Friendship

Tenth studio album from the reconstituted verison of Focus led by Thijs van Leer.  Returning is original drummer Pierre van der Linden.  Bobby Jacobs handles bass and Menno Gootjes lead guitar.  X doesn't break any new ground.  This sounds just like classic Focus - van Leer concentrates on flute and Hammond organ and vocals.  Pure prog with strong jazzy overtones in places.  Neat cover art and logo courtesy of Roger Dean.  Highly recommended.

This is the most enjoyable Devin Townsend album I've heard in years.  Townsend definitely walks to the beat of a different drummer and is constantly confounding his listeners.  Epicloud is no different.  The album is actually catchy in a poppy way but still plenty of metal elements.  The production is purely epic in nature - reverb gone wild!  Townsend mainly sings with a clean voice but even when he dirties it up its swimming in 'verb so his voice takes on an otherworldly quality.  He's complemented by the great Anneke van Giersbergen who appears through out - mainly as a backing vocalist but at times singing lead lines.  So what we have here is something I really didn't expect - a hook filled metal album that neatly collides with dream pop.

Part 12 of the required series of rare tracks of the German electronics pioneer!!DISC 1: "Picasso..."  is Klaus' longest composition so far. Originally it were various 1992-'93 recordings for a film soundtrack, but the film producer could not pay for it and accordingly Klaus withdrew his collaboration and his music. For the Silver Edition release I put the music in logical order. It continues on the Disc 2.The denomination of "Picasso geht spazieren" was "Picture Music in Three Movements" due to the fact that twenty years earlier Klaus invented the term "Picture Music" for one of his earliest albums. This description and name did still fit in 1993 ...especially with the variety of sampling pictures you'll hear while dear old "Picasso Takes a Walk".DISC 2: In 1995, '96, '97, '98, '99 and also in the year 2000 the more than two and a half hours long (!) "Picasso geht spazieren" was elected by the members of "The KS Circle" among the top ten of the most popular of the many KS titles, the highest position was number 3 in 1997.Words from the booklet of the original release: In terms of time, the history of Electronic Music is essentially limited to the twentieth century -in terms of a successful work inside this genre just to a handful. In terms of struggle for the new and unknown to a few, if not to just one. Though Klaus Schulze may not have the trained piano playing craft that other players outside his genre have, he gives, I think, far more poignancy, tenderness, and feeling, yes I dare to say: Soul. The truth of an artist is as simple as that: He puts his soul into his work. DISC 3: The original tape of "The Music Box" had the working title "Meditation I" first. Klaus recorded it in 1993 and gave it for free to the "Guttemplers", an institution that helps alcoholics. For the first release in Silver Edition I had given it the full title "The Music Box -Tongemälde in fis-moll" (Sound picture in F sharp minor). PS: Of course I had the famous movie in mind when I invented the title "The Music Box", yes I speak of Laurel and Hardy's only Oscar winning epos (the one with the piano up (and down) the many many steps). I did put some other Laurel and Hardy titles and references in Silver Edition. Not just KS believes that the two (and also W.C. Fields) were true geniuses, they put their souls into their work.

"As the spring of 2012 fades, Rhys Marsh And The Autumn Ghost return with their third full-length record, 'The Blue Hour', in which Marsh leads them into another bold sonic-territory.The trademark combination of dynamics & melancholy remains, though this time the strings & Mellotrons have stepped aside for brass & woodwind ensembles. There is also a noticeable change in the vocal presentation — the thickly-layered harmonies have now been stripped back to a more monophonic point of focus. All of these elements come together beautifully, giving the album an incredibly warm & intimate atmosphere.From the outset — the hypnotic rhythms & longing woodwind arrangement of 'And I Wait', which slowly unfurls over seven minutes, after which heading straight into the sixties-tinged 'Read The Cards', with its heavily-staccatoed horn section & old-school double drums — it's clear that Marsh is pushing further forward.From here, the album twists and turns even further, from the dulcet tones & enticing polyrhythms of 'The Movements Of Our Last Farewell', to the frantically-paced 'Wooden Heart' — which, even with several intense dynamic-shifts & irregular time-signature changes, still manages to swing — before coming to an end with elegantly-psychedelic 'One More Moment'.For 'The Blue Hour', Marsh has once again assembled a new Autumn Ghost, this time featuring the cream of the crop of the contemporary Norwegian music scene. In fact,this is the first album on which Marsh has chosen to feature an entirely Norwegian line-up, borrowing from bands such as Jaga Jazzist, The National Bank, Emmerhoff And The Melancholy Babies & Pelbo, along with collaborators of Susanne Sundfør, Kaizers Orchestra & Magnet. This also marks the first occasion that an Autumn Ghost album has been written & recorded entirely in Norway."

"Tracer release their new album ‘Spaces In Between’ on October 3rd (UK release) on the Cool Green recordings label.  The Australian desert rockers, who are based in Adelaide, comprise of brothers Michael and Leigh Brown and Andre Wise. They have had success with two previous independent releases, but ‘Spaces In Between’ will I feel launch Tracer to new heights.Tracer’s blend of 90’s stoner and 70’s classic rock is steeped in epic guitar sounds, clever hooks and raw, uncompromising vocals.I hope (and imagine) that Tracer can reproduce live on stage the intensity and passion and raw rock n roll that is so evident in this album. With the UK tour coming up I think we should all go and check out these Aussie contenders!“So what’s the album really like?” I hear you say.   The album starts with ‘Too Much’ and a great start it is. A guitar riff straight from the 70’s classic-rock bible. A solid, constant rhythm throughout. A very catchy rock song, which is understandably the first single from the album.Check out the video belowTrack two; ‘Push’ has a more laid back feel. It still rocks, but in a groovier kinda way. If Jimi Hendrix and Paul Rodgers had a lovechild, it would sing like this!‘Walk Alone’ continues the 70’s rock vibe. A solid drum beat throughout which has a simple yet traditional guitar riff over the topThe fourth track, ‘Louder Than This’ is stoner rock at its finest. Distorted vocals over a solid pounding drum beat, with guitars turned to eleven. There is almost a Slade vibe to this song. I can imagine Noddy Holder belting this out in the 70’s.The next track ‘Devil Ride’ goes back to the rockier tempo of track one. Definitely the catchiest chorus on the album so far.  I have a feeling that ‘Devil Ride’ might just be the next single.Track six is another thumping tune. ‘ The Bitch’ is the song which will get the crowd going wild in the mosh-pit, although they will still sing along to the chorus, with devil-horns flying high.The seventh track, ‘Voice In The Rain’ has a much slower pace than most on the album. The Paul Rodgers comparison to Michael Browns vocal is most evident here. A great performance.The album’s title track ‘Spaces In Between’ is the stand out track. The bass line complements the raw guitar sound and you find yourself singing along to ‘The Spaces In Between’ line of the chorusTrack nine is ‘Dead Inside’. This starts slow and Bluesy, rocks in with screaming vocals and guitar solos, slows back down again then totally rocks out towards the end. A clever song, which highlights the bands musical talents.‘Save My Breath’ is another pulsating rocker with some nice stop/start moments and even a little psychedelic middle eight!‘All In My Head’, the eleventh track, is a mellow rocker with another catchy chorus.The album closes with ‘Won’t Let It Die (Run Mary)’. A shot of Bad Company, a dash of Led Zeppelin and topped up to the brim with Jimi Hendrix.  Get the idea? A laid back song but with great guitar work, especially the solo. This will have you singing along by the end." - I Review Rock

Fourth studio album from Leprous reinforces the fact that they are one of the most innovative and cutting edge bands working in the prog metal idiom.  The music of Coal has already kicked up a bit of controversy from the early listeners.  The music isn't quite as angular and frenetic as Bilateral.  Atmospheric passages similar to Tall Poppy Syndrome are perhaps a bit more prevalant as well.  All in all it's clearly identifiable as Leprous.  Ihsahn guests on one of the tracks - don't forget Leprous is his backing band.  Nice guys - great band.  Highly recommended."Considering Leprous‘s previous album Bilateral is considered by many to be a masterpiece of progressive metal; Norway’s Leprous had a tall order in front of themselves. Coming up with a followup to such a critically acclaimed and beloved album is no doubt a daunting task. Despite that, after two long years of waiting, Leprous have conjured the successor to Bilateral, and it’s called Coal. Usually, when bands release an album after their magnum opus, the result is either a “version 2.0″ of the previous album, or it’s a return back to the normal style of the band. Leprous have taken a bold turn instead, and they have reinvented themselves. Coal is clearly a Leprous album, carrying all their trademark touches, but it’s also very fresh and unique.With Bilateral, the band were clearly rooted in a sound that has been defined by the big names of progressive metal. By applying their characteristic syncopation, moody riffs and singer Einar Solberg’s haunting and powerful vocals, they were able to perfect an already existing sound. With Coal, the band have taken a different direction. The album is very dense, emotional, and quite avant-garde at times. While there are some more traditional songs similar to Bilateral, there’s also an air of neo-80s on some songs, while others carry some characteristics of modern Scandinavian indie bands. Longtime fans of Leprous will definitely see the direction that has been present since the band’s inception, but listeners who know of them only via Bilateral might be slightly confused. In the end, Leprous have always been about mood, and Coal is oozing with it.In terms of structure, Coal is more similar to Tall Poppy Syndrome than Bilateral (but not too similar to either in the end). The songs are slow burners, setting up a mood, then deliberately building on it until overwhelming the listener with the climax. Everything is very subtle, the production making every hit of every instrument matter. Each song is an exercise in building an atmosphere by slowly adding layers to form a very powerful sound. Einar Solberg is at his best here, he has taken his voice to the next level. He was already an amazing vocalist, but Coal sees him becoming a master of expression. There are many progressive metal bands nowadays with clean singers who can hit insanely high notes and execute amazing melodies. But what is often lost is the soft touch, the control over timbre that makes one’s voice special. Einar is a master of timbre, and he uses his abilities to their full extent in Coal. While this is an album about the big picture and constructing an ambiance with the convergence of all instruments, his unparalleled vocal skills definitely deserve a special mention, because he is what hammers down the emotions and makes this album so special.As mentioned before, Coal is a deliberate album, where attention is paid to every instrument. And the production, by Ihsahn (who also has a stellar guest appearance on the closing track), is perfect for this. Especially of note are the drums, they sound very real and quaint. The intimate feeling of some of the songs can directly be attributed to the unconventional drum sound. The drumming has also taken a turn for the more subtle, with small flourishes and cymbal runs building tension in the more atmospheric sections of some songs. The bass is also clearly audible and adds to the sound. The guitar work isn’t as flashy as Bilateral for the most part, but it also has more character because of that. It should come as no surprise to longtime followers of the band, but Leprous are masters of doing more with less, and all of the instruments reflect this. Another production detail worth noting is the presence of keyboards. The keyboard work is more prominent now. In Bilateral it was used mostly to add some extra layers to parts driven by the guitars, but here the keyboards form the building blocks of the sound. This is perhaps what sets the album apart from Leprous’s previous work, the heavier focus on atmosphere and a dense aural landscape. This might be disappointing to some who preferred the more direct approach of Bilateral, as Coal is less “metal”, but the more developed sound suits the band.In terms of songs, Coal is a very diverse album. The first three songs and the closer can be interpreted as a direct evolution of the band’s sound from their previous work, then there is the extremely moody and emotional masterpiece “The Cloak”. This is where the album takes a turn for the introspective, as the rest of the songs are quite experimental and ethereal. Overall, the album has a very clear journey with a defined start and end, and it works quite well. Some of the later songs can feel like they last half a minute too long, but the deliberate pacing of the album makes more sense as is.In the end, it’s hard to deny that Coal is yet another masterpiece by Leprous. The songs ooze character and deliberation. Coal is expressive, emotional and brave. It might not be what everyone expected after Bilateral, but Leprous have defied expectations and raised the bar again." - Heavy Blog Is Heavy