The Tangent recently announced the release of ‘Pyramids, Stars & Other Stories: The Tangent Live Recordings 2004-2017’ on the 27th January 2023 via InsideOutMusic. Collecting together tracks from 3 line-ups of The Tangent, this 2CD & 3LP album collects together show recordings from 2004, 2011 & 2017. Band leader Andy Tillison comments: “A Triple Live LP is the stuff of Bucket Lists, dreamed of doing one of these since I was a kid”.
Listen to the band performing ‘A Crisis In Mid Life’ live in the UK in 2012, featuring the line-up of Andy Tillison, Luke Machin, Dan Mash & Tony ‘Funkytoe’ Latham, here:
Included in its entirety is the 2004 ‘Pyramids And Stars’ concert in Germany featuring the “Roine Stolt” lineup of The Tangent playing its way through the majority of the debut ‘Music That Died Alone’ album along with (then) new material from their second album ‘The World That We Drive Through’.
Added to that, there are tracks from the COMM era line-up of the band at a concert in the UK – plus music recorded in the USA in 2017 by the band’s current line-up. These originally appeared on the ‘Southend On Sea’ and ‘Hotel Cantaffordit’ fan releases respectively.
All is presented inside a re-imagined Ed Unitsky sleeve, to create a package that fans are sure to love.
“This is a real, proper, live album” says Tillison. “It’s candid, it’s spontaneous, it has mistakes and things that are a bit too loud and things that are a bit too quiet. It’s what happened on stage at three gigs at which “making a live album” never crossed our minds.”
The full tracklisting is below:
Side One
1. The World We Drive Though
Side Two
3. The Canterbury Sequence
4. The Winning Game
Side Three
5. In Darkest Dreams
Side Four
6. The Music That Died Alone
7. Lucky Man
Side Five
8. A Spark In The Aether
9. A Sale Of Two Souls
10. Perdu Dans Paris
Side Six
11. A Crisis In Mid Life
12. Doctor Livingstone (I Presume)
The CD’s (included with the vinyl edition) also include all of the above with the addition of:
13. Titanic Calls Carpathia
14. Two Rope Swings
Andy Tillison – Keyboards & Vocals (all tracks)
Jonas Reingold – Bass Guitar (all tracks except 9,10,11,13)
Check out the album’s opening track “Friend or Foe?” in its ‘Single Edit’ and with a video clip animated and directed by Thomas Hicks / http://www.thomashicks.co.uk here:
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment about the new single:
“’Friend or Foe?’ is one of the key songs on the new RIVERSIDE album. Not only is it the opening track but, musically, it is possibly also the most courageous and intriguing one.
One of its strong points is the lyrics which talk about how we’re perceived by others, especially these days, when pretending to be someone you’re not on social media has become the norm. Can we still be ourselves or do we have to keep adapting to the requirements of new algorithms? Perhaps we’ve already lost our identities and we’re only waiting for instructions from a Siri or Alexa?
“Who do you pretend to be?” are the first words of the song and the listener has already started searching for that 80s band it reminds them of. Is this a mere inspiration or is it provocation? Is the writer of the song pretending to be someone else or is this who he really is? Who is behind it all? The artist himself or a producer churning out music for many other artists? Is what I’m writing now a reflection of what I’m feeling or am I writing it because I want to put the song on a higher recommended playlist? And if we apply it to politics, who are the candidates? Are they credible? Trustworthy? Will they keep their promises? And finally, will we be able to trust each other one day, hear each other out and understand, or will we still keep our distance and suspicions?
Perhaps there is a chance to build a better world, but how to recognise who is a friend and who is a foe?”
“ID.Entity”, the group’s 8th studio album was recorded and mixed in two studios – The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock with Paweł Marciniak and in Serakos studio in Warsaw with Magda and Robert Srzedniccy -, mastered by Robert Szydło and produced by RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda himself. The “ID.Entity” artwork was created by Polish artist Jarek Kubicki.
Previously released singles/videos off “ID.Entity” can still be checked out here:
RIVERSIDE have also launched a “Riverside Heavy” playlist featuring “I’m Done With You” as well as many other heavier tracks from the band’s comprehensive catalogue, which you can check out here:
Here is the standard track-listing for the album:
RIVERSIDE – “ID.Entity” (53:11)
Tracklist:
1. Friend or Foe? (07:29)
2. Landmine Blast (04:50)
3. Big Tech Brother (07:24)
4. Post-Truth (05:37)
5. The Place Where I Belong (13:16)
6. I’m Done With You (05:52)
7. Self-Aware (8:43)
The bonus material appearing on “ID.Entity” includes the instrumental tracks “Age of Anger” (11:56) and “Together Again” (06:29) as well as “Friend or Foe? (Single Edit)” (05:59) and “Self-Aware (Single Edit)” (05:29).
“ID.Entity” will be available in the following formats:
– Ltd. Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (Disc 1: Album, Disc 2: All 4 bonus tracks, Blu-ray: All main 9 album tracks in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and 24bit HighRes Audio mix versions) -> Pictured above!
– Ltd. 2CD Mediabook (Disc 1: Album, Disc 2: All 4 bonus tracks) -> Pictured above!
– CD Jewelcase
– Deluxe Digital Album (Including all 4 bonus tracks)
– Digital album
The album’s vinyl version comes as Gatefold 2LP (With the bonus tracks “Age of Anger” and “Together Again” on Side D) in the following variants: – Black vinyl: All outlets – Orange vinyl: All outlets
– White vinyl: 500x copies via JPC & Burning Shed – Yellow vinyl: 500x copies via EMP & Just For Kicks – Sky Blue vinyl: 600x copies via Laser’s Edge & CM Distro/Webshop Europe
“ID.Entity”, an album that extends and expands RIVERSIDE’s characteristic sound, but all in a revamped and more dynamic formula, follows 2018’s widely acclaimed ‘Wasteland’ album, which entered the charts in Germany at # 13, The Netherlands at # 28, Switzerland at # 23, Austria at # 39, UK at # 83, Finland at # 30, France at # 97, Czech Republic at # 59 and Poland at # 1.
Next to their return to North America in February/March, RIVERSIDE have recently also announced their “Spring Edition” European Tour, a first of three European touring legs across this year. Check out the band’s upcoming confirmed live-dates here:
RIVERSIDE – “ID.Entity” – Live 2023:
North American Tour: 17.02.2023 Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
18.02.2023 Orlando, FL – The Abbey
19.02.2023 Atlanta, GA – Hell At The Masquerade
21.02.2023 Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
22.02.2023 Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
24.02.2023 Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theater
25.02.2023 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
26.02.2023 Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
28.02.2023 Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw Theatre
01.03.2023 Seattle, WA – Neumos
03.03.2023 Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
04.03.2023 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
07.03.2023 St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar And Hall
08.03.2023 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
10.03.2023 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
11.03.2023 Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
12.03.2023 Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
14.03.2023 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
16.03.2023 New York, NY – Sony Hall
17.03.2023 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
18.03.2023 Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall
19.03.2023 Washington, DC – Black Cat
21.03.2023 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
European Tour – Spring Edition:
16.04.2023 Eindhoven (The Netherlands) – Effenaar / Prognosis Festival 18.04.2023 Dublin (Ireland) – Button Factory 20.04.2023 Glasgow (UK) – Garage 21.04.2023 Birmingham (UK) – O2 Institute 2 22.04.2023 Manchester (UK) – Academy 2 23.04.2023 London (UK) – Indigo O2 / Prognosis Festival
25.04.2023 Copenhagen (Denmark) – Amager Bio 26.04.2023 Gothenburg (Sweden) – Pustervik 27.04.2023 Oslo (Norway) – Cosmopolite 28.04.2023 Stockholm (Sweden) – Lilla Cirkus 30.04.2023 Tampere (Finland) – Olympia 01.05.2023 Helsinki (Finland) – Tavastia
TRANSATLANTIC – the Prog Supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas – are pleased to present a new concert set entitled ‘The Final Flight: Live At L’Olympia’. It was recorded and filmed in France on the last stop of a tour to promote the band’s fifth and most audacious album to date, ‘The Absolute Universe’. This was the multinational group’s first outing in eight years.
Watch the band performing ‘Owl Howl’, a highlight from ‘The Absolute Universe’ album, here:
Released in February 2021 to unanimous praise, ‘The Absolute Universe’ came in two alternate formats; an abridged 64-minute record known as ‘The Breath Of Life’, and a companion piece entitled ‘Forevermore’ that added a further four songs, clocking in at an hour and a half. Though the foundations of both were shared, each format featured lyrics and music independent of the other.
However, when Transatlantic finally hit the road they opted to perform a third format of the album, a full-bells-and-whistles, 96-minute Blu-ray culmination of both takes known as ‘The Ultimate Edition’ that had been released in 5.1 surround sound. Following that segment of the show Transatlantic took a short intermission and returned to the stage for a rollercoaster trawl through the remainder of their lavish catalogue. From the first note of ‘Overture (The Absolute Universe)’ through to the medley based around the first two Transatlantic albums that closes the evening, the performance comprised 3 hours of music in total.
“Ever since the start of this band we have played for three hours, so that’s something we’re all used to,” states drummer Mike Portnoy, who grins whilst describing his own experience as “butt-numbing”. However, Roine Stolt is ready to admit that this time felt very slightly different.
“It was a great tour,” acknowledges the guitarist and multi-musician, “but when you include our spot at Morsefest [where besides performing ‘The Absolute Universe’ the band also revisited their 2009 album ‘The Whirlwind’ and revised a cover of Procol Harum’s ‘In Held (’Twas) In I’ that had featured on their debut from 2000, ‘SMPTe’] I felt the challenge of learning, or re-learning, three-and-a-half hours of music before leaving Sweden. Now that I am getting slightly older, I was a little worried about playing for that long – it requires a lot of concentration: ‘Is this one in 7/8 or 9/8? Maybe we’ll play it in 13/8 and in a different key?’ But of course, once we got out there onto the stage, those thoughts went straight out of the window.”
With a chuckle, vocalist and keyboard wizard Neal Morse reveals that as the tour found its feet Transatlantic threw an additional curveball. “We started playing songs slightly differently to the way you’ve heard them on ‘The Ultimate Edition”, he grins. “So what you get with this live album is similar, but essentially it’s a fourth version [of the record]. When you play live, from night to night it helps to keep things fresh by jamming a bit and changing things up as you go. There are a few examples of that, for instance, the beginning of the last section that starts with ‘Belong’ is quite different than the record – partly because we couldn’t remember it! So we made up a new structure.”
“We’re always as well prepared as we can be but in a way Transatlantic is kind of a show band” points out bassist Pete Trewavas. “Playing alongside Mike who is a powerhouse on the drums, there is this raw power. If he wants to raise the energy that’s what we do. We’re all taking solos here and there, though we get the songs across we’re all showing off as much as we can”.
Filmed by Paul Green (who also shot their ‘Whirld Tour 2010: Live in London release), and mixed by longtime collaborator Rich Mouser, this set will be available as a Special Edition 3CD+Blu-ray Digipak (incl. 5.1 surround sound) & as a Gatefold 180g 4LP release. Both feature artwork by Thomas Ewerhard & photos by Nidhal Marzouk. Pre-order now here: https://Transatlantic.lnk.to/TheFinalFlight-LiveAtLOlympia
Tracklisting:
1. The Absolute Universe Intro
2. Overture
3. Reaching For The Sky
4. Higher Than The Morning
5. The Darkness In The Light
6. Take Now My Soul
7. Bully
8. Rainbow Sky
9. Looking For The Light
10. The World We Used To Know
11. MP Intro
12. The Sun Comes Up Today
13. Love Made A Way (Prelude)
14. Owl Howl
15. Solitude
16. Belong
17. Lonesome Rebel
18. Can You Feel It
19. Looking For The Light (Reprise)
20. The Greatest Story Never Ends
21. Love Made A Way
22. The Whirlwind Suite
23. NM & RS Intro
24. We All Need Some Light
25. The Final Medley
Line-Up (on this recording):
Neal Morse – Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar & Vocals
Mike Portnoy – Drums & Vocals
Roine Stolt – Guitar & Vocals
Pete Trewavas – Bass & Vocals
With:
Ted Leonard – Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion & Vocals
Spellbinding New Album, Sky Void of Stars, out January 20, 2023 via Napalm Records | Pre-Order HERE!
With eleven full-length records under their belts, Swedish melancholic metal masters KATATONIA don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Yet, it comes as no surprise that the band is about to impressively solidify their unique stance in the world of metal and beyond once more with their 12th album, the hauntingly beautifulSky Void of Stars.
Today, KATATONIA unveil the second single and Sky Void of Stars’ album opener “Austerity”, along with a visually palpable video. The heartfelt offeringcrashes through the dark with memorable, mind-bending rhythms as it shifts with elaborate guitar riffs that perfectly showcase the musical expertise and experience of the band. Topped off by the dark, conjuring voice of Jonas Renkse and mesmerizing lyricism, the gloomy mood for the album is set. The song is now available via all digital service providers worldwide.
KATATONIA on “Austerity”:
“We hereby present you our new single and the opening track of Sky Void of Stars – ‘Austerity’. Energetic and dark, stern and disenchanted. Enjoy.”
Watch the official video for “Austerity” :
“Melancholy at its best! Already one of the best Doom albums of 2023!“(EMP)
“Another heartfelt offensive by KATATONIA“(Metal Hammer, DE)
“…Katatonia hit with highly energetic atmosphere, holding a gloomy ambience with epic sounds and poetic lyrics to get lost in.” (Prog Report)
Founded in 1991, KATATONIA have continually embraced the dark and the light alike, and, living through genre evolutions beyond compare, ripened their own particular form of expression. From doom and death metal to soul-gripping post rock, they’ve explored endless spheres of the genre, accumulating only the very best aspects.
Emerging from the gloom, KATATONIA is a beacon of light – breathing their unique, never stagnant, atmospheric sound through this new 11-track offering, all written and composed by vocalist Jonas Renkse. Significantly shaping the genre while still staying true to their own musical values, they orbit the musical universe – leaving their imprints on the scene. Projecting their sound to the endless realms, Sky Void of Stars shines bright in metal and beyond!
KATATONIA on the new album, Sky Void of Stars:
“Our 12th album, Sky Void of Stars, is a dynamic journey through vibrant darkness. Born out of yearning for what was lost and not found, the very peripheries of the unreachable, but composed and condensed into human form and presented as sounds and words true to the KATATONIA signum. No stars here, just violent rain.”
KATATONIA is one of a kind in a state of perpetual evolution. With their previously released first single, “Atrium”, KATATONIA hit with a highly energetic atmosphere, holding a gloomy ambience with epic sounds and poetic lyrics to get lost in. Songs like down- tempo “Opaline” and moody “Drab Moon” fully embrace their melancholic sound while fragile “Impermanence” is accented by the original doom metal roots of the band. Like a dark star, these pieces relume the dreariness, creating an ambient auditory experience with memorable hooks while still inducing the crashing sounds of hard guitar riffs and pounding drums. The experimental mastery of the quintet and their atmospheric approach is purely vivid, making this album a thrilling sensation. With “Birds”, the artists show off their explosive potential with a quick and energetic sound, proving their genre-defying style.
Sky Void of Stars track listing:
1 Austerity
2 Colossal Shade
3 Opaline
4 Birds
5 Drab Moon
6 Author
7 Impermanence (feat. Joel Ekelöf)
8 Sclera
9 Atrium
10 No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall
11 Absconder (Bonus Track)
Sky Void of Stars is now available for pre-order in the following configurations here:
Ltd. Deluxe Wooden Box (incl. Mediabook + Digipack Atmos Mix BluRay + Crow Pendant + Star Chart Artprint + Pin) – Napalm Records exclusive
Die Hard Edition 2LP Gatefold Ink Spot / FOREST GREEN (incl. Slipmat, Patch, 12 pages poster) – Napalm Records exclusive – SOLD OUT!
2LP Gatefold DARK GREEN – Napalm Records exclusive – SOLD OUT!
2LP Gatefold MARBLED TRANSPARENT/DARK GREEN – OMerch exclusive
Kaltenecker-Marko, the Hungarian duo of Zsolt Kaltenecker & Adam Marko, released their debut album ‘Space Junk’ in April 2022. The album is a unique mixture of prog, modern jazz and other electronic styles which manages to impress and engage the listener at the same time.
Today, the duo are pleased to share the new video for the track “Space Junk ” which you can see now here:
Zsolt Kaltenecker & Adam Marko are among Hungary’s top musicians, and also members of the well-known instrumental band Special Providence who have toured with Haken, Spock’s Beard, and others. The duo invites the listeners to a special musical journey from prog, djent, downtempo to trip-hop and jazzfusion, many electronic styles are recalled live on two instruments, keyboards and drums. The minimal setup is really challenging and also gives air and space for the artists to showcase their abilities as musicians.
Tracklist:
1. Secret Shifter 2. Doubt 3. Higher 4. Space Junk 5. The 7th Wave 6. Unexpected 7. Wormhole 8. Bill Murray 9. Bunuel 10. Lemuria 11. Dharma Bums 12. Glitches 13. The Way
Today, Poland’s pioneering and leading Progressive Rock band RIVERSIDE are pleased to present a second single for their upcoming studio album “ID.Entity”, to be released via InsideOutMusic on January 20th, 2023.
Check out the album’s closing track “Self-Aware” in its ‘Single Edit’ version and with an entertaining video clip directed by Marcin Zawadziński and Mariusz Duda here:
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment about the new single: “’Self-Aware’ is a song which summarises the entire album, and talks about how it’s difficult these days to live in a society and ignore all the social changes, how you can’t simply be passive, “shut yourself off”, or “hole up deep in the woods”. We need each other in order to change something in our lives. Not everything can be done single-handedly; “I have to be better than others, I have to be the best” is not a good mantra. We need cooperation to achieve goals. And it’s important that this message comes not from a solo artist, but from a band, whose success lies mostly in cooperation within the band and interaction with their listeners.”
“ID.Entity”, the group’s 8th studio album was recorded and mixed in two studios – The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock with Paweł Marciniak and in Serakos studio in Warsaw with Magda and Robert Srzedniccy -, mastered by Robert Szydło and produced by RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda himself. The “ID.Entity” artwork was created by Polish artist Jarek Kubicki.
RIVERSIDE also launched a “Riverside Heavy” playlist featuring “I’m Done With You” as well as many other heavier tracks from the band’s comprehensive catalogue, which you can check out here:
Here is the standard track-listing for the album:
RIVERSIDE – “ID.Entity” (53:11)
Tracklist:
1. Friend or Foe? (07:29)
2. Landmine Blast (04:50)
3. Big Tech Brother (07:24)
4. Post-Truth (05:37)
5. The Place Where I Belong (13:16)
6. I’m Done With You (05:52)
7. Self-Aware (8:43)
The bonus material appearing on “ID.Entity” includes the instrumental tracks “Age of Anger” (11:56) and “Together Again” (06:29) as well as “Friend or Foe? (Single Edit)” (05:59) and “Self-Aware (Single Edit)” (05:29).
The album will be available in the following formats:
– Ltd. Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (Disc 1: Album, Disc 2: All 4 bonus tracks, Blu-ray: All main 9 album tracks in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and 24bit HighRes Audio mix versions) -> Pictured above!
– Ltd. 2CD Mediabook (Disc 1: Album, Disc 2: All 4 bonus tracks) -> Pictured above!
– CD Jewelcase
– Deluxe Digital Album (Including all 4 bonus tracks)
– Digital album
The album’s vinyl version comes as Gatefold 2LP (With the bonus tracks “Age of Anger” and “Together Again” on Side D) in the following variants: – Black vinyl: All outlets – Orange vinyl: All outlets
– White vinyl: 500x copies via JPC & Burning Shed – Yellow vinyl: 500x copies via EMP & Just For Kicks – Sky Blue vinyl: 600x copies via Laser’s Edge & CM Distro/Webshop Europe
“ID.Entity”, an album that extends and expands RIVERSIDE’s characteristic sound, but all in a revamped and more dynamic formula, follows 2018’s widely acclaimed ‘Wasteland’ album, which entered the charts in Germany at # 13, The Netherlands at # 28, Switzerland at # 23, Austria at # 39, UK at # 83, Finland at # 30, France at # 97, Czech Republic at # 59 and Poland at # 1.
RIVERSIDE have recently also announced their return to North American stages in February/March 2023 in promotion of “ID.Entity”. Check out the band’s upcoming confirmed live-dates here:
RIVERSIDE – Live 2023:
North American Tour: 17. February 2023 Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
18. February 2023 Orlando, FL – The Abbey
19. February 2023 Atlanta, GA – Hell At The Masquerade
21. February 2023 Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
22. February 2023 Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
24. February 2023 Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theater
25. February 2023 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
26. February 2023 Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
28. February 2023 Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw Theatre
1. March 2023 Seattle, WA – Neumos
3. March 2023 Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
4. March 2023 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
7. March 2023 St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar And Hall
8. March 2023 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
10. March 2023 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
11. March 2023 Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
12. March 2023 Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
14. March 2023 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
16. March 2023 New York, NY – Sony Hall
17. March 2023 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
18. March 2023 Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall
19. March 2023 Washington, DC – Black Cat
21. March 2023 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle —————————-
15-16. April 2023 Eindhoven (The Netherlands) – Prognosis Festival 22-23. April 2023 London (UK) – Prognosis Festival https://www.prognosis-festival.nl/
More RIVERSIDE live show announcements and further details about “ID.Entity” coming soon…
RIVERSIDE line-up: Michał Łapaj – keyboards and Hammond Organ Mariusz Duda – vocal, bass Piotr Kozieradzki – drums Maciej Meller – guitar
On one cold, wet and windy afternoon in early November VLMV, aka Pete Lambrou, brought VLMV’s live set up to a Twelfth Century Church on England’s South Coast.
The resulting video is a beautiful one-take-completely-live recording of usual set opener ‘For Empire’, taken from the latest album Sing With Abandon. For Empire’s title and general demeanour evoke an apprehensive anti nostalgia for the old world, and the lyrics are plainly critical, but throughout weaves a feeling of yearning: ‘I was hoping someone could turn this boat around’.
Pete Lambrou on the setting:
“This had to be recorded and filmed in an old Church; being one of the absolute pillars of old empire. The older the better. Not all the songs from the album were written in the midst of lockdown. A couple were performed live on the last tour before the pandemic hit, including For Empire. But their roots are in the aftermath of Brexit, and this feeling of abandonment I’d felt throughout, and then the realisation that your neighbours aren’t who you thought they were.”
The Churches Conservation Trust:
“Tortington, the homestead of Torhta’s people, is recorded in Domesday Book (1086). The entrance to this twelfth-century flint church looks like something out of a mediaeval fantasy – three rows of Norman carvings arch over a thick wooden door set with ornamental hinge straps. Inside, creatures unlike anything found in nature peer down from the chancel arch. They are called ‘beakheads’ – boggle-eyed monsters with beaks, tongues and squid-like tentacles that frown and glare at visitors below. Once they would have been painted in bright colours to entertain – or terrify – worshippers.”
VLMV (pronounced and formerly known as ALMA) is a self-proclaimed ambient-ish post-something singer-songwriter / producer from London. Part of the illustrious Erased Tapes family, VLMV have released 2 albums on Fierce Panda Records, alongside 2022’s Sing With Abandon out on Pete’s own label, Nice Weather for Airstrikes. Live, VLMV deploy loop stations, multiple delay pedals, piano and strings to create a slow-moving, high-flying soundscape of luscious gravitas.
“Building atmospheric and quietly epic soundscapes that creep up on you unannounced….like a beam of light through a dark, cold night.” – Lauren Laverne BBC6 Music
“As worthy of your love and admiration as anything Sigur Rós or Explosions In The Sky have released” Team Rock
Leeds duo Arc of Triumph release their double a-side single this week, The New Adventures of the Superhumans/In My Arms, the first material from the band since their 2021 album Rampjaar.
Picking up the thread laid by their previous two albums, Arc of Triumph’s political leanings are more evident than ever in The New Adventures of the Superhumans. It gives a scathing commentary on society’s inequalities.
The song warns of a dystopian future where the rich are still untouched by the damage to our planet caused almost exclusively by them:
“The final age is looming / so save the superhumans / they haven’t flown this far to lose.”
Although imagining a distant future, the song’s themes are applicable today. Simon Elvin said:
“Inequality is greater than ever. People can’t afford to eat. And the planet is in mortal danger. Yet, billionaires continue to hoard wealth hand over fist. Piling misery and suffering on the vast majority.”
Rory Holl said:
“Sometimes it feels as though there’s nothing you can do. We wanted to document our feelings on the current situation. If it did make anyone think differently, then that would be amazing. But I think most people have made their minds up already.”
Musical influences for Arc of Triumph (made up of Simon Elvin and Rory Holl) are wide-ranging from 70s prog of Yes! and Genesis to 80s electro pop, with a nod towards latter-day Radiohead.
And the “electronic textures and moody synth sounds” described by James R Turner in his review of their second album, Rampjaar, last year are certainly back in this new release.
The song is heavily driven by 80s synth and organ sounds, with hypnotic, delayed guitar lines and glitchy drum machines, giving way to jarring drum rhythms and falsetto vocals.
After a brief hiatus following the release of Rampjaar, the pair were back in the studio in the spring to start work on new material. The double a-side marks the first release for their third album due for release next year. So, watch this space!
In a review of Rampjaar in The London Economic in 2021, Jack Peat described the album as harnessing a “superb technical ability to deliver a futuristic prog-rock album befitting of its time”.
And Superhumans is certainly befitting of its time too. The video imagines the Earth as a dead planet with the only survivors being the privileged few who are able to preserve themselves from the destruction they have caused.
We see the likes of Boris Johnson, Putin, Trump, members of the royal family, Jeff Bezos, Roman Abramovic and Jacob Rees-Mogg escaping the dying Earth. They rocket off in cryotubes to a new planet while the rest of us perish. A metaphor for their financial ability to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
The final chorus imagines how history will judge these people:
“In cryogenic futures / they’ll raise the superhumans / and make them pay for what they’ve done.”
Watch the video to see their fate:
Listen here:
Simon said:
“As well as the emergency of climate change, the way the rich can shield themselves from the problems they cause is reminiscent of the current cost-of-living crisis. We have nurses using foodbanks. We have schools with lower budgets next year than they did in 2015.”
Rory added:
“People are struggling more than ever just to exist. But it doesn’t affect the rich and privileged so it’s hard for them to care. We don’t think people who have grown up in luxury and who have never had to worry about money should be running the country.”
Masters of melancholic metal KATATONIA carry on their legacy of rearranging the order of the heavy music universe, proudly presenting their hauntingly beautiful next studio album, Sky Void of Stars, out January 20, 2023 via Napalm Records.
Founded in 1991, KATATONIA have continually embraced the dark and the light alike and, living through genre evolutions beyond compare, ripened their own particular form of expression. From doom and death metal to soul-gripping post rock, they’ve explored endless spheres of the genre, accumulating only the very best aspects. After signing with Napalm Records, the entity around founding members Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström is ready to showcase its brilliance and illuminate the void in the scene once more with Sky Void of Stars.
With the first single, “Atrium”, KATATONIA hit with highly energetic atmosphere, holding a gloomy ambience with epic sounds and poetic lyrics to get lost in. The heartfelt piece of sound goes in line with a gripping music video, underlining the exceptional atmosphere the five-piece is creating with every single note. “Atrium” is now available via all digital service providers worldwide.
KATATONIA on the new album, Sky Void of Stars:
“Our 12th album, Sky Void of Stars is a dynamic journey through vibrant darkness. Born out of yearning for what was lost and not found, the very peripheries of the unreachable, but composed and condensed into human form and presented as sounds and words true to the KATATONIA signum. No stars here, just violent rain.”
Watch the official music video for “Atrium”:
Emerging from the gloom, KATATONIA is a beacon of light – breathing their unique, never stagnant, atmospheric sound through this new 11-track offering, all written and composed by vocalist Jonas Renkse. Album opener “Austerity” provides a courting introduction to the album. Crashing through the dark, it convinces with memorable, mind-bending rhythms as it shifts with elaborate guitar riffs that perfectly showcase the musical expertise and experience of the band. Topped off by the dark, conjuring voice of Renkse and mesmerizing lyricism, the gloomy mood for the album is set. Songs like down- tempo “Opaline” and moody “Drab Moon” fully embrace their melancholic sound while fragile “Impermanence” is accented by the original doom metal roots of KATATONIA. Like a dark star, these pieces relume the dreariness, creating an ambient auditory experience with memorable hooks while still inducing the crashing sounds of hard guitar riffs and pounding drums. The experimental mastery of the quintet and their atmospheric approach is purely vivid, making this album a thrilling sensation. With “Birds”, the artists show off their explosive potential with a quick and energetic sound, proving their genre-defying style.
KATATONIA is one of a kind in a state of perpetual evolution. Significantly shaping the genre while still staying true to their own musical values, they orbit the musical universe – leaving their imprints on the scene. Projecting their sound to the endless realms, Sky Void of Stars shines bright in metal and beyond!
Sky Void of Stars track listing:
1 Austerity
2 Colossal Shade
3 Opaline
4 Birds
5 Drab Moon
6 Author
7 Impermanence (feat. Joel Ekelöf)
8 Sclera
9 Atrium
10 No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall
11 Absconder (Bonus Track)
Sky Void of Stars is now available for pre-order in the following configurations here:
Ltd. Deluxe Wooden Box (incl. Mediabook + Digipack Atmos Mix BluRay + Crow Pendant + Star Chart Artprint + Pin) – Napalm Records exclusive
Die Hard Edition 2LP Gatefold Ink Spot / FOREST GREEN (incl. Slipmat, Patch, 12 pages poster) – Napalm Records exclusive
2LP Gatefold DARK GREEN – Napalm Records exclusive
2LP Gatefold MARBLED TRANSPARENT/DARK GREEN – OMerch exclusive
UK rock band Empyre, who recently signed to Kscope, will release their new album Relentless on 31st March next year, with pre-orders available now at https://empyre.lnk.to/Relentless
They now find themselves alongside the likes of TesseracT, The Pineapple Thief and Envy of None, on a label that has previously released albums from Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree and Tangerine Dream.
‘Joining the Kscope family of artists feels like a validation of us as songwriters. We have a sense of reassurance, and we’re proud to be a part of it.’ states Empyre frontman Henrik Steenholdt.
Widely regarded as one of the hardest working bands of the past few years, Relentless was recorded between pandemic lockdowns and during their previous album’s (The Other Side) release cycle. Once again they encamped at Parlour Recording Studio, Kettering for recording with Neil Haynes, before handing mixing duties to Chris Clancy at Audioworks (Machine Head, Those Damn Crows, Massive Wagons) – who has magnified the band’s dark, emotional, rock sound with an elevated deep richness.
First single and album title track Relentless showcases Empyre’s work ethic and ethos, and musically, the hard rock track will resonate with listeners in their scene. “Relentless, at least in title, reflects Empyre and our level of dedication and ambition. Whilst the album as a whole is not pure hard rock, we felt the best way to introduce it would be with a striking and formidable title track, letting Relentless set the tone in terms of intensity”, the band add.
The single “Relentless” is out now and available on all major streaming platforms and is accompanied by a video directed by GLK Media:
‘We write arena rock and playing arena stages is something we aim for. I won’t be happy until I’m standing on that arena stage’, Henrik adds. With regular comparisons to the likes of Alter Bridge and Soundgarden mutated with Dire Straits and Muse, it’s clear that Empyre’s music was written with the big stage in mind.
Other tracks such as Waking Light and Hit And Run capture the band’s more commercial side, featuring a warm, enveloping sound, while Forget Me showcases the album’s emotive edge, as the haunting, delicate ballad builds to a euphoric ending, a song that would be at home on the arena stage.
Since their debut album Self Aware in 2019, Empyre have won Classic Rock Magazine’s “Track Of The Week” on three separate occasions alongside a ‘High Hopes’ feature, while Kerrang! described their sound as “slick, vast and like the music was written with the help of an architectural blueprint for an arena”.Planet Rock heralded the band as ‘Ones to Watch’, playlisting the tracks ‘New Republic’ (https://youtu.be/wfIH4uPMKIg ) and ‘My Bad’ and on the strength of the 2020 Winter’s End performance immediately booked them for the Planet Rockstock 2021 main stage.
Empyre have also been one of very few rock acts to be featured on ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris’ “Under The Apple Tree” Sessions.
Aside from their high aspirations and determination Empyre are also known for a darkly self-deprecating sense of humour and have proved they have what it takes to stand out from the crowd by delivering an engaging, if unsettling mix of melancholy, hope, and hopelessness, often within the same song.
Track listing:
1. Relentless [03:57]
2. Waking Light [04:36]
3. Parasites [05:18]
4. Cry Wolf [05:28]
5. Hit And Run [04:00]
6. Forget Me [05:48]
7. Silence Screaming [05:01]
8. Road To Nowhere [04:34]
9. Quiet Commotion [06:10]
10. Your Whole Life Slows [03:18]
Relentless will be released on the following formats, with additional bundles and items available exclusively through the Eyesore Merch band store – all are available to pre-order here https://empyre.lnk.to/Relentless
· Limited edition digipack CD version with an alternative cover, featuring 4 bonus tracks
· Limited edition red coloured vinyl LP
· CD
· LP
· Digitally
All pre-orders via the Eyesore Merch band store will receive a hand-signed photo and an exclusive free download of Empyre’s unreleased cover of the David Guetta & Sia track Titanium.
Items available bundled with the various formats include:
· Handwritten lyrics
· The album T-shirt
· A special limited edition Boxed version, designed and hand-treated by the band. Including two tickets for the unique opportunity to join the band at the album listening party event in advance of the album release, plus a USB stick with exclusive album content and more.
EMPYRE LIVE IN THE UK
Empyre are already a firm favourite on the UK live scene, and having had a busy summer playing festivals, the band have acoustic & headline shows and high-profile support tours lined up until the end of the year, including Vintage Caravan (25– 31st October) & Gun which features a show at the legendary Glasgow Barrowlands. The band add, “This tour has been a long time coming thanks to COVID meddling with its scheduling numerous times, but ultimately it couldn’t have finally landed at a better time for us. We’ve got a new record deal in place with Kscope, a new album just announced, and we’ve got the platform to play our tour audiences plenty of new music. We’re relishing the opportunity to get back on the road and play, especially with a great live band like The Vintage Caravan.”
