News – Page 32 – Progradar

LONG DISTANCE CALLING – ask ‘How Do We Want To Live?’

Launch new single ‘Hazard’

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 26^th 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.

GODSTICKS – PREMIERE NEW VIDEO FOR “VICTIM”

TAKEN FROM THEIR NEW STUDIO ALBUM INESCAPABLE

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

‘ a superb entry point and the band’s most grimly exhilarating emotional splurge yet’ Blabbermouth

“Inescapable” is thoroughly a solid work of great ingeniousness” 5/5 DrumHeads!!

“Class A songs…a must-hear album…’ RockMuzine.nl

“inspired, rich and polished” Metal Obs (FR)

“a real success and their best album so far!” 4/4 Highlands Magazine (FR)

Godsticks are:

Darran Charles: Vocals, guitars, keys, synths

Dan Nelson: Bass

Gavin Bushell: Guitars

Tom Price: Drums

Backing vocals on ‘Denigrate’ – Daniel Tompkins

THE KINGS RETURN – KATATONIA PREMIERE NEW SINGLE “THE WINTER OF OUR PASSING”

TAKEN FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING NEW ALBUM “CITY BURIALS” RELEASED ON PEACEVILLE ON 24^TH APRIL.

With the release of Katatonia’s new opus City Burials imminent, on 24^th April through Peaceville Records, the band present their 3^rd single to be taken from their new studio album entitled “The Winter Of Our Passing” on 22^nd 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 Burials was 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)

“Yearning epics laced with sky-clawing guitar dynamics …. Welcome back, chaps” Prog Magazine

“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…

Jun 13 -14 – Romania, Bucharest, Maximum Rock Festival (https://www.facebook.com/Maximum-Rock-Festival-132903160204572/)

July 16-18 – Finland, John Smith Festival, Peurunka, Laukkaa (https://johnsmith.fi/esiintyjat/)

Aug 5-8 – CZ – Brutal Assault Festival, Fortress Josefov (https://brutalassault.cz/en)

Aug 14-16 – US, Las Vegas – Psycho Fest (https://www.vivapsycho.com/)

Katatonia are:

Jonas Renkse – vocals

Anders Nyström – guitar

Niklas Sandin – bass

Daniel Moilanen – drums

Roger Öjersson – guitar

(Band photos credit Ester Segarra)

DEVIN TOWNSEND – launches series of live streamed, fundraising shows in aid of healthcare workers

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.

Saturday April 25th – Noon PDT / 20:00 BST / 05:00 AEST

Saturday May 2nd – Noon PDT / 20:00 BST / 05:00 AEST

Get your tickets here: www.stageit.com/Devin_Townsend

The release of ‘Empath – The Ultimate Edition’ was recently announced for the 5^th 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.

Pre-orders are now available here:

https://www.omerch.eu/shop/devintownsend/

https://Devin-Townsend.lnk.to/Empath-TheUltimateEdition

KANSAS – launch video for ‘Throwing Mountains’; first single from new album ‘The Absence of Presence’

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

https://kansas.lnk.to/TheAbsenceofPresence

“The Absence of Presence” Track Listing:

1.) The Absence of Presence

2.) Throwing Mountains

3.) Jets Overhead

4.) Propulsion 1

5.) Memories Down the Line

6.) Circus of Illusion

7.) Animals on the Roof

8.) Never

9.) The Song the River Sang

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

October 21 – Hamburg, Germany – Docks

October 23 – Tampere, Finland – Tamperetalo

October 24 – Helsinki, Finland – Culture House

October 26 – Stockholm, Sweden – Cirkus

October 27 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene

October 29 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom

October 31 – Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal

November 3 – Munich, Germany – Circus Krone

November 5 – Heilbronn, Germany – Harmonie

November 9 – Bochum, Germany – RuhrCongress

November 10 – Amsterdam, Holland – Carre Theatre

Caligula’s Horse launch video for ‘Slow Violence’, second single taken from ‘Rise Radiant’

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 22^nd 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.

Verbal Delirium Vocalist Jargon to Release First Solo Album – The Fading Thought

The Fading Thought” is the title of the debut solo album of Jargon, founder of Verbal Delirium. The album will be released this May on vinyl and digital format. The music combines elements of classical and cinematic music with progressive rock.

The arrangement of the string quartet was carried out by Nikitas Kissonas (Methexis), the drums were played by the drummer of Verbal Delirium, Wil Bow, while bass, production, mixing and mastering were handled by Leronidas Petropoulos. In the song How can I? Lupe (Mosquito) participates on vocals.

The artwork of the album was done by Dimitris Tzortis (Immensa Artis).

The album will soon be on pre-sale from bandcamp.com

TRACKLIST:

The Film (05:33)
In Search Of the Invisible Thin Line (04:53)
Dance of the Framed Words (02:38)
The Fading Thought (07:17)
Light (03:54)
Time Is Running Out (06:54)
How Can I? (06:22)
The Last Temptation (07:10)
Window to the World (04:54)

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 47:35

Haken announce new album ‘Virus’ / Launch first single ‘Prosthetic’

Progressive rockers Haken are excited to reveal their new studio album ‘Virus’, the follow-up to 2018’s acclaimed album ‘Vector’, will be released 5^th June 2020. By way of introduction, the band have recorded a special video message to give some background to the record:

Today also sees the launch of the album’s first single and opening track ‘Prosthetic’, with a video directed by Vicente Cordero. Watch & listen to this punchy opening salvo here:

The band comments: “Prosthetic was the first song we completed during the ‘Virus’ writing sessions and we always felt it would be the perfect opener for the album. It’s a very guitar heavy track with its roots in 80s thrash riffing, but with the unconventional rhythmic twists and turns we often like to explore in Haken. We sadly never had a Jeff Hanneman and Robert Fripp collaboration, but this song at least draws on inspiration from them both!

Lyrically the song is a bridge between our two albums Vector and Virus. The message was brilliantly brought to life by video director Vicente Cordero, who also beautifully captured the live energy of the band in a way that both enhances the song, and perfectly sets the scene for what’s to come.”

Since releasing ‘Vector’ in October 2018, Haken have completed headline tours the world over, played sold-out shows across Europe and North America as support for Devin Townsend and picked up a Prog award for their efforts too! All the while, they have been quietly, secretly working on the follow-up album, entitled ‘Virus’.

Drummer Ray Hearne reveals, “since releasing ‘The Mountain’ in 2013, one question has been asked of us time and time again, ‘who is the Cockroach King?’. This is something we were interested in exploring more deeply too, so we essentially did that through our music; elaborating and expanding upon the intervallic, harmonic, rhythmic and lyrical themes of that song. The end result is in an arc which spans across two albums: ‘Vector’ and ‘Virus’”.

Once again, Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood has mixed what is perhaps the most eclectic Haken album to date, with the 7 tracks revealing hints of influences from multiple genres, all intertwined with Haken’s own recognisable sound. Guitarist Richard Henshall had this to say about the production, “Using Nolly again was a no-brainer, as we wanted the two albums to be sonically connected. But having just spent a day mixing with him in his studio, it’s obvious that this album will be an evolution of the ‘Vector’ sound. These songs seem to allow a lot more freedom of creativity with the production, so we’re excited to see where it leads”.

Longtime Haken collaborators, Blacklake, have designed the visuals and artwork and the album will be available as a Limited 2CD, Standard CD, Gatefold 2LP + CD & as Digital Album. Pre-order now here: https://haken.lnk.to/Virus

The track-listing is as follows:

1. Prosthetic

2. Invasion

3. Carousel

4. The Strain

5. Canary Yellow

6. Messiah Complex i: Ivory Tower

7. Messiah Complex ii: A Glutton for Punishment

8. Messiah Complex iii: Marigold

9. Messiah Complex iv: The Sect

10. Messiah Complex v: Ectobius Rex

11. Only Stars

‘Virus’ is the culmination of a musical thought experiment which started with the ‘Vector’ writing sessions in 2017 and holds intriguing potential for the band’s future, as vocalist Ross Jennings explains, “whilst ‘Virus’ can absolutely be enjoyed as a stand-alone work, it is thematically and conceptually linked with ‘Vector’, so our intention is to perform both albums back to back for a special performance someday”.

HAKEN are:

Ross Jennings

Richard Henshall

Charlie Griffiths

Diego Tejeida

Conner Green

Ray Hearne

New Amy Birks album – All That I Am and All That I Was – out tomorrow – 3rd April.

Winner of ‘Best Female Vocalis’ in the 2018 PROG Magazine poll and former lyricist, co-composer and lead vocalist of the 2017 Prog magazine Limelight Award winners Beatrix Players, Ms Amy Birks self-produced debut solo album All That I Am & All That I Was is to be released tomorrow. The new release contains the singles Jamaica Inn and I Wish and features guest appearances from a raft of luminaries including Steve Hackett, John Hackett and Caroline Lavelle is available in two physical formats.

Ms Amy Birks – I Wish

Amy recalls the process of recording I Wish and reflects on its unsettling lyrical undercurrents –

“I feel very honoured to have worked with Steve Hackett & Nick Wollage. I wrote this song during a trip to Colombia where I was influenced by the classical guitar and percussive sounds of Bambuco. When I bumped into Steve at the Prog Awards, I asked him to play and he very kindly obliged. The Rossetti poem works perfectly as this is a dark lyric about the fragility of the mind and how the past can so very easily come back to tease and torment.”

Ms Amy Birks – Jamaica Inn

For Amy ” this has been a really personal and full-on experience that has pushed me further, emotionally, technically and lyrically than I ever thought possible, which has enabled me to become the writer that I have been wanting to be.”

Special, limited edition All That I Am & All That I Was and vinyl formats are available now via The Merch Desk.

Formats are: Limited edition CD package in a six panel 7″ gatefold sleeve accompanied by twelve page photo book available to mail order customers and from the merch stand at shows from 5th April while stocks last.

The vinyl album in 12″ gatefold sleeve. Initial copies of both formats ordered from The Merch Desk will be signed by Amy.

The album will also be available via all the usual download and streaming services.

https://themerchdesk.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=88_296

DEVIN TOWNSEND – Empath – The Ultimate Edition announced for release 5th June 2020

Devin Townsend is pleased to announce the release of ‘Empath – The Ultimate Edition’ on 5^th June 2020. This comprehensive version of 2019’s acclaimed album contains the original record and bonus discs across 2 CDs, 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. 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.

Devin comments of the new 5.1 surround sound mix:

“On a technical level, I guess I have always been dissatisfied with the basic ‘stereo’ format in which the type of music I make gets presented in. Whether its headphones, computer speakers, stereos (or basically anything currently), I have had to figure out ways to get the work to function through TWO speakers. I hear things in a particularly orchestrated way, and with the amount of information that typically gets recorded per song, the result has been the dubious ‘wall of sound’ that I keep ending up with. But my intention has never been to make an oppressive experience, but rather something that is immersive and vast.

Making it work in two speakers just simply doesn’t quite work for the vision. Although I’ve managed to get the point across, (to varying degrees), things always have to compromise to make it all fit. Making the drums speak at the same time as orchestra, cymbals, guitars, choirs, synths etc.…all with my voice on top, ends up with every conceivable frequency fighting for breathing space between those two speakers.

Therefore, I asked the powers that be in my business world, to tolerate one more ‘kick at the can’ when it came to Empath. I wanted to attempt a surround mix and follow the original vision of it being an immersive, multimedia experience for people in the ways I could best achieve at this stage. And although it’s still pretty ‘dense’, with four more sources for the sound to come from, I feel its significantly closer to the original vision here.”

Pre-orders are now available here:

https://www.omerch.eu/shop/devintownsend/

https://Devin-Townsend.lnk.to/Empath-TheUltimateEdition

Devin will head out on a Summer festival run mixed with club shows in Europe, which includes a headline appearance at Bloodstock Festival in the UK.

04.06.2020 Sweden Rock Festival – Solvesborg (SE)

05.-07.06.2020 Rock Im Park – Nürnberg (DE)

05.-07.06.2020 Rock Am Ring – Mendig (DE)

10.06.2020 Majestic Music Club – Bratislava (SVK)

10.06.2020 Mystic Festival – Krakow (PL)

11.06.2020 Nova Rock – Nickelsdorf, (AT)

13.06.2020 The Roman Arenas -Bucharest (ROU)

14.06.2020 Mixtape 5 -Sofia (BGR)

15.06.2020 A38 – Budapest (HU)

18.06.2020 Copenhell – Copenhagen (DK)

20.06.2020 Graspop Metal Meeting – Dessel (BE)

21.06.2020 Hellfest – Clisson (FR)

23.06.2020 Rockhal – Esch-sur-alzette (LUX) Co-Headline with Meshuggah

24.06.2020 Xtra – Zurich (CHE) Co-Headline with Meshuggah

26.06.2020 Rock The Night Festival – Rivas-Vaciamadrid (ES) – CANCELLED

28.06.2020 Tuska – Helsinki (FI)

29.07.2020 MetalDays, Tolmin (SLO)

30.07.2020 Wacken Open Air – Wacken (DE)

05.08.2020 Brutal Assault Festival – Jaromer (CZE)

07.08.2020 Bloodstock Open Air – Walton-On-Trent (UK)

09.08.2020 Into The Grave – Leeuwarden (NL)

12.08.2020 Summer Breeze, Dinkelsbuhl (DE)

Find the full list of upcoming dates here: https://www.hevydevy.com/tourdates/

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