Review – Amarok – Hunt – by Kevin Thompson

I have no qualms in pushing bands that are new to my ears. The plethora of talent around at the moment is wonderful to behold. I don’t wish to detract from the older bands of my youth and still love and listen to the music I grew up with, but more and more I find myself checking out the new kids on the block (no, not the boy band) as they truly represent a progression in the genres. Everything can go in the musical blender and come out in the mix and though not all of it works and won’t appeal to everyone, there should be something you will find to your taste in there.

I personally feel this is the best time since the 70’s for new music and like an addict I devour neoteric tunes and the bands that make them, trying to sate my appetite. Whilst I am time poor, the chance to review some of these releases is an opportunity I relish and, with a couple of exceptions, have been lucky to like most of what I’ve heard.

So it came as a surprise to me when I agreed to review Amarok‘s album ‘Hunt’, that it is their fourth release and I have not heard them before. Mr Hutchinson sent me this after suggesting it could be in the running for album of the year, so high expectations. Essentially a project of the very talented Michal Wojtas, from Kielce in south central Poland, who sings on five of the tracks and plays a number of instruments (guitars, harmonium, keyboards, audio samples, percussions, electronic drums, theremin, low whistle), he also has other invited artists contributing on various tracks. Michal credits Jean Michel Jarre and Mike Oldfield as being particular musical influences on him and their inspiration can also be felt throughout.

Now there is something about Polish artists, the beautiful, melancholic melodies they create resonate with me and some people will find obvious comparisons to another very popular Polish act, but that would be to denigrate the talent here. The further into the album the more the music spreads and occupies different genre spaces. At the heart of the album the lyrics deal with trying to retain our individuality against the social media and powers that be, who try to conform us whilst distorting the truth to their own ends.

After giving this a number of listens I don’t think Michal will remain Anonymous for long as the throbbing pulse of the first track ushers us into his musical world. Pawel Kowalski plays drums on this and most of the tracks on the album, adding to the rising rhythm, with Marta Wojtas filling the sound further on wavedrum as she does on a number of tracks on this album. I’m already hooked as the track mounts to a crescendo with driving guitars and relaxes again in Michal’s vocals to the close.

The incomparable Mariusz Duda lends his delicious vocals to second track Idyll, ably backed by Konrad Pajek. I make no apologies for waxing lyrical on the magic Mariusz’s vocals bring to this or any tune, as it builds gently in mouthwatering layers and he gilds it to perfection. Guitars weep with joy and rippling keys sing, growing as a field of colourful blooms, resplendent in their gilding.

The echoing keys of Distorted Souls haunt us gently, with skittering electronic distortion bouncing between the speakers and staccato drum beats jabbering away under the wistful vocals from Michal Wojtas with an earworm of a chorus. We are then caressed by a wonderful theremin passage midway which serves to accentuate the impactful ending of heart torn guitar strings and keys on what is yet another beautiful track.

We are only three tracks into this and I am sold.

The eerily stunning Two Sides, played mostly on the Duduk (an ancient double-reed woodwind flute made of apricot wood, indigenous to Armenia, for you fact lovers) by the gifted Sebastian Wieladek, blows gently through your ears like a warm Scirocco across a moonlit desert as you lay and watch the stars twinkle in an endless sky, the sound echoing away into the distance, leaving you entranced.

The twisting rhythm of  Michal Wojtas’ harmonium breathes in and out on Winding Stairs, with sampled noises and Pawel Kowalski’s percussive beats dancing back and forth. Michal’s gentle voice soothes and muted guitar flurries strain in the distance gently pushing to the fore, contesting the harmonium on it’s last breaths.

An aggressive, distorted riff blasts you out of your reverie and tribal beats kick in, the guitar stuttering and lurching in and out, bouncing between speakers. Delicate swathes of keys wash on the pounding rhythms as they resonate In Closeness with your increased heartbeat whilst Michal Wotja’s whispering vocals hold it all together.

I love emotional guitar solos and Unreal cries to my very soul as Michal Wojtas bends and slides the frets on mournful waves, underpinned by Michal Sciwiarski’s eddying keyboards. Quite simply bliss.

(Picture by Grzegorz Szklarek)

A different voice softly accompanies the keys and synths on Nuke, courtesy of Colin Bass guesting on vocals, harmonising seamlessly with Michal Wojtas. Steadily and subtly building the music expands, widening the sound to arena proportions with another sublime guitar solo slipping in before the end of this, the penultimate track.

The title tune plays us out starting with the lector narration from John England adding a conceptual feel to Hunt. At just under eighteen minutes this could be classed as an epic musical story, with splendid keyboard passages and samples emulating Michal Wojtas’ quoted influences. Once again there are some fine guitar solos that swoop and fly between Michal’s wonderful vocals. John reflects on questions we should be asking and if can we stay true to ourselves avoiding the pitfalls of a virtual world where hidden people covertly hunt out our personal details for their own benefit, before the album is dramatically brought to a close as a crying guitar collides with the sounds of hammered metal.

Those of you who have read any of my past reviews know I often try to string a storyline through an album in an attempt to illustrate the tunes and catch your attention. I can’t with ‘Hunt’ as every time I listen I’m drawn in and have trouble concentrating as I become immersed in the glory of it all.

I apologise for not hearing of Michal Wojta before and I don’t want to gush, but Martin asked the question, ‘could this be a contender for album of the year?’ The answer is probably not. No reflection on the album but like myself, I am sure Amarok have not been heard by the majority of people.

So I feel a desperate need to redress this balance with what little influence I have, please listen to this album because if nothing else it is most definitely one of my contenders for album of the year.

Amarok are tremendous, let’s give Michal Wojta the recognition he deserves.

Released 23rd June 2017

Buy ‘Hunt’ from Rock Serwis here

 

The ‘Song-by-Song’ Book Series Launches with Pink Floyd by Andrew Wild

An intelligent, illuminating and enjoyable examination of the meaning and context of every Pink Floyd song from 1966 to 2014.

• An examination of every Pink Floyd song from ‘Arnold Layne’ to
‘Louder Than Words’.
• The stories behind the songs, their context within the parent
albums and the times they were written and recorded.
• Who played what in the studio and when the songs were played live.
• What the band and critics had/have to say about their musical
development.

From ‘Arnold Layne’ to ‘Louder than Words’, Pink Floyd wrote about
anger, isolation, regret, dismay, and fear. These themes, not always
obvious starting points in popular music, were married to a rare
dynamism that would make Pink Floyd stand out from the crowd.
Pink Floyd’s most successful period critically and musically – the eight
albums from 1970 to 1983 – combines the pithy lyrics of Roger Waters, the soulful voice and breath-taking guitar solos of David Gilmour and, until 1979, the jazz-influenced piano and keyboard abilities of the late Richard Wright. In varying permutations, these three wrote the band’s best work. However, when working together as equals, the three principals of Pink Floyd were significantly more than the sum of their individual strengths. Pink Floyd: Song by Song takes a fresh look at the songs, which led to Pink Floyd becoming the third best-selling band of all time. Written in a wry and engaging style, this book will delight the aficionado and the newcomer alike, as it re-listens to the complete works of a unique band.

Andrew Wild first heard Pink Floyd as an impressionable sixteen-year-old in 1983, and since then has studiously collected every available note of music from Pink Floyd and its constituent members. Pink Floyd: Song by Song is his fifth book; his previous works include official biographies of the bands Twelfth Night (Play On, 2009) and Galahad (One for the Record, 2012). He is currently one of the presenters on Progzilla, the UK’s only dedicated prog-rock radio station.

 

Review – Steven Wilson – To The Bone – by Progradar

“It’s a new challenge to keep changing your music. I like words like transformation, reinvention, and chameleon. Because one word I don’t like is predictable.”

I’m sort of paraphrasing a quote from Naomi Campbell there, I like the way that, to me, it seems to describe how I view Steven Wilson and his music.

There’s lots of words to describe this artist, challenging and pioneering are two but predictable he definitely is not! I was a big fan of Porcupine Tree but it took me a long time to become enamoured with his solo work and I’m still not a big fan of albums such as ‘Insurgentes’ and ‘Grace For Drowning’. While they were no doubt groundbreaking and forging a new way for his music, I didn’t subscribe to the hype at the time.

I’ve grown to love ‘The Raven That Refused To Sing’ and ‘Hand.Cannot Erase.’, although both were uneasy relationships at first. Through every release he has sought to change his style, not any major changes but subtle transitions that have transformed each piece of work.

Now comes possibly his most controversial work and one that seems to have split the music community in two, ‘To The Bone’.

After many years with Kscope Steven has now signed to Caroline International and his new album is described as:

“A gloriously dynamic modernist pop record as imagined by the UK’s biggest underground artist…” 

There’s been a flurry of singles released from the album but I’m going to review it as whole and, with a break from tradition, I’m not going to dissect each track but just give a relatively short synopsis of how they feel to me after a few listens.

Let’s just say that ‘To The Bone’ is a really accessible album but one which also has longevity, the opening and title track To The Bone starts with a voice over before hitting you with something that is rather edgy, full of a funky guitar riff and with some rather tasty harmonica work that adds a driving pop-infused groove to the whole track. Nowhere Now seems like  a homage to the bombastic 80’s stadium rock that was the forte of bands like U2 and can still be heard in the alternative rock of Foo Fighters today. A memorable, catchy chorus and some excellent guitar work are the icing on the cake.

The first single release from the album, Pariah, features the unforgettable tones of Ninet Tayeb and is a lush, cinematic piece of intelligent and emotive pop music. A song with a serious overtone and one which envelops the listener in a cosseting soundscape and fuzzy, dynamic guitars. It’s possibly the best song on this release and is immediately followed by another great track, The Same Asylum As Before. This time we’re treated to power chords and crunching riffs that are mingled with chiming pop sensibilities and a falsetto vocal (an abomination to some but I like them) to give an acute and perceptive discourse on the world we live in today.

Refuge is a slow burning, incredibly immersive piece of music that captures the imagination and draws the listener in to its dark world of sanctuary. Haunting and deeply meaningful, the music plays its part in giving the song an otherworldly, almost alien, edge especially with the squalling guitar and harmonica soliloquy and the slow, gentle ambience that closes out the track.

Now onto the marmite song on the album, Permanating is either a wonderful piece of modern, driving pop music, Mr Wilson’s homage to ABBA and E.L.O or empty, mindless pop. I fall firmly in the first camp and love the pastiche and the good feeling that emanates from every note. To each their own and I can see both viewpoints, make your own mind up on this one. Sepia tinged nostalgia drips from every note of the criminally short Blank Tapes, a song that channels Porcupine Tree to these ears. The heartfelt vocals and hushed, delicate music add a huge dose of pathos, just make it longer!

Post-punk Pop with clashing guitars and edgy vocals, People Who Eat Darkness is another fast-paced and hard living track that has hints of Steven’s earlier solo works. A toe tapping song with undertones of developing anger amid the quieter moments., it fits right in with the current mindset of this troubled world. Song Of I is ‘a story of unrepentant obsession set to a sharp-as-a-tack rhythm track and an orchestral sandstorm’ and is the one track on the album that fails to reach the lofty ambitions of the others. It’s a track I have to be in the mood to listen to other wise it is just a meandering piece of music that seems to have no destination and is in no hurry to get there. Perhaps a victim of it’s own sagacity, it would be no detriment if it wasn’t included.

Detonation is the longest song on the album at just over nine minutes and never outstays its welcome, building layer by layer of hypnotic and haunting music amid vocals that seem slightly disconnected and uneasy, it has a chilling tone. Primeval guitars and a discordant rhythm section add to the tense and agitated aura that pervades. A modern mystery where the answers always seem just out of reach. The album closes with the wistful grace of Song of Unborn with its touching chorus and sepia tinged ambience. A piece of music that almost makes you hold your breath before breaking out into a dynamic, soul-stirring wall  of sound dominated by a solemn guitar solo.

‘To The Bone’ is intelligent,driving modern pop music with vibrant punk and rock roots and sees Steven Wilson cement his position in the music fraternity. Who’s to say his next release won’t be a 70’s disco-funk pastiche? And who’s betting that, even if it is, it won’t be as good as this striking new album.

Released 18th August 2017

Buy ‘To The Bone’ from Universal Music

 

 

Carl Palmer of ELP crowned 2017’s Prog God, pays tribute to former bandmates for his success.

Host to the most iconic names in rock music, Prog Magazine’s Progressive Music Awards returns for a sixth year on September 14, presenting Carl Palmer with the highly coveted Prog God award for 50 years of service to progressive music.

Palmer will join 300 other musicians, industry figureheads and VIPs, plus our host for the third year running, Matthew Wright, in celebrating the fascinating world of progressive music, from the brightest up-and-coming talent, to the most recognised names on the scene.

Carl Palmer first rose to international fame during his years as drummer for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and has since pursued a career with the multi-platinum selling supergroup Asia as well as solo. He was recognised accordingly when he was previously awarded the title of Virtuoso at the 2012 Progressive Music Awards. This year’s Prog God award follows in the hallowed tread of previous recipients Rick Wakeman, Peter Gabriel and Yes’ Jon Anderson, celebrating Carl Palmer’s ever-experimental musical style and, most recently, his development of the art technique ‘rhythm on canvas’ as a further means of creative self-expression.

However, Palmer still credits his former bandmates with his success:

“This is a fantastic award to have, and I feel very honoured, but I also feel a little bit sad that Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, who both died last year, aren’t here as well. They played a big part in the progressive movement, and in helping me to get where I am, so I’m accepting it in honour of them.”

Formed in 1970, Emerson, Lake & Palmer became one of the most commercially successful and influential prog rock bands of the decade, earning a global fanbase. This winter Palmer will pay tribute to his late bandmates, touring the UK as Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy, playing ELP classics and celebrating the collective achievements of the band.

The awards, in association with Orange Amplification, will take place on September 14 at the Underglobe in London, a dramatic space which perfectly reflects the theatrical influences on progressive music.

The Progressive Music Awards, in association with Orange Amplification, can also be live streamed via www.progmagazine.com

For more information visit http://2017.prog.awards.teamrock.com/

 

Review – Damanek – On Track – by Emma Roebuck

Damanek is DAn Mash, Guy MANing and MarEK Arnold (with Sean Timms coming to the party just a after the band name was decided, Guy tells me.)  A fairly stellar cast is joined by other heavenly bodies to guest on this, the debut album of this project.

Brody Thomas Green (‘Southern Empire’) – drums.
Tim Irrgang
 (‘UPF’) – percussion.
Antonio Vittozzi (‘Soul Secret’) – guitars.
Luke Machin
 (‘Maschine’/’Kiama’/’The Tangent’) – guitars.
Stephen Dundon
 (‘Molly Bloom’) – flute. 
Nick Magnus
 – keyboards.
Phideaux – vocals.
Ulf Reinhardt
 (‘Seven Steps to the Green Door’) – drums.

Their live debut at Summers End 2016 caused a stir and a buzz of excitement in the crowd and the Prog community as a whole. It is strong album from beginning to end and it is also, as you would expect from Guy, one with a message. If I am honest it has many messages all in the main told through the allegorical story telling of guys lyrics.

We have 8 tracks that have light and shade along with the complex use of instruments and layers to play parts in the sound. The production is outstanding and reminds of some of the classic albums of the 80’s (but without sounding like an 80’s Prog album.) Sean has done an excellent job in the mix and production of this truly global album.

The opener Nanabohzo and the Rainbow opens with a tribal rhythm and an insistent bass and drum riff throughout give an exotic feel to the track and a rather excellent ear worm quality. Marek has a big part to play with his Sax and, along with Sean on keyboards, is the flesh on the bones of the rhythm. Guy’s voice is on form all the way through the album, it slots so well in the sound as it shifts in form throughout the song.

Long Time, Shadow Falls, this has the most 80’s feel to me, drawing from the best of what Peter Gabriel in style and form did in the mid 80’s. I think it is the keyboard sound but the song is a commentary on poaching and the impact of man that is sung from the view of the victims, the Rhino, the Elephant and the Hippos. It is our gift to stop this but as a species we are doing a poor job.

Just pictures in a glossy magazine
Long time, a shadow falls and the Earth is lessened”

With the demise of the natural world we are lessened more than we realise.

The Cosmic Score is told on a much larger scale with the keyboards of Nick Magnus adding much to it. Imagine if you will the stars are notes on the score of the universe and the music of the universe is playing forever but how badly are we affecting that score on our little planet? It is massive in scope and symphonic in sound.

Believer – Redeemer could be a jazz-funk soul piece, in fact it is to these ears and a real pleasure to listen to as well. The music is a metaphor to the lyric, challenging the prog fan to step outside and listen to a world beyond the Prog bubble. The lyric does the same to the intolerant and unaccepting people of this world. I could honestly hear George Benson or Stanley Clarke doing a cover of this with little or no changes. Oh, by the way, this is a good thing!

Guy has a pixie like sense of humour and in The Big Parade it comes out in spades. The guys here write an anti-war song to a martial beat. The pomposity of marching music along with the beat of an Umpah band make the idiocy of war look like what it is – a playground for overgrown bullies. Reminiscent of Tom Waits “In the Neighbourhood”, with hints of ragtime and New Orleans jazz, here Marek gets to show off his skills to great effect.

The Finale on the album is Dark Sun, a 14 minute epic and  truly prog of ‘end of days’ proportions, it’s honestly scary and as ominous as its topic. The sun is getting darker and light gets dimmer as we kill the planet. Air gets thicker with pollution. The sight of our cities in the sunlight with unbreathable air and thick smog hanging like a veil over our lives. It utilises an excellent instrumental break and brilliant piece of guitar keyboard jamming with the brass synchronising beautifully.

I paint a picture of an album that is fundamentally depressing and dispiriting but it is actually very uplifting. The music is tight and full with the quality you would expect from the players but no one dominates in this and it feels like a complete piece of work. The malbum feels global with influences from across boundaries and geography. The messages may be a warning but each song offers hope rather than a sense of inevitable doom. It bears playing and playing again.

I sincerely hope that Damanek produce another album and take it out on the road. I won’t reference bands (as I usually do) but this is an album that has melody and song structure by the bucket load and is not frightened to go outside limiting parameters.

Released 15th May 2017

Buy ‘On Track’ from GEP

 

 

Gentle Giant’s album ‘Three Piece Suite (The Stephen Wilson Mix) to be released 29th September 2017

Gentle Giant—’Three Piece Suite’ is a specially curated selection of songs and compositions from the band’s first three albums (Giant, Acquiring The Taste, Three Friends) presented in both 5.1 surround sound and stereo. There are nine tracks from the albums, plus a pre-debut song, remixed by Steven Wilson. The choices were determined by the limited availability of multi-track master tapes from the era. Only a few songs from each album are known to exist as multi-tracks, with the rest presumably lost.

‘Three Piece Suite’ is available in the following formats:
*A two-disc digipak containing 96/24 animated Blu-ray plus CD.
*A single disc digipak CD.
*A two-disc gatefold LP in180g high-end vinyl.
*A 95/24 digital download of the CD version.

Gentle Giant’s ‘Three Piece Suite’ includes the songs “Giant”, “Nothing At All”, and “Why Not” from the first album “Giant”. “Pantagruel’s Nativity”, “The House, The Street, The Room” from the second album “Acquiring The Taste”. “Schooldays”, “Peel the Paint”, “Mr. Class And Quality?”, and “Three Friends” from the album “Three Friends” completes the list of the original recorded material. The band and Steven Wilson are including a previously commercially unreleased song“Freedom’s Child”, taken from the first recording sessions with legendary producer Tony Visconti.

The liner notes by interviewer Anil Prasad include reflections from Gentle Giant’s members about the writing and recording sessions. Furthermore, Steven Wilson and Tony Visconti share their incredible observations about the early days of this unique collection of timeless music from one of progressive rock’s most influential bands.

Tony Visconti recounts:
“I was a very optimistic young man in 1970…I thought music like theirs would save the world from mediocrity. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in it. I championed their cause by becoming sympathetic to the point where I temporarily joined the band for both albums. I modified their arrangements and pulled off some stunning audio effects that gave their sound more depth and immediacy. The band knew I was on their side. I remember there being a great feeling of camaraderie during the sessions.”

Steven Wilson explains:
“To create the new mixes, I used Logic as the software and Universal Audio plug ins, which provide emulations of classic analog outboard effects, channel strips and old mixing desks…I used these tools to clean things up and bring out some more clarity, detail and definition in some of the instrumental interplay. There was never a question of trying to outdo the original mixes, but offer different perspectives on them.”

Tony Visconti continues:
“In our own way, we’ve touched the ears, minds and hearts of thousands of true believers.”

The band members, collectively, feel there are still good reasons its fans continue to enjoy Gentle Giant’s music and why it continues to be discovered by new generations. For fans of Gentle Giant, “Three Piece Suite” is a must have. For fans of great musicianship and progressive rock this is an incredible insight into the earliest days of this legendary band.

Watch the video for Peel The Paint here:

 

Blue Rose Code Announce New Album Pre-Order And Sign To Navigator Records

From Ross Wilson:

“So delighted to announce something that we’ve been working on for a while now; Blue Rose Code has signed to Navigator Records and we’ll be releasing new album, The Water Of Leith, on the 27th October 2017. We’ve got an amazing team behind us and I love what we’re going to share with you.

Thanks, first and foremost to the top man, my manager, Sean Devine, for his work in putting this together, to Angus Lyon for co-producing the record with me, and to all of the world-class musicians and engineers who’ve made me sound better across each of the twelve songs;

LUNATIC SOUL ANNOUNCES ANTICIPATED FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM – FRACTURED – WITH THE RELEASE OF A VIDEO FOR THE TITLE TRACK

(Album art by Travis Smith)

Lunatic Soul is Mariusz Duda, the talented creator, singer and multi-instrumentalist behind some of the finest and most captivating progressive music coming from Europe, including his output on UK label Kscope and with Poland’s shooting stars Riverside. Duda is now releasing his fifth and long-awaited album Fractured – the follow up to 2014’s acclaimed ‘Walking On A Flashlight Beam’. ‘Fractured’, has been described by Duda as an album of catharsis after a challenging year in his personal life.

Mariusz explains further “the main theme of “Fractured” is coming back to life after a personal tragedy. It’s inspired by what happened in my life in 2016 and by everything that’s happening around us and what’s making us turn away from one another and divide into groups, for better and for worse. Musically it will be the most original album I have ever made as well as the most accessible and personal album in the Lunatic Soul discography.”

Fans can watch the new video & hear the title track “Fractured”:

As well as a conceptual development, Duda gained the self-confidence to allow himself greater creative freedom with the new material, experimenting more with electronics and rhythm and inspiration with influences from the likes of Massive Attack and Depeche Mode to Peter Gabriel and David Sylvian. ‘Fractured’ features Poland’s Sinfonietta Consonus Orchestra, conducted by Michał Mierzejewski, on two of the album’s most personal tracks “Crumbling Teeth And The Owl Eyes” and “A Thousand Shards Of Heaven”; the album also features saxophonist Marcin Odyniec who first worked with Mariusz in Riverside.

The album was recorded in Poland at Serakos Studio and Custom 34 Studio, mixed by Magda & Robert Srzedniccy and Mariusz Duda, and the artwork was created by long time collaborator, renowned cover artist Travis Smith, whose previous work includes the likes of Anathema, Katatonia, Opeth & Riverside.

‘Fractured’ will be released in the following formats and is now available for pre-order here: http://found.ee/LS_FRACTURED

·       CD

·       LP – double gatefold LP in heavyweight 180g vinyl in black and limited edition red vinyl (w/ MP3 download code)

·       Digital – with digital pre-orders receiving the song “Fractured” as an instant download

(Picture of Mariusz by Oskar Szramka)

Follow Lunatic Soul online:

Website: www.lunaticsoul.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lunaticsoulband

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunaticsoulband

Twitter: @Marivsz_Riv

Kylver release new video for ‘The Great race’.

‘The Great Race’ is the final track from ‘The Island’ and the final part of the albums concept. The first video for ‘Hy-Brasil’ ended with the sole survivor of the shipwreck being transported from the island to another world. ‘The Great Race’ begins with him awakening the day before the fated voyage is to set sail. With his mind erased of past events he makes haste in returning to his village before boarding the ship to begin his journey again.

Check out the video here:

From Kylver’s new album ‘The Island’ which is available now on CD and Download from kylver.bandcamp.com

www.kylvermusic.com

www.facebook.com/kylvermusic

kylver.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/kylvermusic (@kylvermusic)

instagram.com/kylvermusic (@kylvermusic)

 

Review – Long Earth – The Source – by Progradar

Not sure if you’ve noticed but I like music, I like a whole gamut, a plethora even, of different musical styles and the bands that produce it but, being the man who actually runs this website, it also means I get sent a lot (and I mean A LOT) of new music on a weekly basis and sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with it all.

When I met Neil Mackie (vocals and guitar) of Long Earth at last year’s ‘A Prog Before Christmas’ gig we had a good chat about their forthcoming new album and, don’t ask me why, that seed stuck in my mind and grew when news of the impending release of ‘The Source’ broke.

So, while it may have taken me time to get round to it (due to real life pressures and earning a coin), I always intended to review the album and here is my take on it but, first, a little background…

Long Earth came together by a series of fortunate but unexpected coincidences. Born from an agenda of no agenda, the principal from the outset was to create a musical adventure with no preconceived plan of the final destination.

Mike Baxter (Keyboards) came from an exemplary background of having been at the forefront of the Glasgow music scene. It was during Mike’s tenure with Identity Crisis that, despite moving in converging circles, Mike played with Gordon.

Gordon Mackie (Bass) has a background in music spanning more than 40 years. Moving into the ’90’s, and a move east, saw Gordon hooking up with Mike in Identity Crisis.

Ken Weir (Drums & Percussion) was the foundation not only musical but also in terms of timeline of Abel Ganz. During his time with the mighty Ganzers, Ken was there from the early days of Milgavie Town Hall through to and beyond the Gullible’s Travels days – featuring a line up changed to Paul Kelly, Hew Montgomery, Gordon Mackie and himself.

Neil Mackie (Vocals & Guitar) is, surprisingly enough, Gordon’s brother. Due to Gordon’s influence, Neil learned bass and performed with a number of Central Scotland covers bands from the ’80’s onwards. 

As things progressed, the band agreed we needed an amazing and very particular type of lead guitarist to join the ranks – so the hunt began. Thankfully in September 16 we were joined by the insanely talented Renaldo McKim (ex Suicide Underground).

The final cog in the wheel is Hew Montgomery, Abel Ganz / Comedy Of Errors / Grand Tour who acts as a motivating factor in Long Earth. A semi silent partner almost…

Neo_prog started in the early 80’s and hit its heyday later in that decade with the likes of Marillion, Pendragon, IQPallas et al and it’s influences can still be felt today, just listen to the recent solo releases from Alan Reed (ex Pallas) and Paul Menel (ex IQ) and you’ll know what I mean.

You can hear the way that Neo-Prog has shaped Long Earth’s debut ‘The Source’ but the quality of the songwriting gives it something a little different. It’s made up of two song ‘suites’ and three other tracks and is an engrossing listen throughout. Title track The Source is made up of four constituent parts beginning with i -Through The Void, a stylish instrumental that takes me straight back to the 80’s with it’s simple keyboards and elegant basslines. To these ears it almost combines the era’s other stand out music, New Romantic, with some stylish prog overtones and is a great opening to the album. There’s a segue into ii – The Source which is another nostalgia soaked unpretentious piece of music but one that grows and morphs into something much more up-to-date. There’s a relaxed tone to the music and Neil’s vocals and when the tempo increases, it becomes something more vibrant. Up to now it’s been Mike’s keyboards that have been the overriding contributor to the music, aided and abetted by Gordon and Ken’s stylish rhythm section and there’s a nicely laid back keyboard solo in the centre of the track. To be fair, everything is nicely judged but it’s just missing that little extra, until it arrives in the shape of a classic guitar solo from Renaldo towards the close, powerful and compelling and making the circle complete.

iii – First Steps is a short, slow moving and brooding instrumental with a dreamlike quality to it, the music washing over you and putting you into some kind of relaxed stasis, calm and composed before iv – The Call begins, an intelligent song which gets me in a thoughtful frame of mind straight from the off. Haunting keyboards and jangling guitars give an alternative music vibe, like something out of 1990’s North West England. That dreamlike aura lingers among the smooth vocals and the effortless rhythm section. Below the unhurried surface the guitar adds some edge and body without spoiling the tranquil ambience. It’s a piece of music to lose yourself in and just enjoy the mesmerising music, let another quality guitar solo from Renaldo lift your spirits high and let them soar on the musical updrafts. and enjoy the serene ending to the song.

The second multi-part track is Ghosts and the first piece is i – Invisible, an eerie sounding keyboard precedes the haunting vocals as the track builds slowly with a slightly nervous and tense feel. It has a wistful sound to my ears, it’s almost like a song of longing and regret, of looking to the past with a heavy, melancholy heart. The subdued guitar solo is dignified and seems to be holding back the sea of emotion waiting to spill out. This is a song that is not in a hurry to get anywhere and its presence is felt deep in your soul, the contemplative voice over works very well and the whole track leaves you looking into your own mind in a sobering manner. ii – Above And Beyond is another short and pensive instrumental with an absorbing and reflective atmosphere, there’s an almost otherworldly sound to the keyboards but it is fleeting as it segues straight into the sombre tones of iii – Ghosts. The solemn vocals add to the absorbing music to leave the listener pondering life, the universe and everything. I love the echoing guitar note, it just adds layers and layers of pathos and sentiment and the whole song is a really poignant piece of music with a deep yearning and sentiment. Overall this is a melancholy song about loss and longing that stays with you long after it fades out.

The last part of these two multi-faceted tracks is iv – Her Ghost In The Fog and it opens with an almost euphoric keyboard note, a feeling of hope in the desolation of loss, much more upbeat than what has preceded it and the 80’s feeling repeated guitar motif is really catchy, you will find yourself humming this at the most inopportune moments. There’s almost a nostalgia overload with the keyboards slap bang in the 80’s but the great songwriting once again lifts this song above the ordinary. Neil’s voice has an emotive overtone, quite affective and touching and the keyboards and piano add real gloss. Once again that excellent rhythm section of Ken and Gordon provides the engine room that keeps things ticking over and Renaldo weaves his special brand of magic throughout.

Where Is The Laughter takes a slightly different route with a really engrossing introduction where Gordon’s bass is more front and centre before Neil’s plaintive vocal begins. There’s more of a mainstream feel to the song, although it is still rooted in the neo-progressive arena (dare I mention that well known & tall Scottish singer). I like the elegant music that seems to just glide over your synapses and leave an indelible mark as a layer of sophisticated calm falls over your shoulders. Music for lazy days and long drinks in the garden, a smooth jazz aura seems to emanate from the keyboards in the middle of the song, the bass and drums joining in the impromptu musical jam session. It is one of the best lead outs to a track I have heard this year, just so relaxed and uber cool, just stop what your doing, relax and enjoy it. Children Of War is a superb song that occasionally lets itself down, and that is by the verses being a tad too long. It starts with a feeling of suspense and trepidation, Neil’s moving vocals making the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and all is well. It’s a haunting song about the unknown casualties of war, mainly the children, and it is a moving sentiment but it tends to meander too much for its own good and you get a feeling of treading water with no particular destination in mind. When the brilliant guitar breaks out that spell is broken and you sit, wide eyed, at Renaldo’s virtuosity, it really is quite superb. The verse begins its slow traverse and, once again, things become a bit static, only to be lifted by the rarefied harmonies, it’s a small criticism but a criticism nonetheless. Things come to a close with The Deafening Silence, an organ opening proceedings with Neil’s high pitched vocal adding a bit of theatre. Next, a smile breaks out on my face as a really catchy riff hits you full in the face and the powerful drums and keyboards drive things on. More of a hard rock song that your neo-prog, it works really well with some funky bass and edgy guitar thrown in the mix. It’s a pleasant surprise to have a short and relatively uncomplicated track closing an album out and I’m really enjoying it when Gordon goes all 70’s funk on us with his short but ever so sweet bass solo and, not to be outdone, Renaldo leaves us with another thunderous guitar solo. To me, it’s a great choice of song to close out what has been a thoroughly entertaining listening experience.

Taking what was great about classic 80’s Neo-Prog and adding some modern drama and pathos, Long Earth have given us a debut album that has been years in the making and all the better for it. Yes, it is not without some minor flaws but it certainly is an album that you will return to many a time and will be even more gratifying every time you do, bring on the next one guys!!

Released 9th May 2017

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