Review – Constructs – Shapes – by Emma Roebuck

Constructs – ‘Shapes’ – well, where to start on this one? Foolishly my first run out of this was ill considered. I normally try out a to-be-reviewed album in the small hours around midnight in the thick silence of my bedroom; this is an EP but more of that later. My error is that I never check promo materials before hand or I would have parked this for a more appropriate time. This is not, I stress NOT, an album to help you chill and ease you towards the land of nod. My insomnia is bad enough but, by the end of track 1 – Tempest that was it, I had been hit by a shot of the musical equivalent of a double espresso. A deceptive electronica  intro drops rapidly into a bass and guitar battle not dissimilar to the war of the god that a see in a thunder and lightning storm. Thick solid sonic sound scapes abound with apparently chaotic but in reality a very disciplined musical approach.

Who are Constructs,

Trayen Burke – Guitars
Gordo Leete – Bass
Dennis Willoner – Drums

“Constructs is a three-piece progressive metalcore band hailing from San Jose, California that formed in 2015. Their name comes from the idea that everything in our reality is in some way, shape, or form, a construct, whether it be thought patterns, society, or the way we interact with each other and the world. The band, consisting of Trayen Burke, Gordo Leete, and Dennis Willoner, have spent the past two years polishing and refining their sound while writing and recording. The band draws influence from metal titans such as Northlane, Periphery, Animals As Leaders, Dream Theater, and is focused on creating a precise, articulate, and stunning live performance.”

Ok to the EP/Album then I struggle here with what it actually is. This EP is 6 tracks long yet comes in at a length not far short of the albums I bought as a Teen back in the dark ages of vinyl, hang on are we not re-entering those days again? 30 minutes plus of  a Californian Trio that has its roots more in the 90s when Dream Theater, Kings X and Queensryche were pressing the metal button but being progressive in their attitude to composition structure and song length.  There is no reference directly to the Prog that served my teen years in the 70s. This actually cheers my heart no end rather than scares me. The ghost of prog bands past haunts way to many bands for my liking and is limiting what bthey do in their creativity and development.

Being an instrumental album, getting meaning from the music, is often very personal in the way you read a title and apply to the music. Atmospheres, the second track, feels like a flight to me through the varied weather systems of our planet from calm to threatening and destructive using the distorted thundering bass sound that reverts to softer textures of the electronic effects and the scaling solos of guitars.

Event Horizon, one of the most destructive things in the universe set to music, is never going to be a happy place for music and this is far from a light and fluffy track.  It implies chaos and obliteration but still within the rigid systems of physics and the music reflects this very well indeed. This track typifies a thing they do well yet some of their equivalents seem to forget. They do space and time where others do not and pummel the listener with constant double kick drum and bass without relief, saving the intensity for when it will have greater impact.

I always leave out tracks for others to discover for themselves on any album but be assured I have not cherry picked but given a flavour of what these guys deliver.

Rather than saying who should stay away from this I will say who would best appreciate this intense, dark and yet still uplifting product. Anyone looking beyond the mainstream of melody, verse, chorus, verse, solo, middle 8, chorus and then repeat. Fans of The Fierce & The Dead, Mars Volta, Animals As Leaders and the likes of Voyager and Ne Obliviscaris would sit very well along side of this EP.

It heartens me to think that there is music being made that has depth and power and retains an identity that pushes the boundaries. Many will not like this but many will see its merits and the true progressive spirit of some of the stuff that is out there.

Released 6th November 2017

Order ‘Shapes’ direct from the band

Mike Morton Announces Dates And Line-up For Resonate, The Follow-up To 2014’s Resonance Festival

The Gift’s Mike Morton has announced the dates and the majority of the line-up for 2018’s 2-day Resonate, the follow up to the Resonance Festival, an ambitious but ultimately rewarding 4 day musical extravaganza staged in 2014.

Taking place at the O2 Academy Islington on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September next years, Resonate will see some of the leading lights of the progressive music scene join forces with acts from wider musical genres to deliver an outstanding two days of live music.

About the festival Mike says:

“Resonate (2018) will bring together a diverse group of acts, from progressive to hard rock with steampunk in between! Tickets will officially go on sale from October 31st, at which time the proper ticket link will be published. Also, our Sunday headliner had been confirmed…but they have asked us not to announce them until New Year’s Day!  Suffice to say they will be another jewel in the crown of this 2 day event. We’ll keep you updated.”

Saturdays Line-up will see Konchordat on stage at 1pm followed by Verbal Delirium, Comedy of Errors, Son of Man, The Gift and headliners Lifesigns.

Sunday opens at the same time with the Tom Slatter Band, Hekz, Jump, Credo, the John Hackett Band and the mystery headline act, a world class progressive-metal act, to be confirmed.

Ticket prices are £25 per day advance or £30 on the door and £40 advance for the weekend or £45 on the door.

Tickets will be available, from October 31st, from:

www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academyislington

 

James R. Turner Talks To David Palfreyman and Nicholas Pegg about ‘Decades’

A chat across the Decades with Nicholas Pegg and David Palfreyman.

Further to James’ review of ‘Decades’ he sat down with Nicholas and David to talk about the album and quite a lot of other things:

How did you two meet & where did the idea for ‘Decades’ come from?

Nicholas Pegg: David and I have known each other since dinosaurs roamed the earth. Or possibly longer. We can never quite remember exactly when we first met, but we know that it was something to do with a certain TV show that we both loved as kids.

David Palfreyman: Yes, Nick and I met through our mutual admiration for Doctor Who, back in the grainy, 16-millimetre days of the mid-1980s. I was running a Doctor Who fan group at the time, and I think that Nick may have come along to one of the meetings.

Nicholas Pegg: Or else we met at a Doctor Who convention somewhere, queuing up for Jon Pertwee’s autograph. Wherever it was, we’d have been about 16 or 17 at the time. Just two teenage Doctor Who fans, our memories now lost in the vortex.

David Palfreyman: It remains a mystery, waiting to be uncovered in a long-lost compartment of the mind. Actually, that’s a great idea for a concept album!

Nicholas Pegg: Ha! But getting back to your question, the idea for ‘Decades’ came initially from David. He’s the songwriter on the album, and he came to me one day with a pile of demos, and he asked me if I’d like to write a story to link the songs together. And three years later, here we are. Essentially, Dave wrote the songs and I wrote the story, but that’s a bit of a simplification. It was a very organic process from start to finish – we both creatively interfered with each other’s work in the most positive way, so the end result is a true collaboration between the two of us.

You have a fantastic cast of musicians, singers and actors involved, were the parts written specifically for the actors, or did you have the story in mind before you approached the individuals?

David Palfreyman: The basis of the story was already there before any of the actors and the majority of the musicians came on board. The whole thing then blossomed, grew and branched off in all directions, achieving different bursts of energy and sunlight as it went along on its journey.

Nicholas Pegg: That’s a lovely way of putting it! Yes, the initial ideas were in place before we started thinking about specific artists, but by the time I was actually writing the script, I certainly had some of the actors already in mind. When I’m writing dialogue, I often find it helpful to imagine a particular actor playing the role, just in my head – it helps to create a consistency of tone in the character you’re creating, even if you later end up casting a completely different actor. But on this occasion, we were lucky enough to attract the actual people I’d imagined, which was a fantastic bonus. I wrote the main part of Kelver Leash very much with David Warner’s voice in my head, so I was thrilled when he said he’d like to do it. The same goes for Jacqueline Pearce. I absolutely wrote that part for her, so again it was a magical moment when she said yes. I knew I was writing for Richard Coyle and Edward Holtom as well. The other actors were simply a case of getting the casting right, and fitting the right people to the right parts. Exactly the same principle with the musicians – fitting the right singers to the right songs.

What inspired Kelver’s story?

Nicholas Pegg: I suppose there are countless inspirations. We came up with a lot of detail that you don’t hear on the album, because the scenes themselves are deliberately impressionistic. It was always our intention to create something quite nebulous and elusive, which we hope will resonate with the listeners’ imaginations. Dave and I know the full story – or rather, we know our version of it, but we’re very happy for people to bring their own interpretations to ‘Decades’. It’s not as if it’s a crossword puzzle with a single correct solution. What’s that line from Douglas Adams? ‘What we demand is rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!’ I love that. As for the story itself – well, I wrote the script, but right from the beginning Dave already had the basic notion that he wanted a story about a man looking back on his life.

David Palfreyman: My initial idea behind ‘Decades’ was actually an idea for a short film I had been kicking around for a few years. A guy who has everything, a great life full of beauty, vibrant colour and conversation. However, cracks begin to appear, and the ‘reveal’ at the end is that he is sitting slumped in a stupor surrounded by empty wine bottles and takeaway wrappers. A damning juxtaposition to the glorious life he had been daydreaming about. Now of course, ‘Decades‘ has not ended up quite like that, and it has far more depth in storytelling since Nick came on board, but that was the spark that lit the flame. I’m not really sure what inspired that, but maybe I was writing about myself.

Nicholas Pegg: I was certainly writing about myself in places. Not in a direct autobiographical sense – ‘Decades’ is certainly not the story of my life, that’s for sure – but in terms of certain philosophical ideas that interest me, and certain preoccupations, and things that trouble me, and things that amuse me too. Some of what unfolds on ‘Decades’ is quite close to home, so it’s been lovely when people have come up and said that a particular line or a particular scene strikes a chord with them. Gosh, I’m making it sound terribly po-faced. Some of the subject matter ‘Decades’ is pretty grim, but I think it’s actually quite a funny album as well. You’re allowed to laugh!

Are you pleased with the reaction the album has received?

David Palfreyman: We have had some amazing reviews, quotes and accolades from all over the world. Websites, online magazines, Record Collector, people posting on the album’s Facebook page, and even the Irish Sun newspaper! Long may it continue. Absolutely wonderful stuff. Yes, we are chuffed to pieces.

Nicholas Pegg: Yes, people have been very kind. A lot of love has gone into ‘Decades’, so we’re thrilled that it’s getting such a positive reaction.

Nicholas – as an actor/writer, is moving into working in music something you always wanted to do?

Nicholas Pegg: All my life I’ve been dipping my toes into the music world in one-way or another. I’ve written song lyrics for theatre shows, and I play a couple of instruments, not with any great virtuosity, and I’m a pretty decent singer. I’ve sung on stage professionally on many an occasion and, as far as I know, nobody ever asked for their money back! I’ve also been heavily involved in writing about popular music for a long time – among other things, I’m the author of a great big book about David Bowie. So music has always played a big part in my professional life. But you’re right, in terms of actually co-writing and co-producing a rock album; this is new territory for me. I’ve loved every minute of it. Another great treat has been directing the videos for ‘Decades’ on location and in the studio – what a joy. I’ve directed plenty of other stuff before, but never a music video. The first day on location with Sarah Jane Morris and the crew for ‘We All Fall Down’, I was like a little boy with a new train set. Pure delight!

David, did you have the musical ideas before Nicholas got involved, or did the songs come together as part of the story?

David Palfreyman: When Nick first started to work on the drama segments, I think I initially sent him around 15 songs or so. And as Nick kept working on the script, I kept on sending new songs. I can’t remember how many tunes we eventually had in the ‘pool’, maybe 30 or 40, but I thought it best for Nick to choose which ones would fit within the story, as otherwise I would have used everything. It would have been a triple album! Giving Nick the final choice of track listing worked really well, as the songs fit in with his script seamlessly.

Any thoughts of performing ‘Decades’ live?

David Palfreyman: We are about to perform two songs from the album with Jessica Lee Morgan, one of our vocalists, in a live session for the Vintage TV channel. We’re recording that in November. As for performing ‘Decades’ as a whole – oh yes, I would love to do a stage version of it. In my mind, that’s always been the plan. Followed by a film. We managed to get the album done, which has been a huge undertaking. Anything else should be a piece of cake!

Any plans for a sequel?

David Palfreyman: I already have around 100 songs to sift through for the sequel. I’m ready. Nick? Niiiick?

Nicholas Pegg: This man can’t stop writing songs, you know. They pour out of him. Do you know the amazing statistic about Turner, that he left something like 400 oil paintings and 30,000 watercolours, which means that he must have averaged about two paintings per day? Well, Dave is like that with songs. Okay, Dave, here’s the deal. Just give me a couple of weeks’ holiday. And then we’ll get going…

You can order ‘Decades’ here:

decadesthealbum.com

 

Human Pyramids have announced their new album ‘Home’ will be released on the 10th of November via Three Mile Town Records.

Human Pyramids, the explosive and uplifting project from Scottish composer Paul Russell of instrumental outfit Axes have announced their new album ‘Home’ released on the 10th of November via Three Mile Town Records.

The new album “Home” takes punk energy and fuses electronic elements with soaring orchestral arrangements performed by a 16 strong ensemble whose jubilant live shows have has seen them make appearances at End of the Road, 2000 Trees and Glastonbury festival.

Raised in an old mining village in the central belt of Scotland and now based in Glasgow, Paul Russell has now expanded his Human Pyramids project to feature a number of handpicked musicians spread throughout the UK. The collectives debut album “Planet Shhh!” received glowing reviews across national press, frequent BBC 6music plays and sound-tracked countless documentaries, films and adverts.

‘Home’ is a collection of 12 pieces of music written by Paul Russell, each one a stunning and winding musical experience, the record moving seamlessly across genre and sounds all the while held together by Russell’s distinctive compositional voice. He said about the record: “Since the humble beginnings of the debut album, the band has ballooned. Live shows at End of the Road, 2000 Trees and Glastonbury Festivals saw the addition of a choir and filled the stage with almost 50 people. Writing a follow up was always going to be an ambitious undertaking!”

Very much a celebration of collaboration, the album was supported by Creative Scotland, which allowed Paul to assemble his favourite musicians, arrangers and producers to work on the record, explaining: “I flew up Danish drummer Allan Gunby to track drums with Graeme Young at Chamber Studios. I recorded guitars with Rod Jones from Idlewild in his beautiful Post Electric Studios. Pete Harvey taught me how to arrange for string quartet and we recorded his ensemble with Paul Savage at Chem19. I took a ferry across to a remote peninsula in Cornwall to work with Simon Dobson on brass arrangements and recorded Trumpet, Tuba and French Horn at his Dark Matter Studios.”

The album will be released on the 10th November on Three Mile Town Records (Worldwide) and on the Ricco Label (East/South East Asia)

Human Pyramids will be launching their new album with a release show at The Lexington in London on the 27th of October with the full 16 piece band in tow.

Review – Daniel Cavanagh – Monochrome – by Kevin Thompson

It’s been an eventful year so far for Anathema.

Latest album, ‘The Optimist’, has been very favourably received by press and fans alike, winning “Album of the Year” at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards.

With a stunning performance at Be Prog 2017 from the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona on 1 July gathering rave reviews, they are currently promoting the album on tour in North America, with UK and European dates coming up. Life would appear to be very good for the band at the moment in an apparent period of blooming productivity.

Not content with this, founding member Danny Cavanagh is to release solo album ‘Monochrome’ in October 2017, which he says “has a late night, candlelit feeling, evoking the light of dusk as the summer sun sinks below the horizon, setting the scene for thoughts and meditations that many people will relate to.”

It features guest appearances from Anna Phoebe and Anneke van Giersbergen, with Cavanagh playing almost everything else himself. The result he describes as “a deeply reflective and personal offering, inspired by internal feelings of love and loss.”

So what to expect from an acclaimed musician on his individual foray, cut loose from the pack?

In all honesty, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, which is hardly surprising as Danny is heavily involved in writing the Anathema songs, but the material is more personal and introspective.

A video of first track The Exorcist has already been released, of which Danny says the band thought was so good that they wanted it as a central track on which to build another Anathema album. Danny resisted, wanting to include it on his solo release and whilst it was a difficult decision, says he is pleased he did. It’s a fabulous track with which to open the album full of emotion and trademark layers of  looping guitars and solos, carving a comfy position in the emotional heart of the album. A yearning for trust, the heartache of separation and a gratitude for salvation. For me it is every bit as impressive as stated and I can see why the band wanted it as a pivotal track on a new recording. Unreservedly the best track on this release, in my humble opinion.

So herein lies the problem for me initially, it is such a strong song that the others take time to absorb as I keep returning to this track.

A breathy rising introduction to This Music finds Danny in reflective mood, sharing the vocal duties with Anneke Van Giersbergen. Fine guitar soloing slides in and out of this fairly short track that drifts along nicely with delicious melodies but fades all too soon for me.

We are left to wander around Soho, with the gentle piano/vocals  from Danny (this lad can sing, why does he not do more with the band) and joined once more by the elegantly gilded vocals of the lovely Anneke in this second duet. It builds from a pulse to a full production of Anathema proportions, receding delicately to piano key tinkling like rain drops. Leading you along orange lit, rain glistening pavements, passing gaudy neon signs above smoke filled entrances as a gentle breeze ruffles the notes into the dark night.

Classical style piano unites with yearning violin strings from Anna Phoebe to take off on The Silent Flight Of The Raven Winged Hours, across cloud ridden, dampened skies, holding back the sunrise. Click tempo rises as bass and drums wheel around the air above, encouraging a clapping accompaniment I would imagine, if ever played live. They settle on warming thermals of synthesised sounds and murmured chants that lift and fall to a lone piano searching out faint strings of birdcall, then suddenly bursting into anguished torment like a slow wailing at a funeral cortege for the dying strands of the night, until we are left with only birdsong to herald…

Dawn. Danny breaks out looping acoustic chords and violin swoops in to herald the sun’s ascendancy into the glory of a new day, on this short instrumental glittering with a touch of Irish folk.

The penultimate track, finds Danny sailing lyrically across Oceans Of Time, with his trusty piano on board penning love letters to a distant soul , harmonies of separation lamented with Anneke at his outpourings. Emotions rise in the familiar guitar sounds we have come to recognise and love from Mr Cavanagh and the soloing tears at your heartstrings once more as we are washed upon a familiar shore, where…

Some Dreams Come True. The looping waves of guitar lap gently on the sand with horse spray tails of a beautiful violin solo from Anna Phoebe cast delicately toward the end of this instrumental piece, splashing at the feet of a child, causing unbound joyous laughter, as gulls circle overhead, on what could easily have been a prelude track to The Optimist.

I have listened to this album at various times of the day and in different situations, at night in the peace of my own home, in the car whilst driving, in the background at work and on the train whilst watching the scenery outside flow past. This produced varying aural experiences and revealed further nuances with each listen.

It is a lovely album filled with Danny’s impassioned musings on a fine solo outing from this accomplished artist assisted by a couple of very talented ladies, adorning the tracks they are on with loving care.

The perfect accompaniment for a glass of wine in the warmth of your lounge shut away from the cold winter’s evening, or just as readily a companion for your walk in the country with the sun on the back of your neck and the wind in your hair.

All artwork by Danny Branscombe.

Released 13th October 2017

Buy Monochrome from Burning Shed

 

Review – Möbius Strip – Möbius Strip by Shawn Dudley

As a jazz fan who primarily hangs out with rockers and prog fans I often get the dreaded jazz question:  “So, I’m kind of interested in jazz, where should I start?” It’s dreaded because how do you suggest a starting position for an umbrella genre of music with nearly 100 years of recordings to choose from?

My method has usually been to recommend jazz recordings that closely mirror the instrumental sounds they’re already familiar with from the rock world. So, it’s usually late-60s/early-70s jazz-rock and fusion; the guitars, electric keyboards and forceful rock rhythms providing a comfort zone for the novice listener. But as the decades keep rolling by it gets depressing when you realize that you’re primarily recommending music that came out a half century ago. So, I’ve changed my usual method; now I pick a modern act that fits the same basic sonic criteria but is more connected to the here-and-now. I believe it’s vitally important for any genre of music that younger artists get their fair share of attention and that they connect with the novice listeners just starting to get excited about the possibilities of what the music can offer. Connect people with good music being recorded today and appreciation of the classics will come naturally later down the road.

Today’s suggestion is the eponymous debut from Möbius Strip, a young jazz/rock band from Italy that has the requisite sound and whose music is accessible enough to appeal to the novice listener. Lorenzo Cellupica (composer/keyboards), Nico Fabrizi (saxophone/flute), Eros Capoccitti (bass) and David Rufo (drums) are obviously well-versed in mainstream jazz recordings from the late 60s thru the early 80s and it’s enjoyable listening to these twenty-somethings apply their youthful energy to the music from that era.

Opening cut Bloo drops us squarely in the Chick Corea/Herbie Hancock ballpark. Built off a bright jazz groove with a vaguely Latin feel and featuring a lithe saxophone melody it’s a sunny start to a primarily upbeat and joyful album. At the midpoint, the song morphs into a funky rock groove with a great bass solo from Capoccitti before returning to the head arrangement.

One of my favorite tracks is the bouncy First Impressions. While the title alludes to the Coltrane piece, sonically it reminds me more of what a hypothetical collaboration between Wayne Shorter and the Dave Brubeck Quartet might have sounded like. This piece is a showcase for Fabrizi’s alto saxophone which he puts to excellent use during his melodic solo section. The most obvious homage in this piece is the Take Five-inspired drum solo.

I was most impressed by Andalusia, a lovely, driving Latin-based vamp which inspires some of the best solos on the album. Of particular note is the soulful and gritty tenor sax workout which creates some significant heat, it’s a “let the hair down” moment on a primarily tightly reigned-in album.

And therein lies my primary caveat with this album; it’s incredibly polite.  However, depending on the audience that could also work in its favor. As a “foot-in-the-door” album it fits the criteria nicely; keeping things upbeat, melodic and accessible. But I think for the hardcore jazz fan (and more adventurous prog rockers) it does tend to stay frustratingly between the lines. I kept hoping they were going to notch the intensity up but it never really happened.

Möbius Strip shows definite promise on this album and it’s a very engaging listen, I just hope they push the boat out a little farther on their next voyage.

Released 27th March 2017

Buy Möbius Strip from bandcamp

 

 

BE PROG! MY FRIEND FESTIVAL ADD PLINI TO THE LINE-UP FOR 2018

Named as the ‘Event of the Year’ at this year’s Progressive Music Awards, Barcelona based festival Be Prog! My Friend recently announced that Sons of Apollo and Pain of Salvation will play in 2018. Today they have now revealed that Australian virtuoso Plini will join the line-up for next year. The festival organisers comment:

‘Plini the Australian guitar master, is coming to Be Prog! after a recent successful headline tour to promote his album ‘Handmade Cities’. Despite his youth, Plini is now recognized as one Australia’s most important acts within the progressive scene. Albums like ‘The End of Everything’ and ‘Sweet Nothings’ are fine examples of what this talented young musician is able to do and his fresh and dynamic stage show will dazzle the audience at next year’s festival’

Plini himself adds, ‘Barcelona is one of my favourite cities in the world to visit, let alone perform in, so it’s going to be an absolute treat to get to play in such a beautiful setting as a part of what will surely be an epic lineup. Can’t wait!’

Be Prog! My Friend which has played host to the likes of Opeth, Steven Wilson, Anathema, Devin Townsend, TesseracT, The Pineapple Thief, Magma, Agent Fresco, Camel, Meshuggah, Katatonia, Riverside, Ulver, Animals as Leaders, Ihsahn, Alcest, Jethro Tull and Marillion will take place on 29th and 30th June next year.

Tickets are on sale now priced at 130 Euros.

‘And so Prog finds itself in love with Barcelona, the delightful weather and everything that Be Prog! My Friend has to offer’ – Prog Magazine

‘The leading festival for progressive music in Spain, showcased avant-garde music in a magnificent location’ – The Independent

‘Set in the hazy sunlit square of Barcelona’s historic and quite stunning Poble Espanyol, it certainly beats the sodden mud of the British festival season’ – Total Guitar Magazine

‘If nothing else, it proves that prog is alive and kicking. Especially in Catalonia’ – Classic Rock Magazine

http://www.beprogmyfriend.com/

facebook.com/beprogmyfriend 

Be Prog! My Friend takes place in the heart of Barcelona and with an airport only 12km away, regular, cheap flights make it an easy festival to get and from the UK. Bands will start playing from mid/late afternoon each day which will also mean visitors have plenty of time to explore the stunning city of Barcelona while they are there.

http://www.barcelonaturisme.com

Live Review – The Pineapple Thief (featuring Gavin Harrison) and Godsticks at Bristol Bierkeller – by James R Turner

I once stole some coconut shampoo, I don’t know why, I didn’t have a coconut, however Bruce Soord has been getting away with Pineapple Thievery for over 18 years, and despite the gig being on a Sunday night, I was glad to finally see them on their latest musical jaunt, a worldwide tour de force promoting the latest long player ‘Your Wilderness’. In fact these dates were added later, as it seemed very odd when the tour was first announced that they bypassed the West Country entirely, and we can’t all afford to ship off over to that London for a gig

In fact this was the last gig of the tour, and practically a local one, as Bruce doesn’t live a million miles away, so it was almost a homecoming for him.

It’s always strange to go to a venue that is so intimate to see bands that you think should be playing such bigger venues, particularly when the venue is the Bierkeller, which is an odd little place. A cross between a traditional rock club and a German drinking haus, managing to not quite be one thing or t’other, and it’s also funny to go to the merch stand and see the latest release by the band being an audio/visual document of the show that you’re about to watch. (Where we Stood).

(Godsticks)

Support was by Welsh boys and K-Scope label mates Godsticks, whose set was made up of a majority of new material from their forthcoming album ‘Filled with Rage’, I had never heard of them before, and as I have probably said elsewhere one of my criteria for what makes a great gig is how good the support band are.

Godsticks are good, very good indeed, they have a wonderfully chunky sound, big riffs and big beats, and have that knack of turning up the amps but not losing the melody, whilst the set was bias towards the new record, ‘Faced with Rage’, which is out on October 13th, the older material from ‘Emergence’ fitted in superbly.

As a rock band go Godsticks are entertaining, musically adept and according to someone who was with me in the audience who had seem them before, they have come on leaps and bounds. All I know is they were a superb start to the show, and got the audience warmed up before the main event.

Last time I saw Bruce and the boys was on the ‘Magnolia‘ tour, back in The Fleece in Bristol in 2014, and then I thought they should be playing somewhere far bigger.

Now, with the addition of the busiest man of the night Godsticks guitarist and vocalist Darran Charles, who joined The Pineapple Thief live line-up, the amazing Gavin Harrison on drums, the Thief’s live sound is suddenly enhanced, and those simple tweaks helps take the burden of Bruce, so he can be the frontman he was always destined to be, and with Gavin on board this group of excellent musicians suddenly have raised their game even more.

There is a reason why the tickets say The Pineapple Thief with Gavin Harrison, and that is because Gavin is the contemporary musical equivalent to Bill Bruford, and is mesmerising to watch and hear as a drummer, astonishingly despite being a massive fan of his work, both solo and with bands like Porcupine Tree or King Crimson, this was the first time I have ever seen him live, and whilst I love The Pineapple Thief, and their latest album, seeing Gavin Harrison in action was something I couldn’t miss.

Being biased towards some of the later albums, and of course ‘Your Wilderness’, the entire album hits the stage at one point or another tonight, and songs like In Exile, Where We Stood and Tear you Up come across with power and intensity, the sound that a band confident in their ability can deliver with panache.

With Darran doing some of the heavy lifting, Bruce is like a man freed, playing to the audience and turning in some fine banter (‘forgetting’ to remember the album title of Godsticks new release being one of many exchanges), whilst material from ‘Magnolia’, including The One you left Behind (the strongest track from that album), absolutely rips the place apart with the power and skills of the band. With long term collaborators Steve Kitch on keys and Jon Sykes on bass, a lot of the focus is of course on the man in the corner of the stage. Every note is timed to perfection, every fill, every beat is on point, and nothing is superfluous, I feel a lot of prog drummers can get a lesson in how to do it from Gavin Harrison. Everything he does added so much to the songs that every so often I would get a great big grin on my face, as the whole sonic template meshed together to create an almighty sound.

I said before when I saw them at The Fleece a few years ago how I couldn’t understand why they aren’t playing bigger venues, and ironically the Bierkeller is slightly smaller than the Fleece, and I wish I could fathom why a band this powerful, with songs this melodic, this intelligent and this epic aren’t selling out and playing to the sort of crowds that bland wallpaper peddlers like Coldplay are doing. There is more musical intelligence in one of Bruce’s riffs or one of Gavin’s fills than there is in Coldplay’s recorded output for the last 5 years, and music this big and this powerful and emotional deserves a bigger platform. I guess that the benefit for us is that we get stadium-sized performances in smaller venues and to hear this music, this close is something we should all be thankful. If, and I say if, Gavin Harrison is still playing with The Pineapple Thief next time they tour then you owe it to yourself to go see them. If not, then we’ll always have ‘Where We Stood’, and the Bristol Bierkeller.

Review – Johannes Luley – Qitara – by Emma Roebuck

The guitarist from Moth Vellum and, more recently, Perfect Beings comes out with his second solo album ‘Qitara’ after 2013’s ‘Tales From Sheepfather’s Grove’ which, if I am honest, I have not yet heard but, after hearing, ‘Qitara’ I shall be it hunting out.

Johannes says this is a collection of music he has created over the last few years and was looking for a way to put it on an album for people to hear. The album is mainly instrumental with one vocal song Sister Six which is not that far from what Perfect Beings produce and has a very slow percussive atmospheric feel to it along with a psychedelic edge from a pseudo Sitar sound on the guitar parts and sweeping sonic landscapes.

The rest is instrumental and is essentially Johannes exploring musical styles, slipping from jazz to rock to avante garde via the progressive greats. Some of it is outright jamming by some amazing musicians, Soliloquist being a good example of that musical telepathy that happens when musicians get in sync and let things happen. Faces in Reflection is taken from the same mould and, although it is a George Duke, composition they take it to places that only they can do when in the moment. Both tracks have a deep jazz/rock crossover and are delights to these ears.

The Doer is classical guitar with a very open beginning which then flows into  a track that has Weather Report clashing with Frank Zappa at his jazziest.

Hot Sands has a fat chunky keyboard line with soaring guitar lines channelling a desert journey and the constant drive for thirst and water. Red and Orange, the other cover, is a Jan Hammer piece with tons of edge, drive and virtuosity  and yet is neither sterile or cold. Fans of Mahavishnu will find much to like here.

White City & Agni Rahasya have the feel of a homage to Steve Howe and his works with a big chunk of Luley interpreting the style.

This album moves across styles and genres but has jazz rock at its core. If you like Dave Gilmour, Pat Metheny, Frank Zappa, Steve Howe or Steve Vai then it has much to offer. There is a brief reunion with his band mate from Moth Vellum – Ryan Downe – on vocals. The sleeve notes are remarkably comprehensive for the guitar geeks of this world and the way he has constructed the album.

I would say that this is far from a mainstream album and sits in a niche of primarily instrumental guitar music. Having said that, I played Red & Orange on my show last week and it received praise and interest from the listeners. If I have a criticism then I would love to have heard longer pieces and more musical navel gazing and exploration from the album. It feels like he has edited down which makes me want to hear the stuff on the cutting room floor. But I suppose, as P T Barnum said, “Always leave them wanting more!”

Released 15th September 2017

Order ‘Qitara’ direct from the artist

 

 

 

Review – Geof Whitely Project – The Blessed And The Damned – by Progradar

Another month starts and another CD arrives from the uber-prolific Geof Whitely Project, an artist who literally has songs pouring out of him and who must commit these to CD and on record.

Arny Wheatley (the man behind the project) has to tread a fine line and make sure he doesn’t just release any old song that has popped into his head. They’ve got to appeal to the listener and be well crafted pieces of music. Well, to my ears, he’s been doing an excellent job so far but, as every new album arrives, I do wonder how long he can keep it up?

Arny describes the project thus:

‘The Geof Whitely Project was formed in 2011, it consists of Geof Whitely and special guest Musicians, the aim of the project is to put out original material in all types of musical formats from Prog Rock-Rock-Pop-Electronic-Instrumental.
All albums will contain a mix of such musical songs, there’s surely one that will appeal to everyone..’

This time it’s ‘The Blessed And The Damned’ that has arrived at Progradar Towers for consideration and it wowed me immediately with the striking artwork, which has always been a feature of any album from the Geof Whitely Project.

Arny’s music has been progressing across the last couple of releases so I was very intrigued to see what this new album would deliver…

This new album has a much darker feel which starts with the opening and title track. The Blessed And The Damned has a suspenseful and ominous extended opening before the vocals kick in with a very sinister note. Small rays of light are delivered by the elegant guitar but the excellent synth and insistent drums always give the song a chilling tone. It’s a further departure from that elegant, laid back sound that I’d always associated with the band and I, for one, like the direction Arny is going in. There’s a great, melodramatic guitar solo that adds even more atmosphere and, overall, I’m pretty impressed by what I’ve heard so far. Lucid Dream carries that theme on with quite a chilling intro, a darkly striking, subdued, keyboard note underpins the measured vocal, delivered in an emotional, supernatural tone before the warmth seeps in for the elegant chorus. There’s this Ying and Yang between the harsher edge of the verse and that more affable chorus that runs throughout the song and gives it a certain gravitas.

A Music Hall/Circus melody introduces The House Of Spirits but I can’t get away from that sinister overtone, like it’s being played by one of those evil clowns from IT, it works really well though and the chaotic noises that are thrown in just give it a really disorienting feel. The keyboards break through this to give some authority and then the mesmerising instrumental is broken as the vocals break in, quite pressing and persuasive and I end up feeling like I’m in the middle of a musical version of one of Stephen King’s more disturbing novels. This is some really clever and inventive songwriting and just goes to show how the Geof Whitely Project are progressing as a musical act. Walking Through Time is a perfect title for the next song as I feel I’ve been transported back to the 80’s by that brilliant keyboard/synth sound and the aggressive guitar riff. There’s a sci-fi feel to it all but in a 2001: a Space Odyssey way rather than something more up-to-date. A great piece of music that washes over you, it even leaves me nostalgic for that era and everything it had, good or bad, and that is really original.

That 80’s nostalgic tone is present in the the weighty opening to Bird On A Wire, a contemplative and determined track with melancholic vocals and a serious overtone. A pensive and sombre sounding song but one that is well written and meaningful in its delivery. I really like the overall vibe that comes from the track and the added thoughtfulness it engenders. There’s a harder rocking edge to Walk The Line with an up-tempo instrumental opening that has a police siren persistence in the background. The vocals are compelling with a introspective undertone, again I get the feel of the 80’s around this song, albeit in a more soft-rock vein. This is enhanced even more so by the engrossing solo-heavy instrumental mid-section, Arny seems to have become a lot more reflective in his songwriting.

A much more expansive sounding intro heralds Utopian Vision, a song with a seemingly bigger musical vista and soundscape. Again that wistful and nostalgic reflection is at the core of the track and it leaves me thinking of sepia tinged memories of times gone by. Were things better in the past or is it just how we remember them? That’s what this song seems to be asking. This is an absorbing song, a retrospective in music and it really touches a nerve with me, I find myself becoming utterly engrossed and that is what great music is all about. The closing track on the album is Awakening and it’s another mature and consuming piece of music with Arny’s sorrow-tinged vocal leading us on another enigmatic and mystical journey. The stylish synths add a classy aura to the song, there’s pathos and poignance in every note and the whole atmosphere is one of sentiment and wondering. It’s a fantatstic way to close out this latest chapter in the Geof Whitely Project story.

Arny deserves a huge amount of kudos and respect for his continuing reinvention of the Geof Whitely Project and this latest album is definitely his best release yet. The lyrics and melody are given equal standing and he’s given the music an extra dose of mystery  and drama to make it an utterly absorbing listen. As I write this the Geof Whitely Project’s next album has just arrived so you will definitely be hearing more of this unique artist soon!

Released 2nd October 2017

Buy The Blessed And The Damned from the GWP website