Loading cart
customers also bought
SEE ALL-
Third collaboration from Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen. Mr. Geffen wrote all of the material except for one track. Musically speaking its a very different animal than Porcupine Tree. Its much more laid back with a heavy emphasis on orchestration. I'm reminded a bit of later Pink Floyd and also Roger Water's solo works. Not a lot of pyrotechnics and really not much in the way of heaviness. Its almost as if Mr. Wilson has taken a supporting role as opposed to equal stature to Mr. Geffen. If you are looking for Porcupine Tree's quasi psychedelic metal look elsewhere. Blackfield presents you with (well recorded) art rock that targets your emotions rather than your thought process.$9.00 -
Beautiful second CD from this Greek band formerly known as Will-o The Wisp. The band continues their with their retro hard rock sound. Heavy organ and guitar runs with a sombre, doomy vibe lends some comparisons to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The band still makes a prog move here and there for good measure. Highly recommended.Manticore's Breath continue to torture retailers worldwide with their packaging. The CD packaging is a rather fragile affair and quite gorgeous. Its an embossed textured cover with beautiful artwork by Harry Clarke that will remind you a bit of Arthur Rackham. Oh yeah - a limited number edition of 400 tops it all off.$21.00 -
Evergrey are back and better than ever! I think the general consensus is that as the band became more and more popular the music became a bit more commercial and the production slicker. Tom Englund has gone back to the basics and its clearly the right move. Jonas Ekdahl (drums) and Henrik Danhage (guitars) have returned to the fold and production has been handed over to Jacob Hansen. This is a return to the "classic" Evergrey sound - that perfect balance of melody and heaviness with the right amount of "prog" injected when necessary. COMEBACK ALBUM OF THE YEAR! BUY OR DIE!"One of the leading names in the power/progressive metal world is the Swedish five-piece, Evergrey. Forming in 1995, the band has released eight full length albums, with number nine releasing this fall. The band has been known for relatively dark lyrics and concept albums since their debut, and because of this fact, it was very difficult for me to get into their music. I can easily count the amount of times I thought “I should listen to Evergrey” on one hand. Though I wasn’t well versed in their discography, what I had heard was moving quite slowly, was downright melancholic, and just couldn’t catch my attention. That was until the Hymns for the Broken album landed in my inbox.First off, the notable changes in the lineup, with the return of Jonas Ekdahl (drums) and Henrik Danhage (guitar) grabbed my attention immediately. Though the band briefly spoke about the addition of the two previous members on their Facebook, “What can we say? We missed each other.” I truly believe that this decision, and the amazing mixing by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear) and production quality are what set this album up for its coming success.The album kicks off with a very eerie intro track, then jumps into the first single and video, “King of Errors”. Even without being an Evergrey fan in particular, I have always known who Tom Englund was, as his voice is so unique and legendary in the industry that I couldn’t ever really escape it. This song is a great display of the power and ability he has as a vocalist to truly bring a wonderfully written song to an entirely new level. The blend of the guitar riffs and keyboard work is perfection to say the least, but when the awe-inspiring guitar solo hit, I knew this album had me by its teeth.Immediately following is another one of the strongest tracks on the album, “A New Dawn” with a strong and hard-hitting guitar and bass riff that doesn’t ever really let go throughout the song. This song features one of the more beautiful keyboard solos on the album, but yet again that guitar solo just comes out of nowhere and destroys any solo I have ever heard this band release. “Black Undertow” is another perfect example of why Englund is so well-respected in the music world. It begins with his chillingly lower vocal range, but builds back up to where he truly shines. This song not only features another soaring and strong chorus, but the rhythm work between all instruments keeps it dark and eerie, though the keyboard lightly dances above it all.The title track to the record explodes into this phenomenal musical intro, but fades just as quickly as it hits. Boasting some of the strongest, most emotional lyrics on the album, the song hits a chord in many personal ways. “Scream loud, these hymns are for the broken,” are just some of this crowd enticing chorus that Englund sings flawlessly throughout. Bringing the album to a close is the over seven minute song “The Aftermath” which begins in a ballad-like fashion, but builds to a very strong finale. The tempo remains slow, but the flawless movement in the instruments keeps it absolutely enthralling. The last half of the song is entirely instrumental, and the conversations between keyboard, bass, and drums is something that I could listen to on repeat for hours, especially when the haunting lead melody soars above it all.If you can’t tell, I can’t think of a single moment on this album I don’t absolutely love. As someone who could never get hooked by an Evergrey album, I can assure you this is not just ‘fandom’ talking. Hymns for the Broken is a perfect album that even after weeks of constant play, I can not get enough of. Perhaps it is indeed perfection, or perhaps it just hit me at the right time in my life, either way I am in love. Easily a current contender for album of the year, it’s so full of beautiful melodies and amazing arrangements that any fan of power or progressive metal will absolutely love. I don’t doubt that all previous fans of the band will appreciate this album as much as I do, but I sincerely hope that new listeners give this record a fair and objective chance as well.This is definitely their most ambitious release yet, and they absolutely nailed it!" - Metalholic$15.00 -
"Devin Townsend - fully 30 records into an astonishing career - has now just raised the stakes in the form of a new double album combining Ziltoid The Omniscient’s triumphant return and the follow-up to the critically acclaimed “Epicloud!” Feasting upon Z2 is akin to immersing oneself in the arcane creases of the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT catalog, bludgeoning heaviness and angelic melodies living under the cathedral of Devin’s more contemplative solo vision. The effect is lush, full- range, cinematic, and expressive. Addressing the creative tension between the two discs, Devin explains “...it’s DTP...the ‘humans’ against Ziltoid, and it’s a battle of sorts...The DTP and Ziltoid side of my writing has evolved to where this statement was necessary and undoubtedly inevitable. The battle between the two seems like a great way to priced to the next chapter of my work. It’s a backdrop for something that hopefully engaging for people. I hope that the point that I’m trying to make with Ziltoid and the metaphor behind it, isn’t lost in just a sea of absurdity.” Guest musicians include Anneke Van Giersbergen (solo artist, ex-THE GATHERING) and Chris Jericho (WWE star, FOZZY) as Captain Spectacular! Also featuring the "Universal Choir", 2000 voices strong, the biggest choir on a metal record ever! "$17.00 -
Japanese reissue.One of the great Italian prog albums from the 70s.$18.00 -
New 2CD edition features the 2007 Charlie Bauerfiend remix as well as the 2011 master of the original mix.$16.00 -
Great double live album available at a budget price.$7.50 -
"Some four years ago Borealis released their Fall From Grace, and my conclusion was simple. They presented adequate, yet typical, melodic European power metal just misplaced in Canada. To the present, it seems things may have changed, even improved, for the band for their third album, Purgatory.Yet, I'm not sure I want to get ahead of myself here. One spin and you hear echoes of previous material: riff heavy and intense, speedy power metal. As Mets manager Yogi Berra once said, "It's deja vu all over again." Actually, for my money, you could boil this album down to two things: blistering power metal and lots of epic guitar solos. Now, you say: "Dude, I love that shit!" Okay. Stop reading and go buy the album.But there's more. The keyboards seem more present, even adding a large portion symphonic orchestration to add to Borealis' naturally bombastic sound. Take note of My Peace, for example. Also, and not knowing who the principal guitarist is, Matt Marinelli or Mike Briguglio, the guitar lines are phenomenal. Forget the twin bombastic riffs, the leads are killer: soaring to the wow factor. Additionally, the arrangements are more dynamic; the progressive metal has gotten a bump here over the last album. Yet, this is not a hyper-technical leap. It's more changes in tempo and breakdowns. You'll catch some of this within Place Of Darkness or Welcome To Eternity. The latter also a good example, in the second half, of Borealis adding some thrash metal to overwhelm you.The wild card in this mixture is vocalist Matt Marinelli. I would like to say he can sing, and I think he can. But he's so often totally overwhelmed by the music to be nearly underwater. He's seems always striving and straining to stay ahead or, to continue the metaphor, stay above the music. Then you find out he has a generally pleasing voice and presence when you listen to Darkest Sin or Rest My Child, the two quietest songs here. I would imagine when you hear Borealis live, you'll have a Pink Floyd moment, from The Wall, when observing Marinelli: "Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying." Nevertheless, Purgatory is definitely an advancement for Borealis, a fine album of more ambitious progressive power metal than past efforts. Recommended." - Dangerdog.com$9.00 -
"At Vance have been around since 1998, and since then they have started have released 8 albums and 2 compilations, and they are now about to release “Facing Your Enemy”.The current line up consist of guitarist and original founding member Olaf Lenk, vocalist Rick Altzi, bassist “Wolfman” Black and Drummer Alex Landenburg.“Heaven Is Calling” kicks off this album, the galloping beat accompanied by technical guitar riffs and powerful vocals lead the listener into the album and gives just a small idea as to what the rest of the album will be like.“Facing Your Enemy”, the title track on this album, starts with an almost industrial feel before the guitars then begin their chorus and the vocals kick in and a truly powerful song is born. A power ballad that makes you want to raise your glass to the sky and sing along. You can see why they chose this song as the title track.“Eyes Of A Stranger” jumps into gear with opening riffs reminiscent of “Suicide Solution” by Ozzy Osbourne, before heading straight to their roots that is power metal, reminding you of fellow bands Primal Fear and Angels Of Babylon. This song leads perfectly into “Fear No Evil” which slows the pace but includes strong vocal lead choruses.“Live and Learn” explodes through the speakers, once again with a heavy Ozzy sounding opening riff, a voice pierces through the guitars and another great song takes hold. “Don’t Dream” and “Seeing Me Crying” are the two slowest songs on the album and lulls the listener into a false sense of security because when “Saviour” kicks in with traditional power metal the listener is rocked to the foundation.“Tokyo” takes you away on a helicopter ride, with synth, panpipes and a tale of falling in love with a Japanese girl. This is certainly a love song with a difference. An AOR sounding song that still fits in perfectly on this album. We are then met with “March of the Dwarf” which is the only instrumental on this album, but shows off the talents of the guitarist, bassist and the drummer.At Vance don’t stay away from power metal for long when “Fame and Fortune” bursts into life. We are then sadly come to the last song on the album “Things I Never Needed”. It is a definite contrast to anything else on this album. A slow, acoustic song it really does show the versatility of these talented musicians.It’s not hard to see why this band is still around and still going strong, and I for one cannot wait to see what their next album has in store." - Planet Mosh$15.00 -
"If we ever needed any further evidence of how thrash lifers Testament completely rule, look no further than this two-disc live album (how often can you say that?), which draws heavily upon their recent releases. And it does rule — hard. With a fun, energetic, raw production sound, the band's enthusiasm shines through loud and clear, and while it's always excellent to hear a few old classics, and here they sound as good as ever, what comes out of this declaration is that the new material is just as memorable, just as thrashing and heavier than ever. Check out songs like the amazing "Native Blood," delivered in an off-the-rails fashion, the blast beats that sounded a bit awkward on the album sitting just right in this context. Dark Roots of Thrash is a shining example of a band that are, surprisingly, at the top of their game late in their career, playing the songs they want to and delivering them with pure thrash metal glory. It's rare to love a live album this much, but such is the power of Testament." - Exclaim$16.00 -
""Two years after Iridule, finally the italian band Yugen comes back with its first live album. The cd captures the show at RIO Fest 2011, in Carmaux, France, and presents the group in an extraordinary seven-member line-up.As Sid Smith writes in the liner notes, Mirrors is "a dizzying cavalcade of turn-on-a-dime rhythms, intriguing harmonies and striking, anthemic melodies that have a habit of drilling down deep into the consciousness of the listener"."Yugen represents an exciting forward-looking trend in European music", Smith underlines, "marrying both intellect and emotion in one seamless and coherent partnership. How successful they are in this endeavour you can judge for yourself by playing this remarkable and frequently thrilling live souvenir.""$15.00 -
This is the second album from the Polish band Believe. The band was formed by former Collage guitarist Mirek Gil. I have to be honest - I hated this band's first album. It was an incoherent mishmosh of styles and simply didn't work. Thankfully Gil has righted the ship and he's come up with a work that is far more substantial and worthy of your attention. Gil tends to de-emphasize keyboards (but they are still present). Primarily the music revolves around his languid guitar work that reminds a bit of David Gilmour. His musical foil is violinist Satomi. She lends a nice counterpoint to the guitar lines as well as an exotic Eastern tinged feel. Vocals from Tomek Rozycki are accent free and on the mark. Musically speaking, Believe is far removed from Collage. Where that band was clearly defined as "neoprog", Believe opts for a more contemporary approach that evokes some of the moods that Riverside explored on Out Of Myself. Highly recommended.$15.00 -
New Steven Wilson mix taken from the original multi-track tapes. OK here is what you get:CD (Original Album 2010 mix)"Peace: A Beginning""Pictures of a City""Cadence & Cascade""In The Wake of Poseidon""Peace: A Theme""Cat Food""The Devil's Triangle (part I)""The Devil's Triangle (part II)""The Devil's Triangle (part III)""Peace: An End"Bonus Tracks"Groon""Peace: An End" - Alternate mix"Cadence & Cascade" (Greg Lake guide vocal version)DVD-AMLP Lossless 5.1 Surround/DTS 5.1 Digital Surround - 2010 mix:"Peace: A Beginning""Pictures of a City""Cadence & Cascade""In The Wake of Poseidon""Peace: A Theme""Cat Food""The Devil's Triangle (part I)""The Devil's Triangle (part II)""The Devil's Triangle (part III)""Peace: An End""Groon"MLP lossless/LPCM - 2010 stereo mix:"Peace: A Beginning""Pictures of a City""Cadence & Cascade""In The Wake of Poseidon""Peace: A Theme""Cat Food""The Devil's Triangle (part I)""The Devil's Triangle (part II)""The Devil's Triangle (part III)""Peace: An End""Groon"Original 1970 stereo mix, 30th anniversary remaster:"Peace: A Beginning""Pictures of a City""Cadence & Cascade""In The Wake of Poseidon""Peace: A Theme""Cat Food""The Devil's Triangle (part I)""The Devil's Triangle (part II)""The Devil's Triangle (part III)""Peace: An End"Bonus Tracks"Cat Food" (single version)"Groon" (single b-side)"Cadence & Cascade" (unedited master)"Cadence & Cascade" (Greg Lake guide vocal version)"Cadence & Cascade" (instrumental take from Wessex Studios)"Groon" - Take 1"Groon" - Take 5"Groon" - Take 15"The Devil's Triangle" (rehearsal version from Wessex Studios)"Peace: An End" (alternative mix)$18.00 -
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
