by Mark Monforti | Jul 14, 2017 | News, Reviews
This is the first 3RDegree album that really caught my ear. George’s soulful singing is a great pairing for this album that has some moments of drama. This album is made for music patrons that like Ayeron’s subject matter as this album is probably the best excuse for a Dr. Who plot since Genesis’s Get ’em out by Friday. The album is accessible and has some very pleasing changes for the prog lover.
Album Highlights: The Gravity, This Is the Future, We Regret to Inform You, More Life.
Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING
PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together a solid album.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gotten on a plane to see them live.
ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture
HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park
MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House
OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live
See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page
https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists
by Mark Monforti | Jul 13, 2017 | News, Reviews
So in an unusual move I gave a debut album a PREVIOUS BAND RATING of 4 for a debut album. That was due to the strength of previous band members works in other bands. Most notably Guy Manning and Sean Timms who I liked so much I flew them both to Chicago at different times to perform. Together with the musicians Dan Mash and Luke Machin who I have seen perform as Concrete Lake, Machine and The Tangent. Guest performers Phideaux Xavier and Brody Thomas Green have also played our Chicago venue. Tim Irrgang was great live with Unitopia and in the studio with UPF and Steven Dundon was wonderful playing with Galahad. Not to slight the other musicians on the album but I speaking to the point that I gave a debut album a PREVIOUS BAND RATING of anything other than zero.
The vocals have been altered just slightly in post production so if you were someone that didn’t particularly like Guy’s unique vocals this is worth at least one spin for you. Others that like Guy’s past work should love this album. Guy still has his iconic sound and the songs subject matter jumps off the page in a memorable ensemble of well structured and varied songs.
Memorable Tracks: Nanabohzo & the Rainbow, Big Parade, Dark Sun
Key:
These first ratings are just attributes and have little correlation to the final most important Overall Rating
PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together a good album.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gotten on a plane to see them live.
ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture
HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park
MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House
OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted. Under no circumstances should you buy this.
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live
See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page
https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists
by Mark Monforti | Jul 12, 2017 | News, Reviews
In many ways I am the wrong person to review this album as instrumental albums are never really my go to albums. The opening track is very reminiscent of Tom Baker era doctor who. I almost expected to hear a sample of the 4th doctor saying “It’s the end… But the moment has been prepared for” on top of this song. All parts of this album are enjoyable but no real drama in this album. I would say this is for lovers of instrumental music. You should find this quite suitable album for you listening pleasure. I would love for others to comment here on what they think of this album.
Key:
PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together a good album.
3: Some 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gotten on a plane to see them live.
ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture
HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park
MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House
OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live
See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page
https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists
by Mark Monforti | Jul 11, 2017 | News, Reviews
My introduction to this band thanks to guest appearances by Nick D’Virgilio, Colin Edwin, Nick Beggs, Andy Tillison, Matt Stevens. This wonderfully melodic album is about the storage of the human spirit, and how the imprint of our lives is left behind both in a spiritual and technological sense.
For fans of Steven Wilson type dark images and fans of melodic prog.
Album Highlights: The Spirit Capture, White Car.
Key:
PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together a good album.
3: Some 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gotten on a plane to see them live.
ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture
HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park
MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House
OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live
See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page
https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists
by Mark Monforti | Jul 10, 2017 | News, Reviews
This is the first album that seems to convey some of the energy that is prevalent in their live shows. Each song is filled with intrigue and drama. The subject matter of this album is different as well. The lyrics are more related to common people problems such as inability to communicate while the other two albums were more about philosophical issues.
Album Highlights: Every song.
Key:
ARTIST RATING PRIOR TO THIS ALBUM EXAMPLES:
0: Never Heard of them or debut
1: Must have been recommended by someone because I did not really like them before.
2: Never really liked them but I thought there was potential
3: This Artist has been hit or miss with me but I will definitely listen once to anything they put out.
4: This is a band with some 5 star moments and I love most of their work:
5: A band that I would travel long and far to see live and probably have.
ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture
HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park
MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House
OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live
See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page
https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists
by progrock.com | Jul 10, 2017 | News, Prog Report
Legendary Swedish progressive rockers Kaipa, led by mastermind Hans Lundin, have announced the release of their new studio album ‘Children of the Sounds’ for September 22nd, 2017. The band’s 13th album, and 8th since the act were reborn in 2002, this album features the line-up of Lundin, accompanied by Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry), Morgan Ågren (Karmakanic), Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic), Patrik Lundström (Ritual) & Aleena Gibson, plus a guest appearance from violinist Elin Rubinsztein.
Hans comments: “In November 2014 when I was still filled with all the energy I had captured during the summer I started to write the new songs. What really made me push the start button this time was a magic spirit that filled my whole body after visiting a concert with Morgan Ågren and his band ‘Mats & Morgan Band’. I woke up the morning after the concert and still felt that enormous groove filling every part of my consciousness. I realized that I had to canalize all this energy somewhere so I decided to start to write some new music. I had also found a lot of inspiration from the long bicycle rides that I made during the summer in the open land-scape around Uppsala. It was like if the notes were rising up from the billowing fields I passed and the words were falling like raindrops from the clear sky. So now I suddenly had found the key to open up all these ideas that had been slumbering at the back of my mind for a while. All the beauty and the wondrous inspiration from nature in combination with this
“enormous groove” made me create five long songs during the next months.”
The track-listing for the album is as follows:
1. Children of the Sounds 11:31
2. On The Edge of New Horizons 17:10
3. Like A Serpentine 12:52
4. The Shadowy Sunlight 6:57
5. What’s Behind The Fields 9:31
The result is as colourful musically and lyrically as Kaipa devotees will expect from the band’s rich discography dating back to the debut opus released in 1975. Formed in 1973, Kaipa never shied away from experimentation, embracing fresh elements and sounds manifesting especially on the albums released in the 2000’s. ‘Children Of The Sounds’ is no exception, the album burns with creative fervour and spirit most vividly displayed on the title track, the 17 minutes long ‘On The Edge Of New Horizons’ or closing track ‘What’s Behind The Fields’. It embodies a powerful, positive energy and artistic brilliance that is irresistible and true to the genre’s very essence.
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