Review – Jess And The Ancient Ones – The Horse And Other Weird Tales – by Emma Roebuck

From the opening chords to first sentences from the opening titles of the Twilight Zone dropping into the rhythms I remember hearing on the 60s teen movies where the kids moved in strange gyrations to the psychedelic sounds of the club scene. That is just the first track, Death is the Doors, from this Finnish band hailing from Kuopio. They are distinctly drawing their influences from the 60’s underground scene but they also pull from other areas of influence for the spread of music on this anthology of stories ripped from the dark imaginations of the band.

It has short, punchy and powerful music with intelligence and accessibility as well as a lot of variety. There are also longer pieces that stretch the listener and allow for musical expression and variation.

You and Eyes, at 7 minutes long, has moments of slow intensity and space which drifts and takes the listener along on a journey inside yourself and descends into madness with heavy distorted metal guitar sounds and then out again.

Radio Aquarius is an all too brief musical scoring to a conversation about LSD that drops straight into Return to Hallucinate, following the actual trip to drop the acid and fall down the rabbit hole again. This lets me talk about the eponymous Jess and her vocal style and skill. She has an incredible range but has total control of it. I hear much of Grace Slick in there but also I hear Janis Joplin and Nina Simone on some of the pieces as well. She is fearless and fills the space with a primitive energy with her voice.

This 9 track album is thoroughly refreshing and exciting and reminds me of how good some of these new bands are right now. They  cannot be pigeonholed and are driving their own destiny in a musical sense. They draw like magpies from the history of modern music from the Jazz of the 50s to the NWOBHM of the 80s to the Psychedelica of the late 60s, and I even hear bits of Siouxsie Sue briefly in Jess’ intonation. The musicianship is excellent and they have a very cohesive feel where no one dominates. The bass and percussion are a powerful engine in this machine but know when to drop the revs and disappear so the keys and guitar and become light and carry the musical journey where it needs to go. The use of speech sections is liberal but not intrusive and fits very well into the album and the whole of the narrative.

Who will like this? Anyone truly interested in music who is willing to slip outside their personal silo and loves to hear a band joyously celebrating being able to write and play music. Fans of Birdeatsbaby, Half past Four, and Purson will either already be aware of them, if not check em out NOW! If you think they grew from a Finnish Death metal band and only began in 2010 then they definitely are on my one to watch list.

Released 1st December 2017

Buy the album in various formats from Svart Records:

The Horse and Other Weird Tales

All band pics by Mari Väliaho

YES Announce Official 50th Anniversary Celebrations Including UK Fan Convention Day, 25th March 2018, #YES50

Fifty years since the formation of Prog giants, YES, is something worth celebrating and YES intend to celebrate with their fans. They have announced a weekend of events to coincide with their two London shows on 24th & 25th March, the final dates of their 2018 UK tour.

 

On Sunday, 25th March, the London Palladium will host the YES FAN CONVENTION, an afternoon devoted to all things YES, attended by both current members of the band and YES alumni. This unique event is sponsored by Prog Magazine and will feature:-

 

The official launch and world-wide exclusive availability of the Drama line-up version of Fly From Here, new lead vocals throughout by Trevor Horn, and remix by Trevor, including an unreleased track. (limited numbers available for purchase)
Roger Dean artwork on display and for sale. Trading Boundaries (Prog Rock venue) will host Roger’s stand at which a new piece of artwork for Close to the Edge will be revealed for the first time
Q & A with various guests & Roger Dean
Exclusive free YES FAN DAY souvenir programme (limited numbers available)
Raffle of YES collectables (monies will go to the chosen charities)
Prog editor, Jerry Ewing. will discuss Prog Magazine and future book release
YES Memorabilia display in the foyer (Curated by David Watkinson)
YES tribute bands: SeYeS and Fragile (with Clair Hamill) will perform classic YES songs

 

More announcements will follow. Tickets for the Fan Convention are £30 (plus booking fee). Free entry for those who have bought Meet & Greet packages for Saturday or Sunday shows.

 

All profits from the YES Fan Convention will be donated to 2 charities: The Christie Hospital in Manchester, who looked after the much-loved YES fan Malcolm Birkett, prior to his passing in 2015 (www.christie.nhs.uk/the-christie-charity) and Kangaroos, whose aims are to enhance the lives of special needs and disabled children (www.kangaroos.org.uk)

 

For full details and to book please go to: yesworld.com or http://bit.ly/2AqIU8x

 

YES concert Tickets for the Palladium and all UK shows are available via the ticket links at http://yesworld.com/ 24hr Ticket Hotline 0844 249 2222 (subject to fees). Also available from venue box offices and select authorised ticket agencies.  Front row, Meet & Greet & VIP packages are also available from YESWORLD.com There is no support.   Please see ticket for start time.

 

Full UK Tour details are:-

 

MARCH 2018 (UK & Europe)

 

Tues 13th        Bristol           Colston Hall
Weds 14th        Sheffield       City Hall
Fri 16th        Glasgow       SEC Armadillo
Sat 17th        Manchester   Bridgewater Hall
Sun 18th        Gateshead    Sage
Tues 20th        Birmingham  Symphony Hall
Weds 21st        Brighton       Centre
Fri 23rd        Liverpool       Philharmonic Hall
Sat 24th        London       Palladium
Sun 25th        London       Palladium

The Franck Carducci Band (Featuring Steve Hackett) Release Video For ‘Closer to Irreversible’ – by Progradar

Today sees the official release of the latest video from The Franck Carducci Band.

You can see the full video for the brilliant ‘Closer to Irreversible’ here:

Franck had this to say about the song and the video:

“I co-wrote ‘closer’ with my friends Francesca Laneri and Toff ‘crazy-monk’ a few years ago when I was living in Amsterdam. I recorded the song for my second album ‘Torn Apart’ [2015] and was thrilled when Steve Hackett offered me to play the final guitar solo,  especially because of its psychedelic bluesy feel which is a bit unusual for him. But I totally love the final result!

I wanted to make a music video for it after that, but never got the opportunity until I met the team of La Koloc Production in my hometown of Lyon, France. They’re a gang of youngsters all passionate about video making, and they brought a really fresh touch to the song. The video contains a fictional part and a live part with the band performing on a TV and a smartphone screen. When looking for someone to play the main female character in the fiction, it was pretty obvious it had to be our own backing-vocalist, and tiny dancer: Mary Reynaud I have to say, I was totally impressed by her performance”

 

‘LAST DAY OF JUNE’ THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK – CAROLINE INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL ALBUM RELEASED 1ST DECEMBER 2017

Steven Wilson has announced details of a new digital album, due for release on 1st December via Caroline International. ‘Last Day of June’ is the official soundtrack to the critically acclaimed PS4/Windows game of the same name.

Inspired entirely by the visuals and ideas from the video for Steven’s 2013 single Drive Home, ‘Last Day Of June’ is soundtracked by music from Steven’s first four albums – InsurgentesGrace for Drowningthe Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) and Hand. Cannot. Erase. – and his electronic/ambient project Bass Communion. All of the tracks included are specially re-edited instrumental versions created exclusively for the game (and this subsequent soundtrack), including alternate versions of Steven Wilson classics including Routine, The Raven That Refused To Sing and Deform to Form a Star. The result is a series of mesmeric, minimalist musical snapshots, each deeply evocative of autumnal melancholia.

Described by creator Massimo Guarini (from the multi award winning development studio Ovosonico) as “a game about love and loss”, Last Day of June was released in August via 505 Games. Reviews of the game praised it as “incredibly powerful… beautiful, melancholic…  an experience that I’m sure will stay with you” (Eurogamer) and “some pretty exceptional art” (Gaming Age).

Steven Wilson on ‘Last Day Of June’: “A couple of years ago I was asked if I’d be ok with some of the ideas from the video for Drive Home being used for the basis for a computer game. They wanted to explore further the characters that Hajo Müller drew so beautifully and that director Jess Cope gave life to. I had no idea how it might work, but was happy to let them show me. The game grew out of my music and that original video.

It’s been one of my long held ambitions to score a movie. In a way I feel like I’ve done it now. After sequencing these tracks – recorded all over the world with different musicians – it was amazing how much it felt like they were all written specifically for one cinematic project. I’d never thought computer games could be ‘art’ before – having seen and experienced Last Day Of June, I’m now convinced they can be.”

‘Last Day Of June’ tracklisting:

  1. Some Things Cannot Be Changed
  2. That Day by The Pier
  3. There Must Be A Way
  4. The Last Day Of June
  5. Suspended In Me
  6. Driving Home
  7. I’m Still Here…
  8. The Boy Who Lost His Friends
  9. The Crib
  10. Time For A New Start
  11. Suspended In You
  12. Under The Shadow Of My Father
  13. Accept
  14. Deceive
  15. Together, Forever Again

 

Steven Wilson’s fifth album To The Bone was released in August this year. It charted at No 3 in the UK and No 2 in Germany and was top 10 across the continent. Steven sets out on a previously announced world tour in January – the UK leg takes in three nights at the Royal Albert Hall in March (27th – 29th).

Steven Wilson website / online shop / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram/ Spotify complete discography

 

 

Prog ‘Supergroup’ Shits n’ Giggles release Christmas Charity EP ‘Wake Up’

It’s that time of the year where Christmas Songs come flying at you from left, right and centre. Prog Rock collective Shits n’ Giggles have announced the release of their charity Christmas E.P. ‘Wake Up’ which will be online for purchase this evening.

Here’s the press release:

“With Christmas fast approaching, a bunch of us have teamed up to concoct a festive song entitled ‘Wake Up’ which was released as part of an EP on December 1st. Wake Up features Colin Tench (Corvus Stone), Gareth Cole (Mike Kershaw, Tom Slatter), Ben Bell (Patchwork Cacophony, Gandalf’s Fist), Stefan Hepe (Gandalf’s Fist), Peter Falconer, Pat Sanders and Manu Michael (Drifting Sun). The song was mixed and mastered by Jon Huxtable at Smallfish Studios, Scotland. Also included in the EP are 7 songs previously recorded by the musicians who contributed to the making of ‘Wake Up’.

All the profits from the sales will go to TIERHILFE SAUERLAND E. V. Barbara Hellekes, CEO of the animal welfare organisation said “We’re over the moon about this! Winter is coming, and it’s really hard to get the poor souls through the winter, especially in Hungary and Greece, where we support and help privately organised shelters in keeping the streets free of stray dogs, trying to find them a forever home”

We, Shits ‘n Giggles, take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken up their valuable time to bring their contribution to this EP to help make this release possible, and we hope that the charity organization we have chosen will benefit greatly from the generosity of the people who donate to their cause, cheers everyone and Merry Christmas to all!”

The EP is available to purchase from:

Purchase the ‘Wake Up’ Charity EP here

 

 

Moonparticle (The Project of ex-Lifesigns guitarist Niko Tsonev) Announce Debut Album Hurricane Esmerelda

“Hurricane Esmeralda is a hard hitting album that grows on you with each listen. Bursting with the virtusosity of Prog and the sophistication of Jazz, it above all impresses with its beautifully crafted songs that take you places…”

Moonparticle is the music collective put together in 2017 by virtuoso guitarist/producer Niko Tsonev (ex-Steven Wilson, Lifesigns) featuring an extraordinary group of musicians: Pianist Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Robben Ford), Saxophonist Theo Travis (Robert Fripp, David Gilmour), Drummer Craig Blundell (Frost*, Steven Wilson), Violinist Samy Bishai (Natacha Atlas, Digitonal) and Vocalist Grog Lisee (Die So Fluid, Ozzy Osbourne).

Recorded between January and July 2017, Moonparticle’s debut was funded by a
successful PledgeMusic campaign. The recording took place in various locations – each musician adding their contribution from their own recording studio (London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles) via online file sharing. Produced and mixed by Niko Tsonev, the album was mastered by Jon Astley (Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Porcupine Tree). The artwork and graphic design were conceived by digital artist Be Wilde.

The title ‘Hurricane Esmeralda’ was inspired by themes of inner awareness and growth, and the process of pure creation. The virtuoso level of musicianship displayed by the aforementioned musicians throughout the 40 minutes of music, complements the primary focus of the album – inspired songwriting and brave musical performances.

If you didn’t get involved with the Pledge Music campaign then you can pre-order the album ahead of a January 2018 release here:

 

Mabel Greer’s Toyshop Release New Album ‘The Secret’ on 8th December

Prog rock pioneers, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop (for without Mabel Greer, there would be no YES), are to release a new album The Secret on 8th December.

On this album, Peter Banks (former YES guitarist) can be heard playing a guitar duo with Mabel Greer’s founder, guitarist and vocalist, Clive Bayley for the first time in 50 years. Clive has written a new song around guitar parts recorded by Peter, who passed away in 2013. This song is a tribute to Banks and Chris Squire who both joined the band in September 1967.

Bayley explains, “I was inspired to do this because Peter’s passing in 2013 was the catalyst for meeting Bob Hagger (drummer with Mabel Greer’s Toyshop) again and coming up with the crazy idea of re-forming Mabel Greer. The result is that we have produced two new albums since then, and released re-mastered BBC tapes from 1967 on the EP Images”.

The Secret is an album of 9 new songs, with Max Hunt on keyboards and Hugo Barré on bass joining Bayley and Hagger. With roots back to an era when music evolved like never before and now combined with musical maturity, this album is must have for all Prog fans everywhere.

Full Track Listing:-

1. Big Brother, Little Brother

2. Love’s Fire

3. Turning To The Light

4. Angel Sent

5. More & More

6. Swan

7. Image of Existence

8. You

9. The Secret (ft. Peter Banks)

Clive and Bob first met in 1966 – a time when the London underground music scene was an impressive force for future development of a different kind of rock music. Clive was only 16 years old but had already been playing in a band since the age of 13. He was writing his own compositions and knew what kind of music he wanted to perform. Bob had previously been for an audition with THE SYN whose bassist was Chris Squire and guitarist Peter Banks. Not long after, both Squire and Banks joined Bob and Clive in Mabel Greer’s Toyshop and the seeds of YES were planted. In early 1968, Jon Anderson also joined the group, followed by Bill Bruford, who replaced Bob and Tony Kaye joined on keyboards. When Clive left the band in August that year they changed name to Yes.

Fast forward to 2013, Clive met Bob again for the first time in 45 years! Both now in their sixties. The first thing Clive said to Bob was “let’s get into the studio, see if we still have the old magic”. The result became the album New Way Of Life featuring Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, released in 2015.

THE SECRET will be available on 8th December on CD and digital download from: https://mabelgreerstoyshop.bandcamp.com

www.mabelgreerstoyshop.com

 

Legendary prog-rockers CAMEL announce UK tour dates for September 2018 – Performing the whole of their 1976 classic album Moonmadness plus other classic tracks

Following the recent announcement that legendary prog-rock band Camel will bring their acclaimed live show to London’s Royal Albert Hall in Sept 2018, the band are happy to reveal that this will be preceded by an extensive run of UK tour dates.

During what will be a very special run of shows – performed by Andrew Latimer (guitar, flute, vocals), Colin Bass (bass guitar, vocals), Denis Clement (drums), Peter Jones (keyboards, vocals) – the band will be playing the entirety of their 1976 album “Moonmadness” plus plenty of other classic tracks. Upon release “Moonmadness” left its mark on the UK Top 20 albums chart, going on to become certified silver. In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album was included in its list of the best “40 Cosmic Rock Albums” and voted no. 58 in the Top 100 Prog Albums of All Time by readers of ‘Prog’ magazine in 2014.

(Band pic by Caron Malcolm)

The full run of UK dates is as follows. Tickets go on sale Friday 1st Dec at 10am.

Fri 07 Sep 2018 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, UK [buy tickets]
Sat 08 Sep 2018 Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle, UK [buy tickets]
Sun 09 Sep 2018 The Assembly, Leamington, UK [buy tickets]
Mon 10 Sep 2018 Friars Aylesbury at The Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury, UK [buy tickets]
Wed 12 Sep 2018 O2 Guildhall, Southampton, UK [buy tickets]
Thu 13 Sep 2018 Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK [buy tickets]
Fri 14 Sep 2018 Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham, UK [buy tickets]
Mon 17 Sep 2018  Royal Albert Hall, London, UK [buy tickets]

Listen to “Moonmadness” on Spotify HERE

Review – Wobbler – From Silence To Somewhere – by Emma Roebuck

Wobbler, a Norwegian band formed in 1999 near Hønefoss; no, I had no idea until I looked either; release their fourth album.

Who are Wobbler?

Lars Fredrik Frøislie – keyboards, backing vocals, Kristian Karl Hultgren – bass, bass clarinet, bass recorder, Martin Nordrum Kneppen – drums, percussion, recorder, Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo – vocals, guitar, glockenspiel, percussion, Geir Marius Bergom Halleland – lead guitar, backing vocals.

It is a 4 track album with 3 tracks between 10 and 20 minutes and one that comes in at 3 minutes. On my first play through I am going to own up to having some immediate judgements on the band and the music they make. I am new to them and have not heard any of their music, I am though a fan of Trevor Pinnock and his work creating authentic music on the instruments in the classical field and I see something of this in the music of Wobbler and their desire to create the authentic sound of the bands of the “golden age” of progressive rock. They also have channeled the bands of the time as key influences of creative process.

From Silence to Somewhere is the opener and at 21 minutes is indicative of the desire to be the wormhole to the late 60s and early 70s. Musically it carries the spirit of the 70s but is recorded in an analogue way through digital technology. We then have a quandary because sonically this is better than their heroes, or at least those they seem to witch to emulate. Mellotrons, time changes, light and shade abound with woodwind of the medieval instruments and flute dropping in left right and centre. The harmonies are well constructed and the jigsaw puzzle of the music fits together inch perfect, well nanometre perfect. It is very slick.

Rendered In shades of Green is a simpler beast., piano and strings with light percussion that lifts from a requiem overture to something with more of a lightness of touch.

That is light relief for Fermented Hours hits like a steam hammer through a polystyrene wall. Over 10 minutes of more rapidly changing musical sound scapes than may actually be good for the health.

Finally Foxlight, pastoral in its introduction and lightness, is a relief after the previous track. Harmonies and a very acoustic drive to it give the listener a memory of laying in a hay meadow by the moon light in a balmy summers evening. Well at least for the first 3 minutes before they crash into a full-on-band-beast; Harpsichord flute bass and drums dance around each other for supremacy with Andreas’ vocals bouncing along the track to narrate the storyline.

I am going to be honest, I have no idea what the songs are about and I am not trying to get inside the heads of the writers. They are obviously passionate about what they do and are focused on creating music that is a reflection and wear the musical influences like a heart on their collective sleeves. They draw directly from the source and you can hear it. Fans of King Crimson, PFM, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Gryphon, The Tangent and Big Big Train will find something in this album worth listening to and enjoying. There is a market for their music and, after being done over by the visa department by the good old USA this summer, some recompense is due to them.

Released 20th October 2017

Buy ‘From Silence To Somewhere’ from bandcamp

 

 

Review – I AM The Manic Whale – Gathering The Waters – by Gary Morley

A Review in 3 acts

Act 1 – the setting of the scene

Here In deepest Berkshire, not much seems to happen, or is not in the public domain until after the fact.

George Michael lived down the road from us, we didn’t know until after his sad departure. All his good deeds then became public knowledge. His success enabled him to fund people and causes as he saw fit, quietly and without the media spotlight glare.

A true Rock star attitude.

Ian Paice lived around here and, in a previous life, I got to know him whilst he purchased video games for his kids. Another unassuming Rock N Roll Legend living his life in full view here.

Jimmy Page passed me and my kids in a shop, I wished him a good afternoon and we went on our way. “Who was That Dad?” asked the eldest. “That, daughter dear is a god. A rock star. “He’s not, he’s just an old man!”. Ah. The perception of youth!

He’s renowned for searching out bargains at the local record fair, again, quiet, unassuming, living his life amongst us mere mortals.

We now have new gods amongst us. Prog Gods! Local boys make good!

After the great Prog explosion of the 80’s and 90’s that gave us 12th Night, Pure Reason Revolution and then Arena, this little corner of the shires has now again performed above its weight, we are now proud to claim The Room, *Frost (well John M anyway) and now I Am The Manic Whale as our home town heroes, even though in keeping with the invisibility cloaks gifted to musicians around here, the members can walk around, getting on with their non-musical lives.

Which is not to say this is an underwhelming album. Far from it. There are hooks galore, guitars are riffed on, keyboards pounded, drums thumped, and the final mix has had the magic of Rob Aubrey sprinkled on it.

After the sheer unthrottled joy of hearing their debut (I think it was one of my first pieces of scribble translated by the Wallet emptier!) I waited for the rest of the Universe to catch on.

And waited.

Then I waited a bit more for the 2nd output. I pledged to fund it, as I had the first. And it’s now arrived, resplendent in excellent art that deserves a vinyl release just to show off the art! Mr. Plane Groovy, one for your shopping list, not only for the cover but also the tunes locked inside.

Act 2 – the tunes

The album opens with big bouncy guitar riffs and keyboards – They’ve gone all Deep Purple on me. The vocals kick in and the 2-part harmony lead is back to IATMW territory. Vocals are clean, and the lyric is enunciated clearly, the subject however is a first for me.

This tale of The Man With Many Faces (no, not a politically satirical barb) unfurls like his “fourteen-foot scarf” would. The opening verses paint him as an avenging devil, to be hidden from and avoided at all costs. Musically, this is deep into the furrow ploughed by It Bites, that wonderful mix of Pop and Prog they exemplified, the harmony vocals add to the layers of this sonic package.

The song unfurls with some nice guitar and keyboard touches, and the story takes a darker turn as we learn more of this fearsome enemy, who “If you strike him down with all your hate, He comes right back up looking great”.

As some antipodean disgraced paint pusher once remarked “can you tell who it is yet?” Live, I can see a gleeful audience pogoing away to the middle eight, it’s very Calling All The Heroes. Not many prog bands make your feet tap and your body want to move, but his track does.

Is that enough for those that need to know to ask that most dreaded question – “Is it Pr…”

ENOUGH?!

Sorry. It’s music, I like it. End of classification and rant. Back to the plot and the twist. The narrator, hiding from this One-man extinction plan, is a member of that race of mobile pepper pots that terrified a generation, of kids hiding behind the sofa.Yup. The time traveler as seen through the eyes of those he opposes.

The ordinary low-level megalomaniac, going about their task of exterminating all life that infest the universe, warning it’s offspring to fear that scarf wielding face changer. Dalek Prog – a whole new genre is formed in this one track. The guitar solo at the climax pulls us out from that particular reality and we arrive back on Planet Earth for the 2nd track, The Milgram Experiment.

Prog songs based on historical events and people have proved popular over the years. Genesis gave us Driving The Last Spike about Brunel and the Railways, Big Big Train gave us songs about forgers, Big Big Trains (😊) , even Todd Rundgren threw in the epic Hiroshima, one of the slew of anti-nuclear war songs that the paranoid cold war years spawned .

Scientists as a subject matter are rarer creatures. Cold Play gave us a generic subject, Hawkwind immortalized Einstein as “a rather handsome fellow that no one ever called Al”.

The subject here is less photogenic than Uncle Albert, but his thinking had an equally profound effect on people. Stanley Milgram carried out psychological tests in the early ‘60’s, he was “interested in researching how far people would go in obeying an instruction if it involved harming another person.” (thanks Wikipedia!)

I had read about this years ago; the track takes us through the testing and the dilemma it exposes in each of those involved. There are some great harmony vocals here, not quite the polished perfection of Moon Safari, but heading in that direction. The multi-tracked guitar solo evokes early Queen, as do those layers of vocals.

Two tracks in, a great opening salvo where we get inside the head of the scourges of a particular universe and their fear and then get to contemplate the effects of blindly obeying orders like good sheeple . No love songs, no dragons, steam punks or dystopian nightmares yet.

Track 3 is equally distant from those staples. The Lifeboatmen is another epic Historical piece, this time with a more nautical theme, more in keeping with the band’s name! Opening with a haunting ambient intro, what sounds like an amalgamation of Yes (Jon Anderson era and peak codpiece era Jethro Tull) paint us a vivid picture of the eponymous heroes.

We are pulled out on the rip tide of some lovely keyboard and flute, rolling with the waves as the coastal life takes center stage. The song changes tempo with the advent of the storm warning – we are off out into the choppy waves, out to assist a ship in distress. The evocation of the storm and waves crashing around the lifeboat is well constructed and the sea shanty style vocals paint a picture of the bravery of those volunteers as they go about their mission.

If you enjoyed the tale of Winkie the super hero pigeon told by David Longdon and BBT, then this track will be just the thing for you. Swirling rhythms, tasty guitar and keys all combine to stunning effect, with the change in tempo adding emphasis to the amazing feat told in the song- 40 men and a dog saved off the coast of Cromar in 1941. We then get a lovely closing guitar piece, the instrumentation and lyricism of which warms the cockles of many an old Camel fan. Flute and keyboards play us out, the coda serving to poignantly return the volunteers to their normal lives, superheroes in plain sight.

Next up is a proper Prog epic – Strandbeest. A proper Prog track, it’s in 2 parts, an instrumental celebrating the strange beast illustrated on the cover and throughout the digipack. Created by a Dutch artist, Theo Jansen, the strandbeest is part sculpture, part animal, part robot. Desolate in their beauty, they roam the beach powered by the elements.

The track tells their story, it has Yes style multiple voices, creating a vivid mental image of the beast as it moves, the band stretch out and get almost funky in places. Yes playing alongside Frank Zappa was my original scribble – The climatic guitar solo takes a shine from Mr. Gilmour, cutting through the mix and driving on, building up to a grand finale. Live, I can imagine this is the guitarist’s big piece, head back, shapes thrown as he solos away, the drums and chorus joining for a fabulous ending that makes you want to go back and play it all again.

Across the first 4 tracks, The Whale have captivated me with some great instrumentation, interesting lyrics and intelligent subjects. Considering this is only their second album, I am amazed at the sheer musical joy captured here. The interplay between the instruments in I’ll Interlude You In A Minute  is as good as that from bands with decades of experience who are road tested and slick professionals

Stand Up is a different beast, another epic multi part track, staring with a semi-acoustic, almost jazzy piece, it’s more “traditional “70’s style in structure, a bit Supertramp or Yes in places. Lyrically though, this is very contemporary. Under the layers of multi- tracked vocals and acoustic guitars lies much anger and resentment about the state of the world we find ourselves living in.

It’s not about left or right, black or white, in or out as someone should say. It’s about being involved.Written by John Murphy, these 4 acts are a modern protest song. The call to arms lyric is suggesting it’s time that we “Stand Up”, think for ourselves, not blindly swallow the agenda we are fed.

“Rain”, act 2 questions the approach of the media, stirring up division and resentment for whatever reason. “Your Holy War”, act 3, is a stinging rebuke of fundamentalism, the fallacy of “ lives paid in service due to a god that we never knew” Act 4 offers a ray of hope, a coming together a rebranding of the hippy ideals so that If we do work at it, “We can build a world for everyone”.

Naïve? Possibly, but it’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.

The last track takes this theme and expands on it. One (Hopeful song) is a fitting album finale, the themes from the previous tracks are woven into a song of hope.

Act 3 – The Conclusion

This track shows just how much The Whale have assimilated the last 50 years of music, they’ve managed to take the glorious almost classical vocal layering that made Yes so ethereal, add in some fine instrumental techniques, some great guitar riffs and keyboard flourishes and write songs, proper songs that lift the spirit, make you think and tap your feet, all at the same time.

If you liked It Bites, have explored the wonders of the Unitopia / United Progressive Fraternity collaborations and have a desire to listen with both ears, then you could do far worse than allow this whale to captivate you with its song. The musicianship, production and sheer breadth of subject matter make this a “proper” old school Progressive Rock album.

We could discourse about the state of the music industry today, bemoan the fact that major labels are all run by Reality TV obsessed ‘Celebrity as product’, faceless corporate drones who care for nothing but the bottom line of a balance sheet, OR we could encourage those listeners to live a little, look beyond HMV and Amazon, persuade them that the choppy waters of the ocean of talent out there is worth dipping a toe or two in. Spread the word, Good music is out there, it’s just obstructed by that mountain of albums of bad karaoke put out by the cynical for the gullible.

(All band photos by CCCOB Photography)

Released 30th October 2017

Buy ‘Gathering The Waters’ from bandcamp