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  • 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
  • Vocalist Silje Wergeland has been fronting The Gathering since 2009.  She has developed into a more than able replacement for Anneke Van Giersbergen.  The Gathering's music is far removed from the early death and gothic metal days.  They have firmly moved into the post-progressive rock genre.  Their music deals more with mood and tension - textures and atmosphere.  Think of a more rock oriented version of Portishead. 
    $15.00
  • "When one thinks of countries that are a hotbed of prog metal bands, places such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland come to mind. However the Land Down Undah’ otherwise known as Australia has been churning out amazing prog metal bands for the past decade. Bands such as Hemina, Voyager, Lord, Carnivool, Caligula’s Horse, Teramaze and Melbourne’s Vanishing Point have been wowing the prog metal scene for the past decade. It’s been seven long years since the release of Vanishing Point’s The Fourth Season, but the melodic metal quintet consisting of Silvio Massaro (Vocals), Chris Porcianko and James Maier (Guitars), Simon Best (Bass), and Christian Nativo (Drums) have finally returned with their fifth studio album Distant Is The Sun on AFM Records. The band has stayed true to their unique blend of progressive, power, AOR metal and have secured the talents of Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann of Ordan Ogen for mixing duites on Distant Is The Sun. Picking up right where The Fourth Season left off, the musicianship and songwriting on Distant Is The Sun is exceptional.The album kicks off with the short instrumental track Beyond Redemption and powers right into the first song King of Empty Promises. The double bass drum attack from Nativo and melodic keyboards lead the way and the harmonious soaring vocals during the chorus are a perfect way to officially start the album.The title track is next and begins with a heavy groove and transforms into a light piano tinged verses with Massaro’s impressive vocals leading to a catchy and melodic chorus. The twin guitar harmony lead attack from Porcianko and Maier is a thing of beauty during the solo section.Symphonic keys signify the start of When Truth Lies, an epic slab of energetic melodic progressive metal with a driving headbanging beat. Sonata Arctica frontman Tony Kaako lends his melodic pipes to the fast and furious power metal of Circle of Fire. Kaako and Massaro’s vocals compliment each other extremely well and create an amazing metal duet.The keyboard prominence on Denied Deliverance is pronounced in the mix but never overshadows the heaviness of the track, it just adds to the overall melody of the song. A blazing guitar solo section highlights the middle portion of another stellar song. Let the River Run has an impeccable acappella vocal harmony section that begins this mid tempo metal gem. The beautiful vocals during the chorus will be stuck in your head for days after listening.The album slows down for the piano based Story of Misery but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a traditional power ballad. The emphasis is on POWER with a emotive vocal performance from Massaro. Era Zero speeds things right back up with a frenzied double kick attack with plenty of soaring melodic vocals throughout and a shredding guitar solo from the tandem of Porcianko/Maier and culminates in a symphonic ending and bursts right into Pillars of Sand which keeps the hard and fast metal flowing.The eerie keyboard intro of As December Fades melds into a Maiden-esque guitar harmony and a glorious AOR sounding chorus with a symphonic element that is reminiscent of Within Temptation. A bright piano melody signals the beginning of Handful of Hope. Once again Massaro gets his chance to shine with an impressive vocal performance filled with passion and emotion. The bands penchant for writing catchy power metal is on display on Walls of Silence. The brilliant symphonic melodies and heavy guitar compliment each other perfectly. The album closes with the acoustic guitar tinged instrument titled April, an understated yet effective piece of music with a keyboard accompaniment underneath in the mix. It is a curious choice to end the album, but well done nonetheless.After a seven-year absence, the world of melodic prog welcomes back Vanishing Point with open arms and hopefully Distant Is The Sun will shoot the band to the next level of popularity outside their native Australia. This goes to show that like a fine wine, Vanishing Point only improves with age!" - Lady Obscure
    $15.00
  • Rare and fairly brilliant material from the period 6/72 to 1/75. Unfortunately none of this was recorded in the studio so the songs solely exists as this fairly miserable sounding live historical document.
    $16.00
  • "Insurgentes is the new documentary film about Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) directed by Lasse Hoile. Porcupine Tree are currently enjoying massive success across the world with their latest album, The Incident. Insurgentes is a musical road movie that follows the making of his solo record of the same name, and is a portrait of an increasingly rare artist who works with music and media out of love and not for fame and fortune, persisting in making art on his own terms in a world where 'throw away' mentality is increasingly becoming the norm. The film features footage of Wilson with other artists and friends including Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth, Jonas Renkse from Katatonia, the Israeli superstar Aviv Geffen, and the legendary producer Trevor Horn."
    $9.00
  • In the UK there is a growing movement of bands that are revisiting 70s progressive and classic rock. Diagonal and Litmus would be examples although compared to Wolf People they explore the more progressive side of the spectrum. I got turned on to Wolf People a couple of years ago, purchasing a CD-EP they marketed themselves. I was struck by the similarities to 70s British blues legends The Groundhogs. Now signed to hot indi label Jagjaguar, Wolf People have delivered the goods with their first proper full length album. It was apparently recorded in a converted chicken barn on a 17th century Welsh mansion and while I can't say the album sounds like it was recorded 400 years ago it definitely doesn't sound like a modern recording.If anything the band has amped up the psychedelic/hard rock quotient but still are rooted in a bluesy sound. Guitarist Jack Sharp tears it up from beginning to end. You will definitely be reminded of The Groundhogs, Human Beast, Incredible Hog and dare I utter the magic words Cream? The occassional use of flute vaguely adds the whiff of early Tull but that's the cherry on top. Highly recommended.You can preview a healthy chunk of the album here: Hear for yourself: Wolf People's MySpace Page
    $15.00
  • "Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce their next release in the continuing series of reissues of the entire catalogue by the legendary classical rock band Sky. Unavailable for over 20 years, "THE GREAT BALLOON RACE” has been newly re-mastered and the original album artwork is fully restored. The booklet features a new essay."
    $15.00
  • "A brand new 2CD release by one of the most interesting German art/prog rock bands - Features a special show recorded earlier this year at Wyspianski Theater in Katowice, Poland, which was also the last complete performance of their most recent album Beyond Man and Time" in Europe - Thoughtful, abstract, and with a tint of the grotesque, the show testifies to RPWL's immense artistic prowess - Feat. A guest appearance by ex-Genesis singer Ray Wilson - Also includes: interview, the band’s commentary track and more!"
    $18.00
  • Christian Vander has been opening up the tape vaults releasing some prime (and some not so prime) Magma material. Mekanik Kommandoh is the previously unreleased original version of Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh which was rejected by their record label.
    $23.00
  • If you don't care about the video presentation this is the set for you - just the audio on 2CDs."Dutch symphonic rock band WITHIN TEMPTATION are thrilled to unveil a new live DVD/Blu-ray/2CD. ‘Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live In Concert’ is set for release on November 14 and features two of WITHIN TEMPTATION’s most talked about arena shows ever. The two dates are 2012’s resplendent 15th birthday ‘Elements’ concert and the final night of the ‘Hydra’ European arena tour at Amsterdam’s Heineken Music Hall in May 2014. When it comes to the live experience, Within Temptation’s status is of a league extraordinaire. These two performances showcase every nuance of their fierce reputation plus stunning imagery and special FX, including even giant fire-breathing dragons!In November 2012, WITHIN TEMPTATION challenged themselves to create one of their most impressive arena shows ever, to celebrate the band’s 15th birthday. The result was the one-off symphonic ‘Elements’ show, held at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp. A dazzling event with 15,000 fans, the band’s dream came to life. Newly inspired, the group went forth to write their critically acclaimed sixth studio album ‘Hydra’.In early 2014, WITHIN TEMPTATION unleashed ‘Hydra’. This monster record claimed more than 10 European Top-10 chart positions, a #2 position in the iTunes World Charts, and the band’s highest US Billboard Top-20 chart position to date. The album success was followed by a 33-date European arena tour, selling out noted venues like Wembley Arena in London, Le Zenith in Paris, and the legendary Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam (twice).Over 15,000 fans joined the ‘Elements’ show celebrations and more than 120,000 fans witnessed the ‘Hydra’ beast on stage in Europe, but WITHIN TEMPTATION is far from done. The ‘Hydra’ world tour is currently in full swing in North America. With South America and Japan still to come, more than half a million fans will have seen WITHIN TEMPTATION by the end of this year.WITHIN TEMPTATION is renowned for releasing impressive live DVDs. Previous release, the best-selling ‘Black Symphony’ DVD, helped make them one of the most popular bands in their genre. At their recent Awards show in Berlin, Metal Hammer Germany presented WITHIN TEMPTATION with the prestigious Best Live Band Award. The new DVD underlines this title.‘Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live In Concert’ will be released in four formats – DVD + 2CD, Blu-ray + 2CD, 2CD, and digital album. The DVD and Blu-ray contain 34 live audio visual tracks in HD, mixed in 5.1 Dolby Surround. The 2CD and digital album comprise 32 live audio tracks. The two shows have a running time total of approximately 170 minutes. ‘Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live In Concert’ is a treat for rock fans all over the world."
    $16.00
  • "As of late, at least with their previous album, and the current Pariah's Child, Finland's Sonata Arctica has been throwing their faithful some musical curve balls. Putting them in the category of traditional Scandi power metal is no longer fitting, although they do play the same and often.No, their sound is much more diverse, enterprising, these days. A good example is the song Half A Marathon Man. It's opening strokes of guitar, keyboards, then drums could lead to most any sound. But it delivers this huge rock grooved melodic metal monster, with hooks galore, from vocals to lyrics to riffs. Then there's the power metal romp of X Marks the Spot, disguised as a rock tune, and wrapped in the motif a religious revival. It's familiar, but strange; clever and a whole lot of fun. Also of note is What Did You Do In the War, Daddy which merges the feel of classic heavy metal anthem with the bluster of power metal in places.Yet something more familiar comes with the longest number, Larger Than Life, which sounds like old school Sonata Arctica, where they draw upon their symphonic progressive power metal roots. Perhaps still more straight forward Sonata Arctica is the first half of the album. Notably The Wolves Die Young or Take One Breath are classic Scandi melodic power metal tunes, straying little from the foundation from which the band was built. Yet, fans should know that it is no less interesting than the aforementioned more crafty pieces. Once more I think Pariah's Child represents Sonata Arctica as a band being carefully faithful to their roots, yet always moving forward in their creativity. Easily recommended." - Dangerdog.com
    $14.00
  • THIS ONE IS HOT HOT HOT!!!!Long awaited second album from this astounding San Diego based prog/space band. Astra expertly mix progressive rock with deep space sounds - interchangeably within a song. Like their debut, there is a strong kosmische musik feel. Think in terms of Far East Family Band and Pink Floyd but when they turn on the prog rock burners you get a healthy dose of old school Genesis VDGG and Yes. Epic length tracks with sparse amounts of vocals. Tons of Mellotron and vintage analogue keyboards give us that sound we all cherish. Occasional use of flute spices everything up in the right way. If everything sounded this good in 1975 I would have never left my bedroom. I would have just had my parents slide some pizza under the door. Album of the year candidate - BUY OR DIE!
    $14.00
  • This is the band's fourth album and second from their progressive rock phase. This is the band's finest moment - a 48 minute conceptual work highlighted by the 26 minute title track. Dramatic vocals, monolithic keyboards that would make Tony Banks blush, gorgeous flute, and fluid guitar solos. One of the best Canadian prog albums of all time. Comes with detailed liner notes, photos, and two bonus tracks. First time on CD. BRAVO!!
    $12.00