BE PROG! MY FRIEND – FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JETHRO TULL FOR 2017 LINE-UP

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Since its inception in 2014 the Barcelona based festival Be Prog! My Friend has played host to the likes of Opeth, Steven Wilson, Anathema, Devin Townsend, TesseracT, The Pineapple Thief, Magma, Agent Fresco, Camel, Meshuggah, Katatonia, Riverside, Isahn and Alcest.

Taking place in the beautiful open air surroundings of Poble Espanyol – a huge stone built architectural museum – the site is one of the most important and striking landmarks of tourism in Barcelona. Whilst by day the Catalonian hotspot may play host to some of Barcelona’s most interesting historical articles, by the end of June to the start of July it will instead play host to some of the world’s finest progressive bands.

This year saw the festival co-headlined by Steven Wilson and fellow progressive heavy weights Opeth. Now following Be Prog! My Friend‘s recent news that Ulver will play in 2017, comes the announcement of multi-genre progressive giants Jethro Tull, bringing their ever-famous presence to the Catalonion open air surroundings.

The festival organisers comment: Jethro Tull remain unstoppable thanks to the relentless spirit of charismatic frontman Ian Anderson. After more than forty years, Tull continue to delight audiences with their variety and depth of experience, giving fans – young and old – the best of folk, jazz and classically-inspired progressive rock music”.

Tickets are currently on sale now at the reduced price of 75 Euros for a limited time only –

http://www.ticktackticket.com/entradas/goto.do?claves=.127248&origin=TTT&codIdioma=ING

http://www.beprogmyfriend.com/

facebook.com/beprogmyfriend

Be Prog! My Friend takes place in the heart of Barcelona and with an airport only 12km away, regular, cheap flights make it an easy festival to get and from the UK. Bands will start playing from mid/late afternoon each day which will also mean visitors have plenty of time to explore the stunning city of Barcelona while they are there.

http://www.barcelonaturisme.com

Offworld – Some Circles Are Square – New album release with FREIA Music

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Debut album by this unique instrumental progressive band from Belgium to be released on September 22, 2016.

Offworld’s debut concept album ‘Some Circles Are Square’ is a roaring, soaring, never-boring, infuriating, wild and often whacky smorgasbord of a record – equal parts Prog, Psychedelic, Rock, Metal, Funk, Lounge, Shred, and a number of other styles that have yet to be coined with a term. Sometimes weird, often crazy, yet always compelling and dosed with fiery passion and high levels of musicianship, Offworld takes the listener on a trip through Space Opera’s most bizarre and dangerous reaches.

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Review – Half Past Four – Land of the Blind – by Progradar

(Cover photo by Moth)

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“Welcome to Half Past Four – a band from Toronto that create new original art rock and prog. Come follow us!”

A short introduction on Half Past Four’s Facebook page that opens up a whole world of amazing musical mayhem, self-expression and Joie de vivre from this incredible Toronto band.

I’ve had a quite lengthy and intense period of writer’s block recently, I’m not going into the reasons but I was beginning to fear I wasn’t going to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As ever, my love of music (and a severe kick up the proverbials from some close friends) has finally got me out the other side.

I think Billy Joel put it best when he said,

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music…”

The new E.P. from Half Past Four‘Land of the Blind’, certainly fits in that category and has given a much need fillip to my wounded emotions. To be fair, until the promo arrived in my inbox, I’d never heard of this quintet before. Luckily there was a handy bio in the Press Kit too…

Half Past Four is one of the best progressive rock bands to have emerged from Canada. Over nearly two decades, they have developed a unique sound, employing traditional prog-rock music laiden with folk, country, jazz, heavy metal and classical genres, among others.

Each member of Half Past Four is a virtuoso in their own right. Together, they form somewhat of a familial gestalt. Each band member brings a proficiency, originality and respect for the whole that propels their combined efforts into a place beyond simple classification.

Constantin Necrasov (Guitar), Dmitry Lesov (Bass & Chapman Stick), Igor Kurtzman (Keyboards), Kyree Vibrant (Vocals) and Marcello Ciurleo (Drums) have been compared to early-80s King Crimson. Yet any comparisons can only truly function on a per-track basis. While one piece might sound reminiscent of late-70s Yes, listeners might feel the influence of early Pink Floyd in the next piece, followed by a piece that harkens Primus in the 1990s. Or Kate Bush in the mid-80s. Like the best of progressive rock music, the listener cannot predict where the band will take them next.

It is this shifting flow of sound and feeling that distinguishes Half Past Four. They are an aural tapestry, weaving 50+ years of musical influences into mellifluous melodies and rhythmic resonances that take their listeners on a journey to states that are both fresh and familiar.

eska-urwen

(Photo by Eska Urwen)

‘Land of the Blind’ is a five-track mini-LP and follows 2013’s ‘Good Things’ and 2008’s ‘Rabbit In The Vestibule’.

Opening track Mathematics brings to mind high-energy jazz-infused progressive rock with a little addition of impish fun. Kyree’s vocals are smooth and yet she seems to sing with a twinkle in her eye, they are the perfect foil for the brilliant musicianship on show, hugely influenced by the 70’s era of progressive rock and its ilk. You can see where the King Crimson influences come from with the edgy rhythm section and Constantin’s hugely expressive guitar playing. Throw in some epic Hammond from Igor and it is a brilliant exhibition of joy filled music played with an innate love and affection and you just can’t help smiling, left with a carefree happiness in your soul.

The funk-meter is turned up to ten with the superb Mood Elevator, a Van Der Graaf Generator-esque opening with some hushed and spooky vocals sets the scene for what turns into a super-smooth and laid back song that couldn’t be more cool if it tried. The funky keyboards and charming guitar open the way for Kyree’s sparkling vocal performance, an amalgamation of 70’s funk and jazz with an utterly indulgent feel. It’s got hints of West Coast surfer freedom with psychedelic prog running through the middle and just a hint of lunacy hiding in the background, all of which adds up to one jubilant gem of a track.

Fans of 70’s cult Canadian art-rockers Max Webster will be delighted by the cover of Toronto Tontos, a bold statement if there ever was one. Edgy, restless and skittish, it bounces around from riff to riff with some energetic drumming and seems to never want to stand still. The vocals are brash and direct and I found myself jumping around and grinning inanely at the anarchic feel of it all, enhanced by the french lyrics. All sharp with 90 degree angles, there isn’t a smooth edge to be found, especially on the caustic guitar solo which ends up giving the song a properly punk feel to it.

One Eyed Man seems to take a bit from the previous track with it’s almost crafty-cockney vibe (if that makes sense?), as if Kyree has had elocution lessons from Damon Albarn after he’s sung ‘Country House’. Another wildly inventive track that has no agenda and is just there for the fun of it. We are talking King Crimson meets VDGG and goes off to the pub for a bender. The irreverent guitar solo is a thing of mad genius and you just get the impression that this band have a definite hint of mild insanity to them and it is that that gives them their uniqueness and I, for one, love it.

The final track on this oh-too-short mini-LP is Mirror Eyes and this brings a hint of seriousness back into the equation. An intent and earnest intro is opened up by Kyree’s voice, this time with more passion than humour and the piano playing is stylish and suave. There is a hint of jazz lounge to the rhythm section, guitar and piano combination but always a little sense of mischief hiding in the back, it’s like a Ben Folds Five influence but with a more mature feel. I am captivated by Kyree Vibrant‘s wonderfully intense voice  and the prodigious musical talent that backs her up to the hilt, it is quite sublime.

As this absolutely jubilant and refreshing record comes to a close I just cannot help but smile. These are vistuoso musicians without a trace of smugness or superiority, they just play and sing for the love of the music and it shows, in spades. A joyous expression of love, hope and humour all rolled into an incredible package that you just can’t resist. I recommend plenty of albums but I’d prescribe this to everyone to save your sanity and give your life a boost of happiness and enjoyable irregularity.

Released 17th September

Buy ‘Land of the Blind’ from cdbaby

 

 

OPETH DEBUT “THE WILDE FLOWERS”

opeth-the-wilde-flowers

Sweden’s musical alchemists, OPETH, have premiered a new song entitled, “The Wilde Flowers”. The track is featured on the bands highly anticipated 12th studio album, Sorceress, which is scheduled for release on September 30th via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records with Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Stream “The Wilde Flowers” now at www.opeth.com

Speaking with Metal Hammer, vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt says “This was the first song I wrote for this album. It’s kind of an OPETH standard, in a way, like from the last two albums. It’s very dynamic. It has a chorus, I guess. Then there’s a big Queen-sounding bit in the middle just before this massive solo… oh, and harps! They’re hidden in the mix but they’re there. The title comes from the band Caravan – they were originally called Wilde Flowers. I always liked those weird spellings.”

In addition to the psychedelic, progressive masterpiece “The Wilde Flowers,” OPETH’s monumental new record also features the critically heralded new songs “Will O The Wisp” and “Sorceress.” Fans who pre-order the album will receive an instant download of “The Wilde Flowers,” “Will O The Wisp” and “Sorceress.” Links to pre-orders can be found below:

Nuclear Blast Store: http://nblast.de/OpethSorceressNB
Recordstore (inc signed insert): http://nblast.de/OpethSorceressRS
iTunes: http://nblast.de/OpethSorceressIT
Apple Music: http://nblast.de/OpethSorceressAM
Google Play: http://nblast.de/OpethSorceressGP

Catch up on the previous episodes here:
Mikael leads you through the Rockfield Studios
Mikael speaks about the guitar recordings
Axe speaks about the drum recordings
Martin speaks about the bass recordings
Mikael speaks about the songwriting
Fredrik speaks about the guitar recordings
Mikael talks about the lyrical concept
Joakim Svalberg talks about the keyboard recordings

OPETH will return to the UK for a headline show at Wembley Arena on Saturday 19th November.  Tickets are on sale now from www.livenation.co.uk.

Full tour dates as follows:
05.11.  S         Stockholm – Annexet
06.11.  N         Oslo – Konserthus
07.11.  DK       Copenhagen – DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen
08.11.  D         Hamburg – Docks
10.11.  A          Vienna – Arena
11.11.  D         Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn
12.11.  D         Munich – Theaterfabrik
13.11.  CH       Zurich – Volkshaus
14.11.  I           Milan – Alcatraz
16.11.  D         Cologne – E-Werk
17.11.  B          Brussels – AB
18.11.  NL        Tilburg – 013
19.11.  UK       London – SSE Arena Wembley
21.11.  F          Paris – Le Trianon
23.11.  LUX      Luxemburg – Den Atelier
24.11.  D         Berlin – Astra Kulturhaus

OPETH North American Tour:
24.09.  USA      San Bernardino, CA – Ozzfest
29.09.  USA     Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
30.09.  USA     Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
01.10.  USA     New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
02.10.  USA     Boston, MA – House Of Blues
04.10.  CDN     Montreal, QC – Metropolis
05.10.  CDN     Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
07.10.  USA     Detroit, MI – The Fillmore
08.10.  USA     Akron, OH – Good Year Theater @ East End
09.10.  USA     Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater
10.10.  USA     Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
12.10.  USA     Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
13.10.  USA     Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
14.10.  USA     Austin, TX – Emo‘s
15.10.  USA     Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Live!
18.10.  USA     Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
19.10.  USA     Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
21.10.  USA     Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades
22.10.  USA     San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
24.10.  USA     Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
25.10.  USA     Seattle, WA – The Moore
26.10.  CDN     Vancouver, BC – Orpheum

MORE INFO:

Sorceress cover

MASCHINE announce release of second studio album through INSIDE OUT

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Young British progressive rockers MASCHINE have announced the release of their second studio album ‘Naturalis’ for the 18th November 2016 on InsideOutMusic. The follow-up to the band’s debut ‘Rubidium’, this is the first to feature drummer James Stewart ( Vader) & keyboardist/vocalist Marie-Eve de Gaultier.

The album will be released as a special edition digipak CD & digital download, both featuring two bonus tracks recorded live in 2015 at Veruno Prog Festival in Italy. The full track-list can be found below:

1. Resistance (11:52)
2. Night And Day (5:08)
3. Make Believe (7:10)
4. Hidden In Plain Sight (7:01)
5. A New Reality (8:45)
6. Megacyma (11:46)
Bonus Tracks
7. Eyes Pt.2 (Live in Veruno) (8:55)
8. Rubidium (Live in Veruno) (8:47)

Forever Still – Sign to Nuclear Blast and release debut “Tied Down” on October 21st Check out music video for ‘Miss Madness’ and pre-order now!

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A new spark of hope has started glowing in the darkness of the rock music scene and with their untamed female lead vocals and haunting melodies the new wildfire namedFOREVER STILL is starting to spread from Denmark. Hailing from the same musical shores as LACUNA COIL, FLYLEAF, HALESTORM or BRING ME THE HORIZON, the band has been building a solid fan base since 2013 and toured tirelessly throughout Europe. Now they are ready to unleash their fresh debut record entitled Tied Down on October 21st.

“People who have followed the band for a while know that we’re very self-sufficient and haven’t been in a rush signing with a label”, singer Maja Shining states. “If we were to sign, we wanted to find someone who believed as much in the band as we do, without wanting to change us and who wants to work hard together with us to push it to the top. We believe we’ve found that in Nuclear Blast and we’re very excited to start working with them and reach new heights with the band.”

While many young rock bands with a charming frontwoman are often labeled as ‘industry products’ or ‘engineered’, nothing is artificial or marionette-like aboutFOREVER STILL – writing their own songs is obvious for Maja and multi-instrumentalist Mikkel Haastrup, but the band also put their heart and soul into every other aspect affiliated with their music. Over the years they have booked their own tours, shot their band photos and music videos themselves, produced and mixed their new songs and have consequently climbed their self-constructed ladder to success.

Something that instantly impressed Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger:
“With FOREVER STILL it was love at first sight! The Metal Hammer article in which they had been named ‘Band Of The Month’ immediately caught my attention and after checking out their music via their homepage, I was overwhelmed! This band is young, ambitious, sounds fresh and has a massive amount of potential hits! Their modern and melodic metal is breathtaking and with singer Maja, FOREVER STILL has the perfect frontwoman! We loved the DIY-Status of the band and their high ambitions and it’s an honour to welcome them to the Nuclear Blast family!”

Their first album Tied Down is a journey through emotional devastation, hope and recovery, it mixes passionate clean vocals with raging screams from singer Maja and contains rock hymns that instantly capture the listener.

Here’s the tracklist of the new release that will also contain a special DVD:
01. Scars
02. Once Upon A Nightmare
03. Miss Madness
04. Awake The Fire
05. Breathe In
06. Save Me
07. Your Light
08. Alone
09. Break The Glass
10. Tied Down
Bonus Tracks:
11. Scars (Acoustic)
12. Save Me (Acoustic)
13. Miss Madness (Acoustic)

DVD:
01. Miss Madness (Video Clip)
02. Scars (Video Clip)
03. Awake The Fire (Video Clip)
04. Break The Glass (Video Clip)
05. Once Upon a Nightmare (Lyric Video)
06. Miss Madness (Lyric Video)
07. Scars (Lyric Video)

Forever Still have also just unleashed a new video for single ‘Miss Madness’

“The clip for ‘Miss Madness’ was shot at the oldest amusement park in the world over the course of 6 months. Half of it in the summer time and the other in the winter time to portray the contrast filled dream and the brutal reality for ‘Miss Madness’ herself”,singer Maja Shining remembers.
But shooting the video in the middle of the crowded amusement park ‘Bakken’ was of course not particularly easy – you have to let yourself go, ignore the staring people andMaja laughs when she’s thinking back to the scenery: “…haha, it was exactly as horrible as you can imagine!”

And since the madness is just about to begin, FOREVER STILL‘s debut album Tied Down is now available for pre-order. The physical copy will be a special CD+DVD digipack:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tied-Down-Forever-Still/dp/B01LZT5JHP/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1474448064&sr=1-1&keywords=forever+still

If you prefer to get a digital version:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/tied-down/id1151437769

Check out their music video to the album opening track ‘Scars’ here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUG0c05iK-Q

More info:
www.foreverstill.dk
www.facebook.com/foreverstill

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Kadavar Announce Belfast and Cardiff headline shows

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Berlin-based trio KADAVAR have announced they will play two UK headline shows alongside their Autumn tour supporting label-mates Blues Pills.

Both shows are on sale now – ticket links available below:

Nov 3rd – Belfast, Voodoo
https://www.voodoobelfast.com/events.php?&actID=438

Nov 7th – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
http://www.seetickets.com/event/kadavar/clwb-ifor-bach/992117

Kadavar released their latest album ‘Berlin’ last year, a compelling fusion of psychedelic rock and heavy fuzz that was acclaimed world-wide. This year together with long-time friend and collaborator Nathini van der Meer (http://nathinivandermeer.com), who has created artwork and videos for them in the past, the band have been working on their first “Visual Album”- 12 short films accompanying each of the albums’ songs, to be released once a month throughout the entirety of the year.

The band recently released the fourth video for the Berlin visual album concept. Watch‘Reich der Träume’ here: https://youtu.be/dGdcXgqWcGM
The third video, ‘Lord Of The Sky’, is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqR5k0C_u4
The second video, ‘Filthy Illusion’, can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8at3OCtiqxM
The first video, ‘Pale Blue Eyes’, can be watched here: http://smarturl.it/PaleBlueEyes

KADAVAR‘s Berlin can be ordered in various formats from the Nuclear Blast store: 
http://bit.ly/NBUKKADAVAR
Pick up a signed copy of the album from Recordstore.co.uk:http://bit.ly/KADAVARSIGNED
Alternatively, order a digital copy from iTunes: http://bit.ly/BerliniTunes

blues-pills-kadavar

Lady In Gold UK & IRL Tour 2016 w/ KADAVAR
Tickets on sale now, available from the links below: 
1st November – Wolverhampton – Slade Rooms
http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/blues-pills-tickets
2nd November – Classic Grand – Glasgow
http://t-s.co/blu00
4th November – Voodoo Lounge – Dublin
www.ticketmaster.ie
5th November – Club Academy – Manchester
http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/blues-pills-tickets
6th November – London – Koko
http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/blues-pills-tickets
8th November – Bristol – Marble Factory
http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/blues-pills-tickets

IN FLAMES PREMIERE ‘THE END’ MUSIC VIDEO

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Swedish metal visionaries IN FLAMES premiere the music video for their first single ‘The End’. Directed byPatric Ullaeus, the video is infused with pure adrenaline, stepping inside a first-person shooter game and bringing the viewer front and centre of exhilarating action and suspense.

Premiering last month via Decibel Magazine, ‘The End‘ is the first offering from IN FLAMES’ 12th studio album,Battles, out November 11th via Nuclear Blast.

Download the new singles ‘The Truth’ and ‘The End’ here.

The band will embark on a UK-wide tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DISTURBED in January:
JANUARY 2017
Tuesday 10th – GLASGOW, HYDRO
Thursday 12th – NEWCASTLE, METRO RADIO ARENA
Friday 13th – BIRMINGHAM, GENTING
Sunday 15th – SHEFFIELD, ARENA
Monday 16th – MANCHESTER, ARENA
Wednesday 18th – NOTTINGHAM, MOTORPOINT ARENA
Thursday 19th – CARDIFF, MOTORPOINT ARENA
Saturday 21st – LONDON, 02 ARENA
Sunday 22nd – LONDON, 02 ARENA

Tickets here!

More on ‘Battles‘:
Listen to ‘The Truth’: https://youtu.be/FkHJ2JY1rzI
Listen to ‘The End’: https://youtu.be/yafxUluB6DA
If you want to know more about the title choice and the artwork, check out the band’s first webisode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8xmDX1eLOs
The second webisode where they talk about the double-single:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLnZMbZagak
Watch the third webisode where the band talk about their work with renowned producer Howard Benson:https://youtu.be/WYRR0SU2K9s
In Flames present new drummer, Joe Rickard: https://youtu.be/UxglQezGoX0

IN FLAMES are:
Anders Fridén | vocals
Björn Gelotte | guitars
Peter Iwers | bass
Niclas Engelin | guitars
Joe Rickard | drums

More info:
http://www.inflames.com
https://www.facebook.com/inflames
https://twitter.com/InFlames_SWE
https://www.instagram.com/inflames

TDW launches new EP, trailer and Pre-orders for new album!

After giving hints and build-up through the social media channels, TDW now unveils the pre-order for the brand new TDW album that is planned for early 2017!

The following trailer explains everything:

The new album will be entitled ‘The Antithetic Affiliation’ and will become a two disc musical experience. One CD of this package will become an intense, metallic and dark disc and the other CD will hold a lighter, open and more melodic atmosphere. This album will also include a bonus DVD with the ‘Making of’ the album, interviews about everything TDW related and live performance material from the debut performance of Dreamwalkers Inc at ProgPower Europe 2016!

To make this pre-order more interesting, a host of special merchandise has been created to accompany it. A new EP has been released entitled ‘The Aphrodisia EP’. This EP features four songs that will come out on the new album as well, but in specially produced versions for this EP. The song ‘Anthem’ (which was released earlier this year) is also included on this EP.

The EP features this tracklist:

1: Aphrodisia
2: Dirge
3: Anthem
4: Lovesong

Next to the aforementioned EP, a special T-shirt design has been launched to accompany the pre-order. This shirt design will only be made during this pre-order run, so get one fast or miss out! Shirts are available in sizes S-XXL in Green or Sand color with a front and back print.

tdw-tshirt

Both the EP and shirts can only be ordered with one of the pre-order packages. Check the Layered Reality Webstore link belowto see which packages are available:

https://www.layered-reality.com/product-category/tdw/

The gig will take place on the 29th of September at Castle de Berckt in Baarlo (NL). Attendance to this concert will be free of charge and this will be the first time that Dreamwalkers Inc will perform live. The band will then perform an acoustic set of old and new TDW material and this is proving to become a diverse show!

ProgPower Europe, the leading progressive rock and metal festival, since 1999.

 

 

Review – Marillion – F.E.A.R – by Kevin Thompson

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Let’s get this out of the way first, I have been a Marillion fan, since ‘Market Square Heroes’, not as fanatical as some but have every album from both eras and solo projects. I have seen them many times live and they have seen me through the highs and lows of my adult life, always there to bring wonder, amazement and comfort. I refuse to choose which era I prefer as both are in their own right part of a greater whole that make this band not only one of the greats of Progressive music, but one of the best bands I have ever heard. Pioneers of crowd-funding they created a whole new ecosystem in which to survive and prosper, where others fell to the whims of the press when the genre stumbled to the fickle fancies of the general great unwashed.

If we are to believe that life is one big cycle, everything must come around again, as in fashion and also the popularity of music. The quality of Marillion’s output and personal symbiosis with their adoring fans have carried them over a 38 year career and eighteen albums, quite often against all odds, and shown the way for others to follow. Free from the shackles of large labels and self sufficient it has enabled them to create under their own rules a beautiful distinctive sound. They have never really ‘gone away’ or ‘made a comeback’, producing consistently strong material. It is to be expected then that a band who have always been able to make social comment, (‘Easter’, ‘Season’s End’, ‘Brave’….) and are not afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects, should go all out on the new album to try and prick the conscience of the human race and open our eyes to the mess we are making of this wonderful planet on which we have the privilege to be born.

Why is it we, who consider ourselves the ‘superior’ race continually attempt to waste all before us with greed and want, when in reality there would be plenty for all if only we would look after the world we live in and work with and not against the planet and everyone on it. Such is the constitution of man, but there is no fantasy in the fact we are pushing ourselves to destruction and there will be no happy ending if we do not change our ways, Mother Nature will have her revenge on the pretentious, foolish notions that we can control her.

live

Can the New Kings save us from ourselves through the message of music, it would be naïvely sweet to think so and the intention is sincere. Whether it does depends on you dear listener, but for myself the lyrics may serve to open my eyes, but the music opens my heart. Listening to Marillion makes me feel I want to be a better person and fills me with a warm glow. Previews and internet gossip may, erroneously lead you to believe this is decidedly different from previous albums, it’s not. What you will hear is the culmination of personal experience spread over four decades, condensed and poured like liquid gold into your ears, on what many may feel are some of the best tunes the band have ever written. All brought together on an album that dares to try and topple ‘Afraid of Sunlight’ from my ‘favourite’ spot.

Let me try and convince you a little further, are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin….

Our first story warns of  an impending dramatic change in the five piece El Dorado. The album title sung so sweet a chorus, you could almost be forgiven for mistaking the impact it aims to create. This is not flippant or irreverent comment meant to shock, rather to indicate the evil that men and women do and what it generates in humanitarian, ecological and financial terms. Ignorantly disregarding the warnings of disaster we are bringing on ourselves, the analogy of a devastating, approaching storm illustrating our shame exquisitely. What future are we creating and what legacy will we leave our children and future generations?

The next tale urges us to seek an end to wars and work to universal peace, no longer to be Living in Fear. You could be forgiven for thinking the band were trying to create a ‘Hippy’ utopia with the 60’s echoed sentiments, but in a world that that has grown increasingly bitter and violent, maybe those with flower power had something greater to offer us after all. Mocked, before their time, and over-dramatic with portents of an all too scary real life in which we now live. Who are we now to cast aspersions, seeing them as just a quirky trend in the past only makes fools of us now. An infectious chorus will dig into your consciousness, lodging there and carrying the new day message of hope, should we ignore it or join hands across the world in harmony?

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Almost an antithesis to Thankyou Whoever You Are from the album ‘Somewhere Else’, as a pentagonal prosopography, The Leavers is the narrative of a band and crew’s life from a behind the scenes perspective. The constraints of a life on the road, showing a more personal tale of the strain on all involved. Constantly on the move, setting up/packing up and repetitive routines. Hardly ever home and when you are, restless, never fully settled whilst something tugs at you, drawing you back to the nomadic world you have become accustomed to. The testing of relationships as you struggle to fit into the family dynamic and their daily rituals, the feeling of being an intruder. Each section of this extensive song segues into the next as the band smoothly slide between passages.

Steve Hogarth’s heartfelt vocals perfectly catch the requisite emotion for the rest of the band to feed from, creating layers of luscious strings at the fingers of Messrs Pete Trewavas  rhythmic bass and Steve Rothery’s soaring guitars, intertwining with the percussive symmetry of Ian Moseley’s drums, all laid on a quilted bed of  Mark Kelly’s delicious keys. The coherence of the the band’s music on this album has never been more tangible and a further fitting analogy as to what we could all achieve if we worked in harmony together for the common goal, in their case this beautiful thought provoking album.

The delicate piano and wistful vocals illustrate our ageing, which can creep up on us as the realisation dawns we can no longer mentally or physically do all we could or would like to. We all too soon become observers of The White Paper on which we have painted our lives. Visiting our past whilst we innocuously watch the world pass by. Bitter-sweet, verging on regretful reflection of what we lose, as the music builds  for the yearning of youth when everything was fresh and colourful, rapidly resigned to greyer shades of obscurity. Could we, should we have done more whilst we were capable?

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What have we not unearthed in dark depth from our tales so far? Ah, yes, greed and corruption. There is no ‘need’ for some but a ‘want’ to own, take control, hold dominion over those below and less fortunate at any cost. There is always someone whose avarice will override their common sense of decency in a corrupt corporate society where power matters to The New Kings above all else. Revelling in others’ misfortunes whilst building empty steel and glass castles to their vacuous domains, in which the echoes of the titled chorus ring. Any assumed pleasantries in previous tracks are disregarded on this epitaph of the evil that men do, dispensing with the subtleties to expose the core of this world’s impropriety.

This album resonates on every level of my senses, be it my own advancing years that force me into the realisation that in my humanity I too have been guilty, on however a small scale, to some of the above at some stages in my life. Before I put my soapbox away I would like to end on this. It is not someone else to blame, it is not someone else’s fault. We are all accountable. Wake up and smell the roses, whilst they still grow. Stand up and be counted. Do not live in F.E.A.R.

 Released 23rd September 2016

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