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  • “You can expect a beefy rock album, freak style. I think that Cooking with Pagans finally has the sound and energy of Freak Kitchen live; the energy and rawness. It is anything but overproduced, stripped down, drums, bass and guitar. To the point.” – Mattias “IA” EklundhIt has been 5 years since Freak Kitchen graced us with a new album.  Since the release of 2009’s Land Of The Freaks, the band has toured the world – making stops in Europe, USA, and Asia along the way.  Finally the band was able to settle down in their home base of Sweden to record the long awaited follow up Cooking With Pagans.The album finds the band collaborating with Blacksad comic book creator and former Disney animator Juanjo Guarnido.  In addition to creating the amazing packaging for the album, Mr. Guarnido has created an incredible animated video to support the album release.Freak Kitchen consists of world renowned guitarist Mattias “IA” Eklundh, bassist Christer Ortefors and drummer Bjorn Fryklund, The trio offers an intense blend of progressive metal and rock, often served up with a wicked dose of humor.  RIYL Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, and Bumblefoot. 
    $6.00
  • ‘Arise’ gives the impression that the creative skills of Steve Babb have gone into overdrive, is there a better storyteller in modern progressive music?” - Progradar.comGlass Hammer shoots for the stars with the new concept album, “ARISE.” Set against the backdrop of deep space exploration, ARISE follows the extraordinary journey of an android dispatched by overzealous scientists to uncover the galaxy’s hidden wonders. The album’s lyrics, liner notes, and artwork convey a tale of cosmic dread and wonder that doesn’t begin with a big bang, but, according to Glass Hammer mastermind Steve Babb, “...definitely ends with one.”He’s joined by singer Hannah Pryor and guitarist Reese Boyd for Glass Hammer’s twenty-first studio album. “ARISE is my progressive-rock spin on space rock,” says Babb. “I’m still flirting with doom metal on a couple of songs, as we did on the last two albums, but there’s also psych-rock and even 80’s influence going on in the music. Even so, it’s very much a prog-rock album, just one that touches on other styles.”Babb goes on to make a bold claim. “We’ve always been big on finales,” he says. “But the final track on ARISE is like nothing we’ve done before. It’s an epic-length instrumental prog-rock jam meant to leave our fan’s jaws on the floor!”
    $13.00
  • "TRANSATLANTIC — the multinational progressive rock supergroup featuring vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse (SPOCK'S BEARD, THE NEAL MORSE BAND), drummer Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, DREAM THEATER), bassist Pete Trewavas(MARILLION) and guitarist Roine Stolt (THE FLOWER KINGS) — will release its fifth studio album, "The Absolute Universe", on February 5, 2021 via InsideOut Music. Representing the band's first new music since 2014's "Kaleidoscope", with "The Absolute Universe" the band has done something unique and created two versions of the record: "The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version)" and "The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version)".As Portnoy explains: "We've got two versions of this album. There is a two-CD presentation, which is 90 minutes long, and a single one — that's 60 minutes. However, the single CD is NOT merely an edited version of the double CD. They each contain alternate versions and even in some cases, new recordings. We wrote fresh lyrics and have different people singing on the single CD version tracks as compared to those on the double CD. Some of the songtitles have also been changed, while others might remain the same, but compositionally, what you'll hear has been altered."You must appreciate that what we have done is unique. We revamped the songs to make the two versions different."Trewavas adds: "We did write some new music for the single CD. What's more, there are also differences in the instruments used on some of the tracks across the two records."Each album will be available on CD, LP and digitally. But there will also be what has been called "The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition", which collects both versions together in one lavish package that includes 5LPs, 3CDs and a Blu-ray that contains a 5.1 Surround Sound mix with visuals and a behind-the-scenes documentary. All editions have unique artwork created by Thomas Ewerhard.Initial tracking began in September 2019 when the band met up in Sweden to write and arrange the new material. As Portnoy explains: "Over a period of 10-14 days, we mapped out the songs. Then we all went back to our home studios and did the recording. That's the way we always do it. At one point, though, it was suggested that instead of doing what was by that time going to be a double album, we should just be content to do a single CD.""What happened was that everything kept expanding and expanding," recalls Stolt. "Therefore we decided it made sense to make it a double album. It was Pete and Neal who then came out and said they felt this would be too long, and we should reduce it to one…But we were already recording, and it didn't seem feasible to cut it back. There were so many pieces that each of us loved in what we were planning and didn't want to lose. That's when we ended up in discussions over the best way forward."This album also marks a return to the concept album for TRANSATLANTIC."Well, the idea of TRANSATLANTIC deciding to do a concept record this time around won't shock anyone, right?" laughs Portnoy. "What we have is essentially one giant composition, split into chapters. The storyline is about the struggles facing everyone in society today.""We didn't start out with the idea of this being conceptual," admits Stolt. "The way things work with us is that we have a load of ideas, and these are developed spontaneously when we meet up. Everything happens in the moment."So, how does this new groundbreaking album compare to TRANSATLANTIC's previous four albums?"I always try not to compare albums as much as possible," insists Morse. "It's very difficult when you're trying to be creative, because your natural instinct is to constantly compare. But in order to create you have to kind of step away from that. Having said that, I would say this would have more in common with 'The Whirlwind' album [the band's third, from 2009] than others that we've created."For Trewavas, "The Absolute Universe" is a momentous project. "I think it is right up there with the very finest albums we've done," he says. "As the others have said, it compares very well to 'The Whirlwind', which I believe represents TRANSATLANTIC at our best. As on that album, we took our time to write and arrange everything, and that shines through. I am very excited for people to hear it."TRANSATLANTIC formed in 1999 and released its debut album, "SMPT:e", the following year. Sophomore effort "Bridge Across Forever" followed in 2001, but the group went on an extended hiatus after Morse left SPOCK'S BEARD in 2002 to focus on his newly launched career in the Christian music industry.The group reunited in 2009 and released third album "The Whirlwind", which consisted of a single 77-minute track, that same year. A fourth album, "Kaleidoscope", was recorded in 2013 and released the following year, when it debuted at No. 6 on the German top album charts. The band has also released several live albums and live videos, most recently 2014's "KaLIVEoscope".Portnoy and Morse are frequent musical collaborators, having recorded more than a dozen albums together outside of TRANSATLANTIC, including three FLYING COLORS releases, three by THE NEAL MORSE BAND and seven Morse solo albums."
    $10.00
  • DISCIPLINE has performed and recorded together since 1987, and remains one of the top bands in the American progressive rock scene. The band’s current lineup, including drummer Paul Dzendzel, bassist Mathew Kennedy, lead guitarist Chris Herin (Tiles), and vocalist/keyboardist Matthew Parmenter, worked with veteran music producer Terry Brown (Rush, Fate’s Warning) for the mixing of their newest opus, Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea, which Parmenter describes as, “an escape to ameliorate the workaday world.”“DISCIPLINE weaves a wicked web of lush, whimsical melodies, cynical stories and melancholy theatrics — so disturbing some fans have pegged lead-man Matthew Parmenter as ‘unstable,'” writes Heidi Olmac in Detroit’s Orbit newspaper. New Zealand rock critic Kev Rowland describes DISCIPLINE as “one of the most important bands to come out of America in the last twenty-five years.” The band’s earliest live shows were memorable for unusual theatrics. Parmenter (a.k.a. the Magic Acid Mime) would wear different costumes and act out the songs. Though the costumes have long since gone away, spontaneity remains a hallmark of DISCIPLINE‘s stage presence. “I think most of it comes from playing live,” says Parmenter in The Observer and Eccentric newspaper. “If something goes wrong, it’s kind of interesting how you will get out of it.”Jeff Milo of Ferndale Friends newspaper writes, “Go online and you’ll find various zines, blogs, and sites devoted to ‘prog’ music sending some substantial love toward Detroit’s DISCIPLINE.” The band’s previous album To Shatter All Accord (2011) includes the twenty-five-minute song suite “Rogue.” John Collinge, publisher of Progression Magazine, acknowledged To Shatter All Accord with the publication’s highest marks in his review (16 out of 16 stars). The band may be best known for its album Unfolded Like Staircase (1997). With four sprawling epics, including “Canto IV (Limbo)” and “Crutches,” Unfolded Like Staircase is considered by some to be one of the best progressive rock albums of the 1990s. In the Dutch Progressive Rock Pages, Brian Watson goes further: “Unfolded is my favourite progressive rock album of all time. In over thirty years of listening, and out of a collection touching fifteen hundred albums, Unfolded Like Staircase is ‘the one.’” The CD Push & Profit (1993) introduced Discipline to an international audience supported by a tour of Norway. The band also recorded a virtually unknown first album Chaos Out of Order (1988) that remained out of print for twenty-five years until the band’s indie label, Strung Out Records, reissued the recording in 2013. DISCIPLINE has also released three live albums; the This One’s for England (2014, 2xCD), Live Days (2010 2xCD on Cyclops/GFT), and Into The Dream (1999 on Syzygy/SOR).DISCIPLINE has appeared at numerous progressive rock festivals In 2012 the band appeared at RoSfest, the Rites Of Spring progressive rock festival in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That performance can be viewed as an Amazon Instant video. The band has also performed at NEARfest (Northeast Art Rock Festival), Terra Incognita, ProgScape, Orion Studios, and six separate performances at ProgDay in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band drew praise at UK’s Summers End festival in 2015 with reviews declaring Discipline “the band of the weekend.”. 
    $14.00
  • APOLLO: The ancient Greek and Roman God of music and poetry.SONS OF APOLLO: The new supergroup featuring members of Dream Theater, Mr. Big, Guns ‘N Roses, and Journey.In early 2017, rumors began circulating about a new secret project including former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian. Finally, on August 1st, the duo revealed the details to the rest of the world, introducing their new band, SONS OF APOLLO.Reuniting to form SONS OF APOLLO, Portnoy and Sherinian join forces with guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), bassist Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force). Their debut album, Psychotic Symphony, will be released October 20 on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. Psychotic Symphony was produced by the dynamic production duo of Portnoy and Sherinian, also affectionately known as “The Del Fuvio Brothers,” the nickname given to them over 20 years ago during their time together in Dream Theater.SONS OF APOLLO formed very organically, its seeds planted with a predecessor group, as Portnoy explains: “Derek and I reunited shortly after I left Dream Theater in 2010 and we put together an all-instrumental touring band with Billy Sheehan and Tony MacAlpine. That was my first time working with Derek since the ‘90s when he was in Dream Theater, and it was just great to be working with him again. Ever since that tour, which was really just a one-off live thing, he has been nudging me to start a real, original, full-time band. The timing just had never been right, because I had too many other things on my plate. Long story short, the time was finally right to take the bait and put together a band.”“Mike and I work at a relentless pace in the studio,” continues Sherinian. “The music is modern, but we have an old-school soul. What is unique about SONS OF APOLLO is that we have true rock n’ roll swagger along with the virtuosity-- a lethal combination!”But what to call the next great supergroup? “Derek was mainly the one behind the name,” says Portnoy. “I have a list that I keep on my phone of about a hundred different band names, which I constantly have to refer to every time I have a new band every year (laughs). So I pulled up the list and Apollo was one of the names on the list. It was a word that both of us really liked. We started fiddling with different variations of the word. One of the original band names we were working with was Apollo Creed, the character from the Rocky movies, but after lots of different discussions on different variations, Derek suggested SONS OF APOLLO and it seemed to stick. Apollo is the god of music, so with that in mind it seemed like a fitting name.”With Portnoy, Sherinian and Sheehan having previously toured together in the aforementioned lineup that came to be known as PSMS, playing instrumental versions of various songs drawn from each member’s history, SONS OF APOLLO was the next logical step. They kept that fire burning and stoked it higher by bringing in a different guitarist, adding a vocalist, and creating all original material. The nine songs comprising Psychotic Symphony incorporate the progressive style and individual technical prowess Portnoy and Sherinian shared together in Dream Theater, combined with the swagger and groove of Van Halen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.“I have known Mike and Derek for a long time, so when they came to me with SONS OF APOLLO, I jumped on this straight away,” says Thomas Waber, Label Manager/A&R International of InsideOutMusic. “However, the album they ended up recording exceeded my already high expectations by a long mile! We couldn’t be happier about it!”SONS OF APOLLO will hit the road in 2018 for their first worldwide tour.“This is a real band,” Portnoy declares. “This is going to pick up for me and Billy where The Winery Dogs left off, in terms of this being the next logical full-time thing for us. I’m not saying The Winery Dogs have broken up, because we haven’t, we’re just on a break. SONS OF APOLLO is absolutely going to be a full-time band and we plan on touring all over the world throughout 2018 and, honestly, it is the priority for all five of us.”Sherinian agrees, “We will go on a worldwide crusade in 2018 to bring SONS OF APOLLO to as many people as possible. Apollo was the God of Music, and we are his mighty offspring!”SONS OF APOLLO ARE:Mike Portnoy – drums and vocalsDerek Sherinian – keyboardsBilly Sheehan – bassRon “Bumblefoot” Thal – guitar and vocalsJeff Scott Soto - vocals 
    $18.00
  • "If there is one band who has captured the sound of the golden age of Progressive Rock (1969 – 1975) without sounding regressive or copycat, it is the Norwegian band Wobbler. The band has always had an energetic and youthful approach to the classic prog era, and has managed to blow new life into the genre. Wobbler´s fifth offering is an exciting blend of carefully planned and jammed material that encompasses everything the band has done up to now. Dwellers of the Deep consists of four distinctive pieces and is a broad looking glass into Wobbler´s creative whims and playful exuberance. The album showcases the band´s mastery of dynamics and flow, with passages and themes veering from the scenic and serene to the downright rocking. On the final track, Wobbler is in full blast, with a 19 minutes suite taking the listener through aspects of the darker sides of Wobbler´s sound. The lyrical themes on the album deals with human emotion, and the ongoing struggle between juxtaposed forces within the psyche. An introspective voyage among the realms of memories, feelings and instincts, where the light is brighter, and the dark is darker. The concepts of wonder, longing and desperation permeates the histories told, and the currents from the deep are ever present. The production is open, detailed, warm and punchy, making the soundscape put together by the now seasoned sound alchemist Lars Fredrik Frøislie to an aural feast. New musical directions further the quintet’s burgeoning aural idiosyncrasies and solidify the band stature as one of the most exciting and interesting bands on the global music scene, independent of genre."TRACK LISTING:1. By the Banks2. Five Rooms3. Naiad Dreams4. Merry Macabre
    $15.00
  • "Southern Empire were formed by keyboardist Sean Timms following the dissolution of Unitopia.Influenced by the likes of Dream Theater, IQ, Transatlantic, Karnivool and Steven Wilson, Southern Empire bring a harder, more edgy sound to their music whilst displaying a knack for catchy songs and great melodic hooks."Southern Empire is Australia's newest, most exciting progressive rock band:    Sean Timms - Keyboards/Vocals/Saxaphone    Danny Lopresto - Lead Vocals/Guitar    Cam Blokland - Guitar/Vocals    Brody Green - Drums/Vocals    Jez Martin - Bass/VocalsSean Timms: After a 17 year stint as main song-writer, producer and keyboard player with Unitopia Sean was looking to bring the finest musicians together in one band. He feels he’s achieved that with Southern Empire.Danny Lopresto: A seasoned performer with a huge vocal range, mad guitar skills and many years of live and studio experience, Danny’s work with nationally renowned band Clearway and the highly successful sold out Queen/Zeppelin Show sees him regularly playing to packed houses.Cam Blokland: Lauded nationally as one of Australia’s premiere guitarists, Cam was the face of the 2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival, sharing the stage with some of the world’s finest guitarists including Guthrie Govan.Brody Green: One of a rare breed of drummers, Brody is not only great at hitting things with sticks, but also a stunning vocalist with a supersonic range, guitarist, keyboardist and song-writer.Jez Martin: A highly in-demand bass player, Jez can be seen and heard with the Bill Parton Trio, Lather (The Frank Zappa Tribute Band), The Dream Theater Tribute Show and many musical theatre performances.
    $16.00
  • Ultimately, progress will not be stopped. Pain of Salvation have been firmly at the forefront of the progressive rock and metal scenes for nearly three decades now. Led by mercurial multi-instrumentalist Daniel Gildenlöw, the Swedish band have consistently demonstrated a sincere passion for moving their own extraordinary music forward, while always remaining lyrically enlightened and ferociously intelligent. As a result, the band’s return in 2020 could hardly be better timed.Since selecting the Pain of Salvation banner back in 1991, Gildenlöw’s crew have arguably been the definitive prog band of the modern era. From elaborate and pointedly metallic early classics like The Perfect Element, Part I (2000) and Remedy Lane (2002) to the obtuse wizardry of Be (2004) and the genre-blurring mischief of Scarsick (2006), Pain of Salvation’s all-encompassing musical vision has delivered some of contemporary prog’s most brave, bold and startling moments. Perennially restless, the band switched to a more retrogressive style for Road Salt One (2010) and Road Salt Two (2011), conjuring a precocious blend of ‘70s blues rock and proto-metal with Gildenlöw’s unerringly inventive instincts.Also one of modern rock’s most revered and acclaimed live acts, Pain of Salvation reached a new peak of efficacy on 2017’s In The Passing Light Of Day, an intricate but soulful concept piece that focused on notions of mortality and joy. Both a technically dazzling metal band and a freewheeling prog ensemble, Pain of Salvation have earned their formidable reputation by simply being their brilliant, creatively fearless selves.Fast forward to 2020 and the world is in a state of disarray. But music’s power to uplift and unite has never been in doubt, and the new Pain of Salvation album PANTHER is guaranteed to provide prog fans with a much-needed dose of sumptuous musical substance. Since the release of In The Passing Light Of Day, the band have deftly weathered the departure of guitarist Ragnar Zolberg, discovering a newfound enthusiasm for what happens next in the process.“We did In The Passing Light Of Day and that ended with the departure of Ragnar from the band,” Gildenlöw recalls. “In the past, 10 or 20 years ago, that would probably have made me doubt the future of the band and all of that. I went through that a lot in the past with members leaving or things not turning out in a good way! It’s always difficult and it’s always something that makes you sad, when your little band family is disrupted, but I never came to the point where I doubted where to go or what to do. The other band members were pushing us on to continue, so I just kept writing music.”The result of that sustained surge of creativity is PANTHER, the eleventh Pain of Salvation album and a very obvious landmark release in a career full of them. PANTHER is a concept piece that delves into the conflicts and contradictions between so-called normal people and those who are wired entirely differently.“I guess a lot of the songs that came out dealt with not being part of the norm of society,” Gildenlöw says. “Because we live in a time where we’re more aware of people not fitting the norm and we’re doing everything we can as a society to acknowledge all of these individuals, but at the same time, they’re more disowned than ever, more medicated than ever. The album is painting pictures of a world, I guess. If this was a movie it would be scenes from a city. It’s set in one city, and it’s populated by dogs and the panthers, the so-called normal people and the spectrum people. That’s the setting for the entire album.”As with all Pain of Salvation records, PANTHER will demand multiple listens before it reveals all of its secrets, both musical and narrative. But one things is certain: Gildenlöw’s ability to create a unique and fascinating musical and lyrical world has only grown in recent times. Both traditional and radical, PANTHER is the epitome of a modern prog concept album.With such a deep and varied catalogue, Pain of Salvation – completed by guitarist Johan Hallgren, keyboardist Daniel ‘D2’ Karlsson, bassist Gustaf Hielm and drummer Léo Margarit - have taught their fans to expect the unexpected at all times. Although instantly recognisable as music from the wild mind of Daniel Gildenlöw, PANTHER once again refines and redefines the Swedes’ sound, with echoes of the past vastly outnumbered by vivid, new textures, tones and sonic sleight-of-hand.“For this album, I started off looking for sounds. I always feel I need to move and change and find new ground for myself. Maybe it’s not intentional, but looking back I see that I chose a different starting point every time, or a different methodology, which makes everything else unfold in a different way. It’s a way of making sure that I’m not repeating myself.”Meticulously pieced together by Gildenlöw in Eskilstuna and The Cabin, and mixed together with Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Devin Townsend) at Studio 33 in Stockholm as well as mastered by Thor Legvold / Sonovo (Tambours de Bronx, Purified in Blood, Susanne Sundfør, Gazpacho) in Los Angeles, PANTHER ended up becoming a very intense and personal labour of love for Pain of Salvation’s leader.“It’s been somewhat of a lonely process, but I was finding sounds that I felt were communicating something, and then built something around that,” says Gildenlöw. “It started off a chain of events that led to PANTHER. Just like we did with the last album, you have a song and you find a new sound that you like, and then you start pulling the other songs into that world, step by step. So there’s a lot of odd sounds and a lot of trying to think anew, particularly from my point of view. I don’t have to try to make it sound like Pain of Salvation – the sound is basically what I do when I write music.”Old school PoS fans need not panic, however. Panther still features plenty of guitars and recognisable prog rock and metal tropes: It’s just that Daniel Gildenlöw can’t help but do things differently, every time he hits the studio.Yet another groundbreaking monolith to progress, passion and the joy of music itself, and with artwork consisting of fantastic illustrations made by André Meister, PANTHER is destined to be one of 2020’s most significant releases. Sprung from the maverick mind of prog’s most ingenious contributor, it’s a triumph for artistic imagination and an exhilarating new chapter in the life of a truly great band.“I don’t think that an album can change the world in any way, but I think that every small drop in the ocean can make a difference,” Gildenlöw concludes. “Hopefully people will look around at life as it surrounds us and they’ll realise that this is something we choose. We don’t have to have things as we have them right now. Then I hope, as always when it comes to our albums, people will take time to absorb it all. Our albums work best when they have a little time to sink under the skin. Hopefully with our track record, people know what’s coming!”"
    $19.00
  • Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett presents his brand new live audio/visual extravaganza, with the release of ‘Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton’. Filmed & recorded live on his 2022 UK tour, in the coastal city of Brighton, this release documents Steve and his band celebrating the 50th anniversary of the much-loved Genesis album ‘Foxtrot’. Played in full, this album features fan favourites including ‘Watcher Of The Skies’ and ‘Supper’s Ready’. The show also features a set of Hackett solo material, including ‘The Devil’s Cathedral’ from his latest studio album ‘Surrender of Silence’, and the powerful ‘Ace of Wands’. Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge & mastered by Ten Jensen at Sterling Sound.
    $16.00
  • THIS NORTHERN VIRGINIA BASED BAND is a three-piece at heart, musically rooted in the raw energy and rhythmic interplay of RUSH and KING’S X. Fans of dark, guitar-driven rock bands from ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES to the contemporary metal riffing of LAMB OF GOD and PANTERA, will connect to the heavy core of IRIS DIVINE’s sound. Add to that progressive complexity and moody synths inspired by DREAM THEATER and PORCUPINE TREE, and a liberal dose of memorable hooks and melodies, to understand some elements of IRIS DIVINE’s sound. And yet, the band has a distinct identity, not quite sounding like any of the aforementioned bands, and with an emotional urgency that pulls subtly from alternative and other influences.KARMA SOWN IS A TRIUMPH OF A DEBUT ALBUM, immediate and memorable but revealing layers and depth upon repeated listens."Progressive metal is in a rough period right now. The old guard are either releasing sub-standard albums that only make it more obvious how far they have fallen, or they are drastically uncool with anyone who didn't become a fan when progressive metal was first being created. Progressive today tends to mean djent, a style that has sapped all the life and humanity out of music, turning metal into a math equation of time signatures, and not songs that anyone can actually remember. There was a time when progressive metal remembered the ultimate goal of music; to have listeners enjoy the songs so much they would return to them again and again. Today, progressive metal is mostly the sort of music that could pass for muzak, if you don't turn the volume up too loud.Iris Divine wants to change that. They set out with the mission of writing progressive metal that is intricate and challenging, but still produces the kind of songs that listeners who don't have an advanced degree can love and sing along to. It's a challenge, and it goes against the tide, but it's a desperately needed revolution if progressive metal is going to flourish anytime in the near future.I knew from hearing the pre-release track “A Suicide Aware” that Iris Divide was special, and the full album reinforces the point. “The Everlasting Sea” comes out of the gates with plenty of tricky riffing and unusual rhythms, but they lead into big melodies with strong hooks and vocals. Their progressive playing isn't meant for show, it's a tool used to set a tone that juxtaposes with the more melodic moments. Finding the proper balance between these elements is not easy, and many a band have failed miserably trying to do so, but Iris Divine doesn't. On their debut record, they show a skill some bands have spent their entire careers failing to learn.What I love most about the record is that it can be seen in many different lights. If you like straight-ahead metal, there is plenty of heavy riffing and pounding drumming here to keep you satisfied. If you like progressive music, these songs have twists and turns, and Rush-like keyboards, in enough quantity to match the djent crowd. And if you're a fan of old-school radio rock, the choruses in these songs will be music to your ears. Keeping all three of these in mind at the same time can be tricky, but it's worth the effort.For being a trio, “Karma Sown” is a massive sounding record. The production is flawless, big and clear, without ever sounding too polished. The heavy parts are heavy, the vocals are up front, and you would never believe this was a self-produced record that was crowd-funded. I can put it up against many, many of the big label releases, and it would win the fight.In fact, I can think of a dozen so-called progressive metal bands that should immediately hand over their label contracts to Iris Divine, because it's a crime that a band that is advancing progressive metal in the right direction doesn't have the backing of one of the labels. Not to name names, but this album would be bigger than half of the progressive metal released this year if it had the media push behind it.In case you haven't noticed, what I'm saying is that “Karma Sown” is a fantastic debut, and the future of progressive metal. Iris Divine isn't a Dream Theater clone, and they're not djent. What they have done is integrate all the strains of progressive metal into a singular sound, one that could set the standard moving forward. If every band sounded this good, progressive metal wouldn't need to be underground. “Karma Sown” is the best progressive metal album of the year, bar none." - Bloody Good Horror
    $6.00
  • “Eras - Vinyl Collection Part IV” is the final Devin Townsend vinyl box sets. The box contains the albums; The box contains the albums: “Ziltoid The Omniscient” (Gatefold 2LP + etching on side 4) “Z² - Dark Matters” (Gatefold 2LP) “Ziltoid Live At The Royal Albert Hall” (Gatefold 2LP + etching on side 4) “The Retinal Circus” (Gatefold 3LP) All on 180 gram vinyl plus LP booklet with liner notes and comments by Devin Townsend, all wrapped up in a sturdy 2-piece box set, worldwide limited to only 2000 copies “Ziltoid Live At The Royal Albert Hall” and “The Retinal Circus” have so far never been released on vinyl before.Ziltoid The OmniscientSide AZTO By Your Command Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!2 Solar Winds Side BHyperdrive N9 Planet Smasher Omnisdimensional Creator Color Your World Side CThe Greys Tall Latte Don't Know Why Travelling Salesman Another Road Side DEtchingZ² - Dark MattersSide AZ² From Sleep Awake Ziltoidian Empire Side BWar Princess Deathray Side CMarch Of The Poozers Wandering Eye Earth Side DZiltoid Goes Home Through The Wormhole Dimension Z Ziltoid Live At The Royal Albert HallSide AZ² From Sleep Awake - Live Ziltoidian Empire - Live War Princess - Live Side BDeathray - Live March of the Poozers - Live Wandering Eye - Live Earth - Live Side CZiltoid Goes Home - Live Through The Wormhole - Live Dimension Z - Live Side DEtchingThe Retinal CircusSide AEffervescent!/True North - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Lucky Animals - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Planet of the Apes - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 20122 Side BTruth - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 War - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Soul Driven - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Planet Smasher - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Baby Song - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Side CVampolka - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Vampira - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Addicted! - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Colour Your World - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 The Greys - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Side DHyperdrive - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Ih-Ah! - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Where We Belong - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Detox - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Side EBend it Like Bender! - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Life - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Kingdom - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Juular - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Side FLove? - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Colonial Boy - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Grace - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012 Little Pig - Live at The Roundhouse, October 27th 2012  
    $138.00
  • “Let us begin where it all began...”Progressive rock band Big Big Train return with Folklore, their first full-length studio album since the award winning English Electric. Folklore contains nine new songs with a total running time of 68 minutes.Despite the album title, Folklore is by no means a collection of traditional-sounding folk music pieces. On Folklore, Big Big Train are reimagining and breathing new life into traditional themes, and also creating a few new ones along the way. The crafts of songwriting and storytelling beat strongly at the heart of the Big Big Train and inform every track on the new album.Folklore features the same line up (eight piece band and brass quintet) that performed three sell out shows at Kings Place in London last summer, with the addition of a string quartet. The experience of bringing this complex music to the concert stage has honed the band’s sound, making Folklore a focussed and exciting listening experience. All the hallmarks of the Big Big Train sound can be found here: powerful and emotional vocal delivery, and dramatic extended song arrangements which showcase the musical ability within the band.Big Big Train proudly present Folklore: an epic progressive rock tour de force.“Heigh-ho, so we go. We pass it on, we hand it down-o...”Folklore Ancient stories told by our ancestors around the camp re, being passed down from generation to generation. The passage of time sees the coming of written language and electronic communication, but still we tell our stories and pass them on.London Plane Once upon a time, a great tree took root on a river bank, and watched through the years as a city grew around it.Along The Ridgeway A journey along an ancient pathway, where legends are reborn.Salisbury Giant Big Big Train tell the true story of a medieval giant.The Transit Of Venus Across The Sun When the astronomer lost the love of his life, he set a course for the stars. Inspired by the much-loved British TV astronomer and educationalist, Patrick Moore.Wassail The old ways get a 21st century reboot in this pagan- inspired progressive-folk groove. The title track from Big Big Train’s Wassail EP, it was nominated in the “Anthem” category at the 2015 Progressive Music Awards.Winkie A ripping action adventure story about a true life war heroine, the  rst to receive the Dickin medal in honour of her achievement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the  rst prog epic about a pigeon...Brooklands John Cobb, racing driver, lived life at high speed on the racing line. Time passes, but the ageing driver yearns for one more adrenaline  lled lap of the track... Cobb died in 1952 while attempting the world water speed record at Loch Ness.Telling The Bees Traditionally, bees were told of births, deaths and marriages within the bee-keeper’s family, as it was believed that otherwise they would leave the hive. When his father is killed in the First World War, a young boy takes on this responsibility, grows up to become a man,  nds love and starts his own family. “The bees are told... and we carry on...”.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Big Big Train: BackgroundDavid Longdon: vocals and  ute; Rachel Hall: violin; Dave Gregory: guitars; Rikard Sjöblom: guitars and keyboards; Danny Manners: keyboards; Andy Poole: guitars and keyboards; Greg Spawton: bass; Nick D’Virgilio: drumsFormed in Bournemouth, UK, in 1990 by Greg Spawton and Andy Poole, Big Big Train has charted an independent course through the British progressive rock scene, slowly developing a richly arranged blend of electric and acoustic instruments that mixes prog, rock, post-rock, folk and classical in uences. 2009’s The Underfall Yard was the band’s  rst album to feature the powerful vocals of David Longdon, alongside the guitar of Dave Gregory (XTC) and the drums of Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard), since when critical and public acclaim for the band has grown rapidly.The two-volume English Electric (2012-13) further developed Big Big Train’s favourite themes of English history, industry and landscape, and the band won the Prog magazine Breakthrough award in 2013. The following year, the Classic Rock Society awardedBig Big Train their Best Band and Best Track awards, while David Longdon won Best Male Vocalist, a feat he repeated this year.After 17 years as a studio-only outfit, Big Big Train returned to the stage in 2015 with three London performances which topped the Prog magazine Readers’ Poll for Best Event, with several band members also featuring in the instrument sections of the poll. The band has just released Stone & Steel, a Blu-ray featuring songs from the London gigs along with performances recorded in 2014 at Real World Studios. 
    $16.00
  • "Still masters of conveying dark, atmospheric introspect through their music, Swedish metal legends Evergrey are set to return with their eleventh studio album, ‘The Atlantic’ in early 2019. Spread thick with melody and following on thematically from its predecessors, ‘The Storm Within’ and “Hymns For The Broken”, closing out an oceanic concept trilogy, vocalist Tom S Englund and the band have indeed weathered some heavy storms to see this record come to light. And their efforts were not for nothing.Unbeknownst to some, upon its initial completion, work on ‘The Atlantic’ was stolen from the bands studio during a break in robbery. Reflected on by Englund as “the worst fucking timing ever”, the singer also confesses that had it not happened, it is likely that the current incarnation of the album would not be what it is now, which is a heightened sense of aggression and vulnerability in light of its initial misfortune. A sentiment reflected in the bands leading single, “A Silent Arc”. A multi-layered composition which takes the listener through both chaos and tranquility,  “A Silent Arc” makes for a strong handshake to new efforts from Evergrey.While it may have been an obvious single choice, it certainly wasn’t the bands only potential front-runner. ‘The Atlantic’ is riddled with worthy contenders, perhaps none more so than “Weightless”. Englund and guitarist Henrik Danhage produce what is arguably the strongest grooves on the record in the form of the tracks infectious man riff, further capitalized on by Rikard Zander’s haunting keyboard melodies and bassist Johan Niemann‘s undeniable grit and grumble. Drummer Jonas Ekdahl has a commanding presence throughout the record also, a notable example of which can be found in his complex, yet beautiful percussive tom work on “A Secret AtlantisA constant in which fans can depend on throughout each and every Evergrey record is the dynamic and emotive vocal delivery from Englund, and here we find no exception. Englund’s ability to capture the heart of a song and translate it through his voice is one of the primary reasons that he was, and very much remains, integral to Evergrey. “All I Have” graces ‘The Atlantic’ with its presence on it. Its lengthy run time and technical proficiency are a treat in themselves for those more affiliated with that side of the band, but they are simply eclipsed by its chorus. From the moment it hits you can feel it bring Englund to his knees in honesty, mortality, and offering whatever left of himself that he has to give in a performance that encapsulates his talent as a sincere and moving vocalist. A heartwarming moment made heartbreakingly good by the level of investment Danhage gives to his solos on this piece.There is no such thing as a standard Evergrey record. Despite being part of a trilogy, even their more recent works have been as rich and as layered as those that came before them, never going stale. This collection of songs closes out that trilogy, which has been a deep and emotional journey for the band, and it does so with class. ‘The Atlantic’ displays intoxicating juxtapositions in true Evergrey fashion. Fierce yet soothing, with an underlying torment that feels almost melancholic, Evergrey have, once again, gone and outdone themselves." - Metal Wani
    $15.00
  • I can't remember a buzz on a band's debut since Circus Maximus.  Perhaps due to the album being released in Japan a year ago and its unavailability elsewhere, maybe because they are lined up to play ProgPowerUSA.  Whatever the reason the album finally gets a wide debut and it was worth the wait.  Damnation Angels is a British symphonic metal band fronted by a Norwegian singer.  He goes by the name PelleK and was a contestant on Norway's version of X Factor.  The band's stock in trade is epic sounding metal that pays a huge debt to Kamelot.  The instrumental passages take on the grandeur and scope of Nightwish.  PelleK does a sold job out front - he's obviously listened to a Khan quite a bit.  Highly recommended.
    $14.00