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  • New 2018 more dynamic remastering of the band's sixth album.  Now with 3 bonus tracking including a previously unreleased version of "Well I Think That's What You Said?".  This was the band's last album for Cyclops, before they jumped over to KScope.
    $12.00
  • "The world’s increasing reliance on technology – in particular the rise of A.I. systems such as Alexa and Siri – have long been the subject of furious debate, among both hack sci-fi novelists and academia alike. Are they enriching our lives, helping us to make the best use of our time to find what makes us happy, or is our over-reliance on such appliances leading to increased feelings of isolation and helplessness? Long Distance Calling’s seventh album, How Do We Want to Live? tackles these themes head on. The album cover – reminiscent as it is of some paperback science fiction novel a charity shop couldn’t give away – shows exactly what the Germans have crafted here; the themes are tired and predictable and the trite conclusions have been reached a thousand times before (even if they become increasingly more accurate). Still, this is an album not a novel and so it’s on the music that album must be judged. Indeed, the hackneyed futuristic themes, mostly expressed through spoken word samples, end up adding a layer of otherworldliness to proceedings – for example the soaring guitar work of ‘Curiosity (Part 2)’ wouldn’t sound quite right without the concept being called a bastard at least five times.Long Distance Calling have been relatively unsung in the post-rock world for many years now. While they are perhaps the biggest band in the genre to come from Germany, the four piece have never quite hit the heights of renown that some of their international contemporaries have. Perhaps this is in part due to their heavier sound – the heavy riffs and pounding drums edge them towards the metal community, despite their distinctly experimental edge. Nevertheless, they have carved a formula for themselves, a largely dark and menacing, occasionally punishingly heavy sound with touches of humanity in the form of soaringly beautiful guitar solos. How Do We Want to Live? hones that formula but adds an electronic bend that helps distinguish the album from the rest of the band’s catalogue. Indeed, the band show an intrinsic confidence in their sound, and do a masterful job of bringing a touch of humanity to their largely machine-driven narrative.The first full song, ‘Curiosity (Part 2)’ sets the template for the album. A menacing, portentous opening, which eventually gives way into a soaring guitar driven release, eventually shifting to an aggressive heavier section towards the end of the track. The band rarely deviates from this model, but each song still manages to bring something new to the table. ‘Voices’ is an early highlight; a trippy, repetitive track that layers cherubic vocal samples into a beautiful, serene soundscape. ‘Hazard’ is the most straight forward post-rock song, with echoes of God is an Astronaut reverberating throughout. ‘Fail/Opportunity’ is another highlight, a slower, mournful wail that packs a lot of emotion into its shorter run time. ‘Sharing Thoughts’ is perhaps the biggest disappointment. Its discordant, staccato intro promises big things, but it rather runs out of steam during its triumphant mid-section, without particularly adding anything to the album.Perhaps the most distinctive track is ‘Beyond Your Limits’. Long Distance Calling have long set aside one track per album for a guest vocalist, and for How Do We Want to Live?, this is that track. The guest vocalist this time is a relative unknown, Eric A. Pulverich, from German indie band Kyles Tolone. Obscure he may be, at least outside of Germany, but he delivers an exquisite performance, his soulful yet still somewhat sleazy voice meshing beautifully with the rest of the band. The only issue is how much that song stands in stark contrast to the rest of the album. Narratively it makes sense, but it feels so different from what has come before and leaves the last two tracks sound a little empty by comparison.How Do We Want to Live? is a beautiful showcase for a band who have been plugging away for a fair few years now, and perhaps the best album Long Distance Calling have released to date. The narrative may feel a little clichéd, but it helps set the backdrop to a menacing, emotional album dripping in a futuristic veneer, but never losing sight of its humanity. The A.I. apocalypse may not be quite there yet, but with an album like this, Long Distance Calling certainly should be." - Echoes And Dust
    $18.00
  • "Produced by no-man, “Flowers At The Scene” is a vibrant collection of 11 strikingly diverse songs. Against a backdrop of propulsive Art Rock, heartbreaking ballads and more, Tim Bowness distinctively delivers cinematic storytelling and disarmingly direct confessional lyrics on his strongest solo album to date. Representing the duo of Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson’s first joint production in over a decade, the album features stunning performances from an extraordinary cast of players including Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator), Andy Partridge (XTC), Kevin Godley (10cc), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), Jim Matheos (Fates Warning/OSI), David Longdon (Big Big Train), co-producer Brian Hulse (Plenty), Australian trumpeter Ian Dixon, and drummers Tom Atherton and Dylan Howe. Mixed by Steven Wilson and mastered by Steve Kitch (The Pineapple Thief), the album’s poignant artwork is by Jarrod Gosling. Bowness’s critically acclaimed recent trio of solo releases on InsideOutMusic/Sony have entered the official UK Top 10 Rock, Progressive, and Vinyl charts and 2017’s “Lost In The Ghost Light” appeared in several end of year lists and was the recipient of a Prog Magazine award. Now, a mesmerizing new chapter begins with “Flowers At The Scene”."
    $17.00
  • The Pineapple Thief are one of the leading lights of Europe’s experimental rock domain, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord and reinforced by Gavin Harrison (King Crimson) on drums. With the release of their new opus, The Pineapple Thief are set to raise the standard yet again, having delivered quite possibly one of the most important albums of 2020. Versions Of The Truth creates a conceptual progression from Dissolution - a contemplation on our ‘post truth’ world. Lyrically the album tackles a more personal reflection on how there can be more than one ‘version of the truth’, the impact it can have on our lives and the people we love. Versions Of The Truth is Gavin Harrison’s second album as a full creative member of The Pineapple Thief alongside Soord, bassist Jon Sykes and keyboard player Steve Kitch. His presence has again helped bring writing and recording into sharp focus – a fresh dynamic added to the band’s previous creative process. Recording started at Bourne Place (London) and Soord Studios (Yeovil) as soon as they completed their US tour (October 2019 to April 2020), with engineering handled by Bruce Soord and Gavin Harrison, with mastering by Steve Kitch.
    $25.00
  • Domestic version has the same content of the European digipak.  "If you look at Jim Matheos’ career, across his role at the helm of the pioneering progressive metallers Fates Warning, to his collaborations in OSI and Arch/Matheos, and his appearances with Gordian Knot and Memories of Machines as well as his own solo material, people might think they know what to expect from this guitarist. Tuesday The Sky, however, from the opening sounds of the debut album Drift, is set to expand those boundaries even further.The impetus for Tuesday The Sky came from a Fates Warning bonus track that Matheos felt didn’t fit: “I started the first song, probably about a year and a half ago, as an idea for a Fates Warning bonus track. But as we progressed with Theories of Flight I realized it might not fit in and we decided to go with the all-acoustic bonus disc. This left me with a song that I really liked but didn’t know what to do with. So I started thinking about writing a few more in this style to see where it might lead.”The resulting full-length album, Drift, came together in the downtime between Fates Warning finishing Theories of Flight and the beginning of the touring cycle, enabling Matheos to explore a type of atmospheric and instrumental music you might not expect of him. He comments: “With this kind of music, it’s a lot about creating a mood and letting that sink in and develop over long periods of time, as opposed to the more frenetic format of most prog music.” Taking cues from artists like Brian Eno, Boards Of Canada, Sigur Ros and Explosions In The Sky, he explores expansive textures and ambient electronica, as well as some of the most colossal riffs he has ever produced. The album also features the talents of God Is An Astronaut’s drummer Lloyd Hanney, who provides a rhythmic backbone that is at once punchy, precise and restrained when necessary. Other guests include long-time OSI collaborator and former Dream Theater member Kevin Moore who plays keys on two songs, and Anna-Lynne Williams (Trespassers William, Lotte Kestner) who provides ethereal vocals (of the non-verbal kind) on two other songs.Instrumental music often forces a different way of thinking when it comes to writing, and Tuesday The Sky is no different: “One of the things I did was to look at the writing from a sound design perspective. What I mean by that is I would start with interesting sounds that would (hopefully) lead to interesting parts, rather than the other way around.” Matheos continues: “So, I would start by experimenting with different guitar/amp/effects combinations, sometimes all analog, sometimes digital, often for days, until I came up with something that inspired me to play things I liked.” It’s an approach that has paid dividends and is reflected in the music, flowing freely and naturally across its 10-song duration.What the future of this project holds and whether it will be taken out on the road is yet to be seen. Matheos comments: “It would be a challenge to bring this project but it is an interesting idea and one I would at least consider if there seems to be enough interest.” What is sure though, is that Tuesday The Sky’s debut is a bold, brave, creative and ultimately successful album from one of rock’s most underrated of musicians."
    $13.00
  • The Custodian is a new British post-progressive rock band formed by Richard Thomson, vocalist for cinematic death metal band Xerath.  Unlike Xerath, The Custodian is an outlet for the more melodic, rock oriented writing from Thomson.While there are moments in the album that harken back to old school bands like Genesis and Yes, the music of The Custodian is contemporary in sound.  Necessary Wasted Time is an album full of dynamics - light and dark shadings balancing acoustic vs electric, heavy vs pastoral.  While atmospherics and tension are a strong component of the album, the band demonstrates their adept musicianship offering up long instrumental passages to complement the emotion filled vocals.  When needed the band unleashes some complex electric runs.The Custodian's debut should deeply resonate with fans of Steven Wilson, Riverside, Pineapple Thief, and Anathema.Necessary Wasted Time was mixed by noted engineer Jacob Hansen and give the full audiophile mastering treatment from Bob Katz. 
    $5.00
  • "Formed in 1991 by Jonas Renkse & Anders Nyström, and transitioning from early pioneers of the rising black/death/doom movement, to powerhouses of the progressive metallic rock genre, 2020 saw KATATONIA present their eleventh studio opus, the poignant City Burials, to unanimous acclaim. And so now, following closely in its footsteps, the Swedish dark rock masters present Dead Air to further immortalise the strangest of times.With a somewhat unforeseen global event transpiring this year which resulted in touring being made all but impossible for artists internationally, Katatonia conducted a more intimate “lockdown” show which was streamed live from Studio Grondahl, Stockholm on May 9th. Dead Air offers fans a full 88-minute set containing 20 tracks from the band’s extensive and illustrious repertoire to date, with inclusions spanning two decades of dark progressive greatness, and essentially also debuting three of the City Burials album tracks in a live setting.“Due to an overwhelming demand, we are proud to confirm that our lockdown livestream from Gröndahl earlier this year will now see a physical release where you can re-experience the #20 most wanted songs exclusively voted by our fans from all around the world. This very special evening of May 9th will forever serve us as a memory of something equally weird as fantastic, so it feels essential to make it available as something you can touch and own forever” Anders NyströmThe tracklisting itself contains a very literal selection of fan favourites overall, having being voted for exclusively by the band’s worldwide fanbase, flawlessly flirting between earlier singles such as metallic anthems ‘My Twin’ & ‘July’, to the stirring emotional grandeur of new song, ‘Lacquer’.The recording, mixing & engineering work was orchestrated by David Castillo, notable for his extensive body of work with Katatonia to date, and the performance itself was professionally filmed by Blackbox Video.The Dead Air artwork has been created by long-running collaborator, Travis Smith."
    $17.00
  • "Much like my addiction to Swiss roll, for some people more is never enough. You’d have thought two wildly successful “day jobs” would be enough to keep some folks busy. But not so for Katatonia lead vocalist Jonas Renkse and The Pineapple Thief front man Bruce Soord. Clearly they've got too much time on their hands as they have come together to create Wisdom Of Crowds. I can tell you now, I am eternally grateful that these two chaps did a bit of moonlighting. As will you.Originally written for Renkse’s voice, Soord sought out the acclaimed vocalist to complete the compositions and release the music to the masses. In doing so, Bruce Soord has found the perfect foil for the music he has written. Which is all at once jagged, sharp, melodic, aggressive, tender, sparse and loud. What anchors it all together, what makes it a cohesive mix, is Renkse’s vocals. His delivery is sublime. But we’ll come to that in a bit…Album opener ‘Pleasure’ sets up the album with Renkse’s weary and plaintive voice stretching across the track as it morphs from electronic intro to a upbeat mix of live instruments, effects and sounds. This album is different to their respective bands yet retains enough familiarity to comfort fans of both. Title track ‘Wisdom Of Crowds’ evokes a faint vibe of early Gotan Project with its horns and sparsely placed guitar lines whilst ‘Radio Star’ leaves you haunted…. leaves you looking for something as Renkse sings "give you the lights, give you the stars, give you a sign".Standout track of the album is ‘Frozen North’. It’s simply stunning. A melancholic guitar line awash with strings coupled with Renkse’s beautifully evocative vocal melodies and lyrics transporting you to a place of reflection. When, 4 minutes into the song, we descend musically into a fantastically out-there blend of electronica with jagged shards of glitchy noise rhythmically pounding towards the conclusion of the song. It just feels right and natural. It feels magnificent.Next up we have ‘The Light’, a more traditional (as in what the uninitiated imagine it to be) prog tune that is reminiscent of Saucerful-era Floyd with its backwards guitar and drumbeats. It’s 7 minutes of pure progressive music: bluesy guitar licks on a bed of synths with again startlingly intimate vocals.  ‘Pretend’ counters this with aggressive shards of guitar playing from Soord.With that we head into the final 3 tracks on the album. The triumvirate of the album in fact. I’ve genuinely never heard an album FINISH with such breathtakingly songs. Most artists would have put these tracks at the top of the album such is their magnificence. ‘Stacked Naked’ shimmers into view with a tenderly melodic  intro backed with some wonderfully harmonised vocals. Renkse’s lyrics painfully urging "if anyone should ask how the story goes just pretend we're almost there just pretend....pretend.....". ‘Centre of Gravity’ is a song that made me think of the bond of friendship, of the shared experiences, of the sharing of secrets and hopes and dreams. It ends with Jonas repeating "hold out your hand", a plea to never let go of what once was but also as an offer of support. And finally ‘Flows Though You’ arrives with a wail of siren and simmering aggression. Renkse defiantly proclaiming "I can lose but I will never break" as the song heads towards a cacophony of drums, guitars and electronica.So. After all that what is this album like?Jonas Renkse’s vocals and lyrics are the highlight of this album. They are the lynchpin of the entire record. No matter where the music goes, no matter what genre it delves into, the guiding light is his voice, his delivery and inflection. In Soord, he has found a collaborator that can create music that uses every aspect of his voice and talent.It is a stunning album in both depth and range of emotion and music. It captures so many genres and yet defies labels. Part rock, part electronic it's all blended together to create and album that lifts you up, makes you think and most importantly makes you FEEL. There is a hypnotic use of space and dynamics from the frailest most intimate ambience to bombastic guitar driven sections that lift your spirits. It is everything you can want from an album and more." - Echoes And Dust 
    $9.00
  • "Gösta Berlings Saga from Stockholm, Sweden return with their sixth studio album. “Konkret Musik” contains 12 explosive tracks filled with experimental instrumental rock, showcasing a truly unique mix of progressive rock, synth minimalism and otherworldly melodies. Dystopian yet hopeful, maximal yet minimal: “Konkret Musik” will not leave anyone unaffected. Recorded, mixed and produced by Daniel Fagerström (Viagra Boys, Skull Defekts, Nina Kinert, etc.) and Anton Sundell (Tonbruket, Ane Brun, etc.)."
    $15.00
  • "Founded in 2004 by Erlend Viken, this is the groups seventh studio album and the follow-up to 2017’s Remedies.Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree fanboys and girls will be right at home here – with Lasse Hoile responsible for the artwork. Musically, there are also going to be a lot of comparisons to the aforementioned’s output – Soup most definitely channel the minimalistic, post-rock elements of the PT/Wilson catalogue, which is no bad thing.Album opener, Burning Bridges begins like a gorgeous cinematic Floydian expedition, setting the landscape for the next 40 minutes. Sweeping synths and melodic lead guitar lines mesmerise until the gentle vocals introduce themselves and sway the listener with dulcet tones. There’s plenty of light and shade throughout the 15 minute opener, as you’d expect from Post-Rock but with the ice use of additional instrumentation heard throughout – via the Gentle Sky Orchestra conducted by Liv Brox. Flutes, Violins and Trumpets are a nice complement to both the louder and quieter moments adding to the cinematic feel.Crystalline strips the instrumentation back to a folky feel with some pretty acoustic picking underneath melodic violin accompaniment. It’s a very lilting piece that has a distinct 70’s Prog Rock feel albeit in late-90’s PT disguise with added Trumpets for good measure. The seven minute eventually descends into a white noise, distorted mess whilst the Trumpet melody repeats and fades away before ending abruptly and moving into the minimalistic piano-led Skins Pt. 1 interlude.Kingdom of Colour is peaceful, Brave-era Marillion jaunt – the guitar tones used are identical to those Mr Rothery used on that album – no bad thing there. The use of the Violin as a main melodic lead is a smart move in absence of vocals or guitar lines and builds more confidently as the track progresses into Sigur Ros vocal territory before resetting with a solo classical guitar section. The track finishes with more orchestral melodies to sweep the listener away into soundscape territory. Skins Pt 2-3 closes off the album, bringing the vocals back in after continuously following on from Kingdom of Colour. The track picks up around 3 minutes in to take us into the big finale…which then does a bait and switch by introducing Mellotron and Acoustic Guitar. Eventually we do get the big finale with some melodic slide guitar and some fantastic major to minor chord changes to take us through to the end.The album feels a little short at 40 minutes but that’s probably a good thing as it doesn’t feel too exhausting like some other Post Rock albums.Interestingly, the album notes outline a support of a number of political and eco-social causes:Soup is endorsing the following political and eco-social causes: No to discrimination and racism Ecology before economy; Say no to brain dead consumerism No to open net pen salmon- and fish farming Yes to respect, care and «everyone doing their best» Yes to re-use & Repair No to hate Yes to paper and crayons, sticks and analog creativity No to ignorance Yes to loveIt’s a well-crafted piece of work and the addition of the Lasse Hoile art direction adds a lot of gravitas to the project and will hopefully continue to draw the band some new fans." - Spirit Of Progressive Rock 
    $15.00
  • "It's been sometime since I've had a Long Distance Calling album cross my desk, nearly five years. The German band returns with their fifth album, Trips, and another new vocalist in Norwegian Petter Carlsen (Pil & Bue). Keyboards, piano and electronic sounds are performed by Marsen Fischer. Yet, as usual, Long Distance Calling's music essentially revolves around instrumental collaboration.In some sense, Trips is familiar territory for listeners. LDC continues to juxtapose atmospheric and etheral soundscapes with brisk and often bracing riffage, with light and lilting vocals floating over them, as least when they see fit to add them. Mostly, Long Distance Calling reminds me of progressive rock past and present. You might hear echoes of Pink Floyd or Kraftwerk, Anathama, Tool, and Muse in their sound. At one time they kind sound like pop infused trance music with an Eighties vibe as with Getaway. Then they can bring some of those crushing riffs in guitar-forward arrangements, feeling both heavy and brisk, even anxious as with Reconnect and Trauma. Yet the latter has one of LDC's characteristic wandering melancholy breakdowns in the middle. And even more rapid fire presence and pace come within Lines, with lighter moments given for the vocals.While it seems most everything is guitar and riff driven, a song such as Momentum is carried by the rippling groove of the drums. Everything else, including the guitars, seems to ride upon the crest of each wave, foaming and churning as the drums cascade along. It's just an example of whole good LDC is at making even instrumental prog rock accessible. Mention should be made of the closing number Flux. It also features much of the LDC signature sound, yet there's something more subdued and gentle about the guitar work in the first half, before it yields to something akin jazz rock fusion guitar. It was a subtle thing to my ears. You might describe it differently. Suffice to say, it's another representation of LDC's sublime and deft song composition. The only bump here is the song Rewind, which basically sounded like, well, nothing. Nothing with vocals that is.Nevertheless, the conclusion to all this is simple. With Trips, Long Distance Calling has delivered another enjoyable album of (mostly) instrumental melodic progressive rock, perhaps even more accessible than past works. Recommended." - Dangerdog.com
    $15.00
  • Tuesday The Sky's origins could almost be considered accidental. Guitarist Jim Matheos, famed for his work with progressive metal giants Fates Warning alongside projects such as OSI and his collaboration with John Arch, Arch/Matheos, penned a few songs that did not fit in with any of his established outlets, and intrigued by this, decided to write more and see where this took him. The result was 2017's Drift, a record that drew influence from the likes of Brian Eno, Sigur Ros, Boards Of Canada and Explosions In The Sky, and now he returns with its successor, The Blurred Horizon. "With this one, I knew going into it that I wanted to do a follow up, so it was much more intentional and planned out," he says. "I kind of fell into the first record, but having done that, it set the tone and direction for the overall project, and I wrote with that in mind this time around. Musically, it's worlds away from what I usually do, much more introspective, and quiet."A mixture of ambient, electronica, post-rock and more, The Blurred Horizon is perhaps best described as a beautiful record, having a natural grace to it. From opener "Half Remembered", which is tinged with melancholy, to the warmer "Cwmwl" or the haunting "Later, Then Now", it is quite an understated collection, yet with a lot going on - the agitated, busy "Hypneurotic", for example, adding a different flavor to the mix. Predominantly the work of Matheos, he acknowledges the advantages and disadvantages of working on something alone. "It can be fun getting lost in my own head when writing and not having to manage other people's expectations. On the other hand, there are times when it would be nice to bounce ideas around or get some objective feedback." However, while it is very much his baby, he is not the sole performer on the record, enlisting the help of other musicians where necessary. "It's primarily a solo project, but with the idea of having different guests on each record to help fill it out and, hopefully, give each one a slightly different sound. With the first record, there was Anna Lynne Williams on vocals for a couple of songs, and Lloyd Hanney of God Is An Astronaut on drums. For this one, the live drums on five tracks were handled by Gavin Harrison of The Pineapple Thief, King Crimson, and Porcupine Tree. He's my absolute favorite drummer, so he was the first person I thought of when I decided that some of the songs could benefit from real drums. I originally was thinking of just one or two songs, but once I heard how good he made them sound, I kept asking him do more, which, thankfully, he agreed to. His playing added a whole new dimension to the songs, particularly on 'Hypneurotic', where he plays two different full drum kit takes, panned left and right, to achieve a kind of 'double drummer' effect.""Everything Is Free" - the closing track and only one on the record to include vocals - is a cover of a Gillian Welch and David Rawlings song from 2001. "Fates Warning were thinking about doing some cover tunes as bonus tracks for 'Long Day Good Night' (2020), and when that didn't happen, I kept this one in mind for a future project. It seemed to fit nicely here, even though it's an otherwise instrumental album, and the vocals are by Tim Bowness. Like Gavin, Tim is someone I've worked with in the past, with OSI and several other projects. He's got a beautiful voice and his gentle delivery is just what I wanted for this one." For the other tracks, Matheos needed to come up with titles, keeping a running file of ideas and adding to it any time he came across something inspiring or encountered a phrase that might work. "The first thing I did was go through those and see if anything 'fit'. Other than that, it's just a question of listening to the song and seeing what kind of mood or imagery it evokes, and hopefully picking a word or phrase that conveys that, at least to me." The album title has no specific meaning or concept behind it, Matheos thinking it just nicely summed up the song titles and music, giving some sense of direction to it all. "With instrumental music, it's very hard to tell a 'story' with any specificity. Ten people hearing the same song, without a title to suggest something, will likely come up with ten different ideas about what the song is about. But the majority of them will, hopefully, get the same overall feeling or mood, So there's a sense of seeing - or feeling - something, but not knowing quite clearly what it is. And it gave me the opportunity to take one more title off my list!"Recording as he was writing, it was an "all in one" process, tracking in his home studio - and having his guests do likewise in their personal studios and sending the files to him - taking approximately six months to complete. This made for a smooth undertaking - the hardest part selecting the song titles - and the guitarist is just keen for people to hear it. There are no plans to assemble a band and tour the record, doing so financially prohibitive given how hard it is even for a band as established as Fates Warning to tour these days, and there may or may not be another Tuesday The Sky record in the future. "It's hard to say. Artistically, it's fun and satisfying, but ultimately it depends on whether or not anyone wants to hear another!"
    $14.00
  • "As the man behind many of English troupe Anathema’s greatest compositions, Daniel Cavanagh has continuously proven to be one of the best songwriters in modern progressive music. In fact, the band’s last few releases—and especially 2012’s Weather Systems—portray sentiments of loss, love, longing, and the like with a level of depth and beauty that’s virtually unmatched by any of their peers. It’s no surprise, then, that Cavanagh’s latest solo outing, Monochrome, touches upon parallel topics with a similar sort of enveloping emotion, refinement, and gracefulness. Unfolding more like a cumulative journey than a collection of individualized statements, it could be more eventful and/or varied in spots, but the majority of it is as moving and memorable as any of his prior outings (and even its most tiresome bits still pack a poignant punch).“A deeply reflective and personal offering,” Monochrome sees Cavanagh writing and performing alone aside from two guests: vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering, Ayreon, Devin Townsend)—who also sang on Anathema’s 2011 LP, Falling Deeper—and violinist Anna Phoebe (Jethro Tull, Trans-Siberian Orchestra). Also, Cavanagh aptly describes the vibe of the record as “a late night, candlelit feeling, evoking the light of dusk as the summer sun sinks below the horizon, setting the scene for thoughts and meditations that many people will relate to.”As for the material itself, he says that “a lot of [it] . . . could easily have made it on to the last Anathema album or any future album . . . there are several highlights . . . [that] are among some of my best works of the last decade. Taking them from the band was not an easy decision but I am glad; they’re so personal as to not need more input.” Indeed, Monochrome actually seems more like a proper follow-up to Anathema’s 2014 release, Distant Satellites, than this year’s The Optimist did in several ways; plus, it further cements its creator as a master at using dynamic instrumentation, heartrending lyricism, and nuanced singing to captivate and embody his audience.The sequence starts with its most overtly charismatic track, “The Exorcist” (no relation to the horror classic, in case you were wondering). Like much of Anathema’s work, it begins quietly, with an ethereal atmosphere surrounding a gentle piano and acoustic guitar motif as Cavanagh sings with his trademark endearing defeat. It’s a recognizable template for any longtime follower—it even recalls “Crestfallen” (from Falling Deeper) and “Are You There?” (from A Natural Disaster) at times—yet its tragic splendor is overwhelming nonetheless. Likewise, fans are accustomed to reflections like these (“And I can’t be where you are / And I can’t feel what you feel today”), but as always, his performance makes them hit as hard as ever. This is particularly true during the chorus, when percussion is added as his outcries of “Do you trust in who I am?” and “Cause you saved me from myself!” to reveal a life-affirming thesis delivered via some of the best singing he’s ever done. Of course, the intensity dies down as it concludes, making it truly appear like a lost treasure from We’re Here Because We’re Here or Weather Systems.Many of the subsequent songs are slightly more untraditional and/or repetitive in structure. For instance, “This Music” more or less features Cavanagh and Van Giersbergen repeating the same few phrases over a simple, luscious backing. While it could have a bit more to it, there’s no denying how serene and gripping it is (as always, Van Giersbergen is downright angelic). Afterward, “Soho” finds them joined by Phoebe, who shines during the [mostly] instrumental ebb and flour of sorrow and passion, while “The Silent Flight of the Raven Winged Hours” is an immensely haunting, cinematic, and inventive centerpiece bursting with ghostly backing chants and screams, bleak instrumentation (including more cyclical guitar and piano patterns), and even some retro keyboard lines (that conjure Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Animals). Although the aforementioned opener is the most accessible track here, “The Silent Flight of the Raven Winged Hours” is easily the album’s ultimate triumph.The brief “Dawn” is also among the most striving and surprising entries here, as its Celtic arpeggios, festive strings, and dreamy croons unite in a simultaneously inviting and ominous environment; it burrows into your soul from the start and never leaves. Next, the penultimate “Oceans of Time” is a more straightforward and familiar piano ballad that begins sparsely and then adds many evocative layers (such as delicate percussion and more lovely counterpoints from Van Giersbergen). (Devotees many notice a melodic nod to Alternative 4’s “Fragile Dreams,” too, which is exciting, if almost certainly unintentional as well.) As for closer “Some Dreams Come True,” it’s easily the biggest missed opportunity of the whole set, as it simply doesn’t offer enough to warrant its nearly nine-minute length. Don’t get me wrong—its core ranks alongside most of Cavanagh’s previous tranquil epilogues, with its two halves offering a sublime blend of strings and piano to conjure the hope and innocence of childhood, but it outstays its welcome a bit because of how uneventful it is overall.Monochrome accomplishes a commonly difficult task for a solo effort: it’s fresh and unique enough to stand on its own while also upholding many of the attributes that make the artist’s home band so special. In other words, it earns its place in both Cavanagh’s isolated arsenal and Anathema’s catalog. Sure, it relies a bit too heavily on the same few techniques at times, and a fair share of it feels like previously treaded territory, but when said terrain is so heavenly and moving, well, that’s a bit forgivable since it’s still an essence that almost none of his peers can capture. Best of all, the most invigorating and unanticipated parts of Monochrome stand out even more in contrast, not to mention reveal how much Cavanagh can do when left entirely to his own devices. By and large, it’s a stunning work that deserves to be celebrated." - The Prog Report
    $12.00
  • "Founded in 1999 and evolving into a band that main man Bruce Soord has called “greater than the sum of its parts”, The Pineapple Thief have  never been afraid to challenge the vision that they are a prog band. One which has existed  on the periphery awaiting the real breakthrough moment. Their 11th studio album sees them setting an ‘ever onward’ course.Following the bite sized chunk trials of 2014’s ‘Magnolia’ with its more mainstream orientation, comes the album described as “a joy to make.” Not often you hear that making an album has been effortless.  Perhaps inspired by the drumming contribution of the excellent Gavin Harrison, fresh from his experiences with King Crimson, or the clarinet contributions of Supertramp’s John Helliwell, or even the string quartet and four piece choir, they combine to cast a different hue  on  the The Pineapple Thief canvas.  With Darran Charles from Godsticks adding some guitar, it’s an all star cast that alongside the core unit, have combined  to create  an album which adds to their already inventive catalogue of work.Bruce Soord’s recent collaborations and production duties, particularly with the darker progressive and metal tendencies of Opeth and Katatonia, and in particular the latter’s acoustic adventures, may have also had an influence and played their part in his thinking. Fans may also be encouraged to hear he’s rediscovered his progressive roots which all adds up to what  on paper has the potential to drive TPT into another dimension.  Not only does it sound good, with Soord’s growing reputation as a 5.1 specialist doing wonders with the sonics, but it looks good too. The album concept gets played out in Carl Glover’s expansive artwork which compliments the musical and lyrical journey of a parent and child,  unfolding slowly   to chronicle a  tale of love, fear, estrangement and reconciliation.Soord has called ‘No Man’s Land’, the track assigned as the album teaser, “a tale of two halves.  It’s short but progressive and 100% The Pineapple  Thief”  – an apt description  which applies  to much if not all of ‘Your Wilderness’. It’s preceded by ‘In Exile’ which not  only sets the scene but, possibly with the help of the distinctive yet subtle Harrison drumming,  moving TPT into the frame as the band most likely to take up the mantle from oner of Harrison’s old bands – another PT, Porcupine Tree.  The void created by their regrettable  absence in the wake of the Steven Wilson solo career juggernaut  could well be on the way to being filled.A wistful ‘That Shore’   takes a turn towards the delicate and fragile, echoed on ‘Fend For Yourself’ with the Helliwell clarinet floating over the low key choral backing. Intense without being overbearing , it all fits with the album template yet for those who like their progressive music  to run a little longer there’s ten minutes of ‘The Final Thing On My Mind’ to dissect. Easy to say it’s the centrepiece because of the extended format but in all honesty it is an impressive composition. After building for four minutes, it could easily draw to a close to be another ‘short but progressive’ number, but it finds a natural conclusion in an extended arrangement which develops towards a second crescendo involving the sort of dynamic intensity which rarely pays a call, yet  allows for a more significant  impact when it does. The emphasis remains on the unpretentious and creation of atmosphere containing moments of controlled energy; a pattern which is at the core of an absorbing and introspective set which flows gently through  the forty minute playing time.The Pineapple Thief seem to be  making an art form of the short but progressive style, stepping up to the plate for consideration as a band who have slowly developed into genuine contenders." - Louder Than War
    $13.00