by Blake | Mar 29, 2017 | Prog Report
Review by Joel Barrios
Cosmosquad is not a name that will ring a bell for many, being one of the reasons for the 10 year gap between their previous discographic effort “Acid Test” and their new album “The Morbid Tango”. If you are familiar with the band’s catalog, then do yourself a favor and buy the album right now. On the other hand, if you are hearing about them for the first time by reading this review, don’t be shy and keep on.
The L.A. based musical collective led by veteran guitarist Jeff Kollman (Bombastic Meatbats, Glenn Hughes, Mogg/Way) on guitar, Shane Gaalaas (B’z, Diesel Machine, MSG) on drums, and Kevin Chown (Tarja, Bombastic Meatbats, Paul Gilbert) on bass have been around for quite some time, specifically since 1997 when Jeff, Shane and Barry Sparks formed the band after some serious jams at a rehearsal studio in Phoenix, Arizona. With three studio albums and a live record under their belt, Cosmosquad have been one of L.A.’s best kept secrets, yet with a dedicated following spanning all four corners of the globe. To define what genre their music moves into, I’d say “jazz rock”, however tagging them like that will let you wonder whether their stock in trade is a total jazz take on rock songs like Alex Skolnick Trio, a smooth laid back combination of jazz grooves with a generous serving of blues like Endangered Species, or a guitar soloing over a metal chug riff like Derek Sherinian’s solo albums.
Fortunately, the Cosmosquad’s sound veers away from the common clichés of an overpopulated genre, and manages to melt together a vast amalgam of sounds and eclectic melodies, serving them in an organic and smoking tight package. After a horrible wait of 10 years (yes, I keep ranting about it!) “The Morbid Tango” arrives to my collection and doing so it reveals one simple fact: time has done nothing but add a slightly more metallic edge to the same killer combination they are known for: equal parts of fusion, funk, infectious and melodic riffs, intense bass lines, and impossible drumming patterns; all of them generously sprinkled with heavy footed chops and over the top musicianship; resulting in energetic, complex and melodic instrumental music, impeccably executed.
If you have never heard of Jeff Kollman, you might want to pay attention at his playing on this record. From early Van Halen-ish riffing to Hendrix fueled bends, Kollman finds a way to just own each track, the Moroccan Tango licks paired with the Flamenco guitar in the title track are pure elegance, and his guitar tone is amazingly diverse throughout the 11 songs. However, his partners in crime are all for it, playing their asses off musically. Shane Gaalaas is a true drumming machine, following his drum fill could leave you jaw-dropped; and the uber-talented Kevin Chown lays down powerful and bonding bass chords wrapping the band’s sound effortlessly.
“The Morbid Tango” is a musical concept, the story of the circle and meaning of life itself, from birth through the journeys of youth, love and loss, wisdom and how we all ascend through death’s door. It was conceived and recorded at Crumb West Studios in Simi Valley, CA, produced by the tandem of Shane Gaalaas and Jeff Kollman, and mixed by Gaalaas, with guest contributions coming from top L.A. session musicians Jeff Babko on keyboards, David Collier on percussion, and Jono Brown providing strings.
A well-balanced combination between old-school, raw, organic, and modern production electronica, this record demonstrates these guys have found a great recipe to keep the listener interested and curious as to what will happen next. ‘The Morbid Tango’ is a true team effort more than the spotlight being on any player; a musical and visual adventure, told in vivid sonic colors, viciously visceral one moment, fragile and intimate the next. A defiant statement against the laws of virtuosic musicianship, songwriting and all other sorts of tomfoolery; and a true example of how gorgeous melodic composition can meet farfetched playing.
Highly recommended for any metal fusion or progressive metal fan, as well as for jazz-fusion lovers (who aren’t afraid of some heavy moments in music) this is a tremendous record from head to toe and a candidate for one of the best metal fusion albums of the year. Simply put: Cosmosquad rules, and if their music doesn’t move you, I certainly don’t know what will.
Released on Jan 14, 2017
Cosmosquad are:
Jeff Kollman / guitars
Shane Gaalaas / drums
Kevin Chown / bass
With:
Jeff Babko / keyboards
David Collier / percussion
Jono Brown / strings
Track Listing:
1. Morbid Tango
2. Cyclops
3. The Ballad of Rick James
4. Anatomy of A Beatdown
5. Recollection Epilogue
6. Always Remember the Love
7. The Crosses
8. Still Life
9. Sangfroid
10. Beyond Death’s Door
11. Beyond Death’s Door Reprise
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by Blake | Mar 28, 2017 | Prog Report
Between the Buried and Me’s 8th studio album, Coma Ecliptic, is also its most diverse and cinematic album to date, offering a mix of the group’s earlier aggressive style and newer, more melodic songwriting. The result is a breathtaking piece of art that also lends itself brilliantly to live performances. While the band had taken entire albums on the road before, in fact performing Colors in its entirety the very first day that album was released, with Coma the band would wait until much later in the tour cycle. One of those shows is commemorated here on the Coma Ecliptic Live CD/DVD/Blur-Ray set. Filmed live on location October 4th, 2016 at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, CA, the set is the entire Coma Ecliptic album performed live at the peak of the band’s ability, with audio and visuals that are as captivating as the music itself.
The film centers around the mesmerizing performance by vocalist Tommy Rogers, who trades off between keyboard playing singer and powerhouse metal frontman. Strategically placed go-pros and professional cameras overlook each member of the band from more than a dozen angles, allowing the viewer to get an up close view, as well as a straight forward crowd perspective. The music is mixed to keep out much of the crowd noise, and at times can sound a little too much you are listening to the studio album, but nontheless, this is a great album’s worth of music that any BTBAM fan will treasure.
For any fan not familiar with their work and thinking it might not be their thing, Coma Ecliptic is the album to check out. So get the studio album first and then watch this live dvd. You’ll be hooked from there.
Coma Ecliptic Live Tracklisting
1. Node 03:31
2. The Coma Machine 07:35
3. Dim Ignition 02:16
4. Famine Wolf 06:50
5. King Redeem / Queen Serene 06:58
6. Turn on the Darkness 08:26
7. The Ectopic Stroll 07:02
8. Rapid Calm 07:59
9. Memory Palace 09:54
10. Option Oblivion 04:22
11. Life in Velvet 03:38
Tommy Rogers: Vocals, Keyboards
Dan Briggs: Bass
Blake Richardson: Drums
Paul Waggoner: Guitar
Dustie Waring: Guitar
The post Album Spotlight: Between the Buried and Me – Coma Ecliptic Live appeared first on The Prog Report.
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by Blake | Mar 28, 2017 | Prog Report
Magenta are back with a new album, ‘We Are Legend’ due out April 20th. ‘We Are Legend’ marks a first for Magenta, as it’s the first album where the live and studio line-up are one and the same.
The forthcoming gigs will mark the debut of Jon ‘Jiffy’ Griffiths as Magenta’s drummer. Some of you will have already seen Jiffy as part of Rob’s live Sanctuary band last year. He joins bassist Dan Nelson who has been an integral part of the live band now for several years. Both Dan and Jiffy have made fantastic contributions to the sound of the album.
Mar 31 – Cardiff The Globe
Apr 01 – Wath Upon Dearne Montgomery Hall (CRS)
Apr 02 – Bilston The Robin 2
Apr 08 – London Boston Music Room
Apr 09 – Southampton Talking Heads
May 13 – St. Helens The Citadel
Nov 18 – Pwllheli, North Wales HRH Prog 6
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by Blake | Mar 27, 2017 | Prog Report
Porcupine Tree followed their major label debut ‘In Absentia’ 3 years later with Deadwing on March 28th, 2005. The album was originally designed as a soundtrack to a movie and was meant essentially to be a solo album. When the soundtrack did not happen, Wilson decided to make it a Porcupine Tree album.
Wilson explained to The Prog Report, “I think there was an element of sort of pragmatic perspective there, okay well if this album if this soundtrack is not going to happen, if this project is not going to happen, at least I should give as much of the good material the best chance it has to get some exposure. So it ended up being a slightly schizophrenic record, because half of it was written for Porcupine Tree and half of it was written for this other record, this soundtrack. And I think it stands up pretty well.”
The album would ultimately feature longer tracks than on previous efforts such as the title track, the epic “Arriving Somewhere But Not Here” and “The Start of Something Beautiful”. The album also included the ballad “Lazarus” which Steven Wilson still performs at solo shows.
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by Blake | Mar 27, 2017 | Prog Report
Legendary Swedish progressive-symphonic band Änglagård will return to North America for a brief 3 dates tour next month of May, the first one happening at Salle Jean-Paul-Tardif – Quebec, Canada (May 5th), then headlining the prestigious progressive rock festival RoSfest under the beautiful vintage-looking ceilings of The Majestic Theater at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (May 7th) and then wrapping it up at the Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago, Illinois (May 9th).
For those three performances the Vikings have planned an incredibly special presentation that will delight old and new Änglagård fans alike, as the band will be playing their landmark, genre-defining album, 1993’s “Hybris”, in its entirety, in addition to other Änglagård set-list fan favorites. The RoSfest show will also have an extra exciting detail: it will be professionally filmed for an upcoming Blu-Ray/DVD box which will likely accompany the release of their awaited fourth album, a project the band is working on since the last months of 2016.
Änglagård’s first ever official live video saw the light of day last February in the form of a Blu-Ray/DVD set. Captured at Musikkflekken, Sandvika, Norway on February 21, 2015, the show marked the band’s return to Norway stages after 23 years of absence. The release has garnered very positive reviews around the progressive rock circles:
“…Änglagård gave their fans their money and times worth with a colossal two-hour set. Tracks played include crowd pleasing Jordrök from their notorious album Hybris and the beautiful Sorgmantel. Their folky sound was accentuated by Anna Holmgren, who carries a real sense of magic in her articulate sound. The crowd were absolutely lapping up every moment of the lengthy performance. This was an absolutely fantastic showcase of real, creative and exciting music from a band that can’t be ignored…” – Louder Then War (Leema Sadia)
“… I won’t say Änglagård has arrived, they did that in 1993. But whatever anticipation I have for a new studio album has definitely increased because their potential has never been higher at any point in their career. Meanwhile, the band has finally delivered a live release on par with their studio work… ” – Mike McLatchey (Avant Music News)
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by Blake | Mar 27, 2017 | Prog Report
Concert: Haken w/The Algorithm and Next To None
Venue: Manchester Academy 3
Date: 03/24/17
Review by Marcus Chavasse
Haken have just embarked on a 10th anniversary tour of Europe with Next to None and The Algorithm. I had the fortune to see them twice as they made their way through the UK showcasing their entire career.
Pennsylvania’s Next to None are the first band to take to the stage in this intimate room in Manchester’s Student Union. They energetically power through four songs from their debut album ‘A Light in the Dark’ in their 30-minute set. As a band just starting out and playing their first shows in Europe, their youth is evident but it’s hard to deny that the band is full of creativity, strong musicianship and tight playing – we’ll probably be seeing a lot more of them in years to come.
Next up is The Algorithm from France, a genre-defying duo blending dance music and prog-metal to great effect. Their set is over before it’s begun in a blistering onslaught of electronic grooves and super heavy breakdowns, always taking unexpected twists and turns. Their inventiveness keeps the audience captivated and on their toes throughout a 45-minute set and they leave the stage to rapturous applause, safe in the knowledge that they’ve gained a few more fans tonight.
Now on to the main event – UK prog-metal standard-bearers Haken. They start early to cram as much music into their set as possible, but due to UK curfew laws they have to trim their set slightly (rest assured mainland Europe, you’ll be getting the full shebang!) That said, they still manage to get through a mighty amount of music. They open with “Initiate” from last year’s ‘Affinity’, closely followed by “In Memorium” from ‘The Mountain’ – two powerful songs which showcase what Haken are all about: unparalleled musicianship and strong songwriting. Fan favorite “1985” comes next, with the audience singing along in fine form to even the most complex of riffs and cheesiest of guitar solos. As the band said: “Manchester…you put the ‘rowdy’ in ‘crowdy’!” Staying in ‘Affinity’ territory the band then play slow-burner “Red Giant”, an interesting but very welcome choice which really allows Ross Jennings’ skills as a vocalist to show – he, and indeed the entire band, are on absolutely top form tonight.
Now it’s time to take a ride through 2010’s ‘Aquarius’ in the form of a medley. The band selected highlights from almost every song on the album about a mermaid born to human parents who then cast her out, not realizing she may hold the key to saving the world – isn’t prog great? This monster of a journey is full of soaring choruses, and seemingly effortless instrumental sections abound, reminding us why Haken are so deserving of all the praise they get; if a band can produce music like this on their debut album, they truly are something special. To end the monster medley, “Drowning in the Flood” segues into the heart-wrenching final chorus of “Celestial Elixir” – tears are shed and evenings are made. This highlight of the night ends in a full-crowd chorus of woahs and suddenly, with barely a breath in which to recover, the opening riff of “Cockroach King” is being chugged from the iconic headless guitars of Charlie Griffiths and Richard Henshall. Watching them play, one wonders how on earth such music is written, let alone played note-perfect every night. “Cockroach King” is a joyous romp through full-band acapella sections and complex proggery, and has the crowd overjoyed and singing along to every word.
“The Architect” and “The Endless Knot” end the main set. These songs showcase a band at the top of their game. Diego Tejeida in particular shines on “The Architect” with his inspired use of iPad technology and the Seaboard to create epic soundscapes and play novel solos; “The Endless Knot” has drummer Ray Hearne playing as if his life depends on it and his innovative drum parts and integration of electronic sounds make for a high point of the whole show. The heaviest, most complex riffs of the night leave the audience drained, stunned and more than satisfied.
But that’s not all. They still have one last trick up their collective sleeves: a 20-minute long trick that goes by the name of “Visions”. It’s almost too much to handle, but Haken’s (arguably) best track leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. You simply can’t argue with this music. Haken combine skill, incredible songwriting, humor and humility to create an incredibly memorable night of the finest music this genre has to offer. Don’t miss out.
Setlist
Affinity.exe
Initiate
In Memorium
1985
Red Giant
Aquarius Medley
Cockroach King
The Architect
The Endless Knot
———————–
Visions
(In Nottingham they also played the suite of songs from ‘Visions’ The Mind’s Eye/Portals/Shapeshifter, a brief foray into the world of 6-string guitars for Richard Henshall. This piece of music has everything that Haken have to offer and was a shame not to see it in Manchester due to the early curfew.)
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