Album Review: Amorphis — Queen of Time

On By Time LordIn Progressive rock1 Comment

cover

I finally made time to explore this acclaimed album from 2018. And it has quickly become one of my very favorite listens over the past few weeks. Yes, indeed, it’s an absolutely superb metal album.

In 2018, it was chosen as Record of the Month for May 2018 by AMG (full review here), and also #5 on the list of Best Albums of 2018 by MoMM (full review here). So, now it’s official over here at Progarchy: I add my voice to the chorus of praise.

My entry point was the amazing song “Amongst Stars,” which features Anneke van Giersbergen joining the vocals. After I had listened to that magical song a half dozen times, I was totally hooked. And I soon downloaded the rest of the album, thus beginning a happy journey of wondrous audio exploration.

If you are skeptical about an album full of death metal vocals and growls integrated into proggy metal that also has stunning clean vocals, this is the album to convert you to the expanded artistic possibilities opened up that sonic palette. For me, it was “Heart of the Giant” that demonstrated what only death metal vocals can effectively accomplish in tandem with epic riffs and big choir arrangements. This is an invigorating song to revel in.

But every song is exciting in its own way. An infusion of world music modalities and folk music influences give a distinctive edge to practically every song on the album. You’ll hear Celtic, Middle Eastern, and much more. But that’s the sharp edge of a very heavy musical broadsword wielded by the band. With finesse, its audio slicing motions frequently deploy virtuoso guitar solos and spacey synth keyboard solos.

Every song is indisputably upper echelon, but we will each have our favorites. In addition to the two I already mentioned above, I would name “Daughter of Hate” (thanks to its unexpectedly effective saxophone solos),  “Wrong Direction,” and then the two bonus tracks, which seem to be most accessible to prog lovers (“As Mountain Crumble” and “Brother and Sister”). But who am I kidding, I also look forward to the powerful one-two punch of the openers “The Bee” and “Message and Amber.” In truth, every track thrills as it comes on over your speakers.

Now that this album has taken pride of place on my daily playlist, I am really looking forward to seeing Amorphis when they visit here on tour with Delain and Anneke later this year.

Big Big Train, Grand Tour

On By kruekuttIn Progressive rock3 Comments

What prog rock does is to free artists from some of the limitations of pop, rock and folk music whilst incorporating their best elements e.g. memorable melodies or story-telling.  The sweet spot is where high-quality songwriting and interesting music collide.

— Greg Spawton, “What is Prog?” (from Big Big Train’s 2017 concert program)

A sweet collision indeed.  On the new album Grand Tour, the members of Big Big Train extend and refine their sonic vocabulary, and broaden their topical reach from the seminal Albion cycle (The Underfall Yard, English Electric, Folklore, Grimspound and various offshoots) to explore a wider, sometimes wilder world.  As fans have come to expect, it’s both instantly appealing and bracingly challenging — richly melodic, spikily rhythmic music, continually reaching toward symphonic scope; words that reflect on, rejoice in and ruminate about the wonders of the past and present, this time breaking out beyond Britain to Europe and to farther shores.

Admittedly, Grand Tour starts more tentatively than some previous albums: setting the scene and foreshadowing what’s in store, “Novum Organum” (the first of drummer Nick D’Virgilio’s composing credits, with bassist Greg Spawton) is a gently hypnotic prologue for patterned percussion and keyboards.  It eases us out of the dock into the harbor, with David Longdon sounding the album’s themes at low tide, setting sail “for science and for art.”

But before we can drift off, Longdon’s “Alive” slams in — a rocking kick-off that urges listeners to “Find your wings/Dare to fly/Find your feet/Then run for dear life”.  Straightforward rock with a lighter, contrapuntal bridge, it’s a powerful, limber groove with lots of nifty textural touches (backing vocals at the octave, poppy handclaps, Spawton’s bass pedals under the driving rhythm, Danny Manners’ defining Mellotron riff and in-your-face synth solo, spiffy keyboard and guitar filigree at unexpected moments).  And Longdon is having the time of his life, reveling in the new day to seize and the beauty awaiting him.  He’s raring to go — and the invitation to come along is irresistible.

Continue reading “Big Big Train, Grand Tour” →

To Hear His Wondrous Stories: Jon Anderson in Concert

On By Connor MullinIn Progressive rock1 Comment

Jon-Anderson-Band

The lights are dimmed. “Ocean Song,” the opening track from Olias of Sunhillow, plays in the background as the band members (eight in total) find their positions on stage. Suddenly, the guitarist strikes the familiar opening chords of “Owner of a Lonely Heart”: the show has begun. Seconds later, a diminutive man, clad in black, glides onto the stage. His voice, tinged with that distinctive Lancashire accent, is a bit raspier now, but his vocals are nevertheless clear and melodious. Jon Anderson the performer has not changed a whole lot over the years. And he did not disappoint last night.

The Yes catalogue is both diverse and extensive, and Anderson made some excellent choices: “Owner of a Lonely Heart” was followed by a jazzier version of “Yours Is No Disgrace” (Anderson has a woodwind and horn player accompanying him on tour). Also in the setlist, sandwiched between selections from his solo albums, were “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Sweet Dreams,” and an acoustic version of “Long Distance Runaround.” I must confess that I am not too familiar with Anderson’s solo work, so I was not as engaged with the songs he chose to play from his personal catalogue, but a few did capture my attention. Before transitioning into a dynamic performance of “Starship Trooper,” Anderson played two songs that had never been performed prior to this tour: “First Born Leaders”, a song he has been working on for some time (around thirty years), and “Come Up”, a previously unreleased song from the album he just recently finished, 1000 Hands: Chapter One. This new album was actually a project begun nearly thirty years ago, but was left forgotten in a box in Anderson’s garage until 2016. Considering the heavy-hitting talent that was featured on the first chapter—Ian Anderson, Billy Cobham, and the late Chris Squire, among others—it will be interesting to see where Anderson goes next with this project.

At 74 years old, you might imagine that a chap who has been performing on stage for nearly fifty years now might be a bit burnt out. Anderson indicated last night—as he performed in front of a small audience in North Las Vegas, Nevada—that this was not the case. I could not help but smile as I watched this man, who possesses still so much joie de vivre, dance and interact with his younger band members on stage. He had a smile on his face for the entire hour and a half show, from the opening piece to the grand finale—the fan favorite “Roundabout”—during which he brought his lovely wife Jane out on stage for a brief dance. Even a cynic like myself was not immune to the contagious enthusiasm and joy present at this concert.

Keep going strong, Jon! We at Progarchy wish you only the best.

Jon-Anderson-1000-Hands-Cover

Scourge of the Enthroned

On By Mahesh SreekandathIn Heavy metalLeave a comment

With subtle dynamics, and a uniquely synchronized riff-drum assault, Krisiun forges ahead. Signatures here are inimitable. Not only is it old school as it ever gets, that intricate shredding and precision temporal switches simply elevates the band, altitudes above the numbing turbulence of run-of-the-mill death metal releases.

When a steady synchronized hammer of riffs and double bass runs into that hardly decipherable characteristic growls – “Slay yourself for the glorious day. When the bell tolls for the sins you have made” – it just provides that vocal finesse to this old school technical train. But, as expected, “Devouring Faith“ finally scorches its path into an electric blues like shredding, searing and relentless.

S. Bollmann [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A Big Big Interview …

On By kruekuttIn Progressive rockLeave a comment

“Big Big Train’s David Longdon and Greg Spawton and BBT artist Sarah Louise Ewing in conversation with Nick Shilton of Prog Magazine. Filmed at the Royal Astronomical Society, London in 2019.”  Topics covered: the new album Grand Tour, live shows, artwork and much more.  90 minutes!

 

— Rick Krueger

 

The Pillars of Prog, Part 3 – “Hey You” – Pink Floyd at Their Most Humane

On By Bryan MoreyIn Progressive rock5 Comments

Even during their most scathing critiques of culture and politics, Pink Floyd found a way to break through that wall and touch upon what it means to be human. Roger Waters’ screeching on The Wall and The Final Cut features some of the most heartfelt lyrics and most powerful deliveries in music history. Waters was never very confident in his vocal abilities, but he delivered so many of those lines with a convincing power that borders on the edge of despair. A cry for help. And that is when Pink Floyd are at their most humane. “Hey You” is one of the best examples of this.

Hey you!
Out there in the cold, getting lonely, getting old, can you feel me
Hey you!
Standing in the aisles, with itchy feet and fading smiles, can you feel me
Hey you!
Don’t help them to bury the light
Don’t give in without a fight.

David Gilmour’s softer tone comforts and encourages us (“Don’t give in without a fight”), while Waters screams out for help in a desperate last gasp. The song gradually builds to that point of despair. Devin Townsend’s screams would not seem out of place by the end of the song.

Hey you!
Out there on your own, sitting naked by the phone, would you touch me?
Hey you!
With your ear against the wall, waiting for someone to call out, would you touch me?
Hey you!
Would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I’m coming home

The song is open-ended, which makes sense considering it is merely a piece of a much larger whole. “Hey You” doesn’t give us the ending we might be looking for, but Pink Floyd reminds us that those in the state of mind depicted in the song are definitely not alone. That simple, most human of requests – Hey you… can you feel me? Hey you… can you touch me? – increases in desperation over the course of the song. “Can you” changes to “would you?” By the end, the request is for help.

But it was only a fantasy
The wall was too high as you can see
No matter how he tried he could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain.

The image of someone sitting alone in the dark crying out for help to nobody in particular is haunting… and altogether human. He can’t do it alone (“No matter how he tried he could not break free”), and he sinks into despair. The shift in Waters voice for the final verse captures this perfectly. The way he sings here invites us to scream along with him.

Hey you!

Out there on the road, always doing what you’re told, can you help me?
Hey you!
Out there beyond the wall, breaking bottles in the hall, can you help me?
Hey you!
Don’t tell me there’s no hope at all
Together we stand
Divided we fall, (we fall, we fall, we fall, we fall, we fall…)

There’s hope out there beyond the wall. We just need to ask, and we need to stand together. Some days are “Hey You” days (or weeks, or months, or years). We may long for human connection when it isn’t there (see previous pillar – Nights in White Satin for more on that). We cry out at the wall… maybe someday there will be an answer.

In touching on this, Pink Floyd get at the difficulty of being human in this extremely broken world. They don’t give us many answers, but they enlighten our condition, and they give us a glimmer of hope.

 

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Happy Easter!

On By Bryan MoreyIn Progressive rockLeave a comment

Happy Easter!

Easter here again, a time for the blind to see

Easter, surely now, can all of your hearts be free

The Unpopularity of Jazz: On the 90s Shift

On By Time LordIn Progressive rock1 Comment

Incredible interview by Rachel Olding with Branford Marsalis. The conclusion:

The more jazz has changed, the more Marsalis has gravitated towards classical music. It’s the reason he moved his young family to Durham, an artistic city in North Carolina, 10 years ago; the New York scene wasn’t inspiring anymore. (He’d also had enough of “New York living”, of five-year-olds calling adults by their first name).

Today’s jazz musicians are too mathematical and wonkish, he says. Jazz clubs are half empty, only frequented by other musicians who appreciate each other’s showmanship. Listeners need music degrees to understand what they’re playing. The music has become rigid. Improvisation is mostly over-rehearsed regurgitation.

“[I’m often asked] the question, ‘Jazz is so unpopular, why do you think that is?’ And the answer is simple: the musicians suck,” he says with typical subtlety.

He says the shift started in the ’90s and I can’t help but think the Marsalis family was not immune. While they still wield incredible clout, nothing can compare to the two decades in which Wynton and his siblings seemed to rule the jazz universe. In 2003, the music critic David Hajdu stumbled upon Wynton playing as a sideman with a band in a near-empty jazz club in New York, and wrote a piece in the Atlantic (tartly titled “Wynton’s Blues”) hypothesising that Wynton’s stifling orthodoxy and nostalgia was partly to blame for both his and jazz’s dwindling relevance.

It’s nevertheless hard to see that Branford Marsalis is slowing down in any way. Not in the flood of opinions he wants to impart. Nor in his commitment to improving music or lifting standards. Not in the pace and scope of his work, nor with that bottle of red wine. And especially not with the tempo of Thelonius Monk.

Help us, O prog rock, you’re our only hope… 

Big Big Train — “Alive”

On By kruekuttIn Progressive rock1 Comment

The first single from the forthcoming Big Big Train album “Grand Tour” is now online.  My impressions follow the jump:

 

Continue reading “Big Big Train — “Alive”” →

Rush: The Animated Series

On By Time LordIn Progressive rock2 Comments

kmjz8lctraatpxzawyy5dr-970-80Take a look at the sample pages available: This Rush comic looks great.

It makes me think of a great idea, which Progarchy freely offers here: why doesn’t somebody make an animated cartoon about the adventures of the Rush trio?

What I have in mind is something with the great retro animation vibe of the Star Trek animated series. That would be the look and feel.

As for audio, every episode would end with a snippet of a Rush song playing as part of the concluding soundtrack, just like shows such as The Goldbergs or Schooled do in their own televised exercises in nostalgia.

The high concept for Rush: The Animated Series is that, one night, while recording tracks for the album A Farewell to Kings, a dimensional portal opens up as the harmonic frequency of one of their jam sessions bends space and time by resonating with the black hole in Cygnus X-1.

On the other side of the portal, the Rush dudes get to hop in a spaceship and go exploring different worlds in the multiverse. They get to do this in each episode, whenever one of their songs hits just the right note and unexpectedly opens the portal. Not only that, they can also use their spaceship to visit any time and place on Earth, so the story possibilities are endless.

The trick is: the spaceship is powered by Rush harmonic convergence music energy. So, whenever they are low and about to run out of fuel, they have to return to the studio and record another song. The process of songwriting and recording fuels up the spaceship again and the portal reopens.

The running joke could be: they write longer songs on purpose, because that makes the fuel tank fill up more. Also, replaying old songs works fine to open the portal and power the ship, but extra energy and wider travel is unleashed whenever a new track is created.

Rush should definitely get behind this idea. If you were retired rock stars, wouldn’t it be on your to-do list to star in your own sci-fi comedy Saturday morning cartoon? In any event, it is always possible for a motivated fan to create their own series. Prog on!