Porcupine Tree – Closure / Continuation (2022)

This was perhaps one of my most anticipated albums in quite sometime. However, as a Steven Wilson fan, I also knew not to expect an album like anything that came before it. This is a review of thee long awaited reunion album of one of the most loved Prog bands.

Porcupine Tree went on hiatus in 2010, at the height of their popularity, so that founding member/singer/songwriter Steven Wilson could focus on his solo career. Much has been said over the years, and without turning this into a “he said/he said”, let’s just focus on 2022. The band announced a new album, without the inclusion of former bassist Colin Edwin. The trio (Gavin Harrison on drums, Richard Barbieri along with Steven also fulfilling bass duties) have left their fate open to interpretation. Is this the swan song PT fans never got, or a sign that there’s more PT to come? I think the upcoming tour will determine that. But in the meantime, let’s talk about the new music!

4 tracks were released ahead of times as singles. I listened to the first two (the first two tracks on the album), before waiting to hear the rest in one sitting. Hearing songs out of context can always be underwhelming, and with so much riding on this album in my mind, I was already feeling that way about the first two. I wanted to give the rest a fair chance. I’m happy to say that doing so has changed my mind about these tracks.

The album starts with “Harridan”. This 8 minute song begins with a funky bass riff, similar to Primus. This style of bass playing already clashes with the soft full tone you would expect from Colin, but is more in line with Nick Beggs work on “Luminol” from Steven’s solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing. Gavin and Richard’s style are immediately evident. Gavin’s complex yet clear and precise drumming suiting the groove, and Richard’s ambient keyboard tones filling in the empty space. It is an upbeat and driving tune, with a very quick chorus. Tonal wise I loved it, but felt like it didn’t have a hook. Steven’s distorted vocals was a welcome return, and it has a wonderful soft middle section for contrast. Upon repeated listens, I realized the chorus had a better hook than I initially realized, and as an opener and reintroduction to the band, it is a definite success.

“Of the New Day” was the second single released and while it showed the ballad style that Porcupine Tree has always incorporated into their albums, having it second after such a big opener seemed like a drop in momentum. Also, the quick changing of odd time signatures seemed to make the pace more frantic, for what could have been a simple and beautiful song. The time changes become second nature with repeated listenings, and an upbeat middle section makes it so that you have already covered a lot of ground with these two tracks alone. I still would have loved to have seen a more stripped down version of this song later in the track list personally, but I can easily see it becoming a fan favorite.

“Rats Return” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. While the band has walked the line between Prog Rock and Prog Metal (starting with In Absentia in 2001), this song sees the band at their most full on Prog Metal. Starting with a riff worthy of Dream Theater or Haken, it quiets during the verse to the strange and ambient sound we know and love from Porcupine Tree, especially on the Fear of a Blank Planet album. While the riffs and dynamic transitions give the impression of complexity, the structure itself is very simple, and it includes all three members doing with they do best which is why I love it so much.

“Dignity” is kind of what I wanted “Of the New Day” to be as the second track, though it works quite well in the middle of the album as well. It is a delicate and beautiful song, that takes its time to build up, and has some wonderful harmonies, melodies, and lyrics. I especially love the classic rock riff after the chorus. It blends old and new quite well with the mellotron sound of the 60s meeting Muse like keyboard sounds in its bridge. It also has one of Steven’s best guitar solos over an electronic drum beat before returning to the song, and the huge finish at the very end is an added bonus. This song will sound massive live.

“Herd Culling” has similar issues for me as “Of the New Day”. It is a heavy track with glimpses of the last two songs of Fear of a Blank Planet, and should be on the same level as “Rats Return” for me in theory. But these two songs are some of the rare occasions where I feel like the band focused more on odd time signatures than suiting the song (something, Steven has often said is never his focus). The time signatures in my opinion make the song too frantic (something that is obviously it’s intention), but take away from the heavy riffs, throughout or the great vocal melodies in the middle of the song. Maybe it’s just my ear struggling to hear the rhythm, but as a fan of lots of complex bands and songs, these gripes are not something I expected to have on this record.

“Walk the Plank” is possibly the most straight forward song on the album, but it’s also very effective because of that. It incorporates the electronic and industrial elements of “Bonnie the Cat” and the title track off of The Incident with the funky grooves of “Eminent Sleaze” off of Steven’s most recent solo album The Future Bites. It is a great song to place on the second half of the album because it is amongst the darker and more complex tracks, but it does not lose the overall feeling of them.

“Chimera’s Wreck” is the epic closer, clocking in at 9 minutes and 40 seconds. If “Dignity” was the more uplifting counterpart of the 1960s Prog inspired songs on the album, “Chrimera’s” is the sadder and darker tune. With a Genesis like arpeggiated guitar intro and an ethereal call and response during the verses, the lyrics are amongst the saddest lyrics; a bold statement for a man who has made a career exploring that side of the spectrum. The main hook contains the lyrics, “I’m afraid to be happy and I couldn’t care less if I was to die”. This hook builds up with great bass playing and Gentle Giant like wordless vocals. This is followed by great riffing, a guitar, falsettos, and an abrupt ending.

Every song on this album has merit, and in total, it is probably the band’s most progressive AND most metal album. However, the flow of the album is not nearly is good as that of the last few releases by the band, and once it is over, you struggle to remember exactly what it is that you have listened to. Repeated listens will obviously help with this, and every song would be amazing to see live. But as a complete album, I have trouble seeing it in the same realm as Fear of a Blank Planet or even The Incident. Plus, some of the bonus tracks from the deluxe edition were great and could have helped the album with flow and pacing. And as a fan, I’m tired of dishing out $100+ for a few extra tracks that should have been on the finished product. But with all my complaints, it is wonderful to have new PT in the world, and I’m hoping it won’t be the last.

Cult of Luna – The Long Road North (2022)

Cult of Luna by the time of this release had already established themselves as one of the “big three” of Post Metal alongside legendary bands Isis and Neurosis. They are known for their consistency and forward thinking approach. For me, they had already been a part of two of my favorite albums of all time, with Vertikal and Mariner (alongside American vocalist Julie Christmas). But their previous albums were no slouch either.

Following those two albums couldn’t have been easy, and I may have been tough on reviewing the follow up, 2019’s A Dawn to Fear and the companion EP, 2021’s The Raging River, which both did grow on me with repeated listens. But sometimes the biggest problem with ambient types of music is that it can get lost in the ambience, and forget about the song at its core. This is not the case with the shorter songs with clean vocals the band has every release for some time now, but some of the longer songs that have great riffs, but ultimately sound very similar.

Following quickly after those two releases, I hoped that this one would have a little more diversity, and while that’s not exactly what I found, I did connect with it a bit faster than with the previous two releases.

First and foremost, the album name, track listing, and album art are quintessential Cult of Luna atmosphere, so much so that you can’t believe it already hadn’t happened. For a band who has traveled musically and lyrically through countryside, cities, and even space, a journey through snow and barren lands is the perfect setting for their cold, dark, moody feel.

“Cold Burn” opens the album much like “The Silent Man” did for A Dawn to Fear and “Three Bridges” for The Raging River. It’s a driving song with brief melodic moments. But what they brilliantly do here is lull you into a false sense of security. When “The Silver Arc” comes in right after with a similar sense of urgency, you think it’s gonna be more of the same. But when it’s beautiful droning middle section complete with a bright bass tone you would hear on a record by The Cure or Tool appears, it hypnotizes you.

“Beyond I” the first surprise of the album comes at the perfect time. I shouldn’t say surprise since soft songs on their album are becoming expected, as well as guest vocalists, but they are what I look forward to since they provide so much needed contrast. Mariam Wallentin’s voice is haunting on this keyboard driven track with no drums. It reminds me of AA Williams, especially on her split with Mono. The band intelligently follow this up with the slow building “An Offering to the Wind”. With the tension and atmosphere of a Western film, the flow of the album starts to take shape, with its peaks and valleys mimicking the very landscape it describes.

After it’s epic climax, the album brings itself down again with the ballad “Into the Night”. Whereas “Beyond I” was more electronic and industrial driven, this one continues the country and western feel the band started on the previous track. It starts slow and brooding, building half way in to a full band ballad, with very unusual chord progressions. It reminds me of Radiohead almost, due to a mellotron keyboard tone, and a crooning vocal style. It is a different style for the band. Very ambient, and it shows their continued confidence in the variety of clean vocals. And while the sporadic appearances on these track listings don’t signify a complete change, this middle dip of forward thinking songs bookended by the heavier, driving tracks is what gives this album its wonderful and consistent flow.

Continuing with this thought process, the band does not just randomly pick it back up with immediate heaviness and urgency. They slowly build it up once more time with the short instrumental “Full Moon”, a beautiful blend of the country and western feel of the last two songs, with the electronic/industrial keyboard heavy tones of “Beyond I” all mixed together. The subtle changes of tone yet constant flashbacks to past themes gives this album cohesion, and flows perfect into “The Long Road Home”, which starts with some incredible slide guitar work.

Eventually the title track brings that intensity felt on the first two songs. The band really take their time on this album, in the best possible way. The title track is filled with fantastic dynamics and the production really shines on this one as you hear layering that simultaneously make you think of the cityscapes of Vertikal, the space of Mariner, and the countryside of Somewhere Along the Highway. Aside from obvious post metal references, bands and projects like Agalloch, NIN, Author and Punisher also come to mind.

“Blood Upon the Stone” the last real song and second longest song, acts as an epic closer, and doesn’t take as long as “An Offering to the Wild” to get going. Using the momentum from the previous track, it gets right into it. The extended middle section with delayed guitars, consistent drumming and subtle keyboard tones turns into an explosion of dissonant and post rock goodness. The vocals return over a repeated melody a builds to an incredible climax worthy of finishing off this group of songs. But Cult of Luna don’t leave you hanging.

The album officially closes with “Beyond II”, which is an ambient piece of drone, classical, and industrial, all mixed together. It was created alongside Colin Stetson who also helped provide soundscapes on “An Offering to the Wild”. Normally I’m not the biggest fan of instrumental ambient noise closing out an album. But after such a massive track and complete journey, I can see the need for it here. It eventually fades out, and leaves you ready to re-experience it all.

It’s always hard for a band to live up to a fan favorite. And while Cult of Luna might be in the fortunate position to not have one distinct one, they have certainly created a mountain for themselves to climb over on each new release. But the band gives off the impression that they don’t care… in the sense that they have nothing to prove, and aren’t making albums for anyone in particular. They do what they want to. Some aspects of that are new, some are what they do best. But they’re not going to completely change over night for new fans, nor are they going to stay the same for the old ones. And each new release has something new to give, but it will always sound like Cult of Luna. It’s up to you how much you want to invest in finding the differences. But don’t expect to write it off entirely as just another new album by them.

Kowloon Walled City – Piecework (2021)

Kowloon Walled City blew me away when I saw them two nights in a row. Once at a small dive bar in Long Beach. The next in front of about 1,000 people opening for Neurosis. In both shows, their demeanor was almost identical. They are a very unassuming band. But this simplicity is also part of their brilliance. I wrote a review of their previous release Grievances. And when it came time to write a new review for one of their albums, I was shocked that it had been 6 years. A very quiet six years, with scattered shows.

This silence was in part to an uncertainty of the band’s future, which tends to happen when your main songwriter has writer’s block. And with the release coming when it did, it is possible to assume that the pandemic/lockdown could have played the role of the muse, like it did for so many others. If that is the case, I wouldn’t know. Because unlike many bands who came back flashy, swinging, inspired to try a new sound…. Kowloon came back exactly as before.

This new release contains 7 songs that could have been on either of their previous two albums. No clean vocals added, or female vocals…. No crazy times or song structures….no blatant song lyrics calling out specific people or events. It was as if everything we had been through in life had never happened. Just like it didn’t matter to them whether they played in front of 10 people or 1,000. They give you their sound. And that’s not such a bad thing.

In my previous review I explained what makes their sound so unique. Punk sensibility with a sludge/doom/post metal (whatever you want to call it) sound. No crazy light shows or song lengths. No endless tunnels of reverb and delay. And yet, despite their simple arrangements (2 guitars and bass playing slightly different things at the same time, they way Slint did on Spiderland), it is there unique use of space between notes that creates the atmosphere. Even though all the instruments are dry, you still feel like you could be falling as you wait for the next hit.

The title tracks opens by trudging along, as if the chugging were to mimic the lyrics of just passing through life (I don’t have the lyrics written down anywhere so my interpretations could be flawed). Though after a minute, it quickly rushes you to your first bit of soft guitars, a dynamic that despite how often it gets used, never overstays its welcome. Dynamics are after all what this band is all about. That if anything, is their only flex.

“Utopia” is a darker tune with its incredible bass tone, apocalyptic/lost in the wilderness like lyrics, and use of occasional feedback. After a brief soft section, it hits with an epic ending. “Oxygen Tank” on the other hand takes its time to build up, showing off the wonderful DIY production. Punchy drums, upfront bass, just enough room to breathe on the guitars so they don’t muddle the mix, and vocals that always feel on the brink of distorting right out of the speaker. The build up payoffs off with the closest the band has gotten to a normal chorus (“you never wanted to escape!”). Definitely a highlight.

“You Had a Plan” is the closest the band has come to a ballad. Heavy guitars don’t come in until around the 3:30 mark, the music takes over from there, and then the vocals throw in some powerful lines at the end. The song shows the band’s restraint while never conforming to singing when it gets soft.

“Splicing” might be my favorite from the album with its simple but effective bass lines, lyrics, and melodic (while still slightly dissonant) guitar lines. It has a standout lyric “through the haze, like a pulse, you sang”, a build up in an odd time signature, and an abrupt ending.

“When We Fall Through the Floor” musically might feel like more of the same by this point, but it makes up for it with so many memorable lyrics, so you can’t help but headbang as Scott yells, “What’s hidden in the floor?!”

“Lampblack” is a great closer, starting off with the lyric “One last thought” before closing with the line “You want to feel like you’re going home”. There is very little fluctuation in this song and is probably the most jam-like song they’ve done. Aside from the soft breaks, it stays on its main riff before the song ends and fades away.

Like their stage presence, very little attention is forced towards the album. It comes, it goes, and doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. In fact, after 6 years, a 32 minute album is kind of surprising. Most bands would feel obligated to switch things up, so something big, surprise their fans.

But Kowloon Walled City is perfectly happy to do what they’ve been doing. And their fans are perfectly happy to hear more of that. It was almost underwhelming upon first listen, but I should have seen that it’s not about what’s expected. And upon my third listen, I knew it was exactly what it was needed to be. Great lyrics. Great music. And a band that sounds like no other. Why then, would you want them to conform to the trends? Doesn’t matter anyway.

They won’t.

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(All pictures curtesy of the band’s social media pages, and websites selling their merch. If you like the album, support the band by purchasing a physical copy of it!)

Between the Buried and Me – Colors II

Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM) released Colors in 2007, an album that would change my life and the way I thought about music. It also changed a lot for the band, helping them away from the metalcore scene they were forged in, to opening slots in Amphitheaters with the likes of Dream Theater and Opeth. Those who were brave enough to get past their long name knew of their progressive tendencies, and on this album, it was on full force, like nothing before it, and in my mind since it.

My love for that albums lies in its balance. Balance between heavy and soft sections. Balance between knowing when to take itself seriously and knowing when to surprise its audience. Balance on knowing how long to stay on a riff or a grove. Balance in its transitions. Perfect balance in its 8 unique and equally important parts, that flow through as one. A balance, that I search for in all albums, but is very rare to find.

So when BTBAM announce a sequel to this album, I don’t take it lightly. This album has a lot of weight on its shoulders, and I don’t want a quick and easy cash grab.

The first single “Fix the Error” immediately left a bad taste in my mouth, aside from some Colors like arpeggios and some drum solos (that I did not yet know were 4 different drummers). It was quirky. It was punk like. And it had a vocal part that continues to grind at me after many listens.

Not at all what I think of when I think of Colors.

“Revolution in Limbo” was the next single, and this one blew me away. It sounded like old BTBAM. As if I could have been on the original Colors album. With brief moments that sounded like Alaska as well as ones that could have been on The Great Misdirect. The balance was back. Metalcore riffs, sweeping guitar licks, transitions that made sense, a confidence in its sense of melody, and a 9 minute runtime that just flew by.

Now I was confused. And the next single didn’t help me out either! A keyboard driven proggy/funky, technical death metal song that sounded more like the bands BTBAM inspired rather than themselves. Something that could have been done by The Contortionist or White Arms of Athena, while still fitting right at home on a Tommy (vocalist) solo record. Now I have three very different songs and no clue, how it all comes together.

On my first listen to the whole album, I’ll be honest. I didn’t think it did. It felt like a bunch of different eras of BTBAM all fighting for seniority. I knew there were good moments and songs, but was ready to write a review about how the balance and melodies were severally lacking.

And then I listened to it some more.

And this long overwhelming album started making sense. Not only that, but it was flying by. And just because it didn’t have the same kind of standout melodies that the first Colors had, didn’t mean it didn’t have flow.

Flow became the word of the album, because I hadn’t realized until that point how much the flow was lacking on Automata and Coma Ecliptic. I’m not saying BTBAM forgot how to write an album. They’re obviously masters of that. But it wasn’t just songs connected by lyrics anymore. Musically, this album was making sense.

From the soft intro of “Monochrome” that we know to expect from them (starting with “Foam Born (A)” from Colors, to the subtle hints and similarities of “The Double Helix of Extinction” to “Foam Born B”. This song snd “Revolution in Limbo” are a ferocious double punch with drumming and guitar chugging that feels like an old friend returning, even though they’ve made a career out of it. Soon you start hearing references to all kinds of BTBAM songs. Is the drumming a reference to “Ants of the Sky”? The vocals a reference to “Lay Your Ghosts to Rest”? The melodic lines a reference to “Informal Gluttony” or “Extremophile Elite”? You start to wonder if they were intended or not. Standouts of the song are the growls (curtesy of drummer Blake), and Ants of the Sky saloon reference.

In the context of the record, “Fix the Error” comes at a perfect spot. Now that they’ve reintroduced the modern life and isolation themes of the first album, the theme of upbringing and revolution makes more sense. It truly becomes a time to celebrate (though I still hate the “if you see the rainbow” part).

“Never Seen/Future Shock” is an 11 minute epic with “Telos” like riffs, melodies, random medical sounding sections, but it also demonstrates something on this album. Not only their confidence, but their sense of fun is really blending so well here. Maybe cause they could reference themselves so much, or maybe cause the songwriting came more naturally. But these long songs with twists and turns don’t feel like they’re dragging on. Even after a section with crazy timing, it pays off with about 4 minutes of beauty.

“Stare into the Abyss” is a keyboard driven electronic track that we’ve come to expect from them, but it provides necessary breathing room and has a post-rock climax. This before the chaos of “Prehistory”, with its video game/cartoon sounds. It follows in the footsteps of “Bloom”, “Voice of Trespass”, and “The Ectopic Stroll”, for the fun section of the album.

If the first half of the album showed they could still pull up their older and heavier style at will, this second half shows their arsenal of tricks aren’t just gimmicks, and the transitions are phenomenal. “Bad Habits” is one of the most interesting tracks in my opinion because it’s got a strong old school Prog vibe. Hints of King Crimson, Genesis, even Gentle Giant scattered throughout their aggressive delivery. From the keyboard tones, jazz, folk, and classical, it is definitely a Dan (bassist) song, it brings out the best in Tommy, especially with its emotional delivery of lyrics like the return of “sleep on, fly on” from “Ants of the Sky”.

Then comes the aforementioned “The Future is Behind Us” which sounds so fun and welcoming in comparison, before moving on to “Turbulent”, which actually doesn’t live up to its name. In actuality, it is another moment of simplistic electronic keyboard parts, continuing what the previous track started while making references to other songs, bringing different ideas together. It just lets you get to the music while building up for what is to come. But before they do that, they actually drop out for a bit with “Sfumato”.

Like “Viridian” before it, the band provides breathing room before the epic closing track. It introduces what will be a main theme on the keyboard while giving off serious David Gilmour vibes, which you can never have enough off. This just leaves…

“Human is Hell”, which acts as the “White Walls” of the album. Starts off similar with a driving riff they actually borrow from The Great Misdirect. It follows a similar trajectory as “White Walls” but not without its surprises! The title of the song is said in a part that reminds me of “Digging the Graves” by The Faceless. The first few minutes are almost punishing in how heavy it comes off, and then the melodic chorus comes out of nowhere, almost bittersweet.

It’s impossible to say everything that happens in the song, let alone all the references. Halfway through the melodic melody from “Sfumato” comes back and introduces an extended soft section with beautiful lyrics, melodies, and solos. Then a familiar chord progression leads to a keyboard build up, similar to build ups we’ve seen in their epics before. You can already imagine the audience getting pumped up at this part for the big finish.

After a “Swim to the Moon” nod, a “Prequel to the Sequel” like breakdown, and mini drum solo, we have a brief soft part, before the final chorus. Once this ends, we have the brief major key guitar solo like seen on “Goodby to Everything (Reprise) and “The Grid”. This gives it a classical finale ending, as opposed the sorrowful one of “White Walls”. This is one of my few gripes because it feels like band is relying on it too much, but it is a short gripe for such a triumphant album.

It is so hard to condense writing about this long album with all its references, all it twists and turns, all its technicality, and all its musical sensibility. I fear this review might already be as long as the album itself. But to try and summarize, for someone who was so worried about a sequel to something they loved so much, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Then again, how do you expect a sequel to something that was so unexpected in the first place. But the band passed the test with flying colors, finding a confident way to pick and choose the best parts of their career without completely redoing it.

BTBAM has always had the unique ability of sounding like everyone other band and yet only like themselves at the same time. There wasn’t much they needed to prove to their fans at this point, but their impressive talent to continue challenging themselves while playing some of the most challenging music out there is nothing short of inspiring.

Jordan Rudess at the Voodoo Lounge in San Diego (9/11/2021)

It’s been quite a while since my last concert review, but the right show will inspire you.

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Last night, accompanied by my girlfriend and my drummer, we made a last minute decision to travel down to San Diego from LA for a solo piano show from the famed keyboardist most commonly associated with his work in Dream Theater. It’s not often I have to make this journey for shows living in LA, and only have to when I can’t attend the one happening over here. Needless to say, a solo Rudess show in a small room is absolutely worth the 2+ hours, and tired legs, and we couldn’t be more happy with our decision.

I’m starting this review off differently then I normally do. I’m getting the fact that is was an absolutely incredible experience out of the way early, cause I just want to get right into how great and well put together this setlist was. It was my first time at the House of Blues in San Diego. The Voodoo Lounge is the smaller room of the venue, and it was packed with a mostly respectful crowd on a hot/muggy Saturday night. The room eventually cooled down once doors had been opened long enough, and the subtle lighting changes were simple but appropriate throughout the set.

Rudess came out at 8 o clock and started with a short improv, that he joked would be the last time anyone ever heard it again unless they recorded it, and sent it to him. This set the tone for a night of masterful piano playing, and a light atmosphere of storytelling and laughs. Having seen Rudess from afar at a half dozen Dream Theater shows, it was a privilege to be so close to his fingers, as the ease-fully made their way across the keys. Dependent on the piece, he was either focused on the transcriptions, or smiling at the chord, engaging them to enjoy it even more.

The first real song was a new ballad called “Twilight Rain”, which provided some beauty, before showing his classical chops with a Bach piece, complete with harpsichord tones. He then played “Biaxident”, one of my favorite Liquid Tension Experiment songs. By the time he did his first 70s Prog rock cover, the set had already gone through multiple styles, piano tones, and artists.

The classic Prog covers of the set was something otherworldly. Starting with a beautiful rendition of “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, he then moved on to mimick the 12 string guitars for his cover of “Entangled” by Genesis. He had a full choir behind him in his rendition of “The Court of the Crimson King”. He had the classic organ tone for brief cover of “And You And I” by Yes.

He also played an incredible rendition of “Key to the Imagination” off of the new Liquid Tension Experiment album, which is a technical piece as it is, let alone the face that he arranged it all on piano, playing parts done by guitarist John Petrucci on the album. This and “Interstices” off of his “Feeding the Wheel” album showcased his ability to move through rock, jazz, classical, metal, through dissonant lines, and Gershwin like melodies.

The middle of the set was taken up by him soloing on Geo Synth/Geo Shred app that he created. Playing on a tablet, he did synth solos, piano solos, and blues solos that made you think he was playing a real slide guitar. He even at one point played the solo using his nose, as if this show needed to get anymore ridiculous.

Towards the end, he finally gave the Dream Theater fans in the crowd a little something special with renditions if “Hollow Years” and “The Dance of Eternity”, not only showcasing his diversity, but the diversity of Dream Theater, going from a beautiful ballad to the technical aspects and ridiculous time signature changes.

And if all this wasn’t enough, he came back out for an encore of “Even Less”, a Porcupine Tree cover that he covered with Steven Wilson when opening for Blackfield many years ago. He then finished the show with a genre breaking rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” that closed with the exclamation point of an ending that is the last part of “When the Water Breaks” by Liquid Tension Experiment. He emerged from his piano, with the crowd bursting into applause, and went to the merch booth for meet and greets, signing whatever the fans brought up to him.

Aside from his obvious chops on piano, the story telling aspect and balance of the setlist is what really made the show. From anecdotes of starting to learn piano, to playing for David Bowie, to his times at Juilliard, to getting Prog albums from friends, it was very intimate, very honest and very genuine. It was for fans of music, and for Jordan to have fun with his fans after all the world has been through in the past almost two years with COVID and politics. He payed tribute to the greats, dug out songs that haven’t been heard in a while, and did some fan favorites. In turn, it was very well received, and everyone looked like they had been musically cleansed by the end of the night.

This mini tour was greatly appreciated, and to Jordan and his wife who manned the merch booth, thank you so much for sharing your gift, and keeping great music alive.

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Setlist

1. Piano Improvisation
2. Twilight Rain
3. Partita No. 5 in G major (Bach)
4. Biaxident (Liquid Tension Experiment)
5. Space Oddity (David Bowie Cover)
6. Entangled (Genesis Cover)
7. Moonchild (King Crimson Cover)
8. The Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson Cover)
9. Key to the Imagination (Liquid Tension Experiment)
10. Geo Synthesizer and Piano Improvisation
11. GeoShred Blues Improvisation
12. And You and I (Yes Cover)
13. Soon (Yes Cover)
14. Interstices
15. Hollow Years (Dream Theater)
16. The Dance of Eternity (Dream Theater)
17. Even Less (Porcupine Tree Cover)
18. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

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Addition pictures taken by Fernando Guerrero.

Steven Wilson – The Future Bites (2021)

It’s no surprise Steven Wilson is my favorite musician. His songwriting and his diversity has been influential on my own band, and I make it a point to see him each time he comes around because of how unique his live shows are.

His albums take a life of their own. They have their own style, concept, and imagery. From the drone inspired Insurgentes, to the jazz tinges of Grace For Drowning, the classic Prog of The Raven that Refused to Sing, to the dark modern Prog of Hand.Cannot.Erase, and the 80s pop inspired To the Bone, he had already shown us an interest in electronic music. It had been scattered throughout. So the next logical step was to bring it to the forefront. An album about modern life. An album about consumerism. And just the packaging to showcase it.

With its blank white style, and “item number” for random assortments of useful and not so useful things to buy, it could be seen on the standard edition, singles, deluxe edition box set, even a special one of a kind box set with a price tag of £10,000. It was on the websites, the music videos. This blank “future” (or present), was everywhere, staring us in the face whether we wanted it or not.

Musically, the album has been divisive, which is probably why it’s taken me so long to write this review. I wanted to approach it unbiased, but with so much build up, it was hard to become unbiased. Maybe it would have been easier if the album hadn’t been so delayed by the COVID 19 Pandemic. But that also shaped the album by giving Steven more time to change track orders and work on bonus songs.

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So here is my take:

Part of what made this album so hard to review was the fact that most of it was already released by the time it came out. With each single, the songs had their lovers and haters. I didn’t want to get lost in this because it always makes a difference hearing it by itself versus in the track order. All we hadn’t heard was the “intro”, and the last two songs (“Self” was also released before my copy finally arrived).

The album begins with “Unself”, a simple melody and chord progression over an electronic drum beat. It’s good enough to be an intro, but my issue is that it doesn’t flow well into “Self”. Even a better transition would have made this combo of songs absolutely crushing.

“Self” is a great first song. it introduces the style of the album perfectly. The electronic style mixed with 80s pop. Female background vocals come in on the chorus and lower vocal octaves come in on the verses. The song is enhanced by its appropriate and memorable music video, something that could also be said for “King Ghost” and “Personal Shopper”.

Speaking of “King Ghost”, it’s a great follow up to add contrast with its ethereal style. It moves away from the funky Prince style of the first song to a more trip hop style, reminiscent of Massive Attack. Steven’s falsettos may be a turn off to some people, but it’s a great song that feels just a touch too short.

Up next is “12 Things I Forgot”, which is one of my favorite songs on the album, but is kind of an awkward song after the ambience of “King Ghost”. It os a poppy song that reminds Steven fans of his work with Blackfield. Great sound, catchy chorus, and a nice guitar tone at the end that could have become a full fledged solo (however Steven seems to be taking a page out of Aviv’s book and is going for the least amount of deviation as possible).

After this one step away, it goes right back to the darker and funkier tone of “Eminent Sleaze”. This one caused controversy when it was released as a single. It has a similar combinations of sounds as “Self”, but more focus on groove rather than the driving electronics. There’s some Pink Floyd in the guitars and keyboards, but it’s the lyrics that seem to turn people off. However, it’s a fun song to sing along with and I can imagine people dancing to it live.

This leads us to the first single, “Personal Shopper“, the longest song on the album. It’s got a Nine Inch Nails feel, combining dark EDM (electronic dance music) with ambience, the female backing vocals, falsettos, and a heavier feel than most of the album. It also has a middle section with Sir Elton John naming off products to buy. As a single, this middle section was unnecessary, but in the middle of the album, it helps get the point across and provides some much needed downtime in an album that mostly just flies by.

The last two songs on the album are ones that are ok, but not strong enough to send the album off on. “Follower” is a driving rock song with a repeated hook, that just doesn’t do much for me. It’s upbeat and sounds cool, but would have done better to build up the album before all the great songs that came before it. And “Count of Unease” sounds like Steven’s most uninspired ballad. No strong hook, no big finish. Final ballads are usually his specialty, but it feels so out of place at the end, and you wish there was a “Happy Returns” you could leave off with.

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This would be the end of the normal review, but I quickly want to grow through all the leftover songs that appear on other formats.

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On the Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set:

CD:

1. “Personal Shopper (Extended)” – an almost 20 minute version of the song to get lost in. Complete with Elton’s part done twice.

2. “Unself (Long Version)” – honestly doesn’t add much, but probably would have been a better build up/transition to the album.

3. “Ha Bloody Ha” – feels more like older Steven Wilson music, and definitely would have been out of place on this album.

4. “Move Like a Fever” – maybe my favorite song to have gotten left off. Dark, danceable, and has really cool sequencing. Hypnotic and memorable. Could have replaced “Follower”.

5. “King Ghost (Extended)” – Steven heard my request and made a longer, more chill version of this already great ambient song.

6. “I Am Cliche” – lives up to its name as the most generic sounding song thus far. A beat that sounds like it could have been for “Eminent Sleaze”, lack of catchy chorus, and a guitar riff that is ok, but I can see why it was left off of the main disc.

7. “Wave the White Flag” – this feels like what “King Ghost” could have been. Lots of similarities, but instead it’s done in that late 90s/early 2000s Porcupine Tree style when Radiohead was a big influence on Steven. Great track.

8. “Eminent Sleaze (Extended)” – another extended dance version like the other two we’ve had on this disc for far. The track takes its time to build on itself and contains all your favorite parts from the original.

9. “In Pieces” – A dark but driving track that has a lot of Depeche Mode influence. Interesting melodies, keyboard arpeggios, and murky guitar tones.

10. “Every Kingdom Falls” – In my opinion, would have been the better closing ballad instead of “Count of Unease”. Darker and sadder, and has that strong Tom Yorke feel. Also shorter and more to the point.

Cassette Tape:

1. “Anyone But Me (Demo)” – A Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra-ish pop song with backing vocals and harmonies, and a familiar chord progression that we’ve heard in countless songs, but all of the familiarity helps the point of the song and drives it’s lyrics and catchy chorus home. Supposedly, the official version will get released in its own format, maybe as a tour only edition.

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On the Eminent Sleaze Single (Released on CD and Vinyl)

1. “Eyewitness” – Another track that could have replaced “Follower” in my opinion. 80s dance beats mixed with Tangerine Dream keyboard sounds and backup female vocals.

2. “In Floral Green” (Lonely Robot Cover) – an excellent cover of a very Steven Wilson like song. A spacey ballad by John Mitchell, also known from the bands Frost*, Kino, Arena, and It Bites.

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From the 12 Things I Forgot Single (released as a vinyl only)

1. “Move Like a Fever (Alternate Version) ” – an extended version (2 minutes longer) of the already great song that can be found on the bonus disc of the album. The definitive version of the song in my opinion.

2. “King Ghost (Tangerine Dream Remix)”- If you thought the song was ambient to start with, this is an extended version by one of the great ambient artists of all time. Exactly what any fan of both artists could want!

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Released on the Ultra Deluxe Version of the album, limited to just one copy.

1. “The Tastemaker” – released as a one sided 7” single, and graciously shared by its owner who also made a video to it. It’s a quick and easy song that expands on the sound and lyrics of “Eminent Sleaze”, without as many falsettos. Not worth £10,000 in my opinion (I’m joking of course, as I know the boxset came with way more than just this one song), but we are very fortunate that it fell in the hands of someone who actually released it to the public. Cheers to you Alan!

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And that’s my review. It may not be close to being my favorite Steven Wilson album, but it provides many great songs that will fit well into his already amazing live shows, and the bonus material provided us with a wealth of material, so it’s not just the quick 40 minute album that we look to. I definitely would not want Steven to stick to a specific sound. The beauty has always been watching him try his hand at everything. I’m sure if the next one sounds very different, it would silence the haters of this one. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.

Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks of God (2021)

The newest album by Manchester Orchestra draws attention to its uniqueness with its album artwork. From the bright pink to the computer generated element, it continues the surrealistic element of its previous release’s artwork, bringing the black and white scheme to a more modern feel.

The music does that too.

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Manchester Orchestra has expanded their sound with every release, and have definitely matured as well. Their debut feels dated, from its Polaroid album cover, to its simple production. But the band has always been driven by singer/guitarist Andy Hull’s sense of melody and unique turn of phrase in his lyrics.

Mean Everything to Nothing continued this sound, Simple Math showed its improved production with a greater focus on layering, and Hope and Cope showed the two sides of the band, the hard rock (almost sludgy) interpretations and the stripped down acoustic interpretations of the same songs.

A Black Mile to the Surface was their most cohesive album, with a flow, a mindset, and a purpose. This took their live shows to the next level. Big production, expanded lighting, and some of the most powerful and clear mixes I had heard in years. They utilized this mentality, for their next release.

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This album feels like the most pop, produced, and mainstream sounding thing the band has ever done. This might be an instant turnoff for some people who will accuse the band of selling out. But with repeated listens, you realize, there is a lot to uncover.

The album was inspired by the death of a family member, and deals with acceptance, the transition of body and spirit, the afterlife, and hope. This may not be instantly apparent. Despite its more electronic focused sound, simple chord progressions and structures, and familiar techniques with vocals and keyboards, this album doesn’t immediately jump out at you in terms of catchy choruses. Andy’s usual unique lyricism isn’t as obvious either.

The band has expressed that like a movie, it is supposed to be listened to in one sitting. And because of its concept album tendencies, lyrics, themes, melodies, and ideas are repeated. That explains why it initially felt blurred together.

But their previous album had great flow and still had a strong sense of individualism for each song! So why wasn’t this jumping out at me yet?

I knew it sounded good, but after a listen, couldn’t remember any hooks.

This is because the band deliberately wanted to avoid the individualism of the songs. It truly is the opposite of its previous release. Only in understanding the flow of the album, do the themes and catchy melodies reveal themselves, and that is when the album is most enjoyable.

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Starting with the big opening of “Inaudible”, the church like vocals sound huge, especially when the rest of the band comes in. This feels more like the beginning of a play, rather than a movie, and transitions into the darker “Angel of Death” which starts with the kind of wordless vocals you’re use to on the radio these days. The driving rhythm hits a big chorus, and reminds me very much of one of my favorite bands, The Dear Hunter.

“Keel Timing” is the funkiest song the band has ever done, and let’s the infectious groove be its main focus. “Bed Head” builds off of its rhythm and melodies while returning to the darker tone of the “Angel of Death” verse. The industrial and electronic tones, high harmonies, and chorus have gotten stuck in my head over and over since first listen. Definitely a highlight of the album.

“Annie” follows with a simple delivery, and brings the album down for its gorgeous first ballad “Telepath”. A short acoustic driven piece, this might actually be the first melody that sticks in your head upon first listen.

“Let it Storm” starts as a ballad that while it doesn’t get heavy, has a profound full band hit in the chorus, while “Dinosaur” has an electronic vibe that reaches a hard-hitting climax towards the end. “Obstacle” follows suit of “Let it Storm” and it’s clear there’s a deliberate reason that the album starts heavier and darker and ends softer and more beautiful. It represents the transition of life, and the acceptance. It strays from the questioning, doubt, and fear, and has a nostalgic certainty. It’s absolutely beautiful.

“Way Back” continues this and lulls the listener, not to sleep, but more like through a trip in the clouds. And this all sets up the final “The Internet”, which reminds of their previous album closer “The Silence”. While it never reaches the same climax of that one, it see similarities in melodies and lyrics, as well as it’s airy and twangy guitar tone. It ends with an allusion to “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, something that has made appearances throughout the album.

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It’s a fickle album in who it will impress and who it won’t. People who like the band already will like it with repeated listens, and people who like pop music will like it, as it is their most accessible album to that group. But to certain fans of rock who have not gotten into them yet, this might not be the best choice of an introduction. The mainstream elements might be a turnoff, and they might do better to come back to it after they’ve experienced previous albums (Cope and A Black Mile to the Surface for the rock and metal fans, their first two and Hope for the acoustic or indie crowd).

That being said, there’s enough to digest here that it is a rewarding album with repeated listens. It is fun to connect the dotes in terms of shared lyrics and melodies between songs. There’s enough to appreciate in terms of beautiful melodies, production, and thought-provoking lyrics. And these songs are gonna feel huge in a live setting.

It may seem repetitive at first, but I implore you to give the album another try if it wasn’t for you on first listen. It might not be the catchiest album they’ve done, but it is an excellent step for the band in terms of pushing themselves and will reward them with acclaim and popularity in the long run.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – G_d’s Pee AT STATE’s END (2021)

With the COVID 19 pandemic a few months in, and scattered great releases coming from Katatonia and The Ocean, I said to myself…

“Where is Godspeed”?

The post rock band has always been a perfect soundtrack for the end of the world, alongside the absolutely crushing and most devastating moments by Japanese outfit Mono. And despite their lack of lyrics, they have found a way for their music to convey strong political connotations, whether through soundclips, song names, artwork, linear notes, or even images projected behind them in a live setting.

And a global pandemic, plus political turmoil, racial tension, classist division, among everything else we experienced in the year 2020 seemed only too fitting for what Godspeed has been saying all along.

But Godspeed didn’t emerge to gloat, because…. when you’ve been right all along about devastation, it doesn’t make you feel any better. It doesn’t make the situation itself any better.

True, most of the music on this new album was actually written before the Pandemic was even a thought for the average citizen. In fact, the last time I saw them, they played what was then known to us as “Glaciers” and “Cliffs” (thanks to diehard fans online). And what I can remember of these songs that amazing night in Los Angeles was how melodic they were. They provided more introspective moments than the chaotic but brilliant songs that they played from Luciferian Towers with Patrick Shiroishi on saxophone. And it’s wonderful to finally hear them on album form.

This is the 4th album in a row by the band to feature a similar format: 2 long songs and two shorter songs (or 2 melodic songs and two drone tracks, since what’s short for them is still longer than anything most bands can release). This has been their track list of choice since returning from their hiatus. Depending on the mood of the album, the format can provide comfort to the listener like in the beautiful hypnotic repetitiveness of their previous release, or it can provide some bleak and powerful releases such as on the two before that one.

This time around, it doesn’t have the anger that the band is able to achieve in their most punk rock moments (as far as post rock goes). It reminds me of T.S. Eliot’s famous quote:

“This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper”.

Fans of early Godspeed will be happy to notice two things right off the top:

1. Multipart song names (representing the different parts or “movements” to borrow the term usually used for classical music). Sure two songs on their previous release were multi-part. But for Godspeed fans, the longer a song’s name is, the more they like it.

2. The first song starts with the use of field recordings, something that has been lacking on the recent releases by the band.

After a few minutes of the soundclips, a distorted violin comes in, almost like a political march gone wrong. After fading out for a while the band comes in with what will surly be an iconic moment for them: “Job’s Lament”. The buildup of guitar and bass before the full band joins is nothing short of brilliant.

This jam session goes straight into “First of the Last Glaciers” which is heavy but extremely melodic. The band is really showing their hard rock skills, incorporating it amongst all the tones, effects, and droning. They even show off some odd time signatures in this section which is a great step for the band. More than just the ups and downs of normal post rock, the band continues to challenge themselves all these years later, while still paying tribute to the sliding guitars that were prevalent on their debut. The song ends with a minute of bird chirps and gun shots. When it’s all over, you can’t believe how fast 20 minutes can pass.

“Fire at Static Valley” in contrast is 6 minutes, and showcases the melancholic side of the band. Almost like the sad realization of your dreams dying or nightmares coming true, it is a swan dive into harsh realism when compared to the driving rhythms of the first song. Haunting, nostalgic, and similar to things we’d expect off of Lift Your Skinny Fists or Yanqui U.X.O, it shows that the short songs on this album are not gonna be easy endeavors, but that they are just as crucial as the longer ones.

The second long song also starts with a soundclip, this one of a voice and static. Similar to the first song, after about two minutes this is broken up by the bass, and then a distorted guitar and a violin. This haunting melody is repeated while the drums slowly build up like an orchestra getting in tune, or a rhythm finding its way.

Once it gets going, it continues the eerie vibes of the previous tune, giving off those old, classic Godspeed vibes. This goes on till the 11:22 minute mark, when the song goes from the “Government Came” section to the “Cliffs Gaze” section. The song briefly drops out before introducing its new melody, which is among the most positive sounding moments the band has ever created. Like a celebration amongst the darkness and the mourning, it emerges and completely changes the tone and pacing of the album.

It gives the album a full trajectory from its low points to its high points. The full experience of the human soul if you will. As Rod Serling would say, “between the pit of man’s fears, and the summit of his knowledge”. That’s where this album lies. Church bells bring the song to a close, almost around the 20 minute mark.

The album is closed with a 6 minute and 30 second piece called “Our Side Has to Win”. If the previous songs show their rock side, their melancholic side, and their uplifting side, this one shows their knack for classical music. Somewhere between an orchestral piece and a string quartet, it is the perfect closing music for a film (to quote Radiohead). After everything you’ve heard, it slowly fades away, and lulls the album to a perfect close.

While it might not be the most experimental album the band has released, I can definitely see it becoming a fan favorite. The melodic passages provide the band a wealth of material in a live setting, in a discography that is already hard enough to concise to a 2 hour setlist. From start to finish, it seems clear and focused. Every second has meaning, every section serves purpose, and every piece plays well with everything that came before it and came after it.

Some fans might want Godspeed to have emerged from the pandemic with the darkest album ever. Some fans would have wanted Godspeed to blatantly wave a flag that says “We Told You So”. But Godspeed is too classy for that. Instead, they come to provide a message of hope. They instead chose to say with this album:

“Yes, we see what’s going on. Yes we know that times are tough and things look bad. But yes there’s going to be the other side of this, and we will all see each other soon”.

And from a band who has always preached of the apocalypse, it couldn’t be more comforting to hear this message loud and clear. Especially since they just announced a world tour for 2022.

Things are indeed looking up.

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Photos courtesy of Constellation Records.

Evergrey – The Atlantic

Evergrey might be one of the most consistent metal bands on the planet. Which is why their 2019 release, The Atlantic, surprised me when it underwhelmed me in comparison to their previous 10 releases. But with a new Evergrey album soon to arrive in my mailbox any day now, I was inspired to revisit this release, and try to see if those feelings were rightfully so, or to see if I had softened my stance over time. Let us go back to a time before the pandemic.

Let us take another journey across The Atlantic.

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Evergrey is a wonderful blend of dark progressive metal, with gothic influences and pop tendencies. Their songs are not the most complicated even though they are certainly technical musicians, and songwriter Tom Englund does like to stay predominantly on his Iron Maiden influenced chord progressions (i VI VII for the music nerds) which give the majority of his melodies a sense of familiarity.

So what saves the band from growing stale? Their brutal honesty in their lyrics, Tom’s soulful vocal style, and their ability to continue finding catchy choruses.

The Atlantic came with some sad news. Tom and his wife Carina (who provided vocals to almost every album) had split up. And that shone a light on what Tom described as a trilogy, staring with Hymns For the Broken, through The Storm Within, and ending with this release. And while Evergrey’s lyrics always touched upon heartbreak and despair, the reoccurring themes were put in the spotlight on these specific releases.

Tom said he deliberately didn’t have any guest vocals on this album (the previous one saw Floor Jansen as well as Carina), as a sort of catharsis, proving he could move on by himself musically and personally. Similarly, the album is the heaviest one they have ever released, as a wave of emotions comes crashing down onto the listener.

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The album begins with a trio of songs that were released ahead of time as singles. These are also possibly the best three songs on the album, which is why initially the album didn’t feel as well put together as some of their past releases. Upon my first few listened, it felt like they gave up all its strengths too early, and the rest of the album just couldn’t keep up.

Opener “A Silent Arc” is a strong representation of the band. It introduces the nautical theme, their heavy chugging riffs, and melodic choruses. The hook is great, and so is the middle section that brings it down just a bit for emotional connection, while not losing its momentum. And upon knowing the subject matter that influenced the album, it’s impossible to not get emotional as Tom bitter-sweetly sings;

“Our heaven is dead. In search for a new horizon”.

The next track, “Weightless”, shows the Evergrey formula that has worked for them on so many albums. If the first song is the memorable single, song two is the groovy counterpart with pop tendencies. Even though it has that down-tuned metal tone, it still has one of the most memorable melodies on the album. The lyrics say:

“I’m weightless in the water, surrounded by the deep. I stare my past in its eyes to say
It’s over, it’s over my friend
I made a promise to myself that I
Would never falter, never fade so I
Could stare my past in its eyes
Over and over”.

It’s dark, ambient, but still heavy middle section also provide a necessary breather before the shred guitar solos.

And the third track, “All I Have”, takes the formula of “Weightless”, and almost perfects it with a slight heaviness to what could have easily been a ballad. The chorus is simple but effective, and would definitely become a fan favorite to sing along with.

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Now as promised, I think the album still does take a slight dip in quality from this point on, however, with more listens, I was able to find redeeming qualities for each remaining song.

I found that “A Secret Atlantis” provides a nostalgic element of Evergrey albums past. This is done with the lower register vocals during the prechorus. It also feels more thrashy than the modern elements on the other songs, harkening back to Torn, Glorious Collision, and Monday Morning Apocalypse. Plus, when was the last keyboard solo on an Evergrey album? And it’s chorus seems to just walk by, not dragging attention to itself, but still being memorable enough to sing along with:

“And I wanted to let you know, that I’m leaving to let this go. And the sky is painting my sorrow”.

“The Tidal” is a short keyboard driven instrumental with animal sounds. It’s purpose is to continue pushing the nautical theme and provide a quick breather after 4 heavy songs in a row. It goes straight into:

“End of Silence” which starts quickly. The guitar chug and keyboards feels very Dream Theater/Fates Warning. Everything drops out except for keys and vocals for the chorus. It has a dark middle section, with an unusual vocal melody and slight vocal effects before returning to the bitter-sweet sounding chorus. This one definitely grew on me after giving occasional chances to it.

“Currents” has all the elements of a standard Evergrey song, except for its slight off timing during the chorus. Without knowing much about time-signatures, it feels like it loses a half a beat, which might be the only thing exciting about it, but also might be a hinderance in that it makes it hard to enjoy headbanging to it cause of the slight change. The keys sound great in it, but it definitely feels like a song we’ve heard before.

Luckily, the album is saved but it’s most unique track, “Departure”. The bass sounds fantastic, and it’s got a goth influenced mid-tempo ballad feel to it. It’s got two really strong melodies to it, but also makes me wonder how it would have sound if they went straight ballad on it. I think a full on orchestral version actually would have benefited the album as a whole, providing stark contrast. Even so, it’s still a great song on its own and I wouldn’t mind seeing more like it in the future. And anytime Tom moves to a major key is greatly appreciated after albums full of minor key darkness only.

“The Beacon” is another one that grew on me as of recent. The old school sounding keyboard tone that we heard on Torn and Glorious Collision comes in and continues throughout the verses. The chorus is excellent, with Tom professing:

“I must find my beacon, to let what’s dead come back to life”.

It’s almost like a return to form for the album before the big finish comes in. “This Ocean” is one of the darkest and heaviest songs the band has written, and Thats thanks to its almost black metal like outro.

Tom sings:

“I’ve cried this ocean, and the tears that I’ve wept, shadow the apparent horizon”.

The song leaves the album on an almost uncertain note. Has he in fact found his beacon? Or has he gotten lost in his ocean?

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I still think it’s the most one dimensional Evergrey album. No true ballads, no guest vocals to provide any contrast, though the return of prevalent keyboards is a nice touch. It is a dark and heavy album which provides them many new options in the live show of headbangers in their new chosen down-tuned state, which is helpful when your older albums are different higher tunings, and can potentially limit the amount of guitar exchanges.

Though it still doesn’t reach the same heights for me as many in their discography, there’s no use complaining about new Evergrey. You know they’re consistent, so another one will be on the way shortly, and they’re one of those bands that you go in knowing what you’re gonna get. No huge changes from album to album, you can expect shredding, and Tom’s emotional vocals and lyrics to be at the forefront.

In addition, Tom released his Silent Skies debut album with keyboardist Vikram Shankar, his new band mate in Redemption. That album is all ballads, so if The Atlantic wasn’t for you, maybe that one is. Either way, as a fan of Evergrey, you have to be amazed at Tom’s strength in life, and his way of turning dark/hard times into beautiful music, and singing about them night after night. Despite how I may feel about the album, I’m sure it was the one he needed to make, and as a fan, that’s all that matters.

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We’ll see how on the next album, Tom will rise from the ashes on Escape of the Phoenix.

Essential Prog Metal Albums – The Honorable Mentions

My list of Essential Prog Metal Albums caused a bit of a stir, and so as a way to rectify that, I decided to create a new list of the albums that I ultimately cut to make a shorter, condensed, and more focused list.

My next list, The Essential Neo Prog Albums was extended to 18 albums to avoid this problem, and it actually seemed to work and flow better, so here are what would have been the honorable mentions had the Prog Metal list gone on.

In just a quick reminder, that these are strictly bands in the Prog metal genre, and there were many more bands I took into consideration before ultimately deciding on the 18 (these 3 and the original top 15).

With that said, here are album 16 – 18.

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18. Circus Maximus – Arrival

I have to start this list with one of my favorite albums from high school. When this album came out, it seemed like Circus Maximus was gonna carry the touch padded by Dream Theater and Symphony X. Now we know that torch has actually been given to Haken for better or for worse, but there’s no denying the brilliance of this release.

In 2020 it seems like it’s all but been forgotten. But even a recent listen brings back good memories of the sheer amount of catchy melodies on this album. In addition to the two bands mentioned, you can also hear a good amount of power metal influence. From moments of classic influenced shredding to Helloween and Queensryche inspired hooks, this album has it all.

From memorable songs like “A Darkened Mind”, “Abyss”, and “From a Childhood’s Hour…”, to the instrumental track “Sane No More”, and its two epics “Ultimate Sacrifice” and “Mouth of Madness”, if you’ve never heard this album, it is a must listen to.

17. Shadow Galley – Digital Ghosts

Shadow Gallery had a lot to live up to on their 6th album. Every album thus far was getting bigger and better. Sadly, original singer Mike Baker passed away from a heart attack. Continuing with Brian Ashland, the boys were able to honor Mike’s memory, and then some.

They had already done two albums containing long songs, and three of their albums that flowed through as one. They even had James Labrie contribute vocals to their 3rd album. But Digital Ghosts is perhaps their strongest group of songs as a whole. 3 songs 9-10 minutes in length, and 4 songs 6-7 minutes long. This balance of splitting up the long songs flowed so nicely, and each song really demonstrated a different facet of the band.

“With Honor” goes from Queensryche like riffs to Queen like harmonies and demonstrates everyone’s ability to solo as well as some great drumming. “Venom” has an 80s groove with middle eastern sounding solos. “Gold Dust” is among the catchier tunes, and the final two songs (the title track and “Haunted”) are a strong conclusion.

16. Redemption – The Fullness of Time

Choosing a favorite Redemption album is a painful decision for me. Since high school, this band has meant so much to me. From seeing them open up for Dream Theater, to opening up for them at The Whiskey-a-go-go, I have always felt a strong connection to Nick and the boys.

Their emotional music has touched me deeply, and many of their albums are classic to me. But in side by side comparison, I had to go with their 2nd album, and debut with Fates Warning singer Ray Alder. After a debut with singer Rick Mythiasin, Ray stepped out of the role of producer/guest vocalist, and into the spotlight. And while it might have been their follow-up that was more noticed, this was the band firing on all cylinders.

From a fan favorite, “Threads” with its memorable opening of thrash riffs and piano/keyboards during the chorus, to a song about the innocent eyes of children when viewing tragedies such as September 11th, to the crushing riffs of “Scarred”, the songs increase in length and complexity. This is seen by the 15 minute epic of a relationship coming to an end, which would be referenced by songs on future albums.

But the album’s biggest accomplishment is the 4 song suite that acts as the stages of grief. From the anger of “Rage”, the depression of “Despair”, the bargaining of “Release” and the acceptance of “Transcendence”, it is brilliantly constructed from the opening soundclip to the counter melodies which tie all four songs together simultaneously.

Emotional lyrics and vocals, talented musicians, great songs. What more could you want?