Tag: prog rock

Clutching at Straws at 30

On By NickIn progressive rock5 Comments

It’s been 30 years since the release of Marillion’s Clutching at Straws, the band’s fourth album and their final recording with the legendary frontman Fish. For many, this also makes it the last true Marillion album. Although the band may have continued, to both critical and commercial success with Steve Hogarth at the helm, they never truly recaptured the poetic grandeur and lyrical luxuriance of those days under Derek W. Dick aka Fish.

Marillion_Fish_OpenAir_Mannheim_Maimarktgelaende_1986_06_21
Source: Wikimedia

“I am a writer who can sing, rather than a singer who can write,” explains Fish, who will retire from the industry next year after a final album and tour. “I was also an arsehole and my ego was out of control at that time.”

“That time” was the sudden pop star status that the success of their third album, a number one album no less, had brought the band, which included Top of the Pops appearances for the hit singles, “Kayleigh” and “Lavender”. It was the excess of these experiences, along with the problems it brought to his own private life, that Fish channeled into Clutching at Straws.

We get a taste of life on the road with “Hotel Hobbies” and “Sugar Mice”, Fish’s ego unleashed in “Incommunicado”, and even a track that Fish describes as his resignation letter to the band in “That Time of the Night”. There is melancholy, there is melodrama and there is more than a touch of self-pity; perhaps even self-loathing in the half a dozen or so songs of the original release.

Clutching at Straws was an altogether different beast from the mercurial third album, with its haunting lyrics and sweeping melodies flowing seamlessly from one to the next. Clutching at Straws was a collection of distinct songs with a much darker, heavier theme, which exposed the problems within the band and foreshadowed their breakup the following year.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA
Source: Wikimedia

Nicknamed Fish because he apparently drank like one, it’s hard not to read autobiographically into the sad central character of “Torch”; propping up the bar, failing in his marriage and family life and insisting on “Just for the Record” that he’s going to put it down and turn his life around.

There are echoes of the poetry of the third album in tracks like “Sugar Mice” and the way the brilliantly observed “Warm Wet Circles” mourns the loss of the age of innocence, but even these tracks are bittersweet.

For all the bolshy bravado of “Slainte Mhath” and his dreaming big of “adverts for American Express cards, talk shows on prime time TV, a villa in France, my own cocktail bar”, the bitterness of hollow fame is laid bare for all to see. When the final track pronounces the band to be “terminal cases that keep talking medicine, pretending the end isn’t quite that near”, it’s clear that despite there being a four-second track listed as “Happy Ending”, there is nothing like that on the horizon for Marillion and Fish.

Unlike the previous album, we won’t be waking up to find that it was all just a bad dream. This time, the nightmare is all too real: the band of brothers split asunder by the arrival of fame and fortune.

It may have been Fish’s personal favorite of his four Marillion outings, and it may have been voted number 37 on the Rolling Stone’s 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time, but in the end, they were always just clutching at straws.

A few months later, in a row over the way the band was being handled, Fish gave them an ultimatum to choose between their manager and him. They chose the manager. And the rest, sadly, is history.

 

Review: Karakorum – Beteigeuze

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Karakorum - Beteigeuze

I’ve been on a German prog rock streak for some time now, and recently I was introduced to a contemporary act called Karakorum, whose sound, actually, is not that contemporary considering that they produce music which is a mixture of vintage prog, psychedelic rock and Krautrock.

“Beteigeuze” is Muhldorf quintet’s debut full length album, although the group released a self-titled demo album which included the three lengthy suites that “Beteigeuze” is made of. For the purpose of this release, which is available as a vinyl from Tonzonen Records, the band has reworked the three “Beteigeuze” tracks and offered a strong effort for everyone who is nostalgic for old-school 1970s inspired progressive rock.

The swirling organ of Axel Hackner and the smooth, melodic tone of guitarists Max Suchorghuber and Bernard Huber dominate the sound. The songs per se feature many fine melodies, and the suites are well constructed, with no unnecessary or redundant parts, and what is probably more important, they all flow and feel as one. The lengthy instrumentals between the sung pieces are pleasant, but complex.

“Beteigeuze” is an intense and impressive jam with lots of good themes and tight solo passages. This may not be an album overflowing with originality, and the band’s overall sound is similar to very many other bands of the mentioned era, but the overall good songwriting makes “Beteigeuze” a worthwhile album of great German progressive rock.

Get the album from Tonzonen Records.

Karakorum are on Facebook and Bandcamp.

Interview with KILLER CORTEZ

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Killer Cortez

Back in January, Boston-based prog duo Killer Cortez released their full-length debut “Maquiladora,” a record which is a pleasant surprise. The two-piece plays a show in Cambridge, MA this July 28th; if anyone is nearby on that date I would truly recommend to stop by and visit the Middle East Upstairs.

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Socrates Cruz spoke for Progarchy about the band’s first album, other genres, and more.

Alright, first thing is first. Before we dive into all the music stuff, how’s life?

Life is treating us alright, thanks. There are times when we can get caught up with what’s not going well in our daily lives, but it’s also important to step away and understand that overall we’re pretty privileged to be able to make music surrounded by people that support us. That said, the past few months have been a fascinating mix of joy, regret, uncertainty, and excitement. This does lead to a heightened sense of creativity though!

Speaking of music, you have an album. What can people expect from “Maquiladora”?

It’s dark; but melancholy rather than angry. The album is kind of a collection of mini-documentaries that shed light on stories we thought were worth sharing. You could say the album is a little unnerving in that each of these stories is tragic; no matter how detached we are from the characters the plot is meant to feel familiar. Then, you have all these swirling instruments and textures and sounds that make the whole thing feel sweeping and cinematic. If you are looking for music with meaning then this is for you.

Maquiladora

What was it like working on the album?

SLOW. Also exhilarating. We’re really proud of the outcome.

Are there any bigger touring plans in support to “Maquiladora”?

It’s in our DNA to want to tour endlessly but we’re coming at this cycle through a different angle. We’re about to officially “release” the album at our show at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA on 7/28 and are close to announcing a series of dates for late Fall. Details are forthcoming, but most of the shows centered in New England, with a few scattered through NY, PA, and MD.

While we are on the subject of touring, what countries would you love to tour?

Though not exactly countries, we seem to be getting attention in the UK and Eastern Europe. It would be great to tour there soon and maybe cap it all off playing a massive castle somewhere in the middle of Czechoslovakia. One can dream, right?

Who and what inspires you the most?

Any song, moment, story, or person who causes us to reflect on our human condition. We’re both a little addicted to some kind of never-ending search for meaning, which really can rise up anywhere at any time as long as you’re paying attention.

What other genres of music do you listen to? Have any of the other genres you listen to had any impact on your playing?

We’re both really open minded – in the van we’re blasting anything from electronica and progressive metal to power ballads and orchestral film scores. With Maquiladora, some of this variety is reflected in the digital atmosphere of songs like Bracero or Villa Grimaldi, and also in the odd time signatures of a song like Pine Ridge Peltier.

I really appreciate you giving us your time today. Is there anything else you would like to tell us and the fans before we wrap things up?

We’re excited to share our album with whoever is willing to listen. We tried to create a work that celebrates the struggles of the disenfranchised, the dispossessed, the exploited, and the forgotten. We feel that the shared human experience is one of constant struggle and of overcoming those challenges. Music can help us escape but it can also help us look inward.

“Maquiladora” is out now and is available from BandcampBandcamp. Stay in touch with Killer Cortez via Facebook.

Two more from the Elephant

On By James R TurnerIn art rock, electronic, Prog, Progarchy, progressive rock, progressive rock music1 Comment

Finally I have unpacked the trunk of album reviews that backed up last year, and this reviews catches up on two albums Bad Elephant released back in October last year, and which are worth having a listen to, before they unleash the new Tom Slatter album on the unsuspecting world.

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The Far Meadow: Given the Impossible

 

Formed back in 2014 this is the first album on Bad Elephant from London based 5 piece, The Far Meadow and was released back in October last year.

As is common with so many of the wonderful artists signed to Bad Elephant, the band defy categorisation, veering from traditional progressive sounds to folk and back with a dazzling array of performances and sounds that make this an excellent album to listen to.

Continue reading “Two more from the Elephant” →

Spiritual Beggars – Sunrise To Sundown – Album Review

On By bradbirzerIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Artist: Spiritual Beggars Album Title: Sunrise To Sundown Label: Inside Out Records Date of Release: 18 March 2016 If you’re looking for a musical experience to surprise you and offer something completely different from what has gone before, I wouldn’t recommend Spiritual Beggars to you. Theirs is not a blueprint that seeks to challenge listeners […]

https://manofmuchmetal.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/spiritual-beggars-sunrise-to-sundown-album-review/

Album Of The Year 2015 – Number 29

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Welcome to day two of my ‘Album Of The Year 2015’ countdown. If you missed the opening instalment of what is a series that will either make or break me, you can check it out right here: Album of the Year 2015 – Number 30. Additionally, if you missed my similar countdowns from the past […]

https://manofmuchmetal.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/album-of-the-year-2015-number-29/

Teramaze – Her Halo – Album Review

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Artist: Teramaze Album Title: Her Halo Label: Mascot Label Group Year Of Release: 2015 Another day, another good news story. Before I was sent a promo for this release, I knew very little about Teramaze if I’m honest. However, a quick look on that there Internet showed me that there was a definite buzz surrounding […]

https://manofmuchmetal.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/teramaze-her-halo-album-review/

2014, That was the Year, that was…

On By James R TurnerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

So, 2014, All over now, the fireworks have faded, the beer has been drunk and it’s back to work for all of us, as 2015 starts.

Last year I reviewed 115 albums for four different magazines, 4 live concerts, 4 music DVD’s as well as interviewing musical heroes like Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto, Matt Stevens, Bruce Soord, Geoff Downes, Duncan Gammon, Andy Jackson and Denis Smith.

I reconnected with lots of good friends on the prog scene, and made more friends through going to these events, I finally saw the Fierce and the Dead live (twice in fact) as well as being introduced to some wonderful new bands, so this my friends is my musical top fifteen of 2014.

I make no excuses for the fact there’s 15 albums here, in fact doing a top ten was too difficult, as last year there were so many amazing releases and really interesting records across the whole spectrum of the prog genre that picking 15 was really difficult.

These albums are in no particular order, and all, for me, sum up my musical and personal experiences of 2014, which on a personal level was quite difficult, whilst on a musical level was amazing, and it’s no exaggeration to say some of these records helped me through a hard time. That however was 2014, and as for 2015, it’s all onwards and upwards my friends.

lucid

Matt Stevens: Lucid

Esoteric Antenna

Matt Stevens is rapidly becoming the guitarist’s guitarist, and his latest solo album Lucid marked his major label debut. This album is a sonic attack of some of the finest music out there, mixing Matts wonderful looping sound, with plenty of guest contributions and bulking out his sound into some of the finest instrumental music I have heard for a long time. Lucid demands that you listen to it and is the sound of an artist who is confident in his ability, comfortable with his collaborators and secure in the knowledge that he is making the music he wants to make.

world turned upside down

Trojan Horse: World Turned Upside Down

Bad Elephant Music

Self confessed noisy bastards Trojan Horse are so much more than this, this exciting four piece are a live force of nature, and the energy and power in their performance and song writing translates beautifully to record. With bags of talent, musical performances that are taut and majestic and plenty of light and shade throughout the album this is a wonderful record by anyone’s standards.

They are a musical phenomenon, defying easy categorisation, and writing heartfelt lyrics and intense musical moments all combine to create an intelligent masterpiece.

Who said Protest song was dead?

In a Strange Slumber

Dodson and Fogg: In a Strange Slumber

Chris Wades 6th outing as Dodson and Fogg manages to take the D&F sound somewhere else every time, with some superb contemplative songwriting, as well as two narrated interludes by Nigel Planer that add a touch of the Viv Stanshalls to the proceedings. With Chris lo-fi intimate style and the talent of the special guests he persuades to join on his musical adventures his songwriting is moving further afield from the folk rock genre he originally sat in. In fact Chris is proving himself to be one of England’s finest songwriters and a spiritual successor to writers like Ray Davies or Richard Thompson.

signal to noise

Andy Jackson: Signal to Noise

Esoteric Antenna

Debut album for Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson, this album has lots in common with his employers, but also bands like No-Man or Porcupine Tree as well. As it crosses genres from psychedlia to rock back through ambient musical landscapes Andy’s musical skill and confidence draws the listener in.This announces Andy to the world as a major talent, with some superb lyrics and musical performances. This album is incredibly powerful and highly satisfying that grows with each listen. A belter of an album.

magnolia

The Pineapple Thief:Magnolia

Kscope

An intense, powerful and song filled album is the tenth studio offering from Bruce Soords Pineapple Thief. With a new drummer giving the band a shot in the arm, and the art of Bruces songwriting reduced to shorter, sharper songs, this extraordinary record clocks in at around 45 minutes. Not a note is wasted, not a lyric superfluous. The tracks on here are loud, proud and musically intense and satisfying, and live? Well live the album explodes into life on stage, and turns a truly fantastic collection of songs into some modern classics. This is truly their finest musical statement yet.

Northlands

Tony Patterson & Brendan Eyre: Northlands

Esoteric Antenna

Tony Patterson and Brendan Eyre’s love and affection for their native North East forms the bedrock of this rather special album. With the story being about a character returning to the Northlands, this album is, to my mind an epic soundtrack to a film they haven’t made yet. Tony’s wonderful vocals and the uplifting music on display here showcases two writers who have poured their hearts into this concept, and in doing so have given us an album that grows with every listen, takes you on a musical and emotional journey and is one of the finest records released in this, or indeed any, year.

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Schnauser: Protein For Everyone

Esoteric Antenna

Bristol based Schnausers Protein for Everyone is their 5th album and is a joy to behold. Imagine a 4 piece in the Canterbury scene vein, with intelligent lyrics, Bonzo esque word play, and intricate and melodic musical interplay then you have Schnauser. From the opening bars of Grey or Blue to the closing 16-minute epic Disposable Outcomes, this is rock music flying by the seat of its pants, and with sublime vocal harmonies and superb musical virtuosity this is a fantastic record.

Garden of Ghosts

Fractal Mirror: Garden of Ghosts

I’ve already eulogised at great length about this wonderful album here on Progarchy, suffice it say it’s a fantastic record and shows how the friendships and mutual interests that manifest themselves on this scene can work together and create great musical beauty and a fantastically packaged album.

the unravelling

Knifeworld The Unravelling

If there was an award for creepiest song title of the year then Kavus Torabi would win it hands down with the sinister and disturbing The Skulls that we buried have Regrown their eyes. Knifeworlds latest long player is a testament to the Kavus vision, and any band featuring him and Emmett Elvin are bound to be unique. Mastering in uneasy listening and intense and intelligent musical arrangements that take you by surprise, draw you in and mesmerise you, Knifeworlds arty offering on the prog scene is as far as away possible from the cosy familiarity of Yes’ latest opus, and for that I thank them. Live they are also a mighty powerhouse of sound, truly magnificent.

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Robert Reed:Sanctuary

I am a massive Mike Oldfield, but obviously not as much as Rob Reed whose love letter to Mike is probably the best album Mr Oldfield never made. Taking it’s cue from Mikes first 4 classic albums, and weaving in elements and cues from that musical period in Mikes history Robs album is not parody or plagiaristic, but more a cleverly written and beautifully realised homage to a musician whose influence stretches down the years, and Sanctuary is a delight from start to finish.

The third day

North Atlantic Oscillation ;The Third Day

Edinburgh based ambient rock trio North Atlantic Oscillation take sonic understatement to a new level here, as the post prog power trio bounce off each other, as these ten tracks, seamlessly joined flow through, sparse, elegiac and haunting soundscapes. Astonishingly this album is about 45 minutes long, but as with all the best intelligent prog it has never been about the length of the album, but the content, and there are enough musical ideas in here that would keep lesser bands going for a whole career. This is a wonderful continuation of their musical journey and is a truly beautiful record.

arcade messiahunearth

 John Bassett Unearth/Arcade Messiah

From Kingbathmat musician and frontman John Bassett came two mighty albums this year book ending 2014 nicely. I am cheating a little bit by including both Unearth and Arcade Messiah here, but to my mind they are the different sides to the same musical coin. Stepping away from the complexity of Kingbathmat, Unearth shows the mellower, more acoustic folk styled side of John’s personality. Unearth with it’s delicate fragile haunting beauty is an album full of heart, soul and integrity much like it’s creator. Arcade Messiah on the other hand sees John get his electric guitar out, turns his amp up, and proceed to unleash his inner axe hero on an intense and enjoyable instrumental journey. Unlike some metal instrumental albums this isn’t self-indulgent, Arcade Messiah is an intelligent, intuitive, well-performed and well-produced album. I’ve said before and I’ll say again John Bassett is one of the most original performers operating on the prog scene currently, and his musical journey is one well worth following.

Forest of Fey

Gandalf’s Fist : A Forest of Fey

This was the first time I had ever heard anything by, let alone heard of Gandalf’s Fist, and rest assured when I get the cash I will be voraciously devouring their back catalogue. The first album as a quartet is an ambitious concept that is a real immersive musical experience, with guests like Clive Nolan and our old friend Matt Stevens along for the ride; you know you’re in for a great journey. This is one of those records that you need to listen to from start to finish, and you can’t half listen to eloquent musical statements like this one. The four piece band are on top of their musical game here, and their musical guests enhance what is already an impressive collection of well written, well performed intelligent and exciting songs. An absolute must own record.

Curious Yellow

Hi Fiction Science Curious Yellow

Esoteric Antenna

Two Bristol bands make my list this year (unsurprisingly as this is where I live now, and the music scene here is vibrant and exciting) and Hi Fiction Science is very different to Schnauser. They are channelling the spirit of many great psychedelic rock bands, channelling artists as diverse as Pink Floyd to Can via Sandy Denny and early Fairport Convention, with a contemporary sound that is all their own. If you like 60’s/70’s acid folk rock then this album will have pulled you in already. Its aural soundscapes are intense and absorbing, the vocals are ethereal, dreamlike and mesmerising, and overall this is a fantastic debut. Again if you can catch them live then they are one band not to miss.

abel ganz

Abel Ganz

A band not known for their prodigious output, Scottish proggers Abel Ganz have been ploughing their own unique furrow for over 30 years, and their past members reads like a Whose Who of Scottish prog. Very much a band in transition as this album was produced with two key members (Hugh Carter & Hew Montgomery) choosing to tread alternative musical paths the band could have folded. Instead this album produced skilfully by drummer Denis Smith who helped hold the band together, the follow up to the brilliant Shooting Albatross, is a triumph of musical skill over adversity. With some epic musical soundscapes like Delusions of Grandeur or Unconditional this album embraces prog, Scottish folk, grand orchestral movements and instead of what could have been a last hurrah instead indicates a bright future for a revitalised band.

There are many albums bubbling under like Tim Bowness Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, Mike Kershaw’s Ice Age, Emmet Elvins Bloody Marvels, Ian Andersons Homo Erraticus, Nick Magnus’ N’Monix and Jason Rubensteins New Metal From Old Boxes to mention but a few and the fact that I could have made this a top twenty or a top thirty highlights for me how strong the genre is at the moment.

With new albums coming from the Tangent, Sanguine Hum and many more this year I think it’s safe to say that 2015 is going to be as exciting musically as 2014 was.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope it brings you what you are hoping for musically and personally.

The Sadly Decaying Orbit of Anathema: Distant Satellites Fails

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music24 Comments

[Review of Anathema, Distant Satellites (Kscope, 2014). Reviewed from digital files and without liner notes or lyrics.]

anathema-distant-satellitesNOT RECOMMENDED.

I would give much either to have the opportunity to write a different review or avoid writing a review of this album altogether. The latter is my usual M.O. when I don’t like something or when I think something is subpar. Though other progarchists would justly and properly disagree with me on this issue, I think it important to spend our time writing and thinking about beautiful things. Life is simply too short to waste on mud, muck, and decay, and art is too precious and rare to squander or abuse it.

Also, simply put, I’m not good at writing about things I don’t like. I would also guess that spending time with things that are poor or corrupt damage my soul (and yours) irreparably.

But, I can neither ignore the new Anathema nor write a positive review of it without being dishonest. Distant Satellites is not corrupt, but it is, for the band, sub par. I wish Anathema would have taken more time with the writing of this album or simply have taken time off for a rest. Or, perhaps, the band could have released just a few of the best songs as an EP rather than as a full-fledged album.  As an album, it can’t hold together.

A year ago, if someone had asked me to discuss the present state of rock music, I would have sung the praises of Big Big Train and The Tangent, correctly claiming that each band was reach so far and attaining so much that they were very close to becoming untouchable. 2014 wouldn’t change this assessment. BBT and The Tangent are not only at the very top of their game, they are at the very top of THE game. Outside of North American bands (I’m intentionally excluding Rush and Glass Hammer), I would have gladly said that Cosmograf and Anathema were so close to untouchable as to be nearly at the level of the top two. 2014, thus far, has drastically changed the prog landscape. Whereas Cosmograf has moved into the top three with its new masterpiece, Capacitor, Distant Satellites reveals a broken or, at best, wounded, decaying Anathema.

How different a year ago was. Looking at the trajectory of Anathema—from A Natural Disaster to Universal—I would have placed good money on the rise of the band. Well, not really, I think gambling is a waste of time and money. But, you get the idea. I mean, really, Universal has to be one of the best live albums of the rock era. In terms of intensity and significance, this was a band with everything. While I would not have rated the two lead vocalists of Anathema—Vincent Cavanaugh and Lee Douglas—at the level of, say, David Longdon, Susie Bogdanowicz, or Leah McHenry, they would be close.

As mentioned above, I really wish I could write a different review for the new album. I have now listened to Distant Satellites close to a dozen times in hopes of coming to love it. Every listen, though, only makes realize how poor it is compared to their previous releases. Not that it’s terrible. Overall, it’s ok, but it’s, unfortunately, not much better than ok. I find myself wanting to skip through almost every song. There are two exceptions to this. Track Four, “Ariel,” has to be one of the single best songs Anathema has ever written.

The second best song on the album, “Distant Satellites,” is fascinating, but not necessarily for the right reasons. I’m fairly sure that if I allowed 100 dedicated prog fans to listen to it for the first time without giving them a single piece of information about the track, 75 to 90 of them would claim it to be a never-before-recorded track from Radiohead’s Kid A sessions. Indeed, I won’t be totally surprised when my physical copy finally arrives from the UK, if the liner notes reveal that Thom Yorke actually wrote the track and sang lead vocals on it. It’s one thing to pay homage to an exemplar, it’s a very different thing to mimic them. I really don’t know what to make of all of this, or why Anathema decided to pursue the course it did.

I really wish I could proclaim Distant Satellites to be the finest work yet by Anathema. I would be lying, though.

If you’re an Anathema or Kscope completest, buy this. Otherwise, I simply can’t recommend it. Other than tracks 4 and 9 and, possibly, 10, it’s not worth the price. Purchasing it would be kind of like putting stock in the Skylab project a few days before it crashed into Australia.

Let’s all hope the band’s followup puts them back into orbit.

The Dramatic Rock of Fire Garden’s “Sound Of Majestic Colors”

On By Kevin WilliamsIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

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During the month of May, some of us Progarchists switched into “Rush Appreciation Mode” as we paid tribute to the group that, for some of us, forever altered our view of what music could be on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut release. This very site is a reflection of our appreciation for a genre of music that, for so many of us, started with our first exposure to Rush. For so many, they were springboard into the world of progressive rock.

Of course, there’s another generation of progressive rock fans from the 1990’s who cut their teeth on prog through Dream Theater, while for some of us older folks, Dream Theater was the group that picked up the torch for progressive rock starting in the 1990’s, when iconic bands such as Rush and Yes had either changed their songwriting approach and/or gradually declined in popularity. Still other prog fans recently found their love of the genre through Tool’s and/or Steven Wilson’s works.

In the spirit of the more recent iconic, progressive hard rock groups such as Dream Theater, Chicago-based Fire Garden has released their first full-length album, “Sound Of Majestic Colors,” which follows their December 2012 EP release, “Prelude.” As is the case with most prog, repeated listens will reveal layers within the music, but the album is also accessible from the get-go.

Prog fans will have little trouble picking out styles and sounds similar to Dream Theater, but anyone who dismisses the group simply as a knockoff of DT does so at their own peril, for Fire Garden is very much their own band.

That said, the album opens with perhaps the group’s biggest nod to its Dream Theater influence in “The Joker.” Guitarist/songwriter Zee Baig channels John Petrucci’s guitar sound from “Train Of Thought,” there are echoes of the Derek Sherinian era DT with some nice organ work, some percussive keyboard patches that take from Jordan Rudess’ work in later years and even some fast kick drum work that might recall Mike Portnoy’s heavier playing prior to his departure from DT.  A vocal-heavy middle section breaks up the influences noted above, showcasing the group’s range.

Despite liking “The Joker” quite a bit over repeated spins, I was a bit fearful that I might be subjected to an album not unlike “Train Of Thought,” which is one of my least favorite DT albums, but oh, how Fire Garden quickly proved me wrong.

It’s rare that I’ll hear a succession of tracks for the first time and think, “This one’s my favorite!,” then say to the next, “No – THIS one’s my favorite,” but that’s exactly what unfolded during the first four tracks on “Sound Of Majestic Colors” as “The Joker” gave way to the soulful “Alone,” abandoning the bombast of the opening track for a slower, more atmospheric vibe. We then get a touch of “Images And Words”-era Dream Theater with the big-sounding “Time Machine,” but Fire Garden then shows us an altogether different side with “Endless Memories,” with bassist Barry Kleiber weaving melodic bass lines over acoustic/electric guitars, setting the tone for what is easily the most accessible track on the album. The track features a lovely, soaring chorus that’ll no doubt have audiences singing along.

This changing up and blending of styles that Fire Garden seem so comfortable writing continues throughout the album with a trifecta of big rtracks in “Redemption,” “Behind The Face”, and “Echoes Of Silence,” then broken up by the lovely, harmony-laden “Far From Grace,” and finally, the cinematic album ender, “The Last Step.” If rock radio was still open to progressive hard rock they way it was 20 years ago, tracks from “Sound Of Majestic Colors” would find a place in station’s rotation, to be sure.

It’s worth mentioning that throughout “Sound Of Majestic Colors,” singer Kevin Pollack does a fine job using his range – a bit lower but a welcome change from the wails of many prog/metal vocalists – bringing the proper measure of energy, emotion and, well, gravitas to each song.

The lyrics on the album tend to explore dark themes – battling demons both internal and external, sometimes literal – in “Alone,” “The Joker,” “Echoes In Silence” and “Redemption,” greed in “Time Machine,” love lost in “Endless Memories,” and finally, reaching for redemption/rejuvenation in “The Last Step.”

Half of the 10 tracks on “Majestic Colors” clock in between eight and nine minutes, giving the band plenty of space for stylistic exploration without falling into the noodling/padding trap that’s so often a cliche of prog.  They also avoid cramming as many time signatures into each tune as possible just for the sake of it, making the album quite accessible to those ears tripped up a bit by odd-meter shifts.

Fire Garden also gets it right with the album packaging and liner notes, very much reminiscent of Hugh Syme’s best work with Rush and Dream Theater, as each lyric is mated its own piece of artwork, beautifully complementing our listening experience in way that liner notes from the aforementioned bands do.

Knowing that the prog community is a tight-knit one, I would highly advise any reader with influence over any prog festival or cruise – as is the case these days – to quickly snap up Fire Garden as they’d be a worthy addition and sure-fire fan favorite. Better still, how’s about groups like Rush and Dream Theater consider the next generation of prog by dropping the well-worn “Evening with…” format and getting these guys out on tour to build as big a following as possible?

“Sound Of Majestic Colors” is more than enough evidence that Fire Garden has an extensive palette of talent and styles to “paint” with, making this release a more than worthy addition to prog fans’ libraries.  Dream Theater’s ridiculously, prodigiously-talented lineup may still have a tight hold on prog’s hard rock torch, but Fire Garden stands as a potential successor with “Sound Of Majestic Colors.”

Fire Garden Band Photo 1