I feel like I am playing catch up here to be honest. ‘Do Not Disturb’ has been on my ‘to purchase’ list for a while but something always conspired to prevent me. I bought ‘Trisector’ the week it was released, like many in hope of a rebirth and a recharge of my passion for VDGG. I was disappointed, probably because expectation was too high, but I ashamedly did not rate it or give it the attention that VDGG’s music needs to have be appreciated.
Back to ‘Do Not Disturb’, though I have read other reviews of it long before I knew I was going to look at it from my critic’s perspective. I will try not to let the views of others seep into my piece but parallels will be drawn.
Messrs Hammill , Evans and Banton are past masters of Prog and Progression, ploughing their own furrow in a field of innovation and challenge. Peter Hammill famously being influential to the likes of Johnny Lydon and Fish, amongst others, in vocal style and lyrical content. They were the outsiders of the golden era of Prog even pushing the limits of rhythm and tone in an epic way.
The album comes out of the starting gate with a real shocker, Aloft, an ethereal and very open track that slowly bleeds into an urgent, intense examination of the avoidance of life by forever moving forward but never back. The fear that if you stop you will fall being the thematic key in this song, but fear not, the old intense rhythmic atonal VDGG kicks in from nowhere without missing a step, relieving any fear that they had given up on their identity.
Alfa Berlina comes straight from the past, Hugh Banton provides a silky Hammond backdrop that seems to speak of human frailty and what makes us human as a condition of the sum of our memories. I say seem as I am trying to interpret the lyrical content and I hesitate to second guess these guys. This is actually a sing-a-long VDGG with a discernible hook. A late 60s Psychedelia straight from the UFO club complete with oil slides, or maybe that’s just in my head?
Forever Falling is incredibly accessible with a chugging guitar riff carrying you along that could easily fit into an 80s King Crimson or Talking Heads bandwidth. It works because it’s not impersonation, it’s pure VDGG running with an idea to see what happens.
(Oh No! I must have said) Yes, What can I say about this track? It’s a high point and stood out on the first play through. This is classic VDGG and stands next to the classic tracks of old. I ask how the hell do you write the organised chaos and drag it back through a jazz feel and back through entropy to tease the listener? It has been mooted that this is an exercise in Evans et al doing a VDGG history through one song but I kind of hope that it’s more like they found a groove and followed it to its natural end.
Go, the closing track, is the guys going down the route of old school Krautrock and putting a different spin on it. It’s all atmosphere with a stillness all its own.
The album has tonnes of light and shade and isn’t mired in the past or shackled by it. It has very tight production and, as you would expect, the musicianship is off the chart. I don’t think I heard a bar of 4/4 rhythm from Guy Evans or, conversely, any contrived attempts to be clever. It crosses genres from jazz to progressive and onto electronic.
If this is the end of studio music for Van Der Graaf Generator,as has been inferred by the band, then it is a fitting album to end on. Unlucky thirteenth studio album? Well I don’t think so at all.
Orenda n. [aw-ren-duh]
1. A supernatural force believed by the Iroquois Indians to be present, in varying degrees, in all objects or persons, and to be the spiritual force by which human accomplishment is attained or accounted for.
“A dormant potential to create exists within all human beings. It unconsciously binds the species at large. Most people just never unlock it. With Our Arms To The Sun examine that precious and potent power on their 2016 full-length concept album, ‘Orenda’. Painting in hues of rock, alternative, and metal, their cinematic sound blankets a curious canvas of Arizona Desert, weaving together a sonic journey to self-actualization for the quartet – Josh Breckenridge (vocals, guitar), Joseph Leary (guitar, programming), Joseph Breckenridge (bass), and John McLucas (drums).”
“Orenda is that hidden power inside all of us,” says Josh. “The character in the album is discovering it. You can’t really transcend your own ego, shadow, or bullshit unless you make a connection with what whatever that obstacle is inside of you, eliminate it, and move past it. That’s what the new music is about.”
One of the great joys of writing about music is following an artist from their early beginnings, fumbling around, learning how to make their music better and more involving and seeing how they progress album on album.
I get a real buzz and satisfaction from seeing some of these artists mature into incredibly talented bands and individuals who create some of the most impressive music to be heard today.
One such band is Arizona’s With Our Arms To The Sun, a quartet who create cinematic experimental music from the middle of nowhere in the Arizona desert. I have been a long time fan and supporter from their first album and have become friends with main man and guitarist Josh Breckenridge, enabling me to get early previews of any new music.
In early 2016, the group retreated to Los Angeles with a batch of demos and began pre-production on what would become ‘Orenda’ with legendary the Melvins founder Buzz Osborne. Josh and his bandmates holed up in a rental house “in the middle of nowhere Arizona” to track the music. They emerged with the 10 songs the comprise the new album.
This powerful band create epic soundscapes through the use of instrumental music but new album ‘Orenda’ sees them take a step into the unknown by adding vocals to the music. Could this be a step too far from what they have become known for or a logical evolution that sees them move to the next level of their career?
The opening track Disdain – Why I Am opens with a suspenseful gusting of wind before a humoungous riff crashes the party and blows any cobwebs from your psyche. Joshes anguished screams outlines the protagonists frustration. There is a real torment in the earnest vocal that follows, punctuated by that ever present riff, big enough to move mountains. The clever touch is the way the whole song just puts the breaks on with some really chilled out, mystical feeling guitar and bass, almost meditative in its delivery. There is a real feeling that this band made the step up to the big leagues with the quality of this song and, for a man who is no fan of growling vocals, I feel they add rather than distract to the whole experience. A pretty impressive opening it must be said.
A quite eerie guitar opens Memory – The Drift and the vocals have a dreamlike quality to them as they gently tread on your mental synapses and lull you into a quiet sense of security. It doesn’t last long as another riff hewn from solid granite blows away the mirage with its intensity. The vocals are more like a rhythmic chanting and give an aura of native mysticism to the song before a raw scream emerges from the depths. The track rolls along like an unstoppable force of nature, punctuated by periods of calm and reflection, allowing you to get your breath back. The vocals begin again, ardent and impassioned, backed by the incredibly powerful rhythm section and the arcane blasts of Josh’s intense guitar work, incredibly compelling music that demands your attention.
After the huge walls of sound that comprised the first two tracks, the mellow and reflective tones of Doorway to Clarity are a complete contrast, like a two minute break to get yourself together and contemplate how much the band have grown and developed with their new sound. It is deliberately thoughtful and a really chilled out piece of music.
First track released from the album Macrocosm – Prometheus relates to the character realising that he’s a piece of something bigger. It opens with a laid back feel as it begins to build. The guitar is expressive in its minimalism, an impression of a wide open space is conveyed by the vocals and music, an infinite blackness punctuated only by the stars. Hold that thought as the guitar takes on a harder, aggressive edge and the vocals become more like a chant, the hypnotic effect of the guitar takes over your mind and you begin to lose yourself in the vagaries of the intricate music. This is quite a demonstrative song, there is meaning and subtle definition in the music and it builds into a really brilliant song that leaves you nodding your head in appreciation. I especially like the way the song settles and closes out with the understated guitar at the core.
(Picture credit Melina Dellamarggio)
There is a real pathos and wistful note to Doorway to Realization, an emotive track and another two minute hiatus of composure. It has touch of 80’s electronica to my mind with the elegantly haunting piano that echoes in your mind, backed by Josh’s stirring vocals.
Considered and deliberate, Apex – 100 Year Dream opens at a leisurely pace. The vocals are low down and full of meaning before that immediately recognisable guitar sound takes over with another sonic powerhouse of a riff. I’ve tried to stay away from the ‘T’ word with this review but I really do get the feeling that these guys are channelling their inner Tool on this album and I say that because I honestly believe that they deserve comparison with bands of that calibre. The incredibly intense instrumental section that follows really does blow your mind and Josh’s vocals take on an angry edge. The elaborate and sophisticated music moves between the all encompassing dark heavy parts and the freedom of the lighter sections to create something totally immersive.
A native chant opens The War – Light The Shadows and leaves you feeling like you are in the middle of a sci-fi movie. There is a subtle build up as the song progresses, the hushed vocals combining with the understated music to create an air of mystery. This erupts into an authoritarian mantra with a potent riff driving it on. The music stops and the dominant chant continues to great effect before the all-powerful music takes over, the drums a particular highlight. This is a commanding and influential track that really delivers on the promise and just takes a step back into calmness and composure to close out stylishly.
The third quiet oasis ‘doorway’ is Doorway to Ascension a delicate instrumental that overlays spoken word to leave you ruminating on the whole theory of existence and life, the universe and everything in an introspective fashion.
Regret – Sailing Stones at the start is like an oasis of serenity and calmness, gentle guitars, subtle drums and Josh’s softly delivered vocal but it is only temporary before it erupts into a dynamic track full of raw aggression, screaming guitars and belligerent vocals as if the weight of the world is on its back. These two polar opposites survive in a musical world of juxtaposition challenging you to take sides in an urgent conflict. Another imposing song that feels like a force of eternal nature.
And so it comes to an end, the closing song Homebound – March of the Trees has an aura of finality to it, the conclusion to a journey of self-discovery and one that we have been privileged to bear witness to. Once again, a low key opening belies what is to follow, the forces of nature lead in an evolving guitar note that has an edge of suspense to it, only added to by the measured drumbeat. Josh’s chanting vocal has a world weary feel to it before it becomes an anguished cry full of a pensive melancholy. The whole track opens up into a huge panorama of sound occasionally allowing itself to become pared back before the pained aggression returns. This terrific sonic assault on the senses eventually closes out leaving you open mouthed and numb.
This is heavy and experimental progressive music from artists who are nearing the height of there already impressive powers. They create songs that ebb and flow between the intensely dark and the incredibly light and it is utterly addictive. With Our Arms To The Sun are an elemental force of musical nature, unstoppable in its voracity and deserve to be mixing it with the big boys and, on the strength of this incredibly impressive new release, they will be supping at the top table very soon!
Due to be released April 2017
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I have to say this is the first band I have ever reviewed from New Zealand, with an intriguing name.
I had no preconceptions as I have not heard of Mice On Stilts previously so how would ‘Hope for a Mourning’ fare in my ears, will it stand above the general masses or will it wobble precariously and fall from the heights? What type of music will this six man collective from Auckland who have been together just over 4 years I believe, have to offer, the tags on their site seem to cover a varied scope of genres.
They line up as:
Guy Harrison – Piano/Trumpet
Tim Burrows – Bass/Producer
Rob Sanders – Drums
Sam Loveridge – Violin/Guitar
Charlie Isdale – Violin/Sax
Benjamin Morley – Guitars / Vocal
I have a healthy taste for sweet melancholia when the mood takes, as some of you may have deduced from previous reviews I have written for Progradar. I don’t usually find it depressing, on the contrary I can find it quite melodic, relaxing and sometimes uplifting. A release from the hustle and bustle of the working day as you drift on swathes of laid-back sometimes cheerless vocals partnering sombre echoing tunes, tenaciously resisting any temptation to increase tempo greatly and a master-class in masochistic restraint.
The haunting piano from Guy Harrison, ghost like around our aural receptors as mist across the grass, brushes the blades of our consciousness on first track Khandahlla, which just happens to be the name of a suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, located on hills overlooking Wellington Harbour. Its named after Khandela, which is in India and one of it’s meanings is ‘The resting place of God’, among a few other interpretations. Benjamin Morely’s plaintive vocals cling refreshingly to your skin. He has described this as “a happy song about happy things” and the swirling wisps of the other instruments and uplifting choir leave you wistfully cheerful.
Orca drifts through the waves of deviation, lapping at the shores of your mind as the first chorus leads to changes in style and an ambient passage floats out to return to the ripples of the chorus once more, only to lethargically swim away on an instrumental tide.
Acoustic guitar takes the fore on The Hours to carry the harmonising vocals on a bed of lighter piano keys in one of the less complicated tracks, with an ear-worm chorus.
There’s a darker tone to the jazz style piano on And We Saw His Needs Through The Casketgiving this track an eerie feel. The haunting vocals from the choir hang in the misty air as the guitar drifting through the damp avenues of this track unnervingly permeate your ears.
The spectral feel flows into Yhwh turning more wistful before heavier guitars and instrumentation crash in like a monster from the fog only to disappear just as suddenly, leaving sparse jittery sounds and solo guitar before it dramatically lurches back into view, roaring foetid notes in your face before swamping you and carrying you away into the darkness.
Calm returns in waves of piano and male/female duetting interspersed with Guy’s Trumpet on title track, Hope For A Mourning, seguing into a sober instrumental passage for the second half of the track.
I have to say the rhythm section from Tim and Rob add a gently disturbing current on which the rest of the instruments ride most ably, like a ferryman taking passage across an expanse of murky water, serenaded on parts of the journey by the violins and sax from Sam and Charlie.
Plucked acoustic guitar leads you to theFuneraland Benjamin’s stark, emotionally melancholic lyrics on what is probably the saddest song here, as the rest of the band’s mournful cortège pick up the harrowing procession.
It’s easy to feel the music at times is quite sparse, until you listen intently to discover the complexity of the darkly rapturous arrangements. Both vocals and instruments flit like brief visions at times, in a hall of despondently melodious mirrors, no more so than on the final song, Monarch. Saxophone slips between violins like serpents as they slither across the bleak body of this track in a chilling rapture of blackened souls.
You have to like this type of music, with scents of Nick Cave, Radiohead and the recently discovered Down The river Dead Men Go brought to mind. But if you do it is a beautiful melancholy in which to wallow and bide a little while, which I feel will stand the test of time.
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
― Steve Jobs
“The most complicated skill is to be simple.”
― Dejan Stojanovic
Imagine, if you will, a school of excellence for the mixing, mastering and production of music, Progwarts for the progressive music world maybe? (I’ll get my coat eh?), where engineers like the renowned Rob Aubrey, the revered Steven Wilson and the talented Daniel Bowles learned the dark arts and black magic that is stock in trade for such an establishment. I haven’t got a clue how they take the raw elements of music and wondrously turn them into the refined and polished product that us end users get to hear.
However, there is such a thing as an over-engineered piece of music and one where the engineer and/or recording artists just can’t help having that final tinker around to produce something with an almost unnatural sound.
So, taking things a step further, what if former star pupil John Bassett turned his back on the venerated establishment and went on a perilous journey into the deep, dark wilds of Ireland and recorded in a derelict Byre in County Sligo on December 29th 2016? Recorded in one take with three microphones, one for vocals, one for guitar and one for ambient sounds such as the birds nesting in the roof, the wind outside and the door continually creaking.
Well, you’d have ‘Live From The Byre’, the latest solo E.P. from this well respected English multi-instrumentalist and producer. It follows 2014’s full length ‘Unearth’ and the ‘Aperture’ E.P. released last year.
(Picture credit Tamsin Bassett)
The songs featured on this back-to-basics, pared back recording are:
1. Unearth (from John Bassett“Unearth”)
2. Nothing Sacred (from John Bassett“Unearth”)
3. Murder in a Small Town (from KingBathmat“Blue Sea, Black Heart”)
4. Brand New Crucifix (this song is about 20 years old and I don’t think its ever been available anywhere?)
John had this to say his latest recording:
“I hope you enjoy this release, I’ve always wanted to create something that has an intimate atmosphere and was created spontaneously, and this certainly wasn’t what I had planned on doing.”
Unearth opens with a really moody feel, subdued guitar and John’s hesitant, pared back vocal to give a really intimate atmosphere to the song. I can imagine myself in the byre listening to this earnest musician recording this track live. It may be a simple set up but that doesn’t mean you get less from the music. There are plenty of nuances and empty spaces for the sound to fill. It is almost edge-of-seat stuff, quite intense in the way it leaves you nervously apprehensive as the guitar builds up to quite a powerful close to the song. A dynamic track that proves less can always be more…
There is a jaunty repose to the opening of Nothing Sacred as the guitar strums along nicely and the vocals have a halting edge to them. The song builds up to the chorus, the guitar increasing pace and John’s voice becoming more influential. I listened to this song with headphones on for the first time and I really got the impression of being in an intimate acoustic gig in some small basement club somewhere, time and life forgotten in the moment. That is the essence of this E.P., it is music you can lose yourself in and gets right to the basics of why we listen to it in the first place.
Murder In A Small Town takes on a more melancholy note, a wistful sorrow in the vocals and the delicate guitar tone. This is a tale of sorrow and woe and has that almost pensive folk like feel to it. Stories from the backwoods brought to life by the brilliant musician in front of you. To my ears, the most pared back of all four of the songs and yet there is a real substance to it as John gives his heart and soul to the music. It is quite spellbinding in its own way and left me transfixed as it came to its sombre close.
There is a touch of old style 50’s Rock & Roll at the heart of Brand New Crucifix with the subdued guitar playing and its really deep resonance and John’s stylishly restrained vocal delivery. This could have been a Johnny Cash song in his heyday and it really resonates with its restrained and controlled feeling of fury. There is an increase in tempo towards the end, an intense and turbulent finish to the song that leaves you almost breathless.
Now I’ve been a fan of John Bassett through KingBathmat,Arcade Messiah and all his solo work and his incredible ‘Wall Of Sound’ has always blown me away but here he really shows that you can strip things all the way back to basics and deliver music that is true to his heart and soul and has a purity that you just won’t find anywhere else. Everybody should listen to this E.P. at least once and remember what music really is all about, this is a Brexit that actually did work.
“Look around you. Everything changes. Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing…changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Yes, everything changes but, in music, sometimes that change either takes what seems like a lifetime or never happens at all. Some of the more established acts could be said to have congealed into their final selves. To be fair, they can often still produce great music but you always know what to expect and that means no more surprises and I for one like a few surprises in my musical journeys.
Tim Bowness has admitted to me himself that he does have a signature sound and it is one that can be heard as the foundation on his previous three solo releases ‘My Hotel Year’ (2004), ‘Abandoned Dancehall Dreams’ (2014) and 2015’s ‘Stupid Things That Mean The World’. 2017 sees him return with a new album, ‘Lost In The Ghost Light’, and a new approach.
Here’s Tim’s thoughts:
“This new album, in some ways, it is quite a departure. There are lots of flutes on it and due to the nature of ‘the concept’, it’s definitely the most traditionally Progressive album I’ve made. It was very much a labour of love and like you say, it ‘felt’like a Tim Bowness album while taking the music into some uncharted places (for me).”
‘Lost In The Ghost Light’ is a concept album revolving around the onstage and backstage reflections of a fictional ‘classic’ Rock musician in the twilight of his career. It is a grand statement about a grand era of music making and an undoubted highlight of Bowness’s career.
Lyrically, the album addresses how the era of streaming and ageing audiences affects creativity, how a life devoted to music impacts on real / family life, and how idealistic beginnings can become compromised by complacency and the fear of being replaced by younger, more vital artists.
Though firmly focused on Bowness’s distinctive voice and musical approach, the album also draws inspiration from the period the concept covers and contains a notable 1970s Symphonic/Progressive Rock influence.
Mixed and mastered by Bowness’s No-Man partner Steven Wilson, ‘Lost In The Ghost Light’ uses a core band comprising Stephen Bennett, Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), Hux Nettermalm (Paatos) and Andrew Booker (Sanguine Hum), as well as guests including Kit Watkins (Happy The Man/Camel), Steve Bingham (No-Man) and the legendary Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull). Andrew Keeling (Robert Fripp/Hilliard Ensemble/Evelyn Glennie) arranges for string quartet and flute on three of the album’s
songs.
Jarrod Gosling (I Monster / Cobalt Chapel) provides the fantastically detailed artwork, which includes a visual history of the career of the concept’s subject. Mixed and mastered by Steven Wilson, the special cd/dvd edition also features a 5.1 mix by Bruce Soord.
Tim certainly knows how to start things off with a bang. Opener Worlds Of Yesterday is hypnotic, immersive and mesmerising from the first note, a song that draws you into its soporific embrace to deliver its undoubted charms. The gentle background music has a plaintive guitar note overlaid before Tim’s distinctive vocals begin. His voice is calming and spell-binding at the same time and the beautiful strings that back the chorus work in perfect harmony. The music is full of refined grace and yet the probing guitar that you can hear throughout gives it a questing edge as well. The sedate, ambling keyboards are a delight and the flute just adds another layer of undoubted class, You just have to listen to the run out of this elegant track, it is a brilliant way to close out a song. One for late nights, lights turned down low and something full bodied and red to drink…
Moonshot Manchild opens with a laconic feel, typical Tim Bowness, all laid back vocals and subdued music that gets under your skin in an addictive fashion. There’s a subtle incisiveness running underneath though as the mellow and unhurried music washer over you. Classic 70’s keyboards give a real feeling of wistful nostalgia and a melancholy undertone to the ongoing tale. Tim’s voice has never sounded so good and he really has one of the most serenely relaxed vocal deliveries around. There’s a great keyboard interlude in the middle of the track, pensive and thoughtful asking you to reflect for a moment before the song blossoms out again with a wonderfully carefree and composed instrumental section. Once again we are treated to another impressive lead out, something that seems to be coming stock in trade for this great musician, it ebbs and flows brilliantly, demanding you follow it right to the end of the musical journey.
Wow! The next track is a real departure for Tim. All full of angst and pent up rage, Kill The Pain That’s Killing You opens with frantic drum beat and a caustic guitar riff. There’s a real nervous energy about this song, a pleading uneasiness that has a real catchy note to it. Tim’s vocal seems more direct and urgent and that acerbic guitar note really does make you sit up and take notice. The staccato chorus only adds to the offbeat tone, this is something very different and enjoyably so and, coming in at under four minutes, this frenetic song never outstays its welcome.
After that unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable onslaught,Nowhere Good To Go sees us return to the refined, simple grace of the first two tracks but there is definitely something evolved about Tim’s sound on this album. Soothing and tranquil, the music seems to lull you into a becalmed state and then open up into something just a little different with the dulcet tones of a Hammond organ combining with the strings to add subtle sophistication to what is already quite an imposing sound. Again the vocals are delivered with silken finesse and the ethereal flute adds a winsome feeling to this lissome song.
There is one of the best openings to any recent progressive song on You’ll Be The Silence. All pastoral with a lovely piano sound and the delicate heavenly flute, it really did impress me on first listen and left me transfixed with its rarefied quality. Tim’s voice has a little catch to it, an almost sentimental regret at the heart of it and it gives the song a dreamlike atmosphere when combined with the simple charms of the wistful music. The longest track on the album at nine minutes long, you are enraptured throughout this unapologetically sentimental and yet slightly rueful piece of music. You have to take the time to listen to this song (and, indeed, the whole album) with a decent pair of headphones on and just become immersed in its spellbinding orchestral reverence. Music as good as this can take you to a place of calm reflection, where the world cannot harm you and everyone needs that now and again, an utterly captivating song that ends every bit as brilliantly as it begins, the guitar and flute leading you on a seductive voyage home…
Lost In The Ghost Light is quite a dark interlude with a menacing undertone. Tim delivers his vocal in a spoken word fashion and that adds even more suspense and uncertainty. The music is atmospheric and bleeds tension directly into your system.
That slight feeling of doubt can be felt at the start of You Wanted To Be Seen and adds to a cautionary tone to deliver a deliberately pensive and sombre tone to the song. Tim’s vocal is thoughtful and sad and the music has a plaintive and pensive edge to it. The violin that can be heard in the background is a fine touch and adds a longing, surreal edge to the track before things change tack with a restless and skittish air that adds tension and a disquieting unease. Another great song that has an imposing end with some great guitar playing.
Onto the final track of the album, Distant Summers, a mournful violin opens this mellow and cultured song and imbues it with a really plaintive plea for days gone by, Sepia tinged nostalgia drips from every wistful note and the exquisite flute playing is tempered by a trite ennui. The vocals have a touch of anguish at the core of them and the whole song has a fragile dignity deep at its core, one that is made up of beauty and remorse in equal quantities. Despite the forlorn mood that runs throughout the song, I still feel that there is hope emanating from Tim’s expressive voice and that is the overriding feeling that I will take away with me.
I’ve always been a fan of Tim Bowness and this new album has only exacerbated that. He has added something different and distinct to his music to evolve and progress it to something that, while recognisable as his work, has seen him mature into one of the best and most involving progressive artists that we have. There are added layers and nuances that just lift this album above similar fare on offer at the moment and I can see this being on my playlist for a long time to come.
Last Flight To Pluto makes a grand entrance onto the prog scene with their debut album, ‘See You At The End’. Their energy is brash, raw, and engaging across six tracks and an hour of music—a deft alchemy of late 70’s Rush and late 90’s Massive Attack in roughly 65-35 ratio. Band leaders Alice Freya (lead vocals, guitar) and Daz Joseph (drums, vocals) put in years on the cover band circuit, while young lead guitarist Jack’o McGinty must have studied ‘A Farewell To Kings’ from birth to channel Alex Lifeson’s riffs and solos so naturally. The result is that this band, while young as a unit, are experienced, confident, and very tight.
The opening track, Heavy Situation, features many of the elements to which the band will return throughout the song sequence: doubled lead vocals, moody grooves w/electronic accents, classic-rock-power-trio athleticism, and programming-heavy dance-hall loops, all of it slightly tinged with the blues. The vocals are of immediate interest; a bit alt-rock and a bit bluesy, Gin Wigmore and Janis Joplin may serve as points of reference but even for a female prog vocalist, Alice Freya is a unique and multifarious singer.
While the album holds together well as a piece, House By A Lake is a clear standout and one of those ‘worth the price of admission alone’ kind of songs. Lyrically, the track centers on a carpe diem sort of theme, but the “She” who will “try to find me, to whisper in my mind” remains unidentified. As with Genesis’ The Lady Lies, this gives an otherwise straightforward metaphor a bit of a mysterious-fantasy feel. Musically, Last Flight To Pluto covers a lot of ground here, as they do throughout the album, but the composition is tighter and the transitions between sections more dynamic. If the verses and interludes are intriguing with their mix of bright piano, acoustic guitar, jazzy bass, and percussive accents, the chorus is absolutely arresting—and it just gets more explosive with every return. The song climaxes with a soul-shaking vocal from Freya and a fiery guitar solo from McGinty that goes beyond mere influence to actually rival Lifeson’s power and technique. I’d love to hear this performed live, to see whether an audience can manage to cheer through their dropped jaws. House By A Lake is the kind of song that the Prog Awards ‘Anthem’ category exists to honour.
Another highlight immediately follows; for those who want their progressive music to progress rather than retread, Red Pill demands attention. There are interesting bits of programming, keys, synths, and loops throughout the album, but this one wears its Massive Attack influence (and a bit of The Gathering, perhaps) on both sleeves. Opening with a bit of wah-wah and strange vocal FX that morph into a big, sticky beat and gang vocals, the track takes a bold left-turn into a middle section featuring a heavily effected and distorted rap. The result is more cool energy than cheese, but those who can’t dig it will surely enjoy the next left turn into a 1975’s Pink Floyd groove and guitar solo, or the left turn after that into stabbing synths and a menacing horror film voice-over.
The second half of ‘See You At The End’ continues in the eclectic direction of the first. On Lots of Swords, the level of cribbing from The Police distracts in places, but Freya’s emotive vocals give the verses a lift, and there’s a splendid interlude with frenetic bass and some trading off between a dualled guitar lead and a synth solo. Seven Mothersbegins with a more acoustic meditation on humans’ disrespect for our Mother Earth, and centers on a truly beautiful lead vocal. The song builds with some organ and soulful guitar lead, returns to the chorus, then switches gears for some upbeat drums & keys programming and another guitar solo. ‘See You At The End’ signs off with Now Boarding, which features big ‘Hemispheres’ guitars and synths, a killer drum solo early in the track, then a more anthemic groove with some stratospheric vocals from Freya and another extended, David Gilmour-esque guitar solo.
While far from perfect—the production is a point of contention, being rather ‘garagey’ and frequently holding Joseph’s stellar drumming too far back in the mix—‘See You At The End’ is an impressive debut that should have received more attention by now. Given the energy and musical prowess on display here, Last Flight To Pluto is clearly a ‘must-see’ live act, and they show a lot of promise as composers. Thankfully, there’s a follow-up album in the works for Spring 2017, so give the debut a good spin now so you can say you were ‘in the know’ before they break big later this year.
Those of you who have read my reviews will know that I like to drop in the odd quote or two so it will be of no surprise to you that I have found a couple that really relate to my feelings for the wonderful Mark R Healy‘s Hibernal project’s latest release ‘The Dark Of The City’.
“Storytellers are individuals who enjoy creating a holiday for the mind.”
― Linda Daly
The above quote really fits Mark perfectly, his utterly mesmerising and perfectly crafted series of musical graphic novels take you on a futuristic journey into his carefully constructed futuristic and sometimes post-apocalyptical worlds. You find yourself completely immersed in these sci-fi stories that combine with instrumental music to tell a compelling storyline that unfolds throughout the course of the album.
“Storytellers are the most powerful people on earth. They might not be the best paid– but they are the most powerful. Storytellers have the power to move the human heart– and there is no greater power on earth.”
― Laurie H. Hutzler
It goes without saying that stories give you the power to leave the everyday behind and use your own imagination to perceive the author’s intent. I always find myself amazed beguiled and enthralled after listening to any of Mark’s complex and fascinating releases.
Mark R Healy is an author and musician from Brisbane, Australia. From an early age he loved to create, and often assembled his own illustrated books with accompanying stories – and then forced his parents to buy them.
Unfortunately this model was not scalable and Mark now seeks to promote his works to a wider audience.
Mark has also combined his storytelling prowess with music, creating a project called Hibernal through which he interweaves original sci-fi stories with his own music to create an immersive theatrical experience for the listener. Combined with a professional voice cast and sound effects, these “audio movies” are ‘The Machine’ (2013), ‘Replacements’ (2014), ‘After The Winter’ (2015) and ‘The Dark Of The City’, to be released January 12th 2017.
‘The Dark Of The City’ is based around the story of a cop who undertakes a relentless search for the creature that killed her partner.
Hibernal is: Mark Healy Rowan Salt
Script by Mark Healy. Edited by Rowan Salt.
Cast: Faleena Hopkins – Moreno Scott Gentle – Trask
The opening title track, The Dark Of The City, has that dark dystopian ambience that we have come to expect from Hibernal and sets the scene perfectly with its understated sci-fi feel. As you’d expect from an ‘audio-movie’ the characters introduce the story within the voice over of the song and Faleena Hopkins is perfect as the heroine of the piece Moreno. The music bubbles under in the background as Moreno tells the tale of the cops hunting the monstrous creatures called ‘Necros’ and, in particular, the one that killed her partner.
You have to listen to this release in one hit, in a dark room with no distractions and preferably with headphones on! The instrumental sections immediately bring to mind the worlds Mark has created previously for ‘Replacements’ and ‘After The Winter’ and are a little different to what he served up on Hibernal‘s debut ‘The Machine’. The brooding guitar playing and pensive rhythm is almost like Nine Inch Nails but without the brutality and gives an apprehensive tone to everything. Atmospheric, it seems to expand to fill the space around your ears and envelops your whole being in an involving wall of sound.
The story continues with Night In Carson Bay as Moreno once again paints a picture of the scene. The music has a real hypnotic quality to it, Mark’s keyboard playing is elusive and yet mesmerising at the same time and then the somnolent guitar note leads you on. Deliberate and narcotic, the track continues to pervade your psyche and you find yourself immersed even more into the mood. The voice-over describes an underworld of any possibilities as our protagonist continues to search. You feel her every emotion as she battles her inner demons and the music takes on an angrier, demanding edge to mirror this.
Target 247 opens with a instrumental section that is as cinematic as they come and, to my ears, almost has a Sci-fi Western feel to it, the bass playing is phenomenal and really steals the show. I’ve always been impressed by Mark’s musicianship but he really seems to have extended himself even further on the new album and become even more accomplished. At this point, headphones on, I have become lost in the music when Moreno’s voice chimes in, introducing her partner Trask (voiced by the excellent Scott Gentle). There is an uneasiness between the two partners and Scott plays Trask as a gravel voiced old pro who you feel has seen it all before. Moreno’s obsession comes to the fore again, there is only one target she is after and the song closes with really edgy industrial guitar riff of immense proportions.
A low undertone opens up into a determined instrumental at the opening of How It Ended as the story continues and Moreno describes their actions. That dystopian feel hits home harder than ever as the partners talk and reveal their past chequered history. There’s a harsher guitar note playing out behind the vibrant drums, keys and bass giving a discordant overtone, perhaps matching the atmosphere between Moreno and Trask. Their quarry seems to be eluding them, intelligently hiding from any of Moreno’s tracking techniques as they move deeper into the dark underbelly of the futuristic society.
The atmosphere is charged even more at the opening of Black Blood, apprehensive and anxious as Moreno and Trask venture even deeper in to the dark underworld where the freaks and criminals hide away and go about their nefarious business. We learn more about the ‘Necros’ and what they could possibly be as the dialogue interplays between the two. The dark and introspective music gives the scene a really melancholy aura and keeps you on edge.
The sounds of waves washing up and a fog horn are the opening to The Pier and a feeling of calm initially pervades everything personified by the music. Lighter and more upbeat and is it washes over everything, the stylish drums a highlight. An edgy, funky riff gives a serious tone before the voice-over continues, have our duo finally found their quarry? A Pink Floyd sounding guitar takes up the narrative itself, full of style and character, is the net finally closing in on the prize?
A hushed tone is heard as Sand sees Morenobeneath the pier as the chase continues.You are totally on edge, wondering what is going to happen next as she talks us through her motions, what’s that in the shadows? The music gets tense, restless and skittish, the riff staccato and ill-at-ease, what is happening? You can’t help but feel excitable and, your nerves on edge, mirroring the guitar and drums. There is a confrontation, is Moreno okay, has she been shot? She fires back, her prey is down but is that the end? The track close with a funky, stylish soundtrack, almost triumphant in tone.
Loose Ends, what has occurred?Traskarrives on the scene amid utter confusion, who has been shot? Who is the monster? Oh my god, the twist in the tale is utterly brilliant and convincing and you sit open-mouthed as the rest of the story unfolds and we segue into Monster. The storytelling brilliance of Mark Healy left you toally open to that unexpected turn in the story. I’m not going to spoil it for you, honestly buy the album and enjoy that heart-in-the-mouth moment yourself. The rest of the track closes the story perfectly with the voice-over underpinned by poignant and reflective music full of emotion, some of the best music Mark has produced yet, mature, intelligent and it hits home perfectly with the unforeseen ending to the scene…
The story finally unfolds with the final track Survival, an astute monologue delivered to the rapt listener, still a little in shock from the outcome that was so unanticipated. You hang on every word, just as you would watching the final scene of a brilliant movie you’ve seen at the cinema. The music then takes over melancholy, mournful and a little disconsolate, I felt it in my own heart, a lament for an unknown future with little hope, wistful and forlorn.
I have never made it a secret that I am a fan of Mark Healy, not just his Hibernal project but also his sci-fi novels. His inventive and innovative mind never fails to surprise me to deliver an utterly immersive and vivid world which he fills with his utterly credible, world-weary characters and delivers deeply engaging and fascinating stories that draw you in completely. With ‘The Dark Of The City’ he has surpassed the previous wonderful ‘audio-movies’ and given us his best work yet, the way the story unfolds is real genius and I can’t wait to see what this ever imaginative and creative artist will come up with next.
I have no idea at all how Bristol instrumental band, The Brackish have slipped through my radar considering I live in Bristol and have been to a fair few alternative and prog gigs here, considering they’ve been plying their trade since 2013, and I’ve been back since 2014 you’d have thought I’d have found them by now.
Still, I have, and as usual it’s chief Elephant David Elliot who, when not pestering Tom Slatter for an album, is out their finding new bands for us to enjoy.
He puts the miles in so we don’t have too, reward yourself with a curry for this one David, you’ve earned it!
This, ‘Liquid of Choice’ is their 2nd album, their debut for BEM and their follow up to 2014’s ‘Big Guys’.
With a wide spectrum of releases this year, it seems only appropriate that from the home of The Fierce and the Dead comes an all instrumental guitar driven album, powered by the duelling guitar work of Luke Cawthra and Neil Smith and driven by Matt Jones on drums and Jacob Myles Tyghe on bass.
Running the gamut from psychedelic rock to the blues to elements of King Crimson, their sound is fresh, funky and powerful.
From the opening title track with it’s mix of funky riffs and languid guitar work, the intricate wall of sound that is The Brackish calling card is deployed to great effect, the way the duel guitars work in tandem particularly during the quieter passages brings bands like Wishbone Ash to mind, whilst the drum and bass anchor the music, allowing the guitars to fly.
Picture courtesy of Ed Sprake Phtography.
There is a lot of skill and ability here, and whilst it’s very easy to make an instrumental album, it’s also very easy for people to dismiss instrumental music as nothing more than wallpaper (as I’ve said before and will no doubt say again!) but when it’s done well, as it is here then it’s a joy to behold.
Making music is like a sonic jigsaw, if the pieces don’t fit it doesn’t work, here however is sheer musical bliss, the diverse sounds and mood changes in Loggins Breakdown for instance is worth 11 minutes of anyone’s time, and if you disagree you I’ll set Tom Slatter on you!
Their mix of light and dark is sublime, as is their use of funk, particularly on the toe tapping Something Negative on the Dancefloor (maybe they’ve seen me dancing) and here the bass is adding to the sound, making it a third guitar.
Cactus Gulch and the Hellish Walk Home is 12 minutes of sheer brilliance, from the title to the driving riffs and time changes, it feels like a musical journey and one you want to join them on, the interplay between all four of them is amazing and you can tell they know exactly where their sound needs to be at any one time, and it’s wonderful to hear such musical empathy.
Their sound is unique, and this finely crafted and sublimely performed album is another musical string to the Bad Elephant bow, my new Years Resolution is to see The Brackish live in Bristol, and I urge you all to do the same.
Another reason to thank the late great Geoff Banks is for his recommendation of Pain Of Salvation, ‘Remedy Lane‘ was my first introduction to them. When I was given the opportunity to review the new release, I bit Martin’s hands off.
On the first play through I was unsure, to be truthful it felt like Daniel Gildenlow was grasping for something with this album. I was hoping for another ‘Salt Road’ I suppose but then I read the press pack and realised that this is an album of recovery and loss. Looking at it through that prism, the album is deeply personal and reflects what I recognise as Daniel voicing his recent history, one of a near fatal illness and the slow recovery to full strength and vigour.
The album is full of light, shade and some very dark music with all you would expect from PoS, the heavy riffs, thundering drums; the sonic assaults all there in abundance.
There is also a goodly amount of experimentation, subtlety and sensitivity in there too. The album kicks off with “On A Tuesday”, this is a full on classic PoS track coming in at 10 minutes plus with a metallic introduction coming at the listener like a supercharged tank then dropping off into in almost acoustic piano synth combination and, at times, I can hear an Arthur Brown like quality to Daniel’s voice.
“Full Throttle Tribe” Instantly hits you more than any other track. The riff from the keys becomes the refrain that runs through the whole track. Here we have a song relating to the need to belong and have some kind of person or people to call your own. It hammers home only relenting occasionally for breaths of reflective stillness before ripping back into chaotic riffology. Then it vanishes to the electronic pings of hospital machinery and ends in an industrial dark melee.
“Angels Of Broken Things” is as near as this album has to a pop song. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t Justin Bieber territory but it is accessible and has a tension building bass line that drags you along seeking release when the spring is close to breaking. If Pink Floyd were young and still around this would their “One Of These Days”. It’s an ode to the angels on the wards and nod of thank you to them.
The Title track “The Passing Light Of Day” is a 15 minute epic that starts with pipe organ keyboards as if from a 60s BBC Children’s Programme then goes into an aching beautiful track describing loss, redemption and recovery. From the sound of the fingers sliding up and down the guitar strings to the plaintiff voice pleading against the inevitabilities of life you ache throughout the whole track. The band are restrained on this track and it shows their understanding of space and its importance in music.
This is not an album where you will instantly fall in love with whether you have been desperate for a new PoS album or not. It is worthy of the name of a good album. A classic? That is not for me to judge but it definitely is worth listening to if you like Progressive Music on the harder side. I’d say it will stand out in the genre in 2017. If you like Dream Theater or their ilk go here if you already haven’t done so. If you want to dip your toe in the water this may be a good introduction to this aspect of the genre. There is also a vinyl deluxe version for the collector and completists out there.
The album is littered with some great music and is a rebirth of the band as a force to be reckoned with. Worth the wait? I believe so.
Everyone has an opinion. Either carefully constructed after reading up, researching and questioning all and sundry, or shot from the hip in nanoseconds without further thought of the ramifications of the snowball as it grows.
Neal Morse. Opinions on him are as many and verbose as is his output. Unlike his output, they are binary : either the “God” thing does it for you or it doesn’t..
Well I’m not going anywhere with that construct. I’m going to review the music. And there’s a lot of it on this album. ‘The Similitude Of A Dream’ is 2 CDs worth.
I was lucky enough to get a pre release mp3 file and listened with a view to scribbling a couple of pithy one liners about style over substance, myth or mistake etc, but then the hooks in the piece caught me.
Dragged me back into the musical world of Morse and his musical fellow travellers – Mike Portnoy, Eric Gillette ( fab guitar work here) the bass of Randy George, a fine partner in crime for the much maligned Portnoy and Bill Hubauer provides keyboards to a fine standard.
A world class band of brothers who ooze musical chops at every point, but in an understated manner.
I described the album to a friend as “A Musical symphony without the W****y ELP bits.
It has a theme that runs through and it matters not that this theme is based on a 17th Century fable. It’s as relevant as dragons, small furry creatures or starships when it comes to telling a tale.
If you loved ‘Snow’, a high-water mark in Spock’s Beard back catalogue as far as I was concerned, are familiar with Transatlantic’s epic widescreen albums and like a good melody , then this album will float your boat and tick all the boxes.
It’s epic in sound as well, great instrumentation link the themes as they get expanded and revisited across the 2 discs.
The similarity to ‘Snow’ is that once again, we have a protagonist who feels separated from all around, and sets out on a voyage of exploration.. I think? Or it’s a bad trip brought on by the dodgy narcotics offered to him in” Draw the Line”
Oops, got distracted listening again….
Where was I? Oh yes. In a (wisely) unpublished review of Dream Theater’s ‘The Astonishing’, I made reference to ALW doing prog or DT doing musical theatre, with the results as horrible as expected.
This is the opposite, an album that is a musical in a direct, song based way, no dodgy narrative clunkers or strange interludes here, just a collection of songs that fit thematically and musically. Oh – apparently it’s referred to as a Concept album.
People like musical hooks to hang things on, for this, dust off the Genesis“Trick of the Tail” hook for the vibe in “The Ways of a Fool”. Add in Queen too for these are the first vocal harmonies to elicit them since Jellyfish popped up in the 90’s.
Then there are some very Beatles approved strings , a flash of Banksian keyboard prowess and some very Queen guitar before those harmonies kick in again. This track is rapidly becoming a firm favourite here.
The first CD builds to the climax of “Breath Of Angels”, which is the most overtly religious track , hardly surprising when you listen to the lyric, but the angel voices in harmony layered behind Neal as he exhorts us to the City Of Light… A New Jerusalem anyone?
CD 2 doesn’t let go either. Unlike my CD player which refused to give up CD 2 3 times… is this a sign?
Anyway, we rock off at full speed with a keyboard flurry that Jon Lord would be proud of in “Slave to Your Mind”, then we have an appearance of a saxophone in “Shortcut To Salvation”, a west coast vibe to this one, a vocal tour de force from Mr M.
Nice piano too.
This album is shaping up to be a contender for best of the year lists…
Then the crash out with their inner Zeppelin with the monster riff of “The Man In The Iron Cage”, it might be a Zeppelin riff ,but the vocals are pure Morse – no pastiche of Percy Plant here, Neal has a very individual voice and it makes him stand out in an army of clone vocalists raised to believe that karaoke is the way to sing.
Big keyboards again: Purple Zeppelin .This is joy to my old ears. The guitar solo slides in, all flash and stylish restraint, linking to a gentle vocal and acoustic piece about God and faith and breaking out of self inflicted limitations – all very new age, but remember this is based on a 17th century tome, so new age is as fresh today as it ever was… Before the band crash back in with the hook laden choruses. If I was a singer, I’d be singing along… and rocking out with my air guitar, Gibson Les Paul of course.
The Neal Morse Band have a way with a tune, they sprinkle their own stardust on the tunes here. Thematically linked to the story, the songs follow the narration or rather are the narration as there’s no cod theatrical voice over needed. Listening again, it’s the natural flow of the words and harmonies that impress.
Not only have they got me contemplating life’s metaphysical journey and the pitfalls therein, they’ve also got me wanting to read the words to better follow the twists and turns they guide us through.
CD2 builds from the charging stomp of ‘Iron Mask’ to a contemplative piece with fretless bass and strings, a mellow little piece called “Sloth” which leads into one of those “Oh So Neal” songs – all campfire acoustic guitars and sing along tune a pleasant reminder of “Wind At My Back” from ‘Snow’, here titled “Freedom Song”.
The clever use of the upbeat music to convey the joy of the protagonist unburdening himself of the burdens stopping him is simple and effective.
You get the old time gospel hoe down distilled into a song full of hope and optimism.
Appalachian mountain Prog anyone?
We then get the big finale. The crowd are warmed up by “The Freedom Song” / “I’m Running”, featuring some fabulous bass dexterity and a nod to Phil Collins big band tub thumping full spectrum production with the kitchen sink relegated to 3rd sax…
Another gentle nod to Genesis and Bank’s contribution in the piano intro to “The Mask”which veneers on the pastiche such that I was expecting Romeo to lock up his basement flat and join the journeyman…
This nasty little voice in my head is playing spot the Genesis reference now. “Confrontation” intro had me thinking ‘Eleventh Earl of Mar’, don’t know why as couldn’t hum it to win a pint, so where that popped up is anyone’s guess.
Most Un- Abacabish is the instrumental breakdown which sounds like the you tube cat got not only the Theremin but the rest of the instruments too.
‘Back to the City of Destruction’ qualifies as the most depressing hook line to any song ever, but the Deep Purple Hammond flurry after it erases such piffling triviality to a foot note.
We are into big bold grand piano chords and time changes now, classic “American” Prog where technical flash breaks free from pious restraint and madness ensues as they fight over the direction of the piece, aptly called “The Battle”,the piano and keyboard here are fantastic, a bit ELP in bombast in places, a bit Benny Hill in others (listen – you’ll know what I mean).
Sadly it means rather than the cataclysmic battle of Armageddon, it comes over more Ernie the fastest milkman for me, but it’s a small price to pay for the joy of the piece.
The climax, “Broken Sky / Long day“, delivers everything you want for the finale.
Heartfelt vocals over subdued instruments that builds , you can tell that the end (of the song) is coming, and your heart lifts as the song unfolds it’s wings, shakes them free and prepares to soar.
And soar it does with a lovely keyboard flurry and full Morse the Evangelist vocals, with a guitar part that didn’t trigger Genesis associations …
No it’s doesn’t sound like comfortably numb….
Sorry, that little cynical voice appeared again. Ignore itt. The most iconic of guitar solos will obviously echo through space and time…
Better that than the Jonas Brother‘s attempt…
The sums of the parts with this piece greatly outweigh a few “borrows” here and there.
I loved it and I’m neither A born again American or An American Born Again.
The production, songs, package and playing on this are all woven together to create a modern classic, for once the praise surrounding this project undersells it, it is that good.
