Third Stage: Live In London (3LP Orange Vinyl)

"Let's get one thing straight from the start. The Sea Within is more of an amalgamation ofsome serious talents, than a regular “supergroup”. These musicians have come together tocreate a unique album. Guitarist/vocalist Roine Stolt, bassist Jonas Reingold, keyboard player/vocalist Tom Brislin, drummer/vocalist Marco Minnemann and vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw have a vast reservoir of experience. Look at the portmanteau of artists with who they've worked: The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Jon Anderson, Steven Wilson,The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Yes, Steve Hackett, Renaissance, Pain Of Salvation,Deborah Harry, Meatloaf, Karmakanic ... that of itself tells you this is something veryspecial.“I suppose it all began to take shape in the autumn of 2016,” explains Stolt. “I had a chatwith Thomas Waber, the boss at InsideOut Music, about the idea of putting together a new band. I wanted to move in a fresh direction with new collaborations. So Thomas gave methe ‘go ahead’ to seek musicians for a new project.” First on-board was The Flower Kingsbass player Jonas Reingold. “He is a long time bandmate and friend and we were also verykeen to get keyboardist Tom (Brislin) involved - after seeing his synth pyrotechnics withlegends Yes ‘Symphonic’ and with Camel. Then we have been a fans of ‘Aristocrats’drummer Marco for a long time; I first heard of him 15 years ago and he is a brilliant drummer, unique energy. Then when we discussed ideas for singers, Daniel's name came up, he has such a great range and dynamic voice and we've worked together on and offover the years.” Also added later to the bands line-up for live shows was vocalist andguitarist Casey McPherson of ‘Flying Colors’ and ‘Alpha Rev’, who also sings a couple ofsongs on the album.Initially the band went to Livingston Studios in London last September to begin the processof assembling all the material and recording it for the debut album. “Most of the materialyou'll hear are really band compositions. Of course, ideas were triggered by all of us. Sometimes Jonas would come up with a part, chord sequence or tune and then I or Tom would write melody & lyric and some new riff section and Marco enhancing with further musical metric twists and developments - then Daniel would add or rewrite some of the lyrics, change or add more melodies. Overall, the vast majority of the tracks have beenworked on and developed by all of us in one way or another.” “Why did we decide torecord in London? That was down to simple logistics, because we live all over the world. Jonas is in Austria, Daniel and I are in Sweden, Tom is on the East Coast of America, whileMarco is on the West Coast. So, it made sense for us all to come together in London.” Not all of the record, though, was finished at Livingston, as Stolt outlines. “Some extra toucheswere added later, when all of us were doing things in our home studios. These were things such as guitars, vocals, synth and keyboards, textures. On the vocal side, a few of us have been involved, Daniel, me, Tom and Marco coming to lend our voices; and later Casey. Marco also plays some guitar on the material and I did some bass. So all of the guys did alot more than you might expect.” The album is essentially self-produced, and it was mixedby Stolt/The Sea Within as well. “We did think about bringing in someone from the outside to handle the mixing stage. But as I ended up with all the music files, which we had been sending one another through web or email-links... well, it didn't make sense to have an extra person come in for that part of the process.”The entire recording situation took about six months, and the band also has some veryspecial guests featured on the album. “We have got Jordan Rudess from Dream Theaterplaying piano on one song. The legendary Jon Anderson sings on another track, while 'wind ace' Rob Townsend, who plays saxophone and flute with Steve Hackett, is also on therecord. Each of them brings a different flavour to the music.”“People have asked me how I would describe what we have done, and it is almostimpossible. I would have to say it sounds like...us, ‘The Sea Within’. Our tastes are veryeclectic – from prog to jazz to classical, to heavy rock, folk, punk, electronica and pop. We all come from a different background - so here everything goes. “This has been aboutputting those diverse influences into the music. I feel you will hear all that's good about pop – with great melodies and hooks – plus the rawness of metal, improvisations, symphonic and movie soundtracks. We also left room for each of us to take off on flights of instrumental jamming. That was the basic idea, anyway. But until we all got together, wehad no idea where it would lead or if it would actually work.” The band have ended uprecording close to two hours of music, and will be releasing it all in June on what will be a self-titled album.So, where does that name come from? “It was a long and somewhat painful process to find a fitting name. We all made lists of band names, one of which was ‘The Sea Within’, butthat was first rejected along with many others. So we had to go back to the beginning and think again. We ended up with more than 100 suggestions – some really crazy, funny andridiculous ones. In the end, we put it all to the vote and ‘The Sea Within’ came out on top. “I have to say that I like it, because it could mean many things, but does not give people preconceptions of what to expect from our music. I personally see it as the vast inner oceans of thoughts, dreams, poetry, music, love, fear etc that we all carry with us - within - every day through a lifetime - all that leads to creations like this.” The Sea Within as amusic collective has plans to perform live, and will make their stage debut at 'Night Of The Prog' in Loreley, Germany which happens from July 13-15 and will bring special guests for that evening. “As far as I am concerned, we will try do as much touring as possible. Wehave a great band, great label and our agent Rob Palmen on-board. We have great artwork by Marcela Bolivar, all looks bright. However, Daniel will not be able to join us for touring now, as he has commitments with main band Pain Of Salvation. With Casey taking the vocal spot, now with us live, we can go out on the road and play this album and beyond and grow as a band. We have so much to offer musically, on record and on stage and I am sure we will develop a lot over the next few years. But 'The Sea Within' album is a great start. I am excited for everyone to hear what we have done and am now thrilled to startworking on the songs for the live show.”"By Malcolm Dome, London, March 2018

"Men Who Climb Mountains 2019 is an updated version of the 2014 release. This version is the same as the one included in the First 40 Years box set and only now becomes available as a separate release double CD. All the drums have been re recorded by new drummer Jan Vincent Velazco, and the whole album has been remixed by Karl Groom and Nick Barrett."Disc 1Belle AmeBeautiful SoulCome Home JackIn BardoFaces Of LightFaces Of DarknessFor When The Zombies ComeExplorers Of The InfiniteNetherworld Disc 2 Live At TwigsThe VoyagerA Man Of  Nomadic TraitsThis Green And Pleasant LandNostradamusPaintboxKing Of The CastleIndigo FreakshowMasters Of IllusionSpace CadetEdge Of The WorldIt’s only MeOur original write up:Its been three years since the last Pendragon album.  To be honest I hadn't checked in on them in quite some time so it was interesting to listen to their latest - it was very different from what I expected.  Guitarist Nick Barrett has gone all Roger Waters on us - he wrote all the music and lyrics - so this really has evolved very much into a personal vehicle for him.  The usual bandmates of Peter Gee and Clive Nolan are on board and now joined by new drummer Craig Blundell.  Men Who Climb Mountains is a concept album but Barrett isn't spelling it out - you're going to have to work at this one.  The musical mission of the band has clearly changed over the years.  Don't have any hesitation - its full on prog but much more contemporary sounding.  The symphonic flourishes from the old days aren't quite so obvious - which isn't to say you won't notice Clive Nolan's presence.  Its simply that this is a bit more of a guitar driven vehicle than decades ago and Barrett's mournful solos have that nice Hackett-esque feel that always draws my attention.  I have to say I'm impressed.  Highly recommended.

YES, who are Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison and Billy Sherwood, release their new studio album The Quest on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music on 1st October 2021. "It is simply an honour for me to have the opportunity to bring together the band members in the development of a well-refined set of songs that capture the band’s true potential,” said Steve Howe, who produced the album. He added "Much of the music was written in late 2019 with the rest in 2020. We commissioned several orchestrations to augment and enhance the overall sound of these fresh new recordings, hoping that our emphasis on melody, coupled with some expansive instrumental solo breaks, keeps up the momentum for our listeners.”   Additional percussion was provided by guest Jay Schellen who supplements YES’ live performances.Label Manager Thomas Waber said “I am delighted to welcome YES to the label and am looking forward to seeing the reaction of the band's fans to the new album. Being a long-time fan myself, I am really excited by the new material. Steve Howe managed to capture many of the important elements that we all love about YES!”For half a century YES have been the definitive band of the progressive music genre, the band by which all others are judged. Their ground-breaking albums of the 70s set the standard for the genre and influenced countless others who followed in their wake.The current line-up of YES was completed in 2015 when Billy Sherwood replaced founder member Chris Squire, at Squire’s insistence, as he bravely fought a losing battle with leukaemia. Since then, YES have concentrated on touring with their Album Series tours, each featuring a classic YES album in its entirety. During this period YES have released three live albums Topographic Drama – Live Across America (2017), Yes Live 50 (2019) and The Royal Affair Tour: Live in Las Vegas (2020).The music of YES has endured over the years and has been handed down through generations of music lovers.

"Islands is the new double album by progressive rockers THE FLOWER KINGS. After the group’s much celebrated return in 2019 and the highly successful “Waiting For Miracles”, creative mastermind Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Sea Within, Anderson/Stolt etc.) now presents 92 minutes of brand-new music with his competent line-up also featuring Hasse Fröberg, Zach Kamins, Jonas Reingold, Mirko DeMaio and special guest Rob Townsend. Due to the Covid-19-pandemic the album comes out quite a bit sooner than originally planned as Roine explains: “All shows and festivals were cancelled and the future didn’t really ‘unfold’ itself like we had hoped. To sit out the pandemic with no activities was not an option for us. We cannot be stopped by an evil virus. With members living in the USA, Italy, Austria and Sweden the only way was to use the magic of the ’net’ sending files and start building, what now became, a double album of 21 songs.” The 92 minutes long “Islands” features artwork by legend Roger Dean (Yes, Uriah Heep etc.) and all trademark sounds and melodies, the band is known for. From vintage keys to epic guitar solos, from odd drum patterns to symphonic elements, THE FLOWER KINGS present a superb, playful and complex record."

"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."

"This album, several years in the making, contains two sidelong tracks of flute rock extravaganza. Some records tend to deliver exactly what’s expected of them, but that’s not the case here. Instead AGUSA are exploring some uncharted sonic territories and you’ll probably be surprised by their progress. Be prepared! This is AGUSA’s first studio release since their self-titled 2017 outing and the first one featuring new members Simon Ström (bass) and Roman Andrén (organ). En annan värld will be released by Kommun2 (home to Yuri Gagarin, Hills, Nepal Death, Rymdstyrelsen and others). The cover design is an original work by bass player Simon Ström."