Category: New album releases

Norwegian art rock trio Dim Gray release new single “Avalon | The Tide”

The second single to be released from upcoming album Firmament due out on Sept. 2nd, 2022.

“Avalon | The Tide” is the second single to be released from Firmament, the recently announced new album by Norwegian art rock trio Dim Gray set for release in early September. The group themselves state that writing it was “where the album really started, as it became a blueprint for the entire record. The expansiveness in its lydian harmonies and modulations, the prevalence of piano and strings, as well as the lyrical themes, all came to influence the rest of the songs.”

Watch the lyric video for “Avalon | The Tide” here:

Check out the song on digital services here:
dimgray.hearnow.com/avalon-the-tide

As with several other tracks on ‘Firmament’, the music was written by guitarist Håkon Høiberg on piano rather than his main instrument, with singer/keyboardist Oskar Holldorff then adding words. Holldorff explains that “the music felt like it was constructed as a story, so I thought the lyric should depict some sort of journey. Avalon, the mythical island from Arthurian legend, felt like an appropriate metaphor for reaching an impossible goal or destination; like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or, as these particular words mean to me, peace of mind. They are about trauma, wanting to forget, and the futility of fighting against the overwhelming forces and inherent dynamics of the world, hence the reference to King Canute and the tide in the second verse. I couldn’t decide whether the song should be called Avalon or The Tide, but when we later wrote ‘Meridian’, which ends the album and suggests a split globe, the joint title was suddenly justified.”

Consisting of twelve vivid and melody-driven songs, ‘Firmament’ is an ambitious artistic statement bursting with life and colour, making for an engaging and constantly surprising journey as it weaves a route from strings-infused chamber pop, through evocative indie-folk and lush electronics and into grandiose art rock. It will appeal musically to fans of artists such as Radiohead, Agnes Obel, Owen Pallett, Susanne Sundfør, Keane and Tears For Fears.

Thematically, the new record explores further the landscape of melancholy and longing that was introduced on the group’s well received 2020 debut, ‘Flown’, a concept record structured like one continuous story with intimate and spatial moments offset with massive colourful soundscapes. Those sensations are now contextualised in the depressions of the modern world, juxtaposed against romanticised ideas of simpler times through childhood memories interspersed with myths and superstition.

‘Firmament’ will be issued via English Electric Recordings, the label run by UK prog titans Big Big Train, and is the first record on the label that is not either by that band or at least one of its permanent members. Holldorff will however be touring as part of the Big Big Train line-up (deputising for BBT keyboardist Carly Bryant) for a set of European dates in September, while Dim Gray have just been announced as the support act for them. The first show is in Aylesbury on 2nd September, the same day that ‘Firmament’ is released.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to play these shows supporting Big Big Train,”enthuses Dim Gray drummer Tom Ian Klungland. “We supported Marillion at a show in Stockholm in May and were delighted by the wonderfully warm reaction we received from their fans. We’re going to try our best to make plenty of new friends amongst the Big Big Train audience and it’s fantastic that the Aylesbury show coincides with the release date of ‘Firmament’. Roll on September!”
 ON TOUR WITH BIG BIG TRAIN
SEPTEMBER 202202.09.22  AYLESBURY (UK) Waterside Theatre
05.09.22  ZOETERMEER (NL) Cultuurpodium Boerderij
06.09.22  BONN (DE) Harmonie
07.09.22  MAINZ (DE) Kuz
08.09.22  BERLIN (DE) Frannz Club
10.09.22  BASEL (CH) Z7, Pratteln
11.09.22  PARIS (FR) Café de la Danse

SiX By SiX, featuring Ian Crichton, Nigel Glockler & Robert Berry, announce release of eponymous debut album 

SiX By SiX is the exciting new trio formed by Ian Crichton (Saga), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) & Robert Berry (3; Emerson, Berry, Palmer), and their eponymous debut album is set for release on 19th August 2022 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. 

This hugely accomplished trio of musicians is also pleased to announce their first single ‘Yearning to Fly’, and you can watch the video now here:

The roots of SiX By SiX can be traced back several decades to when Glockler and Berry were together as part of Yes guitarist Steve Howe’s continuation of the band GTR.  Then there’s the Asia connection, where Crichton and Glockler contributed to sessions and recordings, while Berry was the link for his guitarist friend Pat Thrall joining that band. 

Time marches on, paths cross and fate brings these three musicians together, born from a conversation with an industry insider in the UK who connected Ian Crichton in the Toronto area with Robert Berry outside San Francisco, who in turn reached Glockler at his home on the south coast of England.   

Powered by Glockler’s dynamic drumming, the result is an expansive guitar-driven pallet, paired sonically with the unique flavour of the Crichton/Berry songwriting collaboration, which they are very excited to present on this debut album.

Ian Crichton comments: “Throughout my career, I’ve been very selective about what to get involved in outside Saga and when opportunities have arisen, I have said ‘no’ far more often than I have said ‘yes’. When Robert’s manager contacted me in 2020 and explained what Robert was seeking to do creatively and how my guitar could be central to the musical vision, I was intrigued. Now it’s over 18 months and many Zoom calls later, but crucially Robert, Nigel and I have also spent plenty of time together at Robert’s base in northern California. We’re three experienced players from three different countries, and with our six hands, we’re here to break the rock music mould. SiX By SiX is a band that we’ve built together and nurtured into a unique style that I’m very proud of.”

Nigel Glockler continues: “When Robert and Ian first approached me about becoming part of this band, I felt very honoured to be asked and absolutely thrilled to be working with a couple of guys I’ve admired for a long time.  Robert and I first met during GTR days and we’ve kept in touch ever since. My path has crossed with Ian many times on the road over the years, so once the three of us got together in California it was like a meeting of old friends. Musically it immediately clicked and working within the framework of a three piece allows us to branch out in all directions and really push ourselves. I’m best known as the Saxon drummer, but I’ve always been a massive fan of progressive rock – Genesis and PFM are amongst my favourite bands! SiX By SiX is just the beginning of an exciting journey – bring it on!!” 

Robert Berry adds: “After working with the genius of Keith Emerson and losing that musical partnership in 2016 following Keith’s death, I faced a daunting question: whether to bring down the curtain creatively or seek something inspiring which would reach new musical heights. My intuition was to lean into a dramatically more guitar oriented direction. But which guitarist is as impressive as Keith was as a keyboardist? At my manager’s suggestion, an incredible meeting of minds, style and future goals was struck with Ian Crichton. Was it luck, timing or destiny? I think it was all three because 3 is my lucky number. Ian and I were determined to keep this a 3 piece band (there’s that number again) and needed a drummer with a similar mindset and who is a solid, heavy hitter. My friend Nigel Glockler was the perfect fit. And with this extraordinary combination of friendship, musicality, and humor, a Brit, a Canadian and an American have come together as the brand new band SiX By SiX.” 

Available as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g LP & as a Digital Album, now available to pre-order here: https://sixbysixband.lnk.to/SixBySix 

The full track-listing is as follows:

1. Yearning To Fly

2. China

3. Reason To Feel Calm Again

4. The Upside Of Down

5. Casino

6. Live Forever

7. The Last Words On Earth

8. Skyfall

9. Battle Of A Lifetime

10. Save The Night

Background:

Ian Crichton is best known as one of the founding members of Saga, alongside his brother Jim. Saga went on to sell roughly 10 million albums world-wide and continue to perform around the world. As the driving force behind SiX By SiX, Ian takes a cunning turn, in assembling another potent band but one that focuses on his guitar prowess.  This time with established players, each with a celebrated past, refined skills, and unlimited potential. 

Nigel Glockler began his career in 1980 as the drummer for the British band Krakatoa. In 1981 he found an opportunity with singer Toyah.  By the end of the year, he joined metal legends, Saxon. Except for two brief absences, Nigel has been behind his massive drum kit as an integral part of Saxon ever since.His powerhouse drumming is the engine that drives SiX By SiX’s songs forwards relentlessly.

Robert Berry first gained international attention with San Francisco-based Hush, releasing well-received recordings and then touring the USA. In the mid-1980s Berry’s first solo album garnered positive reviews in the most influential trade publications and attracted the attention of several major labels. At the suggestion of one of those labels, Robert moved to the UK to work with guitarist Steve Howe (of Yes fame) along with drummer Nigel Glockler in an effort to revitalize GTR. When GTR stalled, Robert partnered with British rock legends Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer to form ‘3’.  With Emerson and Palmer, Robert achieved a top ten charting single and toured the USA. Robert’s melodic sensibilities complement Ian’s extraordinary guitar and Nigel’s signature drumming perfectly.

COLLISIONS: Ciaran Morahan (Codes In The Clouds, VLMV), Tom Hodge (Max Cooper, Floex) + Ollie Howell announce new album + single

‘Collisions’, is the coming together of neo-classical composer and film composer Tom Hodge (Max Cooper, Floex), post-rock composer Ciaran Morahan (Codes In The Clouds, VLMV) and composer and drummer, Ollie Howell. Their musical backgrounds can be heard colliding throughout their self-titled debut offering (released 9th September via Naïve/Believe), creating a new symbiotic relationship with one another. Fusing together their respective styles, they have created an exciting blend that feels expansive and immersive, almost cinematic, whilst still capturing the energy and thrill of a live performance.

To mark the official album announcement, Collisions are pleased to share the epic ‘II’, the first single to be taken from the album. “This was the first piece composed for the record. With a chord pattern taken from the original writing session with an acoustic band, Tom arranged the track and took it into an unconscious electronic direction. The track has the constant idea of movement with bouncy piano melodies and arpeggiated synthesisers incorporated throughout. The track is climaxed by saturated acoustic drums and reverb soaked clarinet complimenting the track’s overall ethereal feel,” says Morahan. 

Hodge and Morahan first met in 2009 when Hodge produced a remix for Morahan’s band Codes In The Clouds through London label Erased Tapes. 10 years after their initial introduction, sharing stages and collaborating on other music, they decided to create a record together. Howell’s arrival pushed the project further into a genre-fluid space but a sonically-focused one, resulting in a unique collision of emotive piano, clarinet, ambient analog synths and jazz-infused acoustic drums. The resulting collisions produce a sound that manages to both show individual strengths whilst creating a truly cohesive and immersive sonic landscape. The coming together of their musical identities has formed a strange musical alchemy whilst finding space to be truly authentic to itself. Where there is collision, there is inevitably motion.

The album explores both these spaces in different ways, moving between ‘Collisions’ tracks and ‘Motion’ tracks; the Motions having a freer and more exploratory feel in comparison, finding their way through more spacious musical ideas and searching for newness in this fluid space. The immersive nature of the music is also coupled with a unique visual identity, created by Cath Elliot, through both the live performance and within digital mediums. Each individual part of the music creates a series of seemingly-living particles, colliding and reacting in real time; constantly moving, evolving and pulsating as the music shifts. These generative shapes then morph effortlessly into particle-based metaverse versions of the band members themselves, emerging and performing live as if appearing from the ever-moving ether. This pioneering generative treatment allows the music itself to actually create the striking visual identity of the project in real time, creating a truly limitless series of particle collisions. It is clear from his past records with luminaries such as Max Cooper and Floex that Hodge is no stranger to coruscating sonic exploration, but he has mainly spent the last couple of years on high-profile film and TV projects.

Tracklisting:

1. ‘II’

2. ‘First Motion’

3. ‘I’

4. ‘Second Motion’

5. ‘III’

6. ‘Third Motion’

7. ‘IV’

8. ‘Fourth Motion’

VLMV SHARE WITH NEW SINGLE ‘FOR EMPIRE (REVERE CUT)’

 AMBIENT POST-ROCK PROJECT TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM ‘SING WITH ABANDON’ THIS SUMMER  

VLMV have shared new single ‘For Empire (Revere Cut)’, the first from their forthcoming album ‘Sing With Abandon’. Scheduled for release in August, ‘Sing With Abandon’ is the follow up to 2018’s acclaimed full-length ‘Stranded, Not Lost’ and the result of years of collaboration, experimentation and crafting the music and sounds of VLMV.
The follow up to  instrumental teaser ‘Steady Thyself’, ‘For Empire (Revere Cut)’ is the first single to emerge from the upcoming record. A slow-burning commentary on a post-brexit world and rooted in the harsh feeling of isolation that only grew as the world began locking down in 2020, ‘For Empire’ finds VLMV’s Pete Lambrou off-setting the songs darker subject matter with the beautiful, awe-inspiring compositions he has become known for. Beginning with Pete performing alone, the songs blossoms with gripping, layered vocals and soaring strings as Lambrou makes the songs great declaration-  “I was building something to turn this boat around’. 

 An ambitious yet concise album, ‘Sing With Abandon’ was born as songwriter and producer Pete Lambrou explored navigating life in the pandemic, multiple lockdowns and a country deciding to break up with its loved ones. Lyrically focused on feelings of isolation and separation, from our shared collective human experience to the deeply personal and everything in between, ‘Sing With Abandon’ touches on the isolation found within the communal experience of a country locked down and in crisis. 

Formed in early 2015 by songwriter & producer Pete Lambrou (Codes In The Clouds, Monsters Build Mean Robots), VLMV released their debut mini album via Fierce Panda Records in August 2015, along with ‘Remixes & Reworkings’, a digital overhaul of their esteemed debut shortly after.  Described as “a beam of light through a dark, cold night” by Lauren Laverne, VLMV shared the follow up,  ‘Stranded, Not Lost, in 2018, earning a nomination at the Prog Awards alongside critical acclaim.  Joined live by long-time collaborator and fellow Code In The Clouder Ciaran Morahan, VLMV deploy loop stations, multiple delay pedals, piano and strings to create a slow-moving, high-flying soundscape of luscious gravitas. Hailing from London, the duo have received widespread praise for both their records and their incredible live show thanks to heavy touring in the UK and Europe. VLMV have taken to the stage at ArcTanGent, Dunk! Festival, Portals Festival, Post In Paris and many more. 

 ‘Sing With Abandon’ will be release on August 19th via Nice Weather For Airstrikes and can be pre-ordered now
‘For Empire’ is available now

 Pete Lambrou on ‘For Empire (Revere Cut)’:“The intro drones were single legato cello notes recorded and then processed through my old Portastudio 4-track, reversed, delayed and put back together! Not all the songs from the album were written in the midst of lockdown. A couple were performed live on the last tour before the pandemic hit, including For Empire. But their roots are in the aftermath of Brexit, and this feeling of abandonment I’d felt throughout, and then the realisation that your neighbours aren’t who you thought they were.”

Listen now:

https://vlmv.bandcamp.com/track/for-empire-2

 

Ryo Okumoto announces new solo album ‘The Myth of the Mostrophus’ 

The album features guest appearances by current and former Spock’s Beard bandmates Nick D’Virgilio, Al Morse, Dave Meros, Ted Leonard, and Jimmy Keegan.

Ryo Okumoto, long-time keyboardist for prog rock group Spock’s Beard, is pleased to announce his new solo album ‘The Myth of the Mostrophus’, due out on July 29th, 2022 on InsideOutMusic. The six song prog extravaganza features Okumoto’s signature style accompanied by the talents of a who’s who of progressive rock.

The album features guest appearances by a number of incredible musicians including current and former Spock’s Beard bandmates:

Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard) – Drums & Vocals

Al Morse (Spock’s Beard) – Guitar

Dave Meros (Spock’s Beard) – Bass

Ted Leonard (Spock’s Beard. Transatlantic) – Vocals

Jimmy Keegan (Spock’s Beard) – Vocals

Steve Hackett (Genesis) – Guitar

Michael Sadler (Saga, ProgJect) – Vocals

Mike Keneally (Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, ProgJect) – Guitar

Jonathan Mover (Joe Satriani, ProgJect) – Drums

Marc Bonila (Keith Emerson/Kevin Gilbert) – Guitar

Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) – Bass

Randy McStine (McStine & Minnemann, Porcupine Tree) – Guitars & Vocals

Lyle Workman (Todd Rundgren) – Guitar

Michael Whiteman (I Am the Manic Whale) – Guitars & Vocals 

You can watch the trailer for the album here:

Tracklisting:

1.     Mirror Mirror (9:27)

2.     Turning Point (6:53)

3.     The Watchmaker (Time On His Side) (6:25)

4.     Maximum Velocity (8:11)

5.     Chrysalis (7:35)

6.     The Myth Of The Mostrophus (22:14)

Engineered and Mixed by Rich Mouser

The album is now available for pre-order here:

https://ryookumoto.lnk.to/TheMythOfTheMostrophus

Twenty years since Ryo Okumoto’s last solo album ‘Coming Home’ (2002), work on the new album began in November 2000, when Okumoto reached out to I Am The Manic Whale vocalist/bassist Michael Whiteman, following that band’s performance on a livestream event that Okumoto had taken part in.  An exchange of demos resulted in the writing of the initial tracks for the album. Okumoto then reached out the fellow Spock’s Beard bandmates (Nick D’Virgilio, Alan Morse, Dave Meros, Ted Leonard and Jimmy Keegan) to join in and the album started to take shape before rounding out with additional guest stars through his Okumoto’s new group ProgJect including Michael Sadler, Jonathan Mover and Mike Keneally. With the additions of Steve Hackett, Marc Bonila, Doug Wimbish, Randy McStine, and Lyle Workman, the star-studded lineup was complete. The result is a prog rock tour de force from one of the most entertaining and influential artists of prog’s modern era.

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Announce New Quadraphonic Sound Studio Album XI: Bleed Here Now Due out 15th July via InsideOutMusic 

Austin’s …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead announce their first quadraphonic surround sound studio album – XI: Bleed Here Now– due out 15th July 2022 via InsideOutMusic in Europe & Dine Alone Records in North America. The new LP is their 11th, was produced by Trail’s own Conrad Keely and Jason Reece alongside Charles Godfrey who also produced 2020’s X: The Godless Void and Other Stories, and was mastered by Scott Sedillo and KamranV at Bernie Grundman Mastering. XI: Bleed Here Now is QUARK encoded to play in both stereo and Regular Matrix quadraphonic sound. Along with the news, Trail of Dead is releasing lead single “No Confidence” today b/w “Salt In Your Eyes” – listen via your preferred streaming service and pre-order the album here: https://AndYouWillKnowUsByTheTrailOfDead.lnk.to/XIBleedHereNow

XI: Bleed Here Now follows January 2020’s X: The Godless Void and Other Stories – an album that also marked the band’s 25th year together. Trail of Dead were supposed to spend 2020 touring with their newly assembled five-piece live lineup in support of X and celebrating their career milestone, but were sidelined by the pandemic. After the shock wore off and months of very little to do, they decided to start working on a new album. Looking to recapture the Golden Age of rock and give the listener a more immersive experience, they connected with KamranV who has been working with spatial sound since the early 2000’s and introduced them to QUARK – a plug-in that makes creating an album in quadraphonic sound possible. While this takes place during the mixing stage, the intent led to broader recording decisions, for example setting up the mics with the idea they could mix them into four channels when tracking Tosca String Quartet for the live string arrangements on the opening theme “Our Epic Attempts” and the string performance on “Millennium Actress,” which also features the band’s old friend Amanda Palmer. When doing the vocals for “Growing Divide” they brought in Spoon’s Britt Daniel, with Keely adding, “…we thought how cool it would be to have our friend Britt Daniel come in to sing one of the harmonies, so that we could have four different voices separated out between two stereo mixes.”

 XI: Bleed Here Now bridges the gap between artistry and technology, giving listeners an immersive and transportive experience. “Art has a role to play in the upcoming decade(s): it needs to point humanity towards solutions. Our hope is that by expanding the ways we listen and hear; we expand our own inner (my parents would say spiritual) potential for the problem-solving to come,” commented Keely. As with all Trail albums, Keely created the album art, this time inspired by Jeremiah Chiu’s design for Suzanne Ciani’s 2018 LIVE Quadraphonic LP – the first quadraphonic vinyl release in more than 30 years. Read the album bio written by Trail’s own Conrad Keely HERE 

Listen to “No Confidence” and “Salt In Your Eyes” and preorder and pre-save the July 15th LP XI: Bleed Here Now here: https://AndYouWillKnowUsByTheTrailOfDead.lnk.to/XIBleedHereNow 

XI: Bleed Here Now will be available as a Limited CD+Blu-ray Mediabook (including the album as a 4.0 Surround Sound Mix) & Standard CD Jewelcase, both available on the 15th July. The Gatefold 2LP+CD edition will be released on the 30th September.

VLMV RETURN WITH NEW TRACK ‘STEADY THYSELF’ – AMBIENT POST-ROCK PROJECT TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM ‘SING WITH ABANDON’ THIS SUMMER 

VLMV have returned with their first new music since 2018 with ‘Steady Thyself’ and announced their third album ‘Sing With Abandon’, scheduled for release in August. The follow up to the acclaimed ‘Stranded, Not Lost’, this new album is the result of years of collaboration, experimentation and crafting the music and sounds that make up VLMV.

 An ambitious yet concise album, ‘Sing With Abandon’ was born as songwriter and producer Pete Lambrou explored navigating life in the pandemic, multiple lockdowns and a country deciding to break up with its loved ones. Lyrically focused on feelings of isolation and separation, from our shared collective human experience to the deeply personal and everything in between, ‘Sing With Abandon’ touches on the isolation found within the communal experience of a country locked down and in crisis. 

To mark the announcement of this new album, VLMV have shared ‘Steady Thyself’ – The first look at what’s to come, ‘Steady Thyself’ is a soaring and captivating instrumental, centred on a delicate piano arrangement, a tantalising glimpse at the compelling sonic universe VLMV have created on their third outing. 

Formed in early 2015  by songwriter & producer Pete Lambrou (Codes In The Clouds, Monsters Build Mean Robots), VLMV released their debut mini album via Fierce Panda Records in August 2015, along with ‘Remixes & Reworkings’, a digital overhaul of their esteemed debut shortly after.  Described as “a beam of light through a dark, cold night” By Lauren Laverne, VLMV shared the follow up,  ‘Stranded, Not Lost, in 2018, earning a nomination at the Prog Awards alongside critical acclaim.  

Joined live by long time collaborator and fellow Code In The Clouder Ciaran Morahan, VLMV deploy loop stations, multiple delay pedals, piano and strings to create a slow-moving, high-flying soundscape of luscious gravitas. 

Hailing from London, the duo have received widespread praise for both their records and their incredible live show thanks to heavy touring in the UK and Europe. VLMV have taken to the stage at ArcTanGent, Dunk! Festival, Portals Festival, Post In Paris and many more. 

 ‘Sing With Abandon’ will be released on August 19th via Nice Weather For Airstrikes and can be pre-ordered now

‘Steady Thyself’ is available now

Pete Lambruo on ‘Sing With Abandon’:

“The album has been a long process for us after delays with session musicians and studio restrictions. We ended up going back and forth; writing and rewriting; taking a step back and coming at it from different angles. ‘Steady Thyself’ was actually written as a synth sequence in its first inception. It was very different to the final piano version after PLENTY of tweaks and rewrites. It’s not a quick overnight record, it’s taken time and I think that’s reflected in the album itself. It’s something to completely immerse yourself in.”

The Fierce And The Dead – Wonderful released on 6th May via Spencer Park Music

The Fierce And The Dead release their first single in 4 years on May 6th, with (for the first time) vocals from bassist Kevin Feazey. It features sax from Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey/Spiritualized/Faust) and comes from upcoming fourth album News From The Invisible World, to be released later in 2022. The Single artwork is by Mark Buckingham (Neil Gaiman/DC Comics/Fables).

The Fierce And The Dead formed in London in 2010, with all 4 members originally from Rushden, Northants, previously an instrumental band they mix in elements from psychedelic rock, old metal records, garage rock, post-rock, prog and shoegaze.

They released their breakthrough 3rd album The Euphoric in 2018 via BEM records which was Classic Rock Magazine’s Prog Album Of The Year and 8th in Prog Magazine’s critics choice. Prog magazine included them in their 100 Prog Icons and they have appeared ranked highly in the magazine’s Readers Poll for multiple years and categories, although the band have never considered themselves to be deliberately prog. Pre-COVID headline shows in Manchester and London sold out months in advance. 


They have been championed by Stuart Maconie on BBC 6 Music and Steve Davis on his Interesting Alternative Show and played with Hawkwind, Big Business, Dave Lombardo, Crippled Black Phoenix, Evil Blizzard and Monkey 3 and at festivals in the USA, Europe, and the UK including Freak Valley, Arctangent, HRH, Kozfest, Ramblin Man and Rosfest. They have released 3 studio albums alongside 4 EPs and 3 live albums.

Pre-save the single here:

Wonderful by The Fierce & the Dead – DistroKid

ASIA IN ASIA – LIVE AT THE BUDOKAN ARENA,TOKYO, DECEMBER 1983 – VIDEO FOR SOLE SURVIVOR – DELUXE BOX SET, 2LP, 1CD & DIGITAL

Released on 10th June

Multi-platinum selling English supergroup ASIA recently announced they are to release ASIA In Asia – Live At The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983, as a Deluxe box set containing: 2LP, 2xCD, 40 page 12” book, Blu-ray video, printed memorabilia and ‘ASIA’ pin badge, through BMG Records on 10th June 2022. Also available as a 2LP Gatefold, 1CD and Digital Formats.

Pre-order here: https://asiaband.lnk.to/budokanPR

Here’s a link to a live performances of Sole Survivor and Here Comes The Feeling from the concert:

ASIA, Geoff Downes (The Buggles & YES, keyboards & backing vocals), Steve Howe (YES, guitars & backing vocals) and Carl Palmer(Emerson, Lake & Palmer, drums) with special guest Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, bass & lead vocals), visited Japan at the end of two years of touring to promote their phenomenally successful eponymous debut album (1982) and the follow-up Alpha (1983). 

The second of three shows at the historic Budokan arena in Tokyo, on 6th December 1983, would make history as first live broadcast between Japan and MTV in America, an amazing achievement for its time. This performance has previously only been available on VHS. The concert featured some of ASIA’s biggest and most memorable tracks including, Time Again, Only Time Will Tell, Sole Survivor, Wildest Dreams and the global hit single Heat Of The Moment.

Greg Lake stepped in, at short notice, following the sudden departure of ASIA’s founder member John Wetton ahead of the Japanese dates. Despite a short period for Lake to learn the songs, and some changes to the arrangements to accommodate Lake’s different vocal range, the Japanese shows were hailed a great success.

Carl Palmer was proud of his former ELP bandmate for performing exceptionally in the situation. “Greg Lake did a great job jumping into John’s shoes. So many songs to sing, he did it so well. It was impressive.”

Geoff Downes, too, was pleased with the event, especially given the massive undertaking. “It was a grand and sumptuous affair. The stage was the iconic ‘A-frame’ shape we had for the US tour. I think we pulled it off admirably in the end. There were some good people behind us: crew, lighting designers, cameramen and backing singers, it was quite a production.”

“The show was an important global commitment,” says Steve Howe, “so we had to rise to the occasion, which we did, with Greg’s help. We couldn’t have done it without him, for sure.”

For Downes, the release stands as a testament to the band’s resilience. “It deserves its place in the Asia catalogue. Aside from its musical strengths, it demonstrates the level of professionalism that we have always striven to bring to the ASIA name.” 

This newly packaged box set includes:
· Exclusive new artwork by Roger Dean

· Colour vinyl 2LP of original MTV Telecast concert audio, remixed 2022 from the master tapes, with two previously unreleased, post broadcast encore tracks

· 2 x audio CD: 

· Live at The Budokan Arena, Tokyo, Japan, MTV satellite telecast concert (6 December 1983, USA time), remixed 2022 from the master tapes by Matt Wiggins and Rick Nelson

· Live at The Budokan Arena, Tokyo, Japan, previous night’s show (6 December 1983, Japanese Time), remixed 2022 from the master tapes by Hiroki Furutani

· Audio-visual Blu-ray of restored original broadcast concert with 2022 remixed audio (Duration: 1hr 20 mins), plus restored original concert laserdisc featuring alternate camera angles (Duration: 1hr)

. 40 page, deluxe 12” book with rare and unseen band photos, memorabilia and extensive new sleeve notes new quotes from the original band members

· New, bespoke metal and enamel ‘ASIA’ logo pin badge

· Printed memorabilia: 

· 2 x exclusive new Roger Dean artwork A3 posters 

· 2 x reproduced live broadcast original concert tickets 

· Replicated, matt laminated original AAA backstage pass

· Original concert VHS advert

· 3 x glossy 8” x 5” rare band photos

ASIA In Asia – Live At The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983 Tracklist (2 x LPs, CD1 & CD2)

1. Introduction From Mark Goodman (MTV)

2. Time Again

3. The Heat Goes On

4. Here Comes The Feeling

5. Eye To Eye

6. Steve Howe Solo (Sketches In The Sun)

7. Only Time Will Tell

8. Open Your Eyes

9. Geoffrey Downes Solo (Ihiri – The Setting Sun / Bolero)

10. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

11. Wildest Dreams

12. Carl Palmer Solo

13. Heat Of The Moment

14. Sole Survivor

15. Cutting It Fine

16. Daylight

ASIA In Asia – Live At The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983 is available as a Deluxe box set containing: 2LP, 2xCD, 40 page 12” book, Blu-ray video, printed memorabilia and ‘ASIA’ pin badge, as well as 2LP, 1CD & Digital formats on 10th June 2022 through BMG Records.  Pre-order here: https://asiaband.lnk.to/budokanPR

About ASIA

ASIA was a true rock ‘supergroup’ bringing together the talents of John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe who had already amassed tens of millions of record sales with their collective bands of the 70s.

Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound that dominated US airwaves and took that, and the new MTV video channel, by storm.  The single Heat Of The Moment was a world-wide monster smash and their eponymous 1982 debut album spent an incredible 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart as ASIA became the biggest selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out.

A second album, Alpha, was released in 1983. The four original members reconvened in 2006 for a world tour, to celebrate the 25thanniversary of that incredible success, and the album Phoenix followed.

While the members were still heavily involved in other projects, they came together again to record Omega in 2010 and XXX in 2012, both albums were acclaimed by their faithful fans and supported by more world tours.

Steve Howe stepped back from ASIA to concentrate on his work with YES and was absent for 2014’s Gravitas. Following this tour came the news of John Wetton’s treatment for cancer, a fight he sadly lost in 2017.

James LaBrie launches new single ‘Give & Take’

James LaBrie, known internationally as the vocalist for progressive metal icons & Grammy-winners Dream Theater, embarks on uncharted waters with his fourth solo album, titled ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’, out 20th May 2022. Today sees the launch of the album’s second single, “Give & Take”, and you can watch the Wayne Joyner-produced video here: 

James comments: “This track is a take on the coercive manipulation between the corporate elite and the proletariat class. An atmospheric soundscape with beautiful feel and scope.” 

Paul Logue adds: “Musically Give & Take is a nice balance of Dream Theater, Eden’s Curse and a even little Queensryche thrown in for good measure. The dark musical undertones allow James’ vocals to really shine whilst his lyrics take the listener on a journey through the classic tale of good versus evil.” 

Watch the previously released video for the track ‘Devil in Drag’ here:

The new endeavor sees him traverse personal maturation, loss, a myriad of complex relationships, and most importantly – LaBrie’s burning passion for music. On paper, the latest studio offering from the Canadian singer first took shape shortly after the global pandemic began to emerge. But in reality, LaBrie formed a bond with his fellow collaborator, bassist Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse), nearly a decade earlier.

The two first met in 2011, when James would lend his voice to a feature for Logue’s band, UK melodic metal outfit Eden’s Curse, on the song “No Holy Man”. As years went by the two remained in touch, occasionally kicking the tires on the idea of working together on another project. But when Dream Theater performed in Glasgow during the late winter of 2020, LaBrie and Logue would run into each other at the airport – once again asking the question. But this time, armed with the knowledge that a drastic change in the world was all but imminent, LaBrie made the decision to set things in motion.

On the album, Logue plays acoustic rhythm guitar (both six & twelve string) and acoustic bass, while guitarist Marco Sfogli, who’s contributed on all of LaBrie’s solo albums since 2005’s ‘Elements of Persuasion’, handled the leads and solos. Logue recruited Eden’s Curse keyboardist Christian Pulkkinen to lend his playing on the record, while the suggestion to recruit James’s son Chance to play drums would also come from Paul. ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’, as LaBrie describes it, was a title that only came to him once he identified the record’s two core themes throughout its track list. “A lot of these lyrics are dealing with the beauty of human beings, and a lot are dealing with the grey areas of the in between. You’re not exactly happy, but you’re not exactly sad, either.”

The record starts off (and ends) with the track “Devil In Drag”, which emerges as a wall of synthesizers and acoustic strumming before exploding into a full-blown ensemble. LaBrie expresses that the song was written about “someone who started out as a decent human being, but along the way lost touch with their roots – overtime becoming self-serving, narcissistic and devoid of principles or values.” Going on to say, “’Devil In Drag’ is written from the perspective of someone who’s known them all their life and, seeing them now, asking ‘what happened?’”

‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’ will be released as a Limited CD Digipak, 180g LP + CD & as Digital Album, with artwork by Thomas Ewerhard. Pre-order now here: https://jameslabrie.lnk.to/BeautifulShadeOfGrey 

The full track-listing is as follows:

1.     Devil In Drag

2.    SuperNova Girl

3.     Give And Take

4.     Sunset Ruin

5.     Hit Me Like A Brick

6.     Wildflower

7.     Conscience Calling

8.     What I Missed

9.    Am I Right

10.  Ramble On

11.  Devil In Drag (Electric Version) 

Look out for more information in the coming months!