETURNING” ON SEPTEMBER 16 VIA KSCOPE

Teaser video featuring track snippets posted on YouTube

ENGLAND – Engineers will release its upcoming fourth studio album, Always Returning, on September 16 via Kscope. The band has unveiled a teaser video containing snippets of the tracks “Fight or Flight,” “Searched for Answers” and “Always Returning” on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GswJTg4ykGw.
Written and recorded alone at home in York by multi-instrumentalist, Mark Peters, before being coated with deft brush strokes of ambient electronica by celebrated German artist/producer, Ulrich Schnauss, Always Returning is a record that unhurriedly drifts in and out of focus, hinting at themes without ever making them so explicit that the listener can’t map out their own personal interpretations. It delivers an overall emotional heft that’s impossible to pull away from.

1.  Bless the Painter

2.  Fight or Flight

3.  It Rings so True

4.  Drive Your Car

5.  Innsbruck

6.  Searched for Answers

7.  Smiling Back

8.  A Million Voices

9.  Smoke and Mirrors

10.  Always Returning

Engineers – with London based drummer and composer, Matthew Linley, rounding out the line-up – has been creating mesmerizing music with brilliantly shaded guitar textures and teasing lyrical ambiguities for over 10 years across three albums – 2005’s debut Engineers (“hypnotic lullabies from beautific Brit newcomers” **** Q), 2009’s Three Fact Fader (“a blistering statement of intent” **** The Sunday Times), and 2010’s swift follow-up In Praise Of More (“should be given to most UK bands as an example of in making an album that is a joy to behold” 8/10 Clash).

 

Stay tuned for more information on Engineers and Always Returning, out this September on Kscope.

 

UPDATE (July 10): 

The band is now offering a free download of the new track “Fight or Flight” via the Kscope website at:http://www.kscopemusic.com/2014/07/10/engineers-offer-free-download/. The song is also streaming on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/-MxRgFAWjMo.

 
Engineers online…https://www.facebook.com/engineersband

http://www.kscopemusic.com/artists/engineers

 

Fuzz Club Introduces The Underground Youth and Sadovaya

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

THE UNDERGROUND YOUTH

01d051f6-1460-400d-91b8-407eae96fc48TUY is the name under whichManchester’s underground poet, Craig Dyer, has produced his records since 2009. In 2011, Fuzz Club Records started putting out his prolific catalogue, bringing to light a number of LPs and singles that had only circulated virally on the Internet.

Since then, TUY, with Craig and Olya Dyer as the core of the band, have expanded to a four piece, gaining a solid international fan-base and touring all around the UK and Europe.Gideon Coe has spinned their single “Juliette” on BBC6 and they took part in the “Reverb Conspiracy – Volune One”, curated by Fuzz Club andAustin Psych Fest. In June, they rocked up the Eindhoven Psych Lab and they are set to headline Paris Psych Fest in July.

Drown In Sound said of their Eindhoven set:  “combining the mesmeric rhythms of The Velvet Underground – Olya Dyer’s driving beats make her the new psych generation’s Mo Tucker – with rippling feedback associated with Bad Moon Risingera Sonic Youth and a dash of the Mary Chain thrown in as well, they’re a captivating force”.

***

“8f3d19f5-9b42-44e7-b8e6-b0e37a1f89d1Sadovaya” is the 4th lost gem of TUY. Entirely written in St. Petersburg, it takes its name from the street where Craig was living with Olya at that time. Most tracks are love songs inspired by Russian novelists and poets Craig was being introduced to, such as Lermontov, Dostoyevsky and Pushkin. The music was highly influenced by Soviet era Post-Punk bands like Kino and by Russian cinema. Craig said: “the sound of the album has a raw quality that I was never able to recreate. There’s a genuine naivety to the recordings that makes it my most visceral, personal record”.

The record will come out on limited 400 white vinyl copies and an additional special edition of 100 midnight blue copies with a gatefold cover and silkscreened artwork, which have already sold out on pre-sale. It will also be available digitally on I-Tunes and Spotify.

 

Progsphere Invites Submissions From Bands

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Prog Sphere’s Progstravaganza progressive rock and metal compilation series have been around since August 2010, and during that time over 400 bands paraded through it. Prog Sphere is currently taking submissions for the jubilee, twentieth edition and bands from all around the world are welcome to take part.
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Some of the bands that previously appeared on the Progstravaganza samplers include:Astra, Scale the Summit, The Wrong Object, Exivious, Blotted Science, Soft Machine, Fughu, Galahad, and many more. The twentieth edition will be calledLandmarks and besides new bands it will feature some of the artists that were featured on the previous samplers. Prog Sphere is also starting a mini-documentary series titledThe Story of Progstravaganza, where some of the artists that were featured in the past will be talking about progressive music today, their work and more. On top of that, every band is showcased with an interview on the Progstravaganza website and is also featured on Prog Sphere’s Progify streaming service.

Artists interested in the Progstravaganza feature should send an email toinfo@prog-sphere.com with short biography and links where their music can be previewed. The deadline for submissions is July 20th.

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Links:

www.prog-sphere.com
www.progstravaganza.com
www.facebook.com/ProgSphere

Tim Bowness with Henry Fool, Tour 2014

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment
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TIM BOWNESS WITH HENRY FOOL FEATURING COLIN EDWIN
11 JULY & 12 JULY
INTRODUCING “THE GREAT HENRY FOOL SONG RAFFLE”

Following the release of his new solo album, recently released via Inside Out to widespread critical acclaim, Tim Bowness together with Henry Fool (feat. Colin Edwin) play two UK dates on 11 July at The Borderline, London and 12 July at The Wesley Centre, Maltby.

These gigs represent a unique opportunity for fans to hear songs from Bowness’ new solo album “Abandoned Dancehall Dreams” in a live setting, 

As well as the debut of the Bowness solo material, the gigs will see the first outing of bass legend Colin Edwin with Henry Fool. Additional material at these special“Evening With…” concerts will come from Tim and Steven Wilson’s celebrated duo, No-Man and Henry Fool themselves.

To mark these auspicious occasions, the band are offering the opportunity for fans who attend to take part in the “Great Henry Fool Song Raffle”, the prize being a custom composed and recorded track by Tim and Henry Fool, pressed up as a single CD and presented to the winner. No other copies of this piece will ever be made, so the lucky fan will have a truly unique and precious artefact to treasure.

But, you have to be in it to win it ! Gig tickets are available now from:-

– 11 July 2014 – The Borderline, Soho, London
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/YGB1107X

– 12 July 2014 – The Wesley Centre, Maltby
http://www.classicrocksociety.co.uk/shop/tim-bowness-and-henry-fool-nosound-matt-stevens/

– Burning Shed
https://www.burningshed.com/store/timbowness/

– Tim Bowness Website
http://timbowness.co.uk/live/

Support for the gigs comes from NoSound (appearing as a duo) and from Matt Stevens.

Henry Fool also play Eppyfest on 05 July and The Resonance Festival on 02 August. Tickets available from:-

– 05 July 2014 – Eppyfest, Stroud, Glos
www.eppyfest.co.uk

– 02 August 2014 – The Resonance Festival, Balham, London
www.resonance-festival.com

Rocha News: Voyager’s Nominated for PROG’s 2014 Awards

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

CONTACT:

Brian Rocha

rocha@fresnomediausa.com

 

Ryan Feldman

ryan@fresnomediausa.com

VOYAGER NOMINATED FOR PROG MAGAZINE’S PROGRESSIVE MUSIC AWARDS 2014 ‘BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST’

Fifth album “V” out now
 

 

AUSTRALIA – Australian progressive metal quintet, Voyager, has been announced as a nominee for ‘Breakthrough Artist’ in PROG Magazine’s Progressive Music Awards 2014 presented by Orange Amplification. Fan voting is now open online at:http://awards.progmagazine.com/.

 

In its short but illustrious history, The Progressive Music Awards has received both critical and public acclaim for acknowledging and celebrating one of the most successful but unsung genres of music. Previous award recipients include Rick Wakeman and Ian Anderson as Prog Gods in 2012 and 2013 respectively, along with other million-selling rock legends such as Genesis, Carl Palmer, Rush and Hawkwind’s Dave Brock also being recognized. It has also awarded up-and-coming artists such as TesseracT, Sound Of Contact and Big Big Train who have all gone from strength-to -strength since picking up awards.

 

‘Breakthrough Artist’ nominee, Voyager, released its fifth album, V, on June 3 in North America with distribution through Nightmare Records. The Kickstarter-funded, 13- track album can be purchased now on Bandcamp at: http://voyager.bandcamp.com/ or via the Nightmare Records webstore at: http://www.nightmarerecords.com/online-store/voyager-v-special-slip-case.

 

V was recorded at Templeman Audio with producer, Matt Templeman. The band calls the release “pure, polished Voyager with a modern feel; we are insanely excited about unleashing this.”

 

The new music video for “Hyperventilating” can be seen on YouTube at:http://youtu.be/RrBF0mhz1ho.

 

1. Hyperventilating

2. Breaking Down

3. Beautiful Mistake

4. Fortune Favours the Blind

5. You, the Shallow

6. Embrace the Limitless

7. Orpheus

8. Domination Game

9. Peacekeeper

10. It’s a Wonder

11. The Morning Light

12. Summer Always Comes Again

13. Seasons of Age

 

With five full-length albums under its belt and shows throughout North America, Europe and Asia with the likes of Devin Townsend, Children of Bodom, Soilwork, Nightwish, Epica and Orphaned Land, the five-piece from Oceania is now firmly entrenched in its international repute as a band with heavy grooves, driving riffs and unforgettable melodies.The band’s fourth opus, The Meaning of I (2011), saw rave reviews and international acclaim of the highest caliber (including #8 in Metal Hammer Germany’s ‘Soundcheck’). The U.K.’s, Classic Rock Presents Prog, called the album a “polished collection of heavy, heavily polished anthems.”

 

Complimented by a fiery red keytar, a feisty female guitarist, and vocals Chino Moreno (Deftones, Crosses) recently likened to Duran Duran’s, Simon Le Bon, Voyager is consistently a live force to be reckoned with. After breaking the record for the longest fan signing session in the 12 year history of America’s “Progpower Festival,” the band will return to “Progpower” Europe this year alongside Chimp Spanner, Agent Fresco, Pagan’s Mind and more.
Stay tuned for more information on Voyager and V.

-###-
 
Voyager is…

 

Scott Kay – guitar
Alex Canion – bass/vocals
Daniel Estrin – vocals/keytar
Ashley Doodkorte – drums
Simone Dow – guitar

 

 

Voyager online…

 

www.facebook.com/Voyageraustralia

www.twitter.com/Voyagerau

BillyNews: Big Drum Bonanza Live

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment
Drum Channel BDB med resLearn From The Best – Lang, Coleman, Garstka, Roddy, Borlai and Priester Featured On Drum Channel’s Exclusive, Daily, “Big Drum Bonanza Live” Webcasts, July 2-6, 2014
 
Special “Big Drum Bonanza” pricing on Drum Channel membership also available
 
Oxnard, CA – Six of the world’s top drummers will be featured on DrumChannel.com’s live, daily webcasts of Thomas Lang’s “Big Drum Bonanza” drum camp from July 2-6 at 5:30 PM (Pacific Time). The free, hour-long shows— which can be accessed from computers and mobile devices virtually anywhere on the planet— will include appearances by Thomas Lang (stOrk), Chris Coleman (Prince), Matt Garstka (Animals As Leaders), Aquiles Priester (Hangar), Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal) and Gergo Borlai (Tribal Tech) as well as special guest John Tempesta (The Cult). Each show will offer a wrap-up of the day’s educational activities as well as discussions and performances by the all-star faculty.
 
To celebrate the “Big Drum Bonanza”/Independence Day weekend, Drum Channel is also giving drummers a special, limited time opportunity to become members of the award-winningwww.DrumChannel.com community. From July 1 through 7, unlimited access to hundreds of Drum Channel lessons and shows by drummers such as Thomas Lang, Gregg Bissonette, Terry Bozzio, Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland, Tony Royster, Jr., Peter Erskine, Dave Elitch, Luke Holland, Cobus Potgieter and many more is available for a full year at the reduced price of $49.90. The special “Big Drum Bonanza” deal not only provides 2 months of membership at no charge, it also includes a free $25 gift card good for downloads at Drum Channel’s online store. The gift card can be used independently or to augment Drum Channel’s online lessons with downloads of popular DVD content by Daniel Glass, Danny Seraphine, Buddy Rich, JR Robinson, Tony Royster, Jr. and Neil Peart, to name just a few.
 
Learn from the best and improve your drumming over the Fourth Of July weekend by tuning in to “The Big Drum Bonanza Live” shows and signing up for unlimited Drum Channel membership at a great price at www.DrumChannel.com. For more information on the Big Drum Bonanza or to purchase Guest Passes for the Big Drum Bonanza Live! at Drum Channel studios, please visit www.muso-mart.com
 
Drum Channel is a state-of-the-art provider of a wide variety of interactive drum education content, including www.drumchannel.com which features 100’s of lessons, lesson plans and live events as well as Drum Channel’s traditional DVDs and Digital Video Downloads (available at http://www.drumchannel.com/store).
 
Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

 

I Do Like Prog … How About You?

On By Time LordIn ProgarchyLeave a comment

Dominion Day

Canadian Mark Steyn celebrates Dominion Day with some thoughts about what makes a great song great:

That’s the very definition of songwriting: not words, not notes, not a lyric, not a melody, but the two so inextricably linked that they’re indivisible. Was the tune written to accommodate the lines or vice-versa? I asked Burton Lane and he couldn’t recall. “All I remember is that I thought it was a terrific idea for a song,” he said, “and we were so enthusiastic about it we wrote it very quickly, and I knew we’d got it right. Sometimes that happens.”

Happy Dominion Day (July 1) from the Great White North — home of RUSH!

On By Time LordIn Progarchy3 Comments

Happy Dominion Day from the Great White North — a.k.a., the home of RUSH!

“Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae” (Ps 72:8)

Citizens of Progarchy have been celebrating by drafting lists of their Top Ten Rush Albums EVER.

We have heard from Erik, Kevin, Brad, RJP, and Drew.

Et moi:

1. Moving Pictures 1981

2. Permanent Waves 1980

3. A Farewell To Kings 1977

4. Hemispheres 1978

5. 2112 1976

6. Signals 1982

7. Grace Under Pressure 1984

8. Power Windows 1985

9. Counterparts 1993

10. Fly By Night 1975

Next, to rock in a truly star-spangled Fourth, stay tuned to Progarchy.com …

… because over the next couple of days I will be revealing — halfway through the year — some of the utterly essential five-star albums of upper-echelon excellence already released in 2014, clearly destined for my end-of-year Top Ten.

Who needs to wait for the end of the year? It seems the best prog is already here!

So, prepare to celebrate …

King Crimson: “Venturing Unto Joy — Part 1” (2014)

On By Time LordIn ProgarchyLeave a comment

King Crimson 2014

From DGM:

Well, here we are. A bit of King Crimson 2014. One should always be wary of coming to judgement about anything based upon a clip that lasts less than a minute and a half but, but, but… Taken from the rehearsals in Elstree Studios, this snippet has four of the seven-piece Crimso clearly enjoying themselves. There’s a wealth of back and forth interplay detail between Reiflin and Harrison and of course Levin and Fripp not only grab the lapels but go straight for the jugular. Oh, never mind about the rush to judgement: this is King Crimson and they’re on fiery form!