Prog/Symphonic Rock Review: Giannotti-The Great Unknown

Release Date: 10th September 2014
Label: Northford Pines Music
Website

Giannotti is the US based crossover progressive vehicle for the musician Robert Giannotti, formerly of the band, Jasper Wraith. Robert was a founding member of Jasper Wraith in the early 70’s, a band that were very influenced by Yes/Moody Blues and others of that ilk. He left Jasper Wraith and for the best part of 4 decades, and did little in a musical capacity apart from some studio work, preferring to concentrate on his photography. In 2010 he completed a recording studio and set about writing and recording his debut solo album, The Great Unknown, which was finally finished, and released, in 2014.

I am extremely glad that this particular release landed on my review desk as it is a gem, which I was hitherto totally unaware of. The album is a 7 track release with a total playing time of around 58 minutes. The longest track on offer is the title track, “The Great Unknown” with a running time of just under 12 minutes (11:57), and at 5:29 minutes, track 6, “Corridor of Doors” is the shortest.

The musicians involved in The Great Unknown were Robert (guitar, flute, bass, keyboards and drums), George Clini (drums), Mike Soldan (drums and bass) and an array of vocalists, Nicole, Natalia and Jack Tanner, as well as, Ryan and Collin Graveline.

Opening the album, The Great Unknown, is “Intentions – Letting Go” (8:44) and it is a stunning introduction to the music with its symphonic start and excellent guitar soaring high above everything. As it progresses with an acoustic strummed guitar, melodic electric guitar, flute, keyboards and great vocals, this is a very satisfying listen. Over the 8+ minutes there are various influences float across your mind, including The Moody Blues, Yes, Jethro Tull and ELP. Now, don’t get the wrong idea with this comparison list, as Robert I believe is playing the music he really likes and his early influences seem to infiltrate here and there, but at no time is there the sense of “copying” from the past. “Intentions – Letting Go” is a stunning opener and makes you eager to sample what follows.

“Voyage” (8:20) starts with some atmospheric, almost dark, acoustic guitar which slowly merges into a more upbeat tempo. Emotive vocals from the guest vocalists are melodic and harmonious and fit the music very well. Some electric guitar starts to be heard off in the background, but remains subdued, as the vocals carry the track along. Just after the halfway point, the electric guitar gets to “show off” a little in front of some excellent keyboards. This is a very atmospheric track and has a plaintive flute passage carrying the track off and away.

There is more of the excellent guitar work at the start of track 3, “Dance of the Gnome” (6:13) and immerses the listener just prior to some wonderful flute phrasings, suggesting an almost pastoral feel. This instrumental flows gently along until the flute provides another terrific passage and at the 4 minute mark, the track “hardens” a little with an almost abrasive guitar theme. The gentleness of the track returns as it fades out.

The title track, “The Great Unknown” (11:57) has a sort of ambient based backdrop over which there is a stunning electric guitar theme, interspersed with the flute. This is another beautiful track with those powerful melodious vocals. A slow building track which eventually moves into an extremely atmospheric area when the soaring guitar reappears. A gentle fading outro ends a very pleasing passage of music and upon reflection, draws influences from Pink Floyd.

“Sacred Ground” (8:45), “Corridor of Doors” (5:29) and “A World Away” (8:20) includes an almost choral style to the first of these tracks, symphonic overtones and amazing flute providing pastoral imagery to the second and sees the final track having a more symphonic, choral style, and is a beautiful building song to the finale of the album.

The Great Unknown is a majestic piece of work from Robert, with the fleeting influences from bands of the past coming and going, but never intruding throughout the 60 minutes. As the music flows over you, you can be transported back several decades and enjoy sublime aural satisfaction. Make no mistake that there seems to have been a massive oversight of this album when released, and I am very glad I was given the chance to hear and review it. How it was passed over, I really do not know, but my advice is very simple, and that is, “Get out and buy this album.” Let’s ensure that Giannotti get a huge boost in the sales of this superb, but overlooked, debut.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Intentions – Letting Go, The Great Unknown, A World Away

Tracks:
1.  Intentions – Letting Go
2.  Voyage
3.  Dance Of The Gnome
4.  The Great Unknown
5.  Sacred Ground
6.  Corridor Of Doors
7.  A World Away

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk
May 9, 2016
Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Progressive Rock Review: Different Light-The Burden of Paradise

Release Date: 29th February 2016
Label: User Friendly Records
Website


 The band, Different Light, was originally formed in Malta back in 1994 and released the debut album, All About Yourself, in 1996. They spent some time touring to promote the album and released a mini album, but then split up and thus ended chapter 1 in the story of Different Light.


Fast forward to 2008 and one of the original members of the band decided to reform Different Light, this time based in the Czech Republic and this resulted in the release of another full length album, Icons That Weep, in 2009. Continuing on from this point has seen the release of the newest album, The Burden Of Paradise, earlier this year. 

The band on The Burden Of Paradise is a 4-piece, comprising Trevor Tabone (vocals, keyboards), Jirka Matousek (bass), Petr Matousek (drums) and Petr Lux (guitars, backing vocals) and the album is a 9 track release with a playing time in excess of 66 minutes.

There are two long suites on the album which are made up of several sections, “In The Grand Scheme of Things” (22:20) which is made up of 8 parts and “Eternal Return” (14:13) comprising 6 parts. Not surprisingly the former track is the longest on offer and the shortest is “Mare Ibrium” at 1:17 minutes.
The opening opus, as there is no other way to describe the 8 part suite, on The Burden Of Paradise is “In The Grand Scheme of Things” and is an amazing journey over the 22+ minutes. The track switches tempos, has some superb keyboard work from Trevor, some amazing guitar riffs, themes and melodies by Petr L and vocals which fit the changing musical styles like a glove as the track progresses from the full band thundering workout sections to the delicate ballad style sections. I should also point out the amazing playing of the powerhouse of the band, Jirka, on drums and Petr M, on bass, form the musical foundation to everything. 

As this opening track progresses, you realize that you are listening to something very special and by the closing notes of the 22+ minutes, you are totally convinced of that fact.

The shorter tracks on The Burden Of Paradise, “Voice of Outside” (5:38), “A St. Martin’s Summer” (3:07) and the 5 tracks that escort the album out, “Transient Dream” (5:25), “Mare Ibrium” (1:17), “In Love and War (Love)” (3:35), “In Love and War (War)” (6:34) and “All For You” (4:25), although very different in some styles, have that superb anchoring sound of the piano/keyboards and the excellent themes from Petr L on guitar.

The second suite on The Burden Of Paradise, “Eternal Return” (14:13) is another truly stunning piece of work. Commencing with a gentle piano theme, the suite starts in slow ballad style and progresses along with the band picking up a little bit of steam, with the clear powerful vocals entering along the way. The movement through different tempo changes, maintain the interest of the listener and, almost disappointingly, the 14+ minutes of this majestic track have come to an end.

This album is unashamedly grounded in 70’s style progressive rock, superbly played by an excellent group of musicians. At once, depending on your age, you feel very comfortable with this retro-style, and while there are no sudden ventures off into the realms of experimental areas, prog rock, prog metal, symphonic prog and ballad all combine to provide an amazingly satisfying listen.

This album has nudged itself into my top releases of the year and both suites have featured on The Ancient One radio show. I would recommend that you give Different Light a moment, well, the time it takes to listen to the first suite, “In The Grand Scheme of Things,” and I can almost guarantee that you will be clearing a small space on your CD shelves to accommodate this release.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: In The Grand Scheme of Things, Voice of Outside, Eternal Return

Tracks: 
1 In The Grand Scheme Of Things
    i     The Schemer Wakes
    ii    Letters For Alice
    iii   Happiness
    iv   The Stalker Walks
    v    Pascal’s Wager
    vi   Out Of The Goldilock’s Zone
    vii  Together There
    viii  The Schemer Sleeps

2. Voice of Outside
3. A St Martin’s Summer
4. Eternal Return
   i     New Promise
   ii    At First Light
   iii   Nectar Junky
   iv   A Carpathian Day
   v    Default Setting Escape
   vi   Waking Moment

5. Transient Dream
6. Mare Ibrium
7. In Love and War (Love)
8. In Love and War (War)
9. All for You

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk
May 4, 2016
Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk
 

Progressive Rock Review: Different Light-The Burden of Paradise

Release Date: 29th February 2016
Label: User Friendly Records
Website


 The band, Different Light, was originally formed in Malta back in 1994 and released the debut album, All About Yourself, in 1996. They spent some time touring to promote the album and released a mini album, but then split up and thus ended chapter 1 in the story of Different Light.


Fast forward to 2008 and one of the original members of the band decided to reform Different Light, this time based in the Czech Republic and this resulted in the release of another full length album, Icons That Weep, in 2009. Continuing on from this point has seen the release of the newest album, The Burden Of Paradise, earlier this year. 

The band on The Burden Of Paradise is a 4-piece, comprising Trevor Tabone (vocals, keyboards), Jirka Matousek (bass), Petr Matousek (drums) and Petr Lux (guitars, backing vocals) and the album is a 9 track release with a playing time in excess of 66 minutes.

There are two long suites on the album which are made up of several sections, “In The Grand Scheme of Things” (22:20) which is made up of 8 parts and “Eternal Return” (14:13) comprising 6 parts. Not surprisingly the former track is the longest on offer and the shortest is “Mare Ibrium” at 1:17 minutes.
The opening opus, as there is no other way to describe the 8 part suite, on The Burden Of Paradise is “In The Grand Scheme of Things” and is an amazing journey over the 22+ minutes. The track switches tempos, has some superb keyboard work from Trevor, some amazing guitar riffs, themes and melodies by Petr L and vocals which fit the changing musical styles like a glove as the track progresses from the full band thundering workout sections to the delicate ballad style sections. I should also point out the amazing playing of the powerhouse of the band, Jirka, on drums and Petr M, on bass, form the musical foundation to everything. 

As this opening track progresses, you realize that you are listening to something very special and by the closing notes of the 22+ minutes, you are totally convinced of that fact.

The shorter tracks on The Burden Of Paradise, “Voice of Outside” (5:38), “A St. Martin’s Summer” (3:07) and the 5 tracks that escort the album out, “Transient Dream” (5:25), “Mare Ibrium” (1:17), “In Love and War (Love)” (3:35), “In Love and War (War)” (6:34) and “All For You” (4:25), although very different in some styles, have that superb anchoring sound of the piano/keyboards and the excellent themes from Petr L on guitar.

The second suite on The Burden Of Paradise, “Eternal Return” (14:13) is another truly stunning piece of work. Commencing with a gentle piano theme, the suite starts in slow ballad style and progresses along with the band picking up a little bit of steam, with the clear powerful vocals entering along the way. The movement through different tempo changes, maintain the interest of the listener and, almost disappointingly, the 14+ minutes of this majestic track have come to an end.

This album is unashamedly grounded in 70’s style progressive rock, superbly played by an excellent group of musicians. At once, depending on your age, you feel very comfortable with this retro-style, and while there are no sudden ventures off into the realms of experimental areas, prog rock, prog metal, symphonic prog and ballad all combine to provide an amazingly satisfying listen.

This album has nudged itself into my top releases of the year and both suites have featured on The Ancient One radio show. I would recommend that you give Different Light a moment, well, the time it takes to listen to the first suite, “In The Grand Scheme of Things,” and I can almost guarantee that you will be clearing a small space on your CD shelves to accommodate this release.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: In The Grand Scheme of Things, Voice of Outside, Eternal Return

Tracks: 
1 In The Grand Scheme Of Things
    i     The Schemer Wakes
    ii    Letters For Alice
    iii   Happiness
    iv   The Stalker Walks
    v    Pascal’s Wager
    vi   Out Of The Goldilock’s Zone
    vii  Together There
    viii  The Schemer Sleeps

2. Voice of Outside
3. A St Martin’s Summer
4. Eternal Return
   i     New Promise
   ii    At First Light
   iii   Nectar Junky
   iv   A Carpathian Day
   v    Default Setting Escape
   vi   Waking Moment

5. Transient Dream
6. Mare Ibrium
7. In Love and War (Love)
8. In Love and War (War)
9. All for You

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk
May 4, 2016
Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk
 

Contemporary Progressive Rock Review: Profuna Ocean-In Vacuum

Release Date: 8^th January 2016

Label: Freia Music

Website

Profuna Ocean is a contemporary prog rock band formed in The Netherlands back in 2008. The debut album, Watching The Closing Sky, was released the following year, and picked up some international attention as well as some Dutch radio play. Indeed, it was one Rick Wakeman, The Caped Crusader himself, who aired Profuna Ocean’s music when he was a broadcaster on Planet Rock Radio. The band then continued to enhance their growing reputation by sharing stages with bands such as Focus, Knight Area and Racoon. 2013 saw the band win the award for “best prog rock band of The Netherlands” for their song, “Waiting For The Fall.”

All the while, the band were working on the second album, refining and evolving their style. They were taking onboard influences from bands like Porcupine Tree and Pineapple Thief in the progressive area of their music but adding the sort of power and intensity a band like Anathema demonstrated, to further hone the newer material in their style.

Profuna Ocean is a 4 piece band comprising Fred den Hartog (drums), Raoul Potters (vocals, guitar), Arjan Visser (bass) and Rene Visser (keyboards) and album No 2, In Vacuum, was released recently. In Vacuum is an 8 track album with a total playing time around 62 minutes, with the title track, “In Vacuum” being the shortest of the eight, running for less than 2 minutes (1:11) and the longest track being “Hanging In The Balance” at over 13 minutes (13:30).

The opening track to any album is important as it has to say “you are really going to like this” and then proceed to grab your ears and provide the evidence for this statement. The spotlight falls on “Thousand Yard Stare” (7:29) at the start of In Vacuum. Starting with crashing power chords, it quickly evolves into gorgeous melodic voices with an acoustic guitar and piano before returning to the power chord sequence with more emphatic vocals. The vocals are terrific and the overall feel of the track is that it neatly straddles the hard, heavy rock and gentle, acoustic, melodic areas. As an opening track, “Thousand Yard Stare” is a definite winner, veering as it does, constantly engaging the listener, plus there are some “killer” electric guitar passages. The track sets the listener up perfectly for the rest of the album.

“Awakening” (4:54) is another track that has a driving feel to it with a heavier sound, but the vocals retain their very melodic flow. This is a shorter track, but has a “hook” from early on which resurfaces several times.

Next up is the longest track, “Hanging In The Balance” (13:30) which allows the band to fly. From the superb guitar, backed by the excellent power unit of bass and drums and the ever present, but only briefly taking the spotlight, sweep of the keyboards, this track simply flows effortlessly, going through seamless changes of tempo and power. “Hanging In The balance” is one of those tracks that you just want to hear over and over again. The long instrumental passages show the amazing tightness of the musicians involved.

“Losing Ground” (8:00), “Ghost” (5:09), “Beautiful Sunrise” (10:36) and the title track, “In Vacuum” (1:11) are in turn, melodic but driving, acoustic and just beautiful, harsh power chords, sweeping keyboards and atmosphere with the title track a short atmospheric building track. 

The final track, “Clean Slate” (11:42) starts up like a powerful rock track with power chords and great vocals before evolving into an atmospheric piece of music which then morphs into an engine-room showcase (bass and drums) before some superb guitar leads back into the heavier mode. Towards the end of the track, a piano has an excellent passage together with a “whistling wind” and the track fades away.

I feel that the album, In Vacuum, require several listens before you realize that this is a great piece of work. The band has managed to make an album which filters into your head a little more with each play, and then it hits you without warning.

As always, this reviewer’s opinion is a very personal one, but I would encourage you to give Profuna Ocean a listen and I feel that there will be very few disappointed people.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks:  Hanging In The Balance, Ghost, Beautiful Sunrise

Tracks:
1. Thousand Yard Stare
2. Awakening
3. Hanging In The Balance
4. Losing Ground
5. Ghost
6. Beautiful Sunrise
7. In Vacuum
8. Clean Slate

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

April 5, 2016

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Contemporary Progressive Rock Review: Profuna Ocean-In Vacuum

Release Date: 8^thJanuary 2016

Label: Freia Music

Website

Profuna Ocean is a contemporary prog rock band formed in The Netherlands back in 2008. The debut album, Watching The Closing Sky, was released the following year, and picked up some international attention as well as some Dutch radio play. Indeed, it was one Rick Wakeman, The Caped Crusader himself, who aired Profuna Ocean’s music when he was a broadcaster on Planet Rock Radio. The band then continued to enhance their growing reputation by sharing stages with bands such as Focus, Knight Area and Racoon. 2013 saw the band win the award for “best prog rock band of The Netherlands” for their song, “Waiting For The Fall.”

All the while, the band were working on the second album, refining and evolving their style. They were taking onboard influences from bands like Porcupine Tree and Pineapple Thief in the progressive area of their music but adding the sort of power and intensity a band like Anathema demonstrated, to further hone the newer material in their style.

Profuna Ocean is a 4 piece band comprising Fred den Hartog (drums), Raoul Potters (vocals, guitar), Arjan Visser (bass) and Rene Visser (keyboards) and album No 2, In Vacuum, was released recently. In Vacuum is an 8 track album with a total playing time around 62 minutes, with the title track, “In Vacuum” being the shortest of the eight, running for less than 2 minutes (1:11) and the longest track being “Hanging In The Balance” at over 13 minutes (13:30).

The opening track to any album is important as it has to say “you are really going to like this” and then proceed to grab your ears and provide the evidence for this statement. The spotlight falls on “Thousand Yard Stare” (7:29) at the start of In Vacuum. Starting with crashing power chords, it quickly evolves into gorgeous melodic voices with an acoustic guitar and piano before returning to the power chord sequence with more emphatic vocals. The vocals are terrific and the overall feel of the track is that it neatly straddles the hard, heavy rock and gentle, acoustic, melodic areas. As an opening track, “Thousand Yard Stare” is a definite winner, veering as it does, constantly engaging the listener, plus there are some “killer” electric guitar passages. The track sets the listener up perfectly for the rest of the album.

“Awakening” (4:54) is another track that has a driving feel to it with a heavier sound, but the vocals retain their very melodic flow. This is a shorter track, but has a “hook” from early on which resurfaces several times.

Next up is the longest track, “Hanging In The Balance” (13:30) which allows the band to fly. From the superb guitar, backed by the excellent power unit of bass and drums and the ever present, but only briefly taking the spotlight, sweep of the keyboards, this track simply flows effortlessly, going through seamless changes of tempo and power. “Hanging In The balance” is one of those tracks that you just want to hear over and over again. The long instrumental passages show the amazing tightness of the musicians involved.

“Losing Ground” (8:00), “Ghost” (5:09), “Beautiful Sunrise” (10:36) and the title track, “In Vacuum” (1:11) are in turn, melodic but driving, acoustic and just beautiful, harsh power chords, sweeping keyboards and atmosphere with the title track a short atmospheric building track. 

The final track, “Clean Slate” (11:42) starts up like a powerful rock track with power chords and great vocals before evolving into an atmospheric piece of music which then morphs into an engine-room showcase (bass and drums) before some superb guitar leads back into the heavier mode. Towards the end of the track, a piano has an excellent passage together with a “whistling wind” and the track fades away.

I feel that the album, In Vacuum, require several listens before you realize that this is a great piece of work. The band has managed to make an album which filters into your head a little more with each play, and then it hits you without warning.

As always, this reviewer’s opinion is a very personal one, but I would encourage you to give Profuna Ocean a listen and I feel that there will be very few disappointed people.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks:  Hanging In The Balance, Ghost, Beautiful Sunrise

Tracks:
1. Thousand Yard Stare
2. Awakening
3. Hanging In The Balance
4. Losing Ground
5. Ghost
6. Beautiful Sunrise
7. In Vacuum
8. Clean Slate

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

April 5, 2016

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Progressive Rock Review: Anathema-A Sort Of Homecoming

Release Date: 30th October 2015
Label: KScope
Website: www.anathema.ws

Anathema were formed back in 1990 in Liverpool (the home of the Beatles) and have released 11 studio albums starting with Serenades in 1993 and so far ending with Distant Satellites in 2014. They have also issued 2 live albums, the second of which is reviewed here. This release, A Sort Of Homecoming, was recorded live at the end of a short acoustic tour in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on 7th March 2015. The band comprised Vincent Cavanagh (vocals, guitar, vocoder), Danny Cavanagh (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Jamie Cavanagh (bass), John Douglas (drums, keyboards) and Lee Douglas (vocals) with a couple of guests contributing to some sections of the concert, David Wesling (cello) and Anna Phoebe (violin). As well as being released as a double CD, the concert is also available as a DVD, Blu-ray and a triple vinyl album.

The CD contains 2 discs with a total of 15 tracks, 8 on disc 1 and 7 on disc 2. The package has a total playing time of around 102 minutes with disc 1 being the shorter of the two discs by around 2 minutes, disc 1 having a running time of 50:13 minutes and disc 2 clocking in at 52:07 minutes. The band take the songs from 6 of their albums with the emphasis on the newest 2 releases, Distant Satellites (5 tracks, 2014), Weather Systems (4, 2012), We’re Here Because We’re Here (2, 2010), A Natural Disaster (2, 2003), A Fine Day To Exit (1, 2001) and Alternative 4 (1, 1998).
The opening track on A Sort of Homecoming is “The Lost Song Part 2” (6:39) from Distant Satellites and, as this was an acoustic tour, accompanying the vocals of Lee and Vincent, is a simple acoustic guitar (played by Danny Kavanagh?). This is then followed by “Untouchable Part 1” (6:29) and “Untouchable Part 2” (6:25) both from the Weather Systems album. The treatment of these songs is very sparse in comparison to the studio versions and the beautiful vocals make the trio of tracks very powerful. All in all, this is a very good start to the proceedings, and that view is backed up by the sound of the appreciative audience.

For the last 3 tracks on the first disc, John Douglas, David Wesling and Anna Phoebe join proceedings and “Anathema” (7:32) and “Ariel” (6:08) tend to mirror their studio versions on Distant Satellites more closely before the vocals are taken by Danny Cavanagh for the final song on disc 1, “Electricity” (4:31) from A Natural Disaster.

The opening track on disc 2, “Temporary Peace” (5:15), continues the beautiful serenity that has been prevalent across the first 8 tracks. Stunning vocals from Vincent, with strings, delicate percussion and acoustic guitar, all combine to form an excellent start to the second disc.  A couple of tracks later, on the title track from Distant Satellites, the band is joined by some audience participation. The whole feeling of this concert is that of a band that is truly content with their lot and is happy to show how they have evolved from their beginnings a couple of decades ago.

Older numbers bring the concert to a close with “A Natural Disaster” (8:45), the title track from 2003, and “Fragile Dreams” (7:32) from the 1998 album, Alternative 4.  “A Natural Disaster” is one of the first songs that Lee Douglas guested on back in 2003, as at the time, she was not “officially” in the band, and this version still highlights her powerful, emotive voice. The finale to the evening, “Fragile Dreams” is a superb closing choice with the two voices complementing each other and as the electric guitar runs follow the voices the crowd start to realize the end is close and the ovation starts.

This was perhaps an ambitious project to tour on, and by that I mean, the acoustic set-up. This release, A Sort Of Homecoming, is likely to have already been purchased by fans of the band and they will not have been disappointed in any way. It is possibly not the best entry point for people “trying out” Anathema for the first time as it is slightly different from the studio albums. I thoroughly enjoyed this album but the one glitch on waxing totally lyrical on the album, is that I felt a slight tinge of sameness. Individually the tracks are excellent, but I felt that a double CD just stretched it a little too far. It may sound a bit harsh, but I feel that there is a really excellent single live album hiding in this double album release.

Parting words, as usual, are that this is a very personal opinion and I will always suggest that people have a listen to any of my reviewed albums, as they may well feel very differently towards the music.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Lost Song Part 2, Distant Satellites, Fragile Dreams

Tracks:

Disc 1
The Lost Song Part 2
Untouchable Part 1
Untouchable Part 2
Thin Air
Dreaming Light
Anathema
Ariel
Electricity

Disc 2
Temporary Peace
The Beginning and The end
Distant Satellites
Take Shelter
Internal Landscapes
A Natural Disaster
Fragile Dreams

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk
February 3, 2016
Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk
 

Progressive Rock Review: Anathema-A Sort Of Homecoming

Release Date: 30th October 2015
Label: KScope
Website: www.anathema.ws

Anathema were formed back in 1990 in Liverpool (the home of the Beatles) and have released 11 studio albums starting with Serenades in 1993 and so far ending with Distant Satellites in 2014. They have also issued 2 live albums, the second of which is reviewed here. This release, A Sort Of Homecoming, was recorded live at the end of a short acoustic tour in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on 7th March 2015. The band comprised Vincent Cavanagh (vocals, guitar, vocoder), Danny Cavanagh (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Jamie Cavanagh (bass), John Douglas (drums, keyboards) and Lee Douglas (vocals) with a couple of guests contributing to some sections of the concert, David Wesling (cello) and Anna Phoebe (violin). As well as being released as a double CD, the concert is also available as a DVD, Blu-ray and a triple vinyl album.

The CD contains 2 discs with a total of 15 tracks, 8 on disc 1 and 7 on disc 2. The package has a total playing time of around 102 minutes with disc 1 being the shorter of the two discs by around 2 minutes, disc 1 having a running time of 50:13 minutes and disc 2 clocking in at 52:07 minutes. The band take the songs from 6 of their albums with the emphasis on the newest 2 releases, Distant Satellites (5 tracks, 2014), Weather Systems (4, 2012), We’re Here Because We’re Here (2, 2010), A Natural Disaster (2, 2003), A Fine Day To Exit (1, 2001) and Alternative 4 (1, 1998).
The opening track on A Sort of Homecoming is “The Lost Song Part 2” (6:39) from Distant Satellites and, as this was an acoustic tour, accompanying the vocals of Lee and Vincent, is a simple acoustic guitar (played by Danny Kavanagh?). This is then followed by “Untouchable Part 1” (6:29) and “Untouchable Part 2” (6:25) both from the Weather Systems album. The treatment of these songs is very sparse in comparison to the studio versions and the beautiful vocals make the trio of tracks very powerful. All in all, this is a very good start to the proceedings, and that view is backed up by the sound of the appreciative audience.

For the last 3 tracks on the first disc, John Douglas, David Wesling and Anna Phoebe join proceedings and “Anathema” (7:32) and “Ariel” (6:08) tend to mirror their studio versions on Distant Satellites more closely before the vocals are taken by Danny Cavanagh for the final song on disc 1, “Electricity” (4:31) from A Natural Disaster.

The opening track on disc 2, “Temporary Peace” (5:15), continues the beautiful serenity that has been prevalent across the first 8 tracks. Stunning vocals from Vincent, with strings, delicate percussion and acoustic guitar, all combine to form an excellent start to the second disc.  A couple of tracks later, on the title track from Distant Satellites, the band is joined by some audience participation. The whole feeling of this concert is that of a band that is truly content with their lot and is happy to show how they have evolved from their beginnings a couple of decades ago.

Older numbers bring the concert to a close with “A Natural Disaster” (8:45), the title track from 2003, and “Fragile Dreams” (7:32) from the 1998 album, Alternative 4.  “A Natural Disaster” is one of the first songs that Lee Douglas guested on back in 2003, as at the time, she was not “officially” in the band, and this version still highlights her powerful, emotive voice. The finale to the evening, “Fragile Dreams” is a superb closing choice with the two voices complementing each other and as the electric guitar runs follow the voices the crowd start to realize the end is close and the ovation starts.

This was perhaps an ambitious project to tour on, and by that I mean, the acoustic set-up. This release, A Sort Of Homecoming, is likely to have already been purchased by fans of the band and they will not have been disappointed in any way. It is possibly not the best entry point for people “trying out” Anathema for the first time as it is slightly different from the studio albums. I thoroughly enjoyed this album but the one glitch on waxing totally lyrical on the album, is that I felt a slight tinge of sameness. Individually the tracks are excellent, but I felt that a double CD just stretched it a little too far. It may sound a bit harsh, but I feel that there is a really excellent single live album hiding in this double album release.

Parting words, as usual, are that this is a very personal opinion and I will always suggest that people have a listen to any of my reviewed albums, as they may well feel very differently towards the music.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Lost Song Part 2, Distant Satellites, Fragile Dreams

Tracks:

Disc 1
The Lost Song Part 2
Untouchable Part 1
Untouchable Part 2
Thin Air
Dreaming Light
Anathema
Ariel
Electricity

Disc 2
Temporary Peace
The Beginning and The end
Distant Satellites
Take Shelter
Internal Landscapes
A Natural Disaster
Fragile Dreams

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk
February 3, 2016
Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk
 

The Prog Before Christmas Gig - Abel Ganz, Tiger Moth Tales, we_are_kin

Artist: Abel Ganz, Tiger Moth Tales, we_are_kin

Title:   The Prog Before Christmas Gig

Concert Date: 18^th December 2015

Venue: The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) Glasgow

As the title of this review suggests, the gig I attended on 18^th Dec was indeed, The Prog Before Xmas and highlighted 3 artists, We Are Kin, Tiger Moth Tales and Abel Ganz. The evening was several months in the planning and the “main man” behind it all was Dennis Smith, who also happens to be the drummer in Abel Ganz. Running to a strict time restriction, the bands managed to set up, play and remove material from the stage like clockwork.

First up were We Are Kin, who in fact were giving us their very first live performance. Initially the band seemed a little tentative and apprehensive, but quickly settled and produced a stunning 45 minute set. The band had released their debut album, Pandora, on Bad Elephant Records, earlier in 2015. Onstage were 6 musicians, Dan Zambas (keyboards, guitar), Lee Braddock (bass), Emma Brewin-Caddy (vocals), Nuru Ramadhan Saadi (vocals), Gary Boast (drums) and Adam McCann (lead guitar), but due to recent changes only Dan, Gary and Adam remain from the band that recorded Pandora. Pandora is a 13 track album and 7 of the tracks were aired during the set. The opening track, “Home Sweet Home” as I indicated, started a little nervously with several glances passing between the band members, but as they moved into “The Hard Decision” and further into the set, the nerves settled and they relaxed into the music and the crowd were treated to some excellent modern progressive music. Fronted by the two female vocalists, (Emma and Nuru), having a solid rhythmic foundation (courtesy of Lee and Gary), some soaring guitar work (Adam) and completed with the majestic keyboards (Dan), the band received a rousing cheer at the end of the set by the appreciative audience. It was difficult to believe that this was the debut live performance, and certainly bodes well for a great future.

A quick removal of much stage equipment and soon the stage was set for the second set, provided by Tiger Moth Tales, which is the name of the creative vehicle for Peter Jones. Peter has been in the music industry for many years, winning the junior final of BBC TV’s Song For Christmas (1988), being a finalist on BBC’s Star For A Night (2001) and also on ITV’s The X Factor (2004) as well as touring with The X Factor Tour in 2005. Since Peter has moved into the progressive music area, he has released 2 full length albums, Cocoon (2014) and Storytellers Vol 1 (2015), as well as some live material EPs. Tiger Moth Tales is simply Peter sitting at a keyboard with a guitar fixed horizontally above and across the top of the keyboard. As soon as Peter started, the crowd realized that this was something very special and the conversations in the crowd, that sometimes permeate performances, simply stopped. Peter gave a superb selection of music, mainly from the Cocoon album (“Tigers in The Butter,” “Don’t Let Go..Feels Alright,” “The Merry Vicar,” “A Visit To Chigwick”) one track from Storytellers Vol 1 and 2 covers from one of his favorite bands, Genesis, in the form of “More Fool Me” and “Harold The Barrel.” The audience laughed away as Peter explained how he would shout out at concerts asking Genesis tribute bands to play “Harold” and he realized it had become an obsession when he shouted out the same request at a Steve Hackett concert. The set was excellent from start to finish with music of the highest quality, as Peter is a very accomplished musician with a voice that is so powerful and clear, and the humor he injected by including “The Merry Vicar” and “A Visit To Chigwick” made this 45+ minutes a majestic and mesmerizing part of the evening. (Although not aware at that moment, Peter would make another appearance later in the night).

With another relatively quick period of dismantling, removal and replacing stage equipment, the stage was set for the arrival of Abel Ganz. Abel Ganz are a Glasgow band, and 2015 certainly seems to have been the year of the “breakthrough” and this Prog Before Xmas concert was to celebrate a return to the Centre For Contemporary Arts, where the year had started way back in January. The band was originally put together all the way back in 1980 by Hew Montgomery (keyboards) and Hugh Carter (multi-instrumentalist) and has undergone several personnel changes over the years as well as releasing 6 studio albums along the way. The band on stage comprised Denis Smith (drums), Steven Donnelly (bass), Davie Mitchell (lead guitar), Iain Sloan (guitar), Jack Webb (keyboards) and Mick McFarlane (vocals and guitar), but also present in the audience were those 2 founding members of the band, Hew and Hugh. Launching into “Rain” from the Danger of Strangers album (1988), the band soon had the audience eating out of their hand. This opener was followed by “Ventura” from the album, Shooting Albatross (2008) which was received as raucously as the opener and then the band moved onto the latest release, simply called Abel Ganz, from 2014. First up was the 5 part suite from the album, clocking in at well over 20 minutes, “Obsolescence Pt 1-5”, and a stunning live interpretation which led on to “Recuardos,” a much gentler paced track which fitted the proceedings like a glove. The music was cranked up a little for the rousing “Unconditional” and unbelievably that was the set almost complete. The crowd had been treated to a stunning 60+ minute set of progressive music, veering from powerful driving rock to the gentle acoustic moments and showed their appreciation by demanding the band return to the stage. Several moments later, the cheer that erupted ushered the band back on stage. The first piece of music they moved into was “Thank You,” from the Abel Ganz album, one of the gentler pieces of music with stunning guitar work and a nice little Gaelic verse thrown in for good measure. This piece of music also had a personal meaning as it was the piece chosen to finish my wedding ceremony in April 2015, and it made for a special moment as The Landlady (my wife) was also at the gig. There is no praise high enough to use to describe the overall evening with the band hitting the bulls-eye right from the off. 

A truly wonderful evening of music provided by 3 excellent artists and it wasn’t quite finished. When “Thank You” finished to huge applause, there was a flurry of activity at one side of the stage and joining Abel Ganz on stage appeared Tiger Moth Tales himself, Peter Jones, clutching his trusty recorder. The final piece of music “Run With The Fox,” originally released just prior to Christmas 1981 by Chris Squire and Alan White, was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

To sum up the evening is simple as it was just a magnificent night of superb music from 3 artists who, in turn, each provided excellent entertainment and for the crowd, made sure that Christmas arrived a week early.

5/5 Stars

Tracks:

We Are Kin      (from the album Pandora)

Home Sweet Home
The Hard Decision
Without Them
Tides Of Midnite
Weight Of The World
The End
The Door

Tiger Moth Tales  ( * from the album Cocoon)

Tigers In The Butter *
Storytellers
Don’t Let Go…Feels Alright *
More Fool Me
Harold The Barrel
The Merry Vicar *
A Visit To Chigwick *
The Wassail Song

Abel Ganz

Rain     (from the album Danger of Strangers)
Ventura   (from the album Shooting Albatross)
Obsolescence 1-5 (from the album Abel Ganz)
Recuardos                               “
Unconditional                           “
Thank You                               “
Run WithThe Fox (featuring Tiger Moth Tales)
 

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

January 21, 2016

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

The Prog Before Christmas Gig - Abel Ganz, Tiger Moth Tales, we_are_kin

Artist: Abel Ganz, Tiger Moth Tales, we_are_kin

Title:   The Prog Before Christmas Gig

Concert Date: 18^thDecember 2015

Venue: The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) Glasgow

As the title of this review suggests, the gig I attended on 18^th Dec was indeed, The Prog Before Xmas and highlighted 3 artists, We Are Kin, Tiger Moth Tales and Abel Ganz. The evening was several months in the planning and the “main man” behind it all was Dennis Smith, who also happens to be the drummer in Abel Ganz. Running to a strict time restriction, the bands managed to set up, play and remove material from the stage like clockwork.

First up were We Are Kin, who in fact were giving us their very first live performance. Initially the band seemed a little tentative and apprehensive, but quickly settled and produced a stunning 45 minute set. The band had released their debut album, Pandora, on Bad Elephant Records, earlier in 2015. Onstage were 6 musicians, Dan Zambas (keyboards, guitar), Lee Braddock (bass), Emma Brewin-Caddy (vocals), Nuru Ramadhan Saadi (vocals), Gary Boast (drums) and Adam McCann (lead guitar), but due to recent changes only Dan, Gary and Adam remain from the band that recorded Pandora. Pandora is a 13 track album and 7 of the tracks were aired during the set. The opening track, “Home Sweet Home” as I indicated, started a little nervously with several glances passing between the band members, but as they moved into “The Hard Decision” and further into the set, the nerves settled and they relaxed into the music and the crowd were treated to some excellent modern progressive music. Fronted by the two female vocalists, (Emma and Nuru), having a solid rhythmic foundation (courtesy of Lee and Gary), some soaring guitar work (Adam) and completed with the majestic keyboards (Dan), the band received a rousing cheer at the end of the set by the appreciative audience. It was difficult to believe that this was the debut live performance, and certainly bodes well for a great future.

A quick removal of much stage equipment and soon the stage was set for the second set, provided by Tiger Moth Tales, which is the name of the creative vehicle for Peter Jones. Peter has been in the music industry for many years, winning the junior final of BBC TV’s Song For Christmas (1988), being a finalist on BBC’s Star For A Night(2001) and also on ITV’s The X Factor(2004) as well as touring with The X Factor Tour in 2005. Since Peter has moved into the progressive music area, he has released 2 full length albums, Cocoon(2014) and Storytellers Vol 1 (2015), as well as some live material EPs. Tiger Moth Tales is simply Peter sitting at a keyboard with a guitar fixed horizontally above and across the top of the keyboard. As soon as Peter started, the crowd realized that this was something very special and the conversations in the crowd, that sometimes permeate performances, simply stopped. Peter gave a superb selection of music, mainly from the Cocoon album (“Tigers in The Butter,” “Don’t Let Go..Feels Alright,” “The Merry Vicar,” “A Visit To Chigwick”) one track from Storytellers Vol 1 and 2 covers from one of his favorite bands, Genesis, in the form of “More Fool Me” and “Harold The Barrel.” The audience laughed away as Peter explained how he would shout out at concerts asking Genesis tribute bands to play “Harold” and he realized it had become an obsession when he shouted out the same request at a Steve Hackett concert. The set was excellent from start to finish with music of the highest quality, as Peter is a very accomplished musician with a voice that is so powerful and clear, and the humor he injected by including “The Merry Vicar” and “A Visit To Chigwick” made this 45+ minutes a majestic and mesmerizing part of the evening. (Although not aware at that moment, Peter would make another appearance later in the night).

With another relatively quick period of dismantling, removal and replacing stage equipment, the stage was set for the arrival of Abel Ganz. Abel Ganz are a Glasgow band, and 2015 certainly seems to have been the year of the “breakthrough” and this Prog Before Xmas concert was to celebrate a return to the Centre For Contemporary Arts, where the year had started way back in January. The band was originally put together all the way back in 1980 by Hew Montgomery (keyboards) and Hugh Carter (multi-instrumentalist) and has undergone several personnel changes over the years as well as releasing 6 studio albums along the way. The band on stage comprised Denis Smith (drums), Steven Donnelly (bass), Davie Mitchell (lead guitar), Iain Sloan (guitar), Jack Webb (keyboards) and Mick McFarlane (vocals and guitar), but also present in the audience were those 2 founding members of the band, Hew and Hugh. Launching into “Rain” from the Danger of Strangers album (1988), the band soon had the audience eating out of their hand. This opener was followed by “Ventura” from the album, Shooting Albatross (2008) which was received as raucously as the opener and then the band moved onto the latest release, simply called Abel Ganz, from 2014. First up was the 5 part suite from the album, clocking in at well over 20 minutes, “Obsolescence Pt 1-5”, and a stunning live interpretation which led on to “Recuardos,” a much gentler paced track which fitted the proceedings like a glove. The music was cranked up a little for the rousing “Unconditional” and unbelievably that was the set almost complete. The crowd had been treated to a stunning 60+ minute set of progressive music, veering from powerful driving rock to the gentle acoustic moments and showed their appreciation by demanding the band return to the stage. Several moments later, the cheer that erupted ushered the band back on stage. The first piece of music they moved into was “Thank You,” from the Abel Ganz album, one of the gentler pieces of music with stunning guitar work and a nice little Gaelic verse thrown in for good measure. This piece of music also had a personal meaning as it was the piece chosen to finish my wedding ceremony in April 2015, and it made for a special moment as The Landlady (my wife) was also at the gig. There is no praise high enough to use to describe the overall evening with the band hitting the bulls-eye right from the off. 

A truly wonderful evening of music provided by 3 excellent artists and it wasn’t quite finished. When “Thank You” finished to huge applause, there was a flurry of activity at one side of the stage and joining Abel Ganz on stage appeared Tiger Moth Tales himself, Peter Jones, clutching his trusty recorder. The final piece of music “Run With The Fox,” originally released just prior to Christmas 1981 by Chris Squire and Alan White, was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

To sum up the evening is simple as it was just a magnificent night of superb music from 3 artists who, in turn, each provided excellent entertainment and for the crowd, made sure that Christmas arrived a week early.

5/5 Stars

Tracks:

We Are Kin      (from the album Pandora)

Home Sweet Home
The Hard Decision
Without Them
Tides Of Midnite
Weight Of The World
The End
The Door

Tiger Moth Tales  ( * from the album Cocoon)

Tigers In The Butter *
Storytellers
Don’t Let Go…Feels Alright *
More Fool Me
Harold The Barrel
The Merry Vicar *
A Visit To Chigwick *
The Wassail Song

Abel Ganz

Rain     (from the album Danger of Strangers)
Ventura   (from the album Shooting Albatross)
Obsolescence 1-5 (from the album Abel Ganz)
Recuardos                               “
Unconditional                           “
Thank You                               “
Run WithThe Fox (featuring Tiger Moth Tales)
 

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

January 21, 2016

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Instrumental Progressive Rock Review: Three Wise Monkeys-Progettoarte

Release Date: December 10, 2015

Label: Cerca Trova Records

Website

The Three Wise Monkeys, sometimes called the three mystic apes are a pictorial maxim. Together they embody the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." According to Japanese legend the three monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil. This little tidbit of information was provided by Wikipedia. 

The Three Wise Monkeys I have come to know are a band from down under in Sydney Australia. They create amazing instrumental, experimental and progressive rock music. They are Kypo (guitar), Alex King (bass) and Brendon Waterman (drums). Trust me there is no monkey business on their newest offering titled Progettoarte.

My introduction to this energetic and spontaneous trio was the track titled “Panopticon,” which we proudly featured on our Rate The Tracks site and it promptly shot to #1 for the most plays within a few short days! That speaks for itself how good this band is. It has a contagious rhythm and pace that will have you hitting play several times to relive the explosion of sounds in their imaginative arrangements.

The power trio lineup has always been one of the most admired configurations as far as I am concerned and this band once again cements that conviction.

“Islands” is a tremendous opening track with a driving rhythm section and beefy ever changing guitar licks sandwiched in between. The creative juices are flowing at a rapid pace on this track and it just continues on from that point.

“Shoegazer” sounds like their personal ode and thanks to that particular genre and with a heaping helping of improvisation as well to make the pot boil over spilling into progressive rock and psychedelic territory. There is a lot going in this song and I cannot help but notice the prominence of the drums in this trio, Waternan is like the quarterback of this team laying down the foundation to build one masterpiece of sound after another. I particularly enjoyed the changes this track presents which in turn shows the versatility and overall talent these three gents possess.

With Progettoarte they definitively put the art into the progressions of their music. This trio deserves your undivided attention and I would expect that they will be getting a lot of praise for their work and it is well deserved. The band likes to coin it as experimental instrumental and I would have to agree it is all of that and more. One listen and you will discover why Three Wise Monkeys know exactly what they are doing.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Panopticon, Islands, Shoegazer

Tracks:
01. Islands 04:19
02. Panopticon 05:40    
03. Shoegazer 06:59   
04. Unboxing 03:13
05. Horsemen of the apocolypse 03:34       
06. River, desert, wind, mountain. 04:14       
07. Vanitas 05:07
08. Asomatous 06:20
09. Bluebox 05:59
10. Gravitas 04:25
11. nOOb 04:41
12. Terminus 04:45

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- Prog Rock Music Talk Founder

January 6, 2016

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Instrumental Progressive Rock Review: Three Wise Monkeys-Progettoarte

Release Date: December 10, 2015

Label: Cerca Trova Records

Website

The Three Wise Monkeys, sometimes called the three mystic apes are a pictorial maxim. Together they embody the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." According to Japanese legend the three monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil. This little tidbit of information was provided by Wikipedia. 

The Three Wise Monkeys I have come to know are a band from down under in Sydney Australia. They create amazing instrumental, experimental and progressive rock music. They are Kypo (guitar), Alex King (bass) and Brendon Waterman (drums). Trust me there is no monkey business on their newest offering titled Progettoarte.

My introduction to this energetic and spontaneous trio was the track titled “Panopticon,” which we proudly featured on our Rate The Tracks site and it promptly shot to #1 for the most plays within a few short days! That speaks for itself how good this band is. It has a contagious rhythm and pace that will have you hitting play several times to relive the explosion of sounds in their imaginative arrangements.

The power trio lineup has always been one of the most admired configurations as far as I am concerned and this band once again cements that conviction.

“Islands” is a tremendous opening track with a driving rhythm section and beefy ever changing guitar licks sandwiched in between. The creative juices are flowing at a rapid pace on this track and it just continues on from that point.

“Shoegazer” sounds like their personal ode and thanks to that particular genre and with a heaping helping of improvisation as well to make the pot boil over spilling into progressive rock and psychedelic territory. There is a lot going in this song and I cannot help but notice the prominence of the drums in this trio, Waternan is like the quarterback of this team laying down the foundation to build one masterpiece of sound after another. I particularly enjoyed the changes this track presents which in turn shows the versatility and overall talent these three gents possess.

With Progettoarte they definitively put the art into the progressions of their music. This trio deserves your undivided attention and I would expect that they will be getting a lot of praise for their work and it is well deserved. The band likes to coin it as experimental instrumental and I would have to agree it is all of that and more. One listen and you will discover why Three Wise Monkeys know exactly what they are doing.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Panopticon, Islands, Shoegazer

Tracks:
01. Islands 04:19
02. Panopticon 05:40    
03. Shoegazer 06:59   
04. Unboxing 03:13
05. Horsemen of the apocolypse 03:34       
06. River, desert, wind, mountain. 04:14       
07. Vanitas 05:07
08. Asomatous 06:20
09. Bluebox 05:59
10. Gravitas 04:25
11. nOOb 04:41
12. Terminus 04:45

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- Prog Rock Music Talk Founder

January 6, 2016

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk