by progrock.com | Jan 26, 2018 | Prog Report
If you don’t know about Al Joseph, it is time to get acquainted because this new guitarist and singer is one of prog’s rising guitar shredders. With a new band, Hyvmine, and a debut album out this past Jan 19th called earthquake, everything is now in place to make Joseph a household name. In this interview we talk about his influences, the new band, the new album, and more, including his love of guitar gods like Satriani and Petrucci.
You can get the new album at this link: https://hyvmine.bandcamp.com/releases
For the full audio interview click the link below or download the podcast on iTunes.
by progrock.com | Jan 24, 2018 | News, Prog Report
Steve Hackett has announced a brief run of 6 shows in the UK for his Genesis Revisited tour that will take place in October. The guitarist will be joined on the road by a 41-piece orchestra, led by conductor Bradley Thachuk.
Hackett says: “I always hoped that the Genesis music would one day involve an orchestra and I’m proud to say I’ll now be able to make that dream a reality on my next British tour – involving my own extraordinary rock band alongside a full-sized orchestra.”
The live dates will see Hackett perform some of Genesis’ best-loved songs, including Supper’’s Ready, Dancing With The Moonlit Knight and Firth Of Fifth, along with a selection of his solo tracks.
Tickets will go on sale via MyTicket from 10am on Friday, January 26. Find a list of dates below.
by progrock.com | Jan 22, 2018 | News, Prog Report
The words Rush fans have hoped not to hear came from guitarist Alex Lifeson in a recent interview with The Globe And Mail: “It’s been a little over two years since Rush last toured. We have no plans to tour or record any more. We’re basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough.
This comes as no surprise really, as the band seemed to be heading in that direction on the documentary Time Stand Still from 2016. Other than releasing a few reissues, most recently A Farewell to Kings 40th Anniversary set, the band has been out of the limelight.
Lifeson however has kept himself busy as he explains, “But I’ve actually been busier lately than I have been in a while. I’m writing a lot. I’m writing on four or five different little projects. I get these requests to do guitar work with other people. It’s really a lot of fun for me. It’s low pressure: I get to be as creative as I want to be and I can work a little outside of the box, which is really attractive to me.”
Let’s hope this changes in the future.
by progrock.com | Jan 22, 2018 | News, Prog Report
Kino have announced the release of their new album ‘Radio Voltaire’, arriving 13 years after the band’s much-loved debut ‘Picture’ back in 2005. Out on March 23rd, 2018, it sees John Mitchell (It Bites, Lonely Robot) & Pete Trewavas (Marillion) teaming up once more, with Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) on drums & John Beck (It Bites) guesting on keyboards.
Recorded at the end of 2017, writing began at the end of that Summer. “We actually began the writing process in late August” says John Mitchell. “Pete had a few tunes and so did I, and we went from there.” Mitchell and Trewavas were both a crucial part of the original band more than a decade ago, with the former providing lead vocals and guitar parts, while the latter played his trademark bass lines and also contributed backing vocals.
Keyboard player John Beck, who is also a bandmate of Mitchell’s in It Bites, has been brought back. But while he was fully involved on the debut album, this time his role is that of a guest musician. “Yes, I am delighted to say we’ve gone John on board. His keyboard playing is splattered throughout the album, and I’ve also done the odd keyboard part myself.” The task of drummer this time fell to Craig Blundell, as Mitchell explains: “This time around Craig was the obvious choice to be the drummer, as far as I was concerned. I have worked with him so much that there was nobody else in the frame.”
Of the albums direction, Mitchell illustrates: “The title sounds very cool and obviously there’s a connection with the band Cabaret Voltaire. But Voltaire himself (the 18th century French philosopher) had a fascination with death, which appealed to me. He also stood for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. On top of that, I love the idea of a radio station that would reflect his views on life and cut through the bullshit which seems to be all over politics. Now, that is the type of radio station I think would reflect what a lot of us want to hear.”
The album cover has been designed by Paul Tippett, who is one of the most in demand artists of the modern era. “I like what he’s done with this sleeve. It reminds me of Moulin Rouge meets ‘Live And Let Die’. It is very striking, and I am sure everyone will have their own interpretation of what it reminds them of.”
The album will be available on Limited CD Digipak (including bonus tracks), Jewel Case CD, Gatefold 180g Double Vinyl (incl. CD) & Digital Download.
The tracklisting can be found below:
1.Radio Voltaire
2.The Dead Club
3.Idlewild
4.I Don’t Know Why
5.I Won’t Break So Easily Any More
6.Temple Tudor
7.Out of Time
8.Warmth of the Sun
9.Grey Shapes on Concrete Fields
10.Keep The Faith
11.The Silent Fighter Pilot
Bonus Tracks
12.Temple Tudor (Piano Mix)
13.The Dead Club (Berlin Headquarter Mix)
14.Keep The Faith (Orchestral Mix)
15.The Kino Funfair
by progrock.com | Jan 18, 2018 | News, Prog Report
The landmark album, Brave, released in 1994 by Marillion, will be released on 4CD/Blu-ray, 5LP and through digital platforms on March 9 via Rhino Records. The set includes the original studio album which has been newly remastered by Steven Wilson, and will include a complete recording of the band’s April 29, 1994 performance from La Cigale in Paris, which has been expanded with nine previously unreleased tracks.
The CD and Blu-ray will feature the original album mix by Dave Meegan alongside the 96/24 audio of Steven Wilson’s remix in stereo and 5.1. Included are illustrated booklets describing the story behind the sonic experiments that led to the album’s atmospheric as well as promo videos for “The Great Escape,” “The Hollow Man” and “Alone Again In The Lap Of Luxury,” along with the documentary ‘It All Began With The Bright Light – Recollections Of Brave.’
It features live footage and interviews with the band’s Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery, Mark Kelly, Pete Trewavas, and Ian Mosley. The live performance from Paris originally featured on Marillion’s 1996 album Made Again, but has been newly mixed by Michael Hunter.
More on the making of Brave can be found in the book ‘Essential Modern Progressive Rock Albums,’ available here.
