Reviews – Page 77

Review – Matt Stevens – Archive – by Leo Trimming

A few years ago an unlikely hero entered the rock music scene. Like some sort of Rock ‘El Mariachi’ Matt Stevens rode into town armed only with a guitar, a few effects pedals and most importantly a prodigious talent and imagination. ‘Have guitar, will travel’ was his trademark, travelling right across the country willing to play any club, pub and venue, supporting any and everyone. Unbounded by any labels and by any notions of conforming to musical norms Matt Stevens’ music crossed many boundaries, but did not seem to fit any – just the way he liked it.

Roaming the musical hinterlands he was free to take his own path. Occassionally, venue’s saloon doors would swing open and in would step the silhouette of a musical man mountain maestro with a guitar slung around his neck, here to take on all challengers with fast fingers, exciting music and engaging charm. Venue after venue and crowd after crowd succumbed to his talent, won over by his talent, enthusiasm and his unquenchable thirst just to perform.

Well now, Matt ‘Mariachi’ Stevens is stepping back from his solo guitar days, having formed his own posse called ‘The Fierce and the Dead’ within which to express his impressive musical skills and imagination. ‘The Fierce and the Dead’ have been burning their own distinctive and unconventional path through modern music, turning up at contrasting music festivals such as ‘Summers End’ and ‘Arc Tangent’ and uncompromisingly blasting and riffing their way through the crowds, a few scattering to the bar but burning in to the hearts of many other unsuspecting punters.

(Photo copyright the Chaos Engineers)

To mark his current ‘retirement’ from solo performing Matt Stevens is releasing ‘Archive’ on Bad Elephant Music. (Of course, it’s on Bad Elephant Music – a remarkably diverse label which specialises in an increasingly diverse range of unusual, quirky, uncompromising and high quality recordings.)

This set is NOT a retrospective drawn from Matt Stevens’ already released albums, ‘Echo’, ‘Ghost’ and ‘Relic’… that would have been too easy for this artist, who wanted to share a document of his live solo recordings. It is comprised of a live guitar and loop set recorded in a church for the Farncombe Music Club in 2014. (What a different experience in church that must have been!) Alongside those pieces Matt has included two ambient pieces (Intermission 1 & Intermission 2) and two ‘lost songs’. The marvellously named ‘Pecadillo’ was produced for a compilation released on the Believers Roast label of Kavius Torabi (Knifeworld) in 2012. ‘Blue Filter’ is an out-take from the recordings of Matt’s 2010 album, ‘Ghost’.

What can someone unfamiliar expect from this album?

Well, one can expect to hear a bewildering array of sounds and textures somehow conjured up from just a guitar and some looper technology.

What may be harder to imagine is the kaleidoscope of sounds and feels that splash sonically out of his guitar, cascades of riffs and melodies interweaving and echoing in a captivating tapestry of noise. This reviewer is not usually taken with purely instrumental albums – it’s just usually not my cup of tea (or glass of tequila). However, Matt Stevens is not your usual purely instrumental artist and I am glad I imbibed in this intriguing offering.

Opening track ‘Rusty’ (where does he get these names from?) immediately hits you with a torrent of riffs and echoes with intricate playing and sounds it does not seem possible to extract from just a guitar. As a manifesto for the album it certainly lets you know this is no ordinary musical ride. In contrast, later track ‘ A Boy’ is a much gentler acoustic glide which beguiles and shows that there is a range of musical colours described here. Amongst other highlights ‘Big Sky’ takes you right out there on the ‘Looper Plains’ as coruscating clouds of echoing lines scud across the musical firmament, before being gently brought down to earth and then once again in a psychedelic coda launched in to a reverb filled sky – at least that’s what I imagined… and all done by one guy and his guitar live!

Reviews are peculiar things – one never knows quite in what direction it will go. Before I even started on this review, knowing a little about Matt and his music, I decided to use the ‘El Mariachi’ theme as it conveyed his singular and somewhat heroic musical path, and captured the idea of ‘a loner with his guitar’. What I had not expected to find was a song on the album that perfectly captures that imagery – the aforementioned ‘Blue Filter’ is pure spaghetti western, even with effects sounding uncannily like a horse trotting.

It is a perfect way to effectively finish the album as our Mariachi guitar maestro decides to hang up his solo guitar for the time being and strides off to continue exploring other musical horizons (and upsetting a few along the way!) with his posse. Maybe one day he will return to a venue or saloon near you with his guitar slung around his neck but for now listen to this and imagine his legendary live solo days.

Released 22nd July 2016 by Bad Elephant Music.

Pre-order ‘Archive’ from Bad Elephant Music on bandcamp

Pre-order ‘Archive’ from Burning Shed

Review – Tilt – Hinterland – by Emma Roebuck

Bob Dylan had The Band, Fish (he of many great albums with and without Marillion) has TILT. Like The Band, they have broken free from the cover of the piscatory one and now have their own well formed sense of identity.

TILT are Robin Boult, David Stewart, Steve Vantsis, the core of Fish’s touring band right now, with Paul Humphreys on guitars and PJ Dourley on vocals, featuring guest appearances from It Bites’ John Beck and John Mitchell (of band and Projects too many to mention) to back this solid product. Mitchell also mixed the album.

Vantsis and Dourley are the main songwriters here, with Humphreys credited on two tracks. One thing is certain, this is NOT a Fish album minus a piscatorial element (no more Fish puns I promise).

It is going to be argued that this is not Prog by some but I will disagree in the strongest terms. 3 of the 8 tracks come in at over 8 minutes and none under 4 minutes. Sonically this is a very dense album typified by’ No Superman’ which reminds me of something that Soundgarden would be proud of but with far more layers and texture to separate them from a ‘grunge-like’ song to something far more up to date and of the present

P J Dourley’s voice is a dream throughout the album, at times it is sullen and yet can soar, expressing the lyrics and meaning of the songs to use his voice as an additional musical instrument as well as a singer. On ‘Growing Colder’ he shares the music with just the voice and a piano without loss of emotional content and delivery. the social and emotional isolation of the song is reflected in his voice extremely well indeed.

‘Bloodline’, the current single, has an astounding guitar solo in it from John Mitchell that feels like a vampire suffering depression and with rage issues in a good way. It’s a straight ahead rocker and one I intend using next Hallowe’en but far more subtle and textured than any regular rock track.

‘Hinterland’, the title track of the album, is a thorough, out and out, stab at prog metal with a great degree of success. It’s accessible and has all the elements you would expect without sounding contrived.

Although not a declared concept album by the band it appears to be an album of loss, grief and cynicism of the human condition. ‘_Assembly’ and ‘Disassembly_’ bookend the album and they seem to be a treatise on the futility of war, a rage against the seekers of power through religion. It shows how prog this album is by relying on keyboards and soundscapes to illustrate the setting and the tone.

Musically this is very tight indeed and I imagine it would transfer to the live stage very well. The album overall is very accessible and good on the ear but there is nothing of the traditional “Pastoral Prog” to this album but if you like your music in the Dream Theater, Anubis style, or Spocks Beard, Transatlantic in their heavier moments, then you have a new item for your shopping list.

If you want Prog for a brave new world then this is for you and, in a year of standout albums, so far this is one that I believe will stand the test of repeats. It will be in my top 10 of 2016 and its only June.

Released 30th June 2016

Buy ‘Hinterland’ on CD from Burning Shed

Buy ‘Hinterland on CD from The Merch Desk

Buy ‘Hinterland’ on CD from Just For Kicks (Mainland Europe)

Buy ‘Hinterland’ on download from bandcamp

Review – Lee Abraham – The Seasons Turn – By Leo Trimming

The Seasons Turn, the latest impressive album by Lee Abraham, has the theme of the passing of time interweaved through the songs.

“There’s never such certainty in life, but that’s the game

Just watch the Seasons Turn, never with a sense of shame

Watch the Seasons Turn as another year goes by

Feel the winter chill as we long for summer’s high..”

These lines from the conclusion of the opening 24 minute epic title track led me to thinking about my own personal journey over the last few years following Lee Abraham’s music. It does not seem that long ago when I distinctly recall first hearing Lee’s music on the now sadly defunct ‘Rogues Gallery’ Podcast with Frans Keylard on The Dividing Line Broadcast Network in about 2009. Frans played the whole of the new album at that time ‘Black and White’ by the recently departed bass player with Galahad, a band I had heard of but had not yet explored.

I was absolutely blown away by the excellence of that album, particularly the closing suite of songs – Black (with ex-Big Big Train vocalist Sean Filkins on vocals) and White (with Steve Thorne on vocals.) I still think that music is some of the finest to come out of the resurgence of Progressive rock music since the turn of the new century, with the sparkling and emotional song White simply being one of my most favourite Prog rock tracks ever. It was remarkable to me that I had never heard of this artist and yet here he was releasing a stunningly good album.

‘Black and White’ received very positive reactions and certainly raised Lee Abraham’s profile above the level attained by his previous album ‘View from the Bridge’. I went back to that album and whilst it showed a lot of promise it had to be acknowledged that ‘Black and White’ was a considerable step up and put Abraham on a whole different level. He also involved a variety of renowned Prog musicians, including Jem Godfrey (Frost*), Gary Chandler (Jadis), Simon Godfrey (ex-Tinyfish, Shineback, Valdez) and John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost*, Arena, Lonely Robot… etc, etc!),

‘Black and White’ really touched me deeply. I remember having one of those ‘perfect moments’ with this album we sometimes get in life associated with a piece of music. It was later in 2010 and I had just spent a fantastic weekend with a group of great friends, whom all shared an interest in music. We had travelled to Liverpool to visit The Beatles sites around the city and have a few drinks at The Cavern Club… and elsewhere! We shared in great camaraderie and then all went our separate ways.

I was on the train home to Devon and was listening to the track White as the train travelled along right next to the sea between Exeter and Teignmouth. The sun was going down, shimmering beautifully on the sea and as I looked out of the train window I had a feeling of reverie. I felt such a sense of peace and contentment that I was returning home after a great time with my friends, back to my lovely family in the beauty of a place like Devon. I felt so fortunate. The beautiful closing words sung so delicately by Steve Thorne really stirred great emotion in me:

“My Memory has returned, I’m seeing Clear again,

I’ve got to go back to the start, I’m going to end it now and take control again

Black is dying out, it feels so good again, So now I close my eyes, to all the hate and lies

A World now open wide, where once a dream had died, No more in Black and White…”

I guess ‘you just had to be there’ as it’s hard to explain that personal moment, but that’s what Lee Abraham’s music meant to me at that specific ‘perfect moment’, and it’s a much cherished memory which comes back to me every time I hear that brilliant song.

I was fortunate enough to see the Lee Abraham Band, including Sean Filkins on vocals, perform most of that album at the one-off ‘Winter’s End Festival’ in Stroud in 2010 – he was one of the main reasons I attended that event. This may well be the only ever live performance of Lee’s solo progressive rock material so far, and Lee and his band certainly put on an accomplished show.

Sadly, the economics of such shows and fitting such activities in to ‘real life’ make such performances difficult to arrange and sustain. It is to be hoped that as Lee Abraham’s profile continues to rise with the continuing quality of his albums this may make it easier to countenance a return to the stage for the Lee Abraham Band in future, which Lee recently hinted at in a recent interview may be a possibility.

Lee Abraham next came to my notice on ‘War and Peace and other Short stories’, the 2011 album by Sean Filkins. Yet again this was a real surprise to me as I had yet to really delve in to the world of Big Big Train at that point so Sean was not known to me. Once again Frans Keylard’s Rogue’s Gallery podcast can be thanked for introducing that previously unknown album and artist to me. (Prior to ‘Progzilla Radio’ these days, finding new Prog was reliant on such podcasts, including The Amazing Wilf’s ‘The European Perspective’ by ‘Prog Guru’, David Elliott).

Sean Filkins’ debut release was an utterly outstanding album of consummate musical skill and epic Progresssive rock song writing, which Lee Abraham produced excellently and contributed to musically. This again is another very special album for me personally, and it’s sonic brilliance owes much to Lee’s skills as a producer in the studio. It is to be hoped that Sean will one day feel able to follow up that modern Prog masterpiece, maybe with Lee’s help again? Who knows what will happen as the seasons turn and time passes?

Despite the positive reactions to ‘Black and White’ it would be another 5 years until Lee Abraham released his own follow up album ‘Distant Days’ in 2014. A lot can happen in 5 years and this was an angrier album, partly borne out of the turmoil of the economic problems in the intervening years. It was also an album in which the passing of time featured as a theme in the songs, particularly the epic closing song ‘Tomorrow will be Yesterday’ with Steve Thorne on great vocals yet again:

“The rest of time is on our side, I hope deep down you know,

Let’s make tomorrow yesterday, and never let it go….”

Life for me had also changed, including the loss of a parent and all that entails emotionally as one adapts to loss and a growing realisation that time stands still for no-one. Excellent though it is as an album, ‘Distant Days’ did not have quite the same impact for me as ‘Black and White’.

Sometimes such preferences are simply down to where we are personally and emotionally when we hear an album, and how attuned we may be to the message or feel the artist is trying to convey. However, it is interesting to note that Lee Abraham in an interview recently rated ‘Black and White’ alongside his new album as his favourites, which may indicate that he recognizes there was something special about that particular album.

The title track on Lee Abraham‘s new release, The Seasons Turn, continues in the vein of the epic grandeur of Black and White , opening with a delicate piano motif from Rob Arnold leading to rising keyboards and then the rest of the band powerfully joining in like some sort of Prog overture before returning to the piano. The mellotron like keyboards drench the piece in atmosphere again before the band launch in to the heart of the song, driven along by Gerald Mulligan’s skilful drumming. Mulligan has been a stalwart band member with Lee Abraham for years, alongside the other talented core band members Christopher Harrison (guitars), Alistair Begg (Bass) and the aforementioned Rob Arnold, assembled for the previous album ‘Distant Days’.

They drive this epic song along with a balance of power and beautiful melody, but the master stroke by Lee Abraham for this epic piece was in asking Marc Atkinson (Riversea / ex-Nine Stones Close) to put his fantastic voice on this piece. Atkinson has probably one of the finest and most engaging voices in recent Progressive rock, as evidenced on the debut Riversea album ‘Out of an Ancient World’ (2012) and the two Nine Stones Close albuma upon which he sang, especially the classic ‘Traces’ (2010). His voice perfectly evokes the contrasting senses of wistful elegy and heroic defiance. Martin Orford (ex-IQ & Jadis), a mentor figure for Lee Abraham from his early days, comes out of his musical retirement briefly to add a lovely but all too short flute interlude in the middle section.

This is a piece marked by soaring and stirring stellar guitar solos (presumably by Simon Nixon and Christopher Harrison), particularly in the closing section. This is quite an opening piece, which Lee stated did not start out as an epic piece but evolved over time. Lee Abraham has admitted that lyric writing is ‘the hardest bit’ and it perhaps shows in this lengthy piece, which may have needed rather more substance lyrically in my view. Nevertheless, that quibble is easy to forgive as you are seduced by the excellent, stirring music and overall epic sweep of this piece.

In contrast to the opening track, Live for Today is a much more straightforward rock number, featuring Dec Burke on powerful vocals and distinctive guitar work, and continues the theme of time passing and living for the moment. Marc Atkinson returns on vocals for the hauntingly beautiful Harbour Lights, which once again is perfect for his marvellous voice. Rob Arnold shines on piano again in this evocative piece. Lee Abraham lives by the sea on the South coast of England, and is perhaps inspired by the ocean in this shimmering piece, filled with hope:

“The Night is growing weaker, I see the Sun ahead

The Harbour Lights are dying, they’ve shown the Road ahead for me..”

The shortest and lightest song on the album, Say Your Name Aloud, surprisingly finds Mark Colton of Prog Rock band Credo very engagingly singing what can only be described as a pop song, showing his versatility as a vocalist. It’s a nice contrast to the more portentous songs on the album.

The eerie, Floydian sound effects in the opening of the album closer The Unknown returns us to epic prog rock territory with Simon Godfrey singing with great feeling. This is a much darker piece with echoes of Porcupine Tree in places. David Vear adds in a surprising saxophone later in the song, which helps give this song a different atmosphere, but once again, it is Lee Abraham and Christopher Harrison’s guitars that take centre stage. A rather curious and seemingly almost endless 3 minute fade out tone closes the album. Perhaps it symbolizes the imagery in the closing lyrics of journeying endlessly into the Unknown :

“The Road to Freedom is all that keeps us Sane, The Miles go on and all we need is a Home

Will this never end the Path to the Unknown..”

I am not entirely sure what the song means, but having recently experienced great personal loss as a listener I draw some comfort from these words and this music. The beautiful artwork on this album by Paul Tippett shows a landscape experiencing all four seasons in one scene. Over the last few years I have also experienced the bloom of summer in a ‘perfect moment’, the autumnal decline of loved ones and the cold death of winter. For me it feels like it’s time for Spring again as reflected in Lee Abraham’s words:

“The Promise of Hope, the Promise of Freedom will be shown…”

Music is subjective and is filtered through all our own feelings and circumstances. Do I like this as much as ‘Black and White’ ? – probably not, but that may have more to do with my internal feelings rather than musical quality. ‘The Seasons Turn’ is undoubtedly another very fine album for Lee Abraham. We all read what we will into music, but it takes evocative and beautifully played music upon which to cast our thoughts and feelings. Lee’s music has provided some meaningful moments for me in recent years, and this excellent album continues that journey. Thanks.

Released 25th April 2016

Buy ‘The Seasons Turn’ from Lee’s Online Store

Review – Robert Reed – Sanctuary II – by Kevin Thompson

So let’s get this out of the way, this is not Mike Oldfield!

What we have here is the very talented multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Robert Reed, (of Magenta fame) with his follow up to the excellent ‘Sanctuary’ from 2014, on Tigermoth Records. Produced, mixed and engineered by Rob, and once again joined by the legendary original “Tubular Bells” production team of Tom Newman (who also plays a mean Bohdran) and Simon Heyworth, who have once again made important contributions to the sound of the album.

Rob was inspired to become a musician and composer at the age of seven after discovering Mike Oldfield‘s ‘Tubular Bells’. So inspired was he by the album, that he learned to play not just one, but all the instruments featured on the album. ‘Sanctuary II’ is a further opportunity to utilise his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist and create another album in this vein, available in various formats this is only a review of the main album.

So, how to review a follow up of the successful homage to an inspirational musician without mentioning him, let’s see…..

The weather may be dubious at the moment and varies in light, shade and temperature, there is promise of sunnier climes and thoughts of holidays as PART I drifts into the mind. Birds swoop across the sky as you look out across the sea the sun breaks the clouds, then you are transported to to some far flung land where natives of that country go about their daily tasks singing in harmonious tongue. Fishing nets are cleaned and hung out to dry in the warmth of the midday sun.

You lay back listening to the music your body warming like the nets, shaded by the nearby palms, eyes closed as the guitar drifts fluidly through your ears, caressing your senses.

The Synergy harmony changes to a more European flavour and you are swept away once more to a clearing in the English woods. The recorders of Les Penning and the twang of the banjo sparkle as the temperature of Simon Phillips’ percussion rises, guitars speeding round the trees, echoing keyboards and all dance in pagan celebration. Flowers are scattered in wild abandon as the frenzy reaches it’s peak and the harmonising gently brings it down again only to burst in quick flourishes, the dancers flushed with expounded energy and happiness, twirl and gyrate.

The solo angelic voice of siren Angharad Brinn leads to muted guitars and a respite from the festivities. Waterfalls of tinkling keys ripple along a brook which runs through the woods and the native tongues stir the guitar again as you run without care through the trees. A gentle summer breeze and trailing foliage brush your skin as you trip through the greenery. The marimba and vocals join as flowers sway and turn their open faces to the sun’s rays, catching the light. You burst into the clearing again and fall to rest along with everyone else as the first half draws to a celebratory close.

A gentle guitar and timpani refrain float in the introduction to PART II, the small sail boat that carries you across the lake buffets against the rippling water as the breeze of guitars and accompaniment of numerous instruments fill the sails and it picks up speed. The lure of Spanish style guitar and castanets draw you back to the isle in the centre of the watery expanse but as you near it is replaced with the warbling recorders and others as they raise a dance again.

Approaching the shore you can hear as all join in traditional steps, your fingers tapping on the boat side, ’tis a merry tune. The boat hits sand and you leap out to secure the mooring. Treading along the shore feet sinking in soft warm sand, you make your way toward the music as it wafts through the lush vegetation the siren briefly calling you before the instruments take up the rejoicing given direction by a synthesised voice.

The terrain rises gently as you follow the trail, winding it’s way upward as the music fades in the density of the plant life. Gentle keys and guitars plucked to guide you gently on your way and the voices seem momentarily distant now in the lush vegetation. You forge your path with the guitars determined to see what lies ahead, attain the rise and can see the clearing nestled among the trees below, the singers move from side to side in rhythmic motion and the glockenspiel signals your descent.

Throbbing bass, strummed strings and air breathed through drilled wooden pipes, guide your feet over the uneven path and running keys of water skip over stones and through crevices as it flows in the stream falling alongside. The dipping track quickens your step as the music keeps pace. Your pulse races to the beat and you burst through into the clearing once more, elated and surrounded by smiling faces, all is well with the World.

And there you have it.

Someone once asked what ‘Sanctuary’ sounded like and I advised along the lines of, it’s like Mike Oldfield but takes it further making it even more cheerful and uplifting. ‘II’ takes us on a magical, musical mystery tour and lifts the spirits higher.

I have only covered the main album, but if you can, buy the 3 disc deluxe digipak version, as not only do you get an extras disc packed with other wonderful tunes edits and remixes which did not make the main disc, but the whole album on DVD in 5.1 surround sound and 24/96 stereo mix (don’t ask), along with promo videos.

There will also be a chance to to see Rob record a performance of the album ‘Live’ at Real World Studios later in the year with a ten piece orchestra, if you are lucky enough to purchase a ‘golden’ ticket and be one of the privileged audience.

This may not be Mike Oldfield, but he may wish it was……..

Released 10th June 2016

Buy ‘Sanctuary II’ from Bandcamp

Review – Downriver Dead Men Go – Tides – by Kevin Thompson

A Turneresque cover painting gives vague hint to the type of music and the details on the cover give minimum information. A quick bit of research and these Dutch lads describe their music as deeper, mesmerising, atmospheric and melancholy. If you know of David Lynch, director of ‘Blue Velvet’, ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Twin Peaks’, this album could have sound tracked any of these.

A dark evening, you enter the foyer of a private club greeted by a smiling girl all curls, curves and red lip gloss, she parts red velvet curtains and leads you into a dimly lit room furnished in deep red velour seating with tables. Smoke from cigars and slim cigarette holders hangs in the air. Whispered conversations, furtive glances across the hazy room and a small stage on which a band appears, the instrumental first track The Dying of the Light plays muted keys with the sound of crows and other birds echoing round the room. The conversations die and all eyes focus momentarily on the stage as you take your seat in a booth.

Dressed in a dinner jacket with open necked white shirt, the lead singer pulls up a stool to a small dim spotlight at the front of the stage as the band plug in. The singer rests on the edge of the stool with his guitar and with one foot on the floor for balance he grasps the vintage Shure microphone like a lover and pulls it towards his lips until they brush lightly together as the first track fades.

Acoustic guitar strums, and he begins to pour his heart out in a languid, sleepy voice. A well groomed woman gives a large man sat next to her at the table a determined look, shakes her head negatively and rises, pulling her hand from the sweaty grasp of his chubby, gold sovereign laden digits. Her silk dress slides between the tables as the music rises she’s Walking Away, and won’t be returning to him. The vocals and instruments echoing as she fades into the smoke and away through the curtains, into the foyer, where Miss Red Lip Gloss sits on a stool, distractedly filing her crimson co-ordinated nails .

She doesn’t notice the woman leave as she’s in a world of her own from which she wished she wouldn’t have to Wake Up. Drums are brushed and electric guitar flows with keyboards in sombre reflection as the third song drifts in to her consciousness with haunting brass sounds. This isn’t the direction in which she had seen her life going but at least she was safe here for now as no one knew her real identity and had food and lodging.

Back at the table the large man waves a weighty hand to a waitress. She teeters toward him on slim black stilettos, in short-skirted uniform, with a small pillbox hat held on her tightly fastened peroxide hair, a single spiral hangs to one side. She deposits a bottle of champagne on the ring stained table top and he waves her away without a glance.

He draws on a large cigar, exhaling the cloud toward the stage as he ponders the,beautiful intro and melancholy lyrics of the fourth song reflecting on his life, things would Never Change. There was a time he had loved the girl who had just left and he’d not been a bad man, but money, avarice and jealousy were now his only companions. She’d begged him to take her away from it all and they could live like the carefree young lovers they had once been but he craved other things and she had become merely a distraction.

The singer steps away from the microphone to briefly slake his burning throat with cool beer between strummed chords, washing away the smoke as the band play an instrumental piece. The gangster man feels a momentary twinge of grief as the memories and the Ghost of Caitlin are all he now has left of the relationship and the music swirls and eddies. Then regret is gone in the fleeting twinkle of a blonde’s eye as the waitress now catches his sight-line, maybe she’ll do for tonight. Just another desperate wanting to improve her situation lured easily by a fur coat and a few sparkly gems, which he can easily afford. No commitment, though he’ll promise the world and take what he wants, then have his driver discard her at the roadside the following morning amid the tumble-weed, futilely hoping it will eradicate the memory of his lost love.

Returning to the microphone and surveying the punters robed in fetid air, the band observe the roles played out, it’s just another night in the joint. As the singer stretches out the stiffness in his neck the band behind him bring in the title track Tides. The bass throbs, as it has throughout, a dulled pulsating heart pumping vibrations into the room, the drums the beating life. The subdued rhythms of the guitars with drawn out chords mourn to the lamenting keys and soundscapes created. The singer stares at the rotund man in the booth with red veined jowls and as the lyrics come to him he starts to sing again, a cautionary tale.

Following on the sweetly sombre instrumental Undertow mimics the roles in the room as clients indicate more drinks and nibbles, whilst waitresses scurry to accommodate, emptying ashtrays unobtrusively, hoping for generous tips to bolster their meagre wages. Business is good tonight. Ushered in by the choral accompaniment at the end of the track, a man in a wool suit and slim black tie parts the foyer curtains, two uniformed policemen accompany him. He steps forward with them, the broad brimmed trilby on his head pointing the way as they move toward the sovereign fingered gentleman. Everyone watches cautiously as they pass by, turning faces to shadow.

The band continue with a dark, atmospheric backing track to the performance unfolding as the words echo The Stone In My Heart to the retreating officers, as they lead the handcuffed sweating man. As they negotiate his sizeable bulk between the tables of the booths watched by their shady occupants, there but for the grace of…. She may not think so but the blonde waitress has escaped a humiliating experience and will have to wait for her real Prince Charming to save her from the monotony.

Her position however has not gone unnoticed by another. She has a delicate frail naïvety about her that begs to be taken away from this tainted existence and the singer smiles at the waitress as she passes. Her baby blue eyes widen and she blushes as she moves to task, glancing over as she flits between tables. Carpe Diem, seize the day, lift her misery. Nothing gained nothing lost, the singer turns to the band as the purported final track of the evening fades out on beautiful keys and looping chords and they nod in sage agreement.

A few light chords introduce bonus track, River, to a complete contrast as the band raise the tempo and the singer grins like a schoolboy at his fancy. A rocking drum beat picks up the bass and Coral like steel guitar cuts in western style with slide and jaunty organ. He holds her gaze as he plays and sings a promise of better things. The waitress sways to the up tempo as he moves off the stage across the dance-floor toward her in time to the driving keyboard and announcing his intentions, she smiles agreement, nods and he returns to the stage. Guitar swaggering in his hands with pause for effect the band slide out on a single distorted note and people make their way to the exit.

The band begin packing their instruments and as he bends to lock his guitar case a shadow falls by the singer. He looks round and there stands the waitress, hat discarded and coat in hands her smile as wide as her eyes. Picking up his guitar in his left hand he takes her left in his right and they make their way to the rear exit. They push open the back door and make for the band bus. It swings shut revealing a poster for this evenings entertainment, from the band, Downriver Dead Men Go and lists the members:

Andy de Zeeuw – drums/percussion
Gerrit Koekebakker – guitar/vocals
Fernandez Burton – bass
Peter van Dijk – keys/soundscapes

With airs of the Editors and Nosound for reference, the band may not be to everyone’s taste, but it has seeped into my brain and become one of my favourite albums of the year so far. If like me you are partial to a bout of emotionally dark, slow rock when the fancy takes, then I urge you to buy this. They could be an interesting prospect live.

Released 1st April 2016.

Buy ‘Tides’ from FREIA Music UK

Photoshoot images courtesy of Marc Van Beelen

Review – Anderson/Stolt – Invention of Knowledge – by Gary Morley

This could get messy. I’m tasked with scribbling a few lines about the upcoming journey into the “Y” Universe undertaken by 2 legends, Prog heroes that 99% of you reading this know more about than me. Yes, it’s part of “That” band’s DNA, as expected. It shares that “Y” chromosome, with the “X” supplied by the Flower King and his court.

I’d say that it distils the “Yes”sence, the very DNA of that home world and that if the CD underwent a Paternity test, the answer would be in the affirmative.

It could be a fragile creature born in the heart of the sunrise, floating on silent wings of freedom. It could be the owner of a lonely heart…

Oops sorry about that. That’s too easy and a cheap shot. Jon Anderson is a unique and individual vocalist and sounds like, well, Jon Anderson no matter what the setting and here it’s on a grand scale. Mister A and Mr S, with help from Mr R have created a great sounding album that deserves to be played loudly through proper speakers. I am willing to bet that the vinyl sleeve will be at least a gatefold, probably a triptych of Roger Dean Acid fried surreal dreamscapes, and such is the warm 70’s vibe that even the mp3 files radiate.

There are ethereal voices, orchestras, layers of guitar and Big church organs, all heralding back to the heydays, the golden summers of the seventies, when Prog was king and boys (and girls) sat, rapt at the feet of the minstrels playing and singing for them.

The music takes you to this parallel place, you get lost in the swirl of words and notes. The language is a familiar one, but the meaning? Well, “be nice to each other on your journey” seems to be the best my babel fish can provide after listening a couple of times.

To be honest, it’s the whole rather than the sum of the parts that we are celebrating here.

I could break it down, track by track, note by note but I’m neither anal enough nor knowledgeable enough to try.

It’s a thing of beauty, ethereal and floaty. It’s the joy of living rather than documenting. More abstract art than selfie.

Timeless, resonant with that which has gone before, there are echoes of the old- that warm semi hollow body guitar sound, the thunderous bass runs, the big church organ that all go to make up the language of the affirmative.

There are also flashes of the other parents – those vocal harmonies, that guitar sound, that break with just bass and keyboards- Very Flowery, but ultimately this is a celebration of a particular band, and it works beautifully.

The first time I played it, it was a grey and cold day and the warmth of the music felt at odds with my mood. Today, it’s bright, sunny and hot and the ambience suits the music, it feels “right” for summer’s day. The perennial optimism of the lyric lifts the soul, although the deeper meaning passes me by, I get a feeling, rather than a definite statement.

At the final analysis, this is a labour of love, the sounds and vibes are faithful to the era that it celebrates. However, I must confess that the excesses of the period that allegedly spawned punk are echoed here, with it all merging into a body of work that works on one level, but it’s a bit like angel delight. Tastes good, you get stuck in and before you know it, you’ve overindulged and are suffering from indigestion. There are some lovely parts – A lovely piano piece at the climax of Everybody Heals has just caused me to pause from scratching this to listen to it in full, but this album has that marmite potential. Part of me loves it, but another part says to the inner 15 year old that there is more to life than gatefold sleeves, Science Fiction tinged lyrics and everything including the kitchen sink tracks.

So, hit or myth? I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with this album. It is particular exercise in nostalgia for a world that I was just too young to be a part of, an elder brother’s world whereas I was the eldest. I tried. At the time I adored “Going for the One”, the first album I remember hearing / buying by Yes. I’ve filled the gaps in my collection sporadically over the years and this will join them on that shelf. It will get played, I am looking forward to seeing the artwork and hearing it in its full uncompressed digital glory, but I’ve moved on and whilst the inner 15 year old me will be enraptured, 40 years of exposure to the world outside of Yes means that the modern me will wax nostalgically for the world that this invokes, encourage the artists to be true to their muse by purchasing their efforts and accept that I’ve moved on.

Yes world – a great place to visit, but would I want to live there? I’m an urban dweller now, flouncing around slaying dragons, tripping away across summer meadows to the minstrel’s tune is a dream of an Arcadian land that I’m a stranger in. It’s an aspirational holiday destination; one that for the duration of your visit is perfect as it’s totally removed from day to day living.

Released 24th June 2016 – Europe, 8th July 2016 USA/ROW.

Buy ‘Invention of Knowledge’ from Inside Out

Review – Iron Savior – Titancraft – By Sabrina Beever

Iron Saviors’ 9^th studio album ‘Titancraft’ is packed with powerful forces of unforgiving riffs but first commences with an introduction that sets the scene for the whole album. Being set rather dramatically with what could be associated with a post-apocalyptic Gotham City as a desperate call for help, is heard in a low raspy voice. This exhilarating introduction joins smoothly into the following track with the guitar riff entering at a high impact which doesn’t ease off at all.

A great element of this album is the insane amount of energy used in pretty much every track. The only break you hear is in I Surrender, possessing beautiful tranquil melodies heard from the guitar which harmonises with the piano before dying away, leaving the piano as accompaniment as Piet Sielk Joins in with some painful but provocative lyrics.

Apart from this perfect break, the album is the definition of power metal. The drums alone lay down a ruthless tempo and some powerful fills like in Beyond The Horizon and the bass, equally, will not back down in Rebellious, with its very prominent riff and a rhythm that could resemble galloping. The guitar riffs are always unforgiving and, in combination with the other forces, provide a lot of forward momentum, which is a real strength of the album.

The majority of the tracks are very similar in characteristics such as tempo and structure, and even melodic line sometimes, so it can be hard to distinguish one song from another. However, Gunsmoke is one track where this is not the case, samples of the sound of horses and gun fire take you to a different time, especially when the sound of whistling is heard at the end taking you back to the old west. Perfectly accompanied by a guitar solo which combines shredding and classic bending notes which is highly effective.

Overall this album is a great example of what power metal is and why it exists. A great combination of instrumental skill at ridiculous rates with very strong vocals tying the final knot on this brilliant ensemble.

Released 20th May 2016

Buy ‘Titancraft’ from Napalm Records

Progradar Big Big Train Feature Part 1 – Review – Stone & Steel – by Progradar

There’s a place inside us where we can still be that small child who was in awe of every new experience, every sight and every sound. You know that unfettered feeling of sheer joy when you happen upon a picture book scene that is near perfect. Living in Yorkshire, I get to see and appreciate these virtually every day and they still fill me with a sense of wonder, life’s shackles thrown off momentarily by the sheer beauty of nature.

To be honest, we need these moments of purity and astoundment to counter the wear and tear of everyday life, to stop us being ground down by what can become a normality of drudgery and boredom, a very grey day indeed!

For me, music can often release that inner child and leave me enjoying the purity of something that is intended for you to enjoy and make your very life a better place to be. I have found that, as I get older, music touches me with more and more intensity and really has become my raison d’être and why I will happily get out of bed in the morning to face every new day as a fresh challenge to be enjoyed and overcome.

I’ve been a big fan of Big Big Train for a while now and a self-acknowledged ‘passenger’ along with many other fans of this great English progressive rock band.

After the undoubted success of ‘The Underfall Yard’ and the ‘English Electric’ albums (Parts 1& 2 and then ‘Full Power’) the band decided that the time was right to take to the stage for live performances again.

Unsure how easy it would be to do justice to the band’s recordings on stage, Big Big Train’s now established line up of David Longdon, Greg Spawton, Andy Poole, Danny Manners, Dave Gregory, Nick D’Virgilio, Rachel Hall and Rikard Sjöblom decided to try out live renditions of their songs in a controlled environment.

The wonderful surroundings of Peter Gabriel’s converted water mill, Real World Studios is where the recording took place and, to add even more lustre and brilliance to the event, the five piece brass ensemble that featured on both ‘The Underfall Yard’ and ‘English Electric’ albums was included.

Real World website

Recorded in August 2014 ‘Stone & Steel’ (the title referencing both the band’s lyrical themes of English landscape and history, and the very fabric of Real World Studios itself) documents the weeks rehearsals and the band’s transition from studio to stage.

‘Stone and Steel’ features performances of nine songs recorded live at the Real World sessions and four songs recorded live at the band’s London gigs in August 2015 alongside interview and documentary footage. All live performances are presented in 5.1 and stereo.

I’m not one known for staying power when it comes to watching music DVDs, I tend to dip in and out again but I sat through the whole three hours (including bonus material) in one sitting and loved every single minute of it, that inner child was transfixed by the moment and the spectacle.

In fact, the day I got home and saw that ‘Stone & Steel’ had been delivered, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the quality and design of the Blu-Ray packaging along with the glossy 64 page booklet with some fantastic pictures of the Real World sessions and the live concerts at King’s Place (although my head is obscured by the much more interesting features of the lovely Rachel Hall).

Honestly, like a kid with a new toy, I couldn’t wait to get in in the player and press ‘play’ for the first time……

As with all things BBT, ‘Stone & Steel’ was never going to be a mere performance blu-ray, you always get more than you expect from these guys and the excellent documentary style pieces that intersperse the music are a proper insight into the band and the whole Real World recording experience.

The opening introductory video of the band members arriving and setting up is really interesting as is Greg’s reluctance to be in front of the camera, not that he has much choice in the end!

Having been lucky enough to have been invited to the ‘Folklore’ album launch (more about that and a review of the new album in the next installment…) I get even more of a shiver up my spine as they set up for recording in the ‘Big Room’ and we see David Longdon arriving at reception, I’ve been there!!

We see the unveiling of a work of art, David’s B4 joke (it’s funny, honest!) and you begin to feel part of the whole process, received into the welcoming bosom of the band as a participant in something special.

These interludes, despite being an enjoyable and definitive part of the whole experience, are mere introductory pieces to the main event, the actual musical performances.

The ‘live’ renditions of songs that are extremely familiar to all fans, like members of our own family, are something quite special. From the true story of a man called Alexander Lambert who dived heroically into the flooded Severn Tunnel in 1880, the wonderful The First Rebreather, through the spine tingling version of Master James of St. George with its delightfully intricate vocal melodies, to the rollicking toe-tapping tale of forger Tom Keating that is Judas Unrepentant, I was kept rapt in attention to this masters of their musical art.

Normally I like to absorb music while I am doing something else, almost a process of aural osmosis if you like but, this time, I just sat on the settee and turned up the volume to feel like I was actually there in the studio. This feeling of integration is only enhanced by the rather whimsical delivery of perennial fan favourite Uncle Jack. Performed acoustically in the ‘Wood Room’ at Real World it has a folk meets hillbilly feel and I love its childlike and carefree feel. Dipping out of material garnered from ‘The Underfall Yard’ and ‘English Electric’, we are treated to a rather enchanting & pared-back rendering of Wind Distorted Pioneers from ‘Goodbye To The Age of Steam’, one that takes you away to another place of calm serenity.

Then the lump in the throat nostalgia of Summoned By Bells takes you on a meandering and emotive journey of yesteryear. A song inspired by Greg’s memories of his mother and “the golden thread of continuity running down from the past.” There then follows a haunting version of Kingmaker, a track that originally appeared on their 1992 demo album, ‘The Infant Hercules’. I’d heard this before, a reworked version appeared on the import and iTunes version of the ‘Far Skies Deep Time’ EP released in August 2011, but this interpretation is utterly spellbinding.

There’s no doubting that Big Big Train’s studio albums are works of art in themselves but, to see and hear these singular musicians actually performing them in a live situation, controlled or not, makes you feel quite privileged.

To close out the Real World recordings we are treated to two of the band’s seminal works, both from, possibly, their most venerated piece of work ‘The Underfall Yard’. Here the brass band really come to the fore on this recording, on both the title track and the electrifying brilliance of Victorian Brickwork, these musicians add to the band to give something just, well, utterly astounding. The hairs on the back of my neck rise as soon as I hear the first strains of the brass, something that has become definitely synonymous with Big Big Train now.

There’s over thirty minutes of music spread over these two masterpieces and not a note is wasted. Almost hypnotic in their delivery in this unique setting, it really is a musical experience like no other, you sit rapt, your attention focused on the performers in front of you on the TV set. There is no disappointment just a phenomenal performance of two of the band’s finest songs and, as the final notes of Victorian Brickwork play out, I am reminded of why I love music and why this band attract such devotion from their fans.

But it doesn’t end there, oh not by a long shot! I was also a lucky blighter who was able to attend one of the Kings Place concerts in August 2015 and, as a very welcome addition to the blu-ray package, we are treated to four tracks from those remarkable performances.

(That’s me, right behind Rachel’s right shoulder, I know, you can’t see me!)

From the edgy, sing-a-long high energy of Wassail, through the tear inducing wistful beauty of Curator of Butterflies and the achingly poignant brass enhanced sentimentality of Victorian Brickwork right to the grand finale of East Coast Racer, it was an unforgettable experience and one that I will never forget as I was present at one of those eagerly anticipated shows.

The stunning memories that come flooding back can almost threaten to overwhelm you, such is their severity. I said at the time that it was a life affirming weekend and I stand by that now, even as I cringe at the lone voice (mine) shouting out “apart from the encore!” as a reply to David Longdon’s statement that East Coast Racer would be the last song……

For fans of Big Big Train there is never a feel of ‘Stone & Steel’ being a completist release, one that you buy just so you have an artist’s full collection of works. It stands alone as being brilliant retrospective of the recent endeavours of this most English of Progressive Rock bands. If you are new to this wonderful world, it is also a great introduction to them and one from where you can branch out and further your education (for further it you most definitely should!).

For this inner child it is a musical release that, once again, takes me back to that moment of wonder and delight, that feeling of pure joy that, in this weary modern age, we rarely feel nowadays.

Released 21st March 2016.

Buy ‘Stone & Steel’ directly from the band.

Review – Ticket To The Moon – ÆSense of Life – by Kevin Thompson

Hailing from Basel, Switzerland, founded in 2003 by DANIEL GOSTELI (Danny) – drums, vocal and percussion and ANDREA PORTAPIA (Andy) – guitars and vocals, they went through several changes before MATTHIAS ZWICK (Matt) -keyboards and synthesisers and GUILLAUME CARBONNEAU (Gys) – bass completed the current line-up in 2007.

3TM’s sound is a blend of metal influenced, atmospheric progressive rock. Three years after their first opus, ‘Dilemma on Earth’ they emerge with new album, ‘Æ Sense of Life’. A more passionate and personal album, the band wanted to incorporate things they feel matter and what made them who they are.

Divided into seven sections and running to 57 minutes, it leans to the lighter side of prog metal, with splashes of heavier elements dropped in at intervals, for added impact. They fall into the same area as Dream Theater, (though definitely superior to their latest concept), the up and coming Long Distance Calling and Leprous.

Sliding in to the instrumental INTRO on ominous rolls of foreboding keys over waves falling on the shore and gull like noises with echoing chords, leading seamlessly into THE CALL WITHIN, the first track featuring vocals, written by Gys, struggling to make sense of his own worth. The loss of a father and fatherhood a theme running through the next few tracks.

Interlinked, mostly instrumental, tracks follow in PATIENT CONFORMISM/RESSURECTION, with spoken German passages about the life of the “extremely intelligent” species, ants, with their complex behavioural strategies,defence mechanisms, rules and hierarchy. Crunching riffs and throbbing drums both race and slow down in turmoil with mellow Marillion like keyboard passages and aching solos.

Whilst there are vocals on many of the tracks, the meat of the album is taken up by the excellent musicianship of the band members, never straying too far down the road of self indulgence, showing a maturity in their playing, beyond their apparent years.

Dan’s heartbreaking spoken lyrics of a FATHER committing suicide and the Son finding a book containing his innermost thoughts and poems, follows. Do we tell children the truth or try to cover it up to soften the blow? And how does it affect them as they grow and learn the true details? There is never an easy way.

Where death stalks there is always life to balance. In FOETUS, the fear of becoming a Father manifests itself in disturbed dreams echoing a lack of self confidence, only to be banished in waking and the reassurance of his Wife that it is all part of being a family.

Two more joined tracks, in PERPETUAL I&II, follow the daily, repetitive and monotonous life of a man who in his younger days had such dreams. The feeling of being trapped conveyed in the musical passages from fine piano to punching guitars. The wish to escape but again the fear of doing so and the risks it might run, preventing a breakaway despite feeling stifled, bored and depressed. Trapped in an endless circle of commitment, merely existing.

A synthesised string like INTERLUDE of melancholy, mixed with keyboards flutters momentarily before a Gary Numan like synthesiser backed final track, HYNKEL. The inspirational use of the Charlie Chaplin speech from the ‘Great Dictator’ (as his character Adenoid Hynkel) to give a message of hope, is pure genius and finishes the album on a high as all the instruments rise to the climax of the oration.

They often say the second album is the difficult one, not for these boys. I predict bigger things to come and look forward to hearing them. Well done Gentlemen.

Released 15th December 2015

Buy ‘Æ SENSE OF LIFE’ direct from the band’s website

Review – Elaine Samuels & Kindred Spirit -Phoenix Rising by Emma Roebuck

I will be honest, Kindred Spirit and Elaine Samuels are new names to my ears so, when this landed into my inbox, I had no expectations or preconceived ideas as to what I was going to hear. I rarely read the promotional material before I hear the music. As ever, the first listening is in the dark late night/early morning to get the feel and impact of the 12 tracks and the flow of the album.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Folk based aspect of the progressive music scene. When done well it can be outstanding but when it is done poorly it feels too inward, regressive and inaccessible to my ears. I will start by saying this album is not in the latter category and is very close to the former.

It feels odd that I review the Album shortly after the sad passing of Dave Swarbrick, fiddler supreme, a player whose style is obviously an influence on Gavin Jones, the violin player on the album. The Violin is the primary lead instrument on this album and it is used well and with power and skill. On It’s not too late it counterpoints Elaine’s voice superbly, giving strength to the mystic quality of the lyrics that Jon Anderson would be proud to produce.

The Cover version of Horse with no name blends directly into Drunken Landlady and it feels like Stéphane Grappelli had joined a jam session with a very Jazz feel with a Celtic Flute vs. Violin battle going on. This is where ex Judas Priest Drummer Les Binks shows his skills driving the song from behind the beat. Bizarrely I am reminded of the Horslips’ ‘Book of Invasions’ here, but it works very well.

Feed the Fire is a very prog rock driven song, with the emphasis on ‘Rock’, a heavily distorted bass and guitar combine cleverly with some fine soloing from Flute, Violin and Guitar.

I am not sure whether Kindred Spirit, as a track, is another of those songs that reflect the journey of the music or the journey with a fellow musical traveller given form but it opens the album well.

Children of the Stars has some beautiful Sax playing in it and is a truly great piece of music with great harmonies and structure. I have a small suggestion for the next album – more Sax please!

The title Track The Phoenix is obviously a deeply personal lyric of loss and renewal reflecting her own personal back story but, then, I get the feeling all of her lyrics come from that place inside her where we all hold our pain and seek catharsis.

These songs have been written by Elaine over a long period of time from the start of the century up to 2015. The main themes I detect are about renewal and celebration preceded by pain and toil. It’s not a concept as such but, like many song writers, I know the muse comes from a certain place in this case.

The inevitable comparisons can be drawn and this where I refer to the promotional notes provided by Stephen Lambe. If you like Renaissance, Curved Air, Solstice, Touchstone (in their softer moments), Big Big Train and, obviously, Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention then you should definitely check it out!

Re-released 3rd May 2016.

buy ‘Phoenix Rising’ Direct from the band

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