Scottish progressive rock legends Abel Ganz have released a video of the first track to be taken from their forthcoming new album ‘The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments Of Clarity’.
Arran Shores is an instrumental written by the band’s guitarist David King, the band tell us more…
“We just wanted to say another huge thank you to everyone that has so far taken part in the pre-sale for our new album ‘The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments Of Clarity’. We have been nothing less than awe-struck at the response and it’s really incredibly humbling.
We would like to share a little video with you of one of the tracks from the album : Arran Shores.
This is a tune written and performed by our guitar player David King – inspired by the beautiful Isle of Arran. Please feel free to share – and please also be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.”
You can still pre-order the new album, due for release on 15th June, from the link here:
Gambling is such a widespread activity that you would think that there would be an endless chasm filled with songs that have it as a central theme. Well, to my surprise, it’s not so. It seems that gambling served more as an inspiration to country singers and bluesmen of yesteryear. In the post-1970s era, the influx of gambling-associated songs seems to have slowly dried up.
Which is weird, given that if you check google for annual gambling revenues, they seem to go up each year, for both land-based and digital establishments. If people, musicians included, are doing more and more gambling, why aren’t they exploiting this activity that is a roller coaster of emotion in their music, which is also all about feelings?
Maybe, it’s because online casinos like www.novibet.co.uk are slowly taking over the industry. And the ease of use they provide doesn’t seem as fascinating as gambling in a shed in Mississippi did to folk artists back in the day. Though, the experience is unmatched. They couldn’t choose from thousands of slot games, win progressive jackpots in free spin rounds, and play skill-based mini-games. Or get dealt a hand of blackjack from a dealer on the other side of the globe and win life-altering sums.
So, it wasn’t easy to take a deep dive and try to locate gambling music that’s in some way associated with the progressive rock genre, but I managed to squeeze out a few examples.
The Turn of a Friendly Card
Here’s part of an album instead of just a song. It’s the fifth one from The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1980. This second side of this two-sided LP tells the tale of a middle-aged man who visits a casino where he proceeds to bet it all and lose it all. It’s broken down into five sub-tracks and spawned the hits “Time” and “Games People Play”.
Death Is a Great Gambler
Okay, now here’s a full album from German band Coupla Prog. The band only existed for roughly seven years and they reached their peak in the early 1970s. After the death of member Rolf Peter, due to a drug overdose, they decided to commemorate the loss by writing and recording – “Death Is A Great Gambler but If I Win, Finally I Can Die”.
Diamond Jack
Youngsters might not know who Wishbone Ash is, but this British band had its run in the mid-1970s. In 1977 they released their eighth album – Front Page News, which was a departure from their previous releases, featuring mostly soft ballads. It peaked at No. 31 in the UK Albums Charts, and featured the song – “Diamond Jack”. The last one on side two.
Upper Sixth Loan Shark
Many still wonder why isn’t Jethro Tull in the rock & roll hall of fame? It’s known that progressive rock bands don’t have a great track record with it comes to joining the illustrious society, even though they’ve been eligible since 1993. However, Ian Anderson is good-enough to grace my list, as he makes it with this solo effort.
LONG DISTANCE CALLING, Germany’s most internationally successful instrumental rock act, have announced the release of their seventh studio album ‘How Do We Want To Live?’ for the 26th June 2020.
Today also sees the launch of the album’s first single ‘Hazard’. Watch the video now here:
The band comments on the new album:
“We are all going through crazy times right now and we were thinking about postponing this news for a couple of months. But we have the feeling that our new album, “How Do We Want To Live?”, is a great companion for the current situation and our lives. We started recordings back in February and finished it during the lockdown. This alone makes it a special chapter for us, but we also expanded our musical cosmos without neglecting our well known trademarks. The album deals with the coexistence of man and machine, shining light on some currently (frightening) relevant aspects. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved and we say thank you to everyone involved on this journey. Many of you have already asked how you can support us. We have a pretty simple answer: get the new album! We put a lot of love and effort into this baby and can´t wait to finally share it with you. Stay healthy! Peace LDC”
‘How Do We Want To Live?’ sees the band forging a sharply defined & artistically tight exploration of the relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence, and the state of digital progress. Comprised of 10 tracks which contain all the classic LDC-trademarks whilst also bringing something completely fresh and unexpected to the table with their ambitious use of electronic sounds, a perfect symbiosis between man and machine.
‘How Do We Want To Live?’ will be available as a Limited Edition CD, Gatefold Black 2LP + CD & as Digital Album. A limited deluxe box-set will also be released, containing a special coloured edition of the album, an exclusive 7inch featuring two remixes, a beautiful poster featuring the albums stunning artwork by Max Löffler, and 4 individually signed art-cards all contained in a lift-off box. Pre-order now here https://longdistancecalling.lnk.to/HowDoWeWantToLive
The full track-listing is as follows:
1. Curiosity (Part 1)
2. Curiosity (Part 2)
3. Hazard
4. Voices
5. Fail/Opportunity
6. Immunity
7. Sharing Thoughts
8. Beyond Your Limits
9. True/Negative
10. Ashes
The track ‘Beyond Your Limits’ continues the band´s tradition of having one track with a vocalist, and features the talents of Eric A. Pulverich of the band Kyles Tolone. As the band comments: “We got to know him over our producer Arne Neurand. We were instantly fascinated by his voice and we wanted to show the quality of his voice and melodies.”
It was recently announced that the band have been nominated for the GEMA Musikautorenpreis 2020. This is an integral part of the German music landscape and unique in its focus on music writers. GEMA has been honoring composers and lyricists for their musical work in this way for 12 years, and is representative of the great diversity and the enormous range of fascinating works across genres.
LONG DISTANCE CALLING will return to the ‘Seats & Sounds’ format for a German tour in September 2020.
08.09.20 Hamburg kleine Elbphilharmonie – SOLD OUT
09.09.20 Hannover Pavillon
10.09.20 Bochum Christuskirche
11.09.20 Dresden Alter Schlachthof
12.09.20 Leipzig Parkbühne
13.09.20 Berlin Passionskirche
15.09.20 Köln E-Werk
16.09.20 Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle Club
17.09.20 Mannheim Capitol
18.09.20 München St. Matthäus
19.09.20 Stuttgart Mozartsaal
The band recently released their first ever live album ‘STUMMFILM – Live from Hamburg (A Seats & Sounds Show)’. Filmed during a special run of dates in early 2019, it saw the band performing seated shows in some very special locations for a stunning audio-visual experience.
Having released their latest and most accomplished album to date Inescapable, to media and fan acclaim in February, Godsticks proudly present their new single and video “Victim”.
Darran Charles explains the meaning behind the song “All of us seem to agree that this is our favourite song on the album. There is a definite progression from a light mood to a very dark and angsty vibe, which from a compositional standpoint was extremely challenging to achieve, but eventually very rewarding. To me the song is essentially about arguing with myself – looking inside and not liking some of the things I find. You can visualise the person you want to be but trying to change can also be a process just as hurtful as coming to terms with our flaws.”
Godsticks’ drummer Tom Price expands on the creative process for the video “For Victim’s music video, we decided to focus on another big visually impactful performance, so we simply had to work with George Laycock from Black Tide Audio Visual again because he did such a great job with our ‘Denigrate’ video. With the help of lighting engineer Laure, we dreamt up a light show to emphasize those two different moods in the song that Darran was talking about – shifting from low-key in the first half into high impact arena-show lighting in the second. Everything came together once again and we could not be more happy with the finished product!” he continues “We hope the new video will at least provide a little distraction to anyone gracious enough to view it during these crazy times; all 4 of us are certainly very proud of it. We hope everyone out there is staying safe and well and trust me when I say that the band is itching to get back out on the road as soon as possible!”
With Inescapable the band have channelled their energy and technical ability into the melody, phrasing and vocal performance, allowing emotion to take centre stage. Their mix of heavy rock, progressive and alternative metal with a dynamic range of angular riffs and emotional depth is leaving listeners reeling. On this release Godsticks found a definitive theme running through the songs, one of being more open and more personal; ultimately one that shines an inquisitive light on Charles’s struggle with inner demons which give the songs a new level of intimacy. Inescapable was produced by James Loughrey (Skindred) and recorded at the famed heritage Monnow Valley studio.
A selection of some of the great reviews from the media on Inescapable:
‘A thrilling, agitated, uptight record’ Prog Magazine
‘Godsticks’ best album yet’ Classic Rock
– ‘A mighty powerful piece of work that could be as perfect as Godsticks are going to get. Savour the moment’ 9/10 – Powerplay Magazine
“an exquisite album that is without a doubt their strongest”Betreutesproggen.de
“The songs excited me, because there is so much to discover while listening to them.”Twilight-magazin.de
TAKEN FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING NEW ALBUM “CITY BURIALS” RELEASED ON PEACEVILLE ON 24TH APRIL.
With the release of Katatonia’s new opus City Burials imminent, on 24th April through Peaceville Records, the band present their 3rd single to be taken from their new studio album entitled “The Winter Of Our Passing” on 22nd April.
The track is also being made available as an instant download with all pre-orders of the digital version of City Burials.
“The Winter Of Our Passing” follows on from the album’s debut single “Lacquer”, and the upbeat “Behind The Blood” featuring Katatonia’s trademark screaming guitar solo and hugely memorable chorus.
Of the new track vocalist Jonas Renkse states “’The Winter Of Our Passing’ is a concise song that mixes electronic elements with a classic Katatonia chorus. It’s a song about surrender and trying to navigate the darkness.”
Three years in the making, City Burials is another huge statement from the legendary band that are eleven albums into a career that spans three decades.
Katatonia released their most popular album to date, The Fall of Hearts, in 2016 to chart and media success; reaching #1 in the USA Heatseekers and #5 in the USA Hard Rock charts, #2 in Sweden’s Hard Rock chart, #3 in Canada’s Hard Rock chart, #4 in the UK’s Rock and Metal chart, #6 in Finland, #11 in Germany and saw success in Australia with their first ever chart entry.
With the winds of a new direction steering Katatonia onward & ever outward, the first single “Lacquer” exuded a newfound refinement and eloquence, parading meticulously sculptured treasures of turmoil with its poignant yet soaring vocal refrain. City Burials stands as Katatonia’s new triumph of deep, progressive rock with what has come to be a rejuvenating, stirring and profound chapter in the band’s legacy – a catalyst for the burdens of its creators, a collection of moments constructed out of the fragments of an evolving life, all compiled into one of the band’s most important modern works and statements to date, with the voice of Jonas Renkse guiding us through these latest trials of loss and ruin.
City Burialswas recorded at Soundtrade Studios, Tri-Lamb Studios & The City Of Glass, throughout October & November 2019, with engineering work handled by Karl Daniel Lidén. The album also features a guest appearance by Anni Bernhard, the voice behind Stockholm based act Full of Keys. Artwork appears courtesy of Lasse Hoile, the image itself representing the ongoing era of the Dead End King.
The new opus is garnering huge praise from the worldwide media as is evident in just the small selection here:
“City Burials is arguably Katatonia’s strongest album for 20 years” 9/10 -Metal Hammer (UK)
“City Burials” showcases them in the best shape of their career” – 8/10 – Blabbermouth
“Absolutely buy this record” 4/5 –New Noise
“Katatonia always excels in the art of shaping sweet and bitter melodies, piercing the listener’s heart.” Metallian(FR)
“City Burials shows one thing: there is still much passion within this band” Metal Hammer (DE) 6.5/7, soundcheck #1/album of the month
“Katatonia never sounded so modern like on this album. With City Burials they created a dreamy, melancholy album with lots of atmosphere” 9/10 – album of the month Eclipsed (DE)
“the record boasts a warm and engaging production that few other bands come close to “ 8/10 Sweden Rock Magazine
“exquisitely post-rock and atmospheric” Rock Hard (IT)
City Burials will be released on CD, deluxe mediabook CD with bonus tracks, black and coloured vinyl LPs with a bonus track and digitally (Digital pre-orders receive “Lacquer”, “Behind The Blood” and “The Winter Of Our Passing” as instant downloads). Pre-orders available HERE
KATATONIA LIVE
Katatonia will be appearing at various festivals in 2020 with details of headline tours coming soon…
Music fans across the world are missing the thrill of going to live concerts, and Devin Townsend is here to help. Devinis hosting live concerts in his home studio this month, each one raising money for healthcare workers around the world. The first took place this past weekend in support of Vancouver’s General Hospital, selling close to 2000 tickets, and raising nearly 50,000 dollars. Devin has put together an impressive 4-camera rig for these streams, controlled using nothing more than an Xbox controller. You can watch a recording here:
The second will be in support of the NHS in the UK, and the third will be in support of hotspot hospitals in New York. Shows will last around 50 minutes, with different setlists each time. The top donors for each show will receive signed merchandise from Omerch, album goodies from InsideOut as well as several high-end products from a number of Devin’s gear companies such as Mooer, Fractal, Toontrack, Dunlop and |Fishman to name a few. All ticket buyers will also receive a (somewhat tidied-up) remixed version of the show’s audio recording.
The release of ‘Empath – The Ultimate Edition’ was recently announced for the 5th June 2020. This comprehensive version of 2019’s acclaimed album contains the original record and bonus disc across 2 CD’s, plus 2 Blu-Ray discs. The first blu-ray contains the 5.1 Surround Sound mix by Devin, with visuals for the full record, plus a stereo visualiser. You will be familiar with some of the visuals including the stunning video for the uplifting single ‘Spirits Will Collide’: https://youtu.be/AdHJurX0yVA
The second blu-ray contains a raft of bonus material, including ‘Acoustically Inclined – Live in Leeds’, a recording from his April 2019 acoustic tour where he performed tracks including ‘Love?’, ‘Deadhead’, ‘Thing Beyond Things’ & more.
It also features the full Empath Documentary, a ‘Genesis 5.1 Mixing Lesson’, a full album commentary & more. The four discs sit inside a beautiful art-book that contains new liner notes and images from the making of the album.
Jack Hues is not a name that most will be familiar with really, that is unless you are conversant with the band Strictly Inc. that he was part of along with Tony Banks of Genesis or with the new wave outfit Wang Chung with who had a big early 1980’s hit with Dance Hall Days. Since those days Jack has kept himself busy with The Quartet and also been working with the boys from Canterbury Prog outfit Syd Arthur. All of which bring us to this new album ‘Primitif’, which is actually Jack’s first ever solo release. It is a double album of some 16 songs of various lengths and styles, including a covers of Bacharach and David’sThe Look of Love and Lana Del Ray’sVideo Games.
The record covers several different styles and moods, its lyrics can be somewhat bleak and desolate at times but this is not a bad thing, rather it shows incredible honesty and bravery by showing us his raw feelings. There is also something of a philosophical slant to some of these tracks as Jack contemplates mortality, fate and free will and how these could affect our lives.
This is generally an acoustically led album, although several song are fully electric, there are some very interesting guitar lines and parts to several of the songs and the mood is generally hopeful. It took me quite a few listens to start to make sense of this album as it is one that you will have to persevere with to fully appreciate but that actually makes it a far richer experience in my opinion.
The disc opens with the aforementioned Bacharach and David cover and it is a jaunty romp through a classic song with good use of keyboard orchestrations and a strong bassline holding it all together as Jack’s strong vocal lines bring the song home with aplomb. This is a fabulous opener that leads into the more melancholy Whitstable Beach which reflects on the bleakness of the northern Kent shoreline, this despite the track having a driving beat to it. The song has an excellent refrain in the closing section, again this is another powerful song.
The third track, A Long Time, is an acoustic shuffle with the guitar punctuating the song with clipped tones. This piece is all about letting go and almost feels cathartic for Jack as he sings of the difficulties in closing a chapter in your life. The next song is called Cut and is a shorter but still highly percussively driven acoustic instrumental piece.
These two songs are followed by the lengthy and epic track Winter, which is the longest track on the first disc. Winter is a deceptively enthralling track with its very clever use of guitar tones building the emphasis of the song, the finality of things and how death stops growth completely. The mid section has some very interesting musical elements at play, a sudden bass and burst of guitar and discordant rhythms being employed that sound unsettling and the bleak call to let me think of nothing that closes this somewhat sombre piece.
Diamond Ring is next, another gentle acoustic song that speaks of a ring that has been lost but the memories it held still remain in the singers mind as he recalls the wearer and the events that it represented.
The brief interlude of Spring follows, an acoustic and atmospheric instrumental piece that gradually builds in waves of increasing intensity and synthesizer noises that finally lead us to the epic closer of disc 1, Margate Train, a song that is full of memories that are exposed as the track continues. This is a very emotional song that deals with a mind full of memories that have surfaced, uncalled yet ever present in the singer’s voice and mind and that have gone away seemingly forever. The main refrain and synthesised strings return to close the song out on a very bleak line as the guitar reverberates away to silence, a remarkable track by any standards.
Disc 2 continues the journey, opening with the upbeat You Are The One I Love, probably the most straight forward pop song on the whole album and a very effective and memorable song too. Astrology speaks about free will and precession and predestination, Jack sounding similar to latter day Ian Gillan at times on a song that is lyrically challenging.
Summer is another short instrumental track segues into the song Stand In A Place Of Love, another angst driven acoustic outpouring that talks about Nietzsche (the German philosopher) whose influence on thinking and writings on good and evil were used by the Nazi party in the 1930’s and 40’s, especially that of a superior race of men.
An Ordinary Man is a storming mid paced rocker that really surges along with a propulsive guitar line running throughout and a propensity of urgent drums, really there’s a lot going on here musically that combines make this a really rather fine song indeed. The next track, You Will Kill The One You Love, features an accordion alongside more standard instrumentation and this gives it a unique organic sound that is very full and interesting. This leads into the penultimate track, Autumn, another brief electric piece with shimmering guitar chords played in an arpeggio style and a reprise of The Look Of Love lyrics alongside stacked vocals, all done to great effect.
The final track and the final station on our musical journey is Video Games, a reworking of a track by Lana Del Ray that Jack has taken and rather electrified making it more like a Miles Davis piece replete with some heavy guitar lines and a driving backbeat. He uses clipped vocals to add punch before expanding it into a more mainstream delivered song with acoustic guitar. It this quite well known song a distinctive spin from the more recognised original.
Video Games closes the album in style and proves that it was worth the wait and also worthy of your time and consideration. As I said its not an easy listen but stick with it and you will find the treasure that lies at its core. This is a sensational piece of work and I heartily recommend this masterpiece to you all, it may not be progressive as such but the craft that is on display here makes this album worth all the plaudits that it gets, so dive on in, the water is lovely.
KANSAS, America’s legendary progressive rock band, has released a new song and music video for their song “Throwing Mountains” taken from the band’s highly anticipated new studio album “The Absence of Presence” out June 26, 2020 through Inside Out Music. Fans can listen and watch the music video at this link:
‘Throwing Mountains’ might be one of the heaviest songs KANSAS has ever recorded,” comments KANSAS guitarist Zak Rizvi, “At over six minutes long, I like to consider it a bit of a KANSAS mini-epic.” Rizvi wrote the music for the song with lyrics by KANSAS keyboardist Tom Brislin and drummer Phil Ehart.
Brislin says, “It’s very straight forward, ‘get your confidence going, take on any obstacle, conquer the world’ song. It’s pretty timely in the world, today.”“The song is so much fun to play,” adds KANSAS bassist Billy Greer. “The riff is like ‘Thunder of the Gods’ but dynamic at the same time.”
The band recently gave fans a sneak preview of what they can expect to hear on the album with this sampler video:
Today, ‘The Absence of Presence’ is available for pre-order.
“We are really excited for our fans to be able to get a taste of what is to come from ‘The Absence of Presence,’” says KANSAS lead vocalist Ronnie Platt. “I think people will really be surprised by the album. ‘The Absence of Presence’ shows the band firing on all cylinders.”
“The Absence of Presence” follows-up 2016’s “The Prelude Implicit,” which debuted at #14 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. KANSAS has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and is famous for classic hits such as ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ and ‘Dust in the Wind’ to the progressive epic ‘Song for America.’
“The Absence of Presence,” released by Inside Out Music, features nine all new tracks written by the band, produced by Zak Rizvi, and co-produced by Phil Ehart and Richard Williams. KANSAS’s signature sound is unmistakable throughout. The album showcases Ronnie Platt’s towering vocals, David Ragsdale’s searing violin, Tom Brislin’s dazzling keyboards, Williams and Rizvi’s electrifying guitar riffs, Ehart’s powerful drums, and Billy Greer’s rocking bass.
“The Absence of Presence” will be released June 26, 2020, on Inside Out Music and is distributed by The Orchard. The album will be available on CD, Double LP 180 Gram Vinyl, Limited Edition Deluxe CD + 5.1 Blu-Ray Artbook, and digitally on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all other streaming services. To pre-order ‘The Absence of Presence’, visit
KANSAS will debut a song off “The Absence of Presence” this summer during Foreigner’s Juke Box Heroes 2020 Tour. More songs off the album will be performed during this fall’s Point of Know Return Anniversary European Tour. For more information on KANSAS, “The Absence of Presence,” The Point of Know Return Anniversary European Tour, The Point of Know Return Anniversary Tour, or the Juke Box Heroes 2020 tour, please visit: www.kansasband.com
Point of Know Return Anniversary European Tour Dates
October 18 – London, England – Palladium
October 20 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
‘Chronosthesia’ is the debut album by instrumental quartet Time Shift Accident from Nuremberg, Germany.
What began as a loose jam band founded by a couple of friends in late 2013 has over time developed into a prog fusion powerhouse featuring some very experienced musicians.
The rhythm section has been a mainstay of the band since late 2014: Drummer Paul Ettl, a student at the Nürnberg University of Music, combines effortless groove, taste and mastery of odd meters, while Bassist Michael Schetter (Relocator, ex-Seven Steps to the Green Door) provides driving and melodic bass lines as well as a good chunk of the band’s compositions.
Guitar duties are handled by Dave Mola (Effloresce), who joined in early 2017 and whose melodic sensibility and funky fusion approach will surprise those who so far associate him mostly with the heavy side of prog metal.
On keyboards, Günter W. Schmuck is the most recent addition, having joined the band in early 2019. After studying jazz piano at the Munich Jazz School, he went on to record with the Fred Drumski Trio and the SHS Trio, as well as lead his own jazz quartet and salsa band (Orquesta Mistica). Günter has also played with various latin, fusion, funk and soul groups (Papa Caliente, Salsa Fever, Soul7even, Jamdeluxe), and is presently the musical director of the Flames of Gospel choir band.
I’m a sucker for a good instrumental album as a lot of you well know, make it a jazz/prog fusion instrumental and all bets are off, as long as it’s a good one.
I think instrumental albums suffer most from the ‘keyboard in the bedroom’ curse of music making on the internet. It seems like anyone can rattle off a few tunes and then upload them for everyone to listen to, whether they should or not is often a moot point because they can…
However, when it is done with the proficiency, care and attention of an album like ‘Chronosthesia’ then it truly doesn’t get any better. You have four obviously highly skilled musicians who cannot only play a tune to an absurdly high level but compose one too!
Time Shift Accident have produced an album of tracks that are complex but joyous to listen to, a wonderful cornucopia of music that does have jazz/prog fusion at its core in a symbiosis of Planet X and Liquid Tension Experiment-esque grooves but also has the flamboyance of pure rock and even the flair of Latin rhythms running through as the four musicians seem to be turning a jam session into something more technically proficient but oh so much fun.
Every track is superb but there are some absolute stand out moments like opener Cold Case with its funky, upbeat groove and a keyboard sound straight out of the 80’s, Ignalina Forest is just a seriously cool piece of music, jazzy as hell and something Herbie Hancock would be proud to have his name against, Wish is emotive, laid back and achingly cool and Pompei rocks like the bastard son of jazz/prog and heavy rock.
The stand out track (on an album of stellar tunes) for me though is the amazing The Hand of God, just over ten minutes of instrumental perfection, layers of perfectly crafted music that just takes your breath away. Every musician is at the height of their game, Dave’s guitar shines brightly, aided and abetted by the ever so elegant keyboard playing of Günter. Michael and Paul’s rhythm section lays down the grooves absolutely note perfectly creating a piece of music that just effortlessly flows along to its wonderful conclusion.
I will say it again, I am a big fan of instrumental music but it has to be really good to hold my attention. “Chronosthesia’ is such a beast, one of the best instrumental albums I have heard in a very long time, in fact and I hope it is just the start of things to come for Time Shift Accident because, if this album is anything to go by, they have an exceedingly bright future ahead of them.
Caligula’s Horse, hailing from Brisbane, Australia, a leading light in contemporary progressive metal worldwide, recently announced their fifth studio album ‘Rise Radiant’ for release on the 22nd May 2020. Produced by the group’s Sam Vallen, and mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend Project, Leprous), the record is their most focussed and potent artistic statement to date.
Today the band are proud to launch the video for the awe-inspiring second single ‘Slow Violence’, directed and produced by the band’s own Adrian Goleby & Dale Prinsse respectively. Watch the video now here:
Vocalist Jim Grey comments: “Our goal with Slow Violence was to create something more stripped back and minimal musically speaking, letting the guy’s performances speak for themselves. The result was something full of energy and with a powerful message that we’re all really proud of, and the hectic music video ended up capturing that explosive vibe perfectly. The idea for the themes in Slow Violence came out of my own frustrations with very visible hypocrisy in the face of a desperate need for change, and a youth that is crying out for unity in crisis. Slow Violence expresses that frustration along with the unifying message that one way or another, all are inevitably made equal.”
The band previously launched the track ‘The Tempest’, which Guitar World described as a “time signature-shifting guitar masterclass”. Listen now here:
Guitarist Sam Vallen comments: “Rise Radiant is the album we’ve been working towards for almost a decade. It represents everything we love about Caligula’s Horse – the colour, the ferocity, the introspection, the extremes – all tied up together in a way we could never have managed until now. As a band, we’ve never felt tighter, more inspired, or more driven than in the creation of this record. We’re tremendously proud of Rise Radiant, and we can’t wait for you to hear it!”‘Rise Radiant’ is an uncompromising exploration of the human experience dressed in vivid musical colour and virtuosic performances. It is an anthem for the regeneration of self-belief, an exploration of the themes of legacy, and a rallying cry for survival. Comprised of 8 tracks, ‘Rise Radiant’ will be available as a limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD & as digital download. The formats also include 2 bonus tracks, covers of the Split Enz track ‘Message To My Girl’ & Peter Gabriel’s ‘Don’t Give Up’, which also features a guest appearance by Lynsey Ward of Exploring Birdsong. You can find the full track-listing below and pre-orders are available here: https://caligulashorse.lnk.to/RiseRadiant
1. The Tempest
2. Slow Violence
3. Salt
4. Resonate
5. Oceanrise
6. Valkyrie
7. Autumn
8. The Ascent
Caligula’s Horse had previously announced their first ever North American tour, which has unfortunately had to be postponed to January-February 2021. Look out for more details on that soon.