David Bowie | Blackstar | The Swansong

by Robert 'Unlce Prog' Brady | Jan 14, 2016 | Uncategorized

David Bowie | Blackstar | The Swansong 

In Memory Of David Robert Jones / David Bowie { January. 8th, 1947 – January, 10th, 2016}

Label: Sony/RCA
Release Date: 2016
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Classic Rock, Glam Rock, Pop Rock, Jazz

David Bowie Official Website

David Bowie Official Facebook

David Bowie Official Twitter

David Bowie Official Youtube Channel

I come to you with the heaviest of hearts. At the time I was in process of reviewing this album, I never realised it would be part album review , part eulogy. Unlike people such as Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead or a Warren Zevon where they made their illness and potential passing public, David Bowie decided to make it a more covert private affair. It was due to the desire for privacy that would make his final album Blackstar so potent in both its melodic and lyrical foundations.

Blackstar is considered by many as a ‘Parting Gift’ to the fans. That can be justified easily. One can question whether or not Blackstar was a self fulfilling prophetic and creative statement. If it was and I stress ‘IF’ it was , David Bowie made one of the most profound of last statements on a musical and creative level I ever heard in my life. One can only imagine how his health effected his songwriting during the creation of Blackstar as well.

Throughout the span of a 51 year career David Bowie was one of those artists who never ever did the same thing over and over again yet was still able to not only make something relevant but to create something genre bending at the same time. Musical genres included in the 51 year career run the spectrum from Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Glam Rock, Jazz, Blues, Pop Rock, etc … Bowie always managed to change his sound totally with every new release without abandoning his fan base. Blackstar is the complete package of all those genres mentioned above with serious introspection and self reflection. 

In his 51 year career David Bowie had a uncanny ability reading the tea leaves and sensing the sea changes of the music industry. I believe this contributed to his uncanny ability to make a different style and genre of record he had released to the global fan base. I also see this ability as reason why his fan base never dwindled and progressively grew from generation to generation. Whether you are a Baby Boomer, Generation X or even a  Millennial, David Bowie managed to make a quality and unique project that spoke to any generation.  While some of his peers and contemporaries in the music industry experienced lulls or even periods of inactivity, David Bowie seemed to roll with the changes and adapt to the culture at any time.  I will not do a typical breakdown of each track of the album like I normally would. With that said here is a summary of Blackstar as I observe it.

Blackstar has many dark ambient elements. There is some great jazz undertones that run side by side with the rhythm section with lush ambient vocal atmospheres. Blackstar also presents elements of eclectic progressive rock in a minimalist setting and groove. There are some blues portions as well. Blackstar was written as if Bowie was reflecting of his 69 years here on Earth. I also see Bowie going out on his own terms musically the way he always operated when he was with us in the flesh. 

He wrote, recorded, performed, toured all on his own terms. It is perfectly fitting that the ‘Parting Gift’ of Blackstar was his own Eulogy. Many will write commentary on this Genius’ life however the best commentary is from himself on Blackstar. Although David Bowie did not go out on his own terms he certainly left us one last recording on his own terms.  With the passing of David Bowie, I believe we are now truly in a time where An Era Is Ending.  Ziggy I will look for your star shining down upon us from the heavens tonight. Thank you for the music and film you left for us and for many generations to come.  

The Grand Astoria | The Mighty Few| Album Review (Installment #30) Psychedelic Supper November

by Robert 'Unlce Prog' Brady | Nov 9, 2015 | Uncategorized

The Grand Astoria | The Mighty Few| Psychedelic Supper November 

Label: Independent/ Setalight Records,Flower Punk Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: Russia
Genre: Psychedelic/Progressive Doom Metal

Band Members
Kamille Sharapodinov & friends

Contact Links 

The Grand Astoria Official Bandcamp Page

The Grand Astoria Official Facebook Page

Since its inception doom metal has undergone many facelifts over the last 45 years. What started out a a bluesy rooted sound pioneered by Black Sabbath has certainly stretched into other sub-generes. Some of it has gone deathy while some of it has followed in the footsteps of a symphony orchestra and/or jazz ensemble. This is the path Russian band The Grand Astoria has done with their album The Mighty Few.
The Grand Astoria The Might Few is only two 20+ minute tracks. In no way is the listener swerved nor robbed of a full plush listening experience. The Grand Astoria manage to say more instrumentally and lyrically within the confines of these two tracks than most bands do with 8-10 tracks at 5+ minutes do. The Grand Astoria The Mighty Few also begins my Psychedelic Supper November. Meaning most of the music will be of a psychedelic sound that also gets into improvisational music as well. Let’s explore the The Grand Astoria’s The Might Few.

Curse Of The Ninth begins with a deep tuned down bass passage with a saxophone underbelly. This goes on for the first two minutes. At the 2:00 mark the track takes a more conventional and traditional doom laden groove passage. A doom passage more rooted in progressive metal than blues. Soon a vocal enters that reminds me a lot of the early Candlemass and Trouble. I am not sure if it is intentional but the track has a appearance of a twin guitar with a deep bass/drum rhythmic layer.
About the 8:00 mark the track takes on a heavy jazz ensemble progression with a trumpet and alto saxophone blended wonderfully with a keyboard driven passage. Their is a nice groove touch with guitars coming in at appropriate places and various times with in the jazz signature. At the 15:00 mark the track takes jazz ensemble and doom metal exchanges as far as the lead goes. For the better part of the next 5 minutes there is a progressive doom metal and psychedelic rock interchange back and forth leaving the listener in suspense and awe.
At the 18:00 mark the doom metal starts to tapper into and more fuzz pattern with a psychedelic moog mellotron at work before taking a more conventional doom metal passage around the 19:00 mark. After that it is a series of straight away doom metal and progressive time signatures at work in a pattern of exchange. About the 21:00 mark the track takes a instrumental break and is lead more by vocal chants. Slowly the instrumental comes back in play. There are sound effects that give the composition a cosmic inter galactic sound as well before going back to straight up progressive doom metal.

The Siege starts out with a straight away driving doom metal progression. It contains mellotron and hammond style organs for the keyboards. It sounds like a more old school Deep Purple meets Black Sabbath with a twist of Yes. About the 1:25 mark the keyboard takes a more clean and synth approach for about :30 seconds. At the 2:00 mark the track is a melodically methodical track. At the 2:30 mark the jazz ensemble that seems to be a staple within the sound of the band appears. The lyrical passages take on a more Occult Rock passage.
At the 3:00 mark the vocal kicks in with a very early Floydian later TOOL influence. Around the 5:00 mark the vocal reminds me a lot of Steely Dan. Around the 7:40 mark the doom metal passage takes a very post rock flavor about with a abstract tuned down fuzzy instrumental with a faded vocal that sounds manipulated through a megaphone. The Siege has more of the emphasis on the heavier doom metal and fuzzy distorted elements more so than the psychedelic elements Curse Of The Ninth had. The fore mentioned elements take nothing away from the depth The Siege still brings.

The Grand Astoria The Mighty Few had a lot of original arranged portions. Much like the progressive rock, acid psychedelic rock and doom metal of 40 years ago, The Grand Astoria have something in 2015 with The Mighty Few that will stand the test of time in 2045-2055. I give this a 4/5 for the well arranged elements.

Waken Eyes | Exodus | Album Review (Installment #29)

by Robert 'Unlce Prog' Brady | Nov 1, 2015 | Uncategorized

Waken Eyes | Exodus 

Label: Ulterium Records
Release Year : 2015
Country: International
Genre: Dark Progressive Metal/Rock

Band Members

Tom Frelek – Guitars
Mike Lepond – Symphony X – Bass
Marco Minnemann – Steven Wilson – Drums
Henrik Bath – Darkwater – Vocals

Contact Links 

Waken Eyes Official Website

Waken Eyes Official Facebook

Ulterium Records Official Website

Ulterium Records Official Youtube Channel

It has not been too long since Waken Eyes come upon my radar.  I have the fortune to be friends on social media with Darkwater’s own Henrik Bath – vocals and SymphonyX’s  Mike Lepond – bass. Knowing that two of the best in the world were finally going to be on a project together really wet my curiosity and anticipation rather quickly. Waken Eyes 2015 offering Exodus has also allowed me the opportunity to get to know the utter genius in Canada’s own Tom Frelek – guitars.  What Tom Frelek has engineered is nothing but a total  masterpiece. The prog metal bug certainly bit Tom and injected the right melodic and instrumental poison. 

From the very beginning, Waken Eyes Exodus coils up like a melodic serpent and commands the attention of both the progressive purist and the metal purist. Its dark tentacles satisfies the pallet of the metal purist while the technical precison grabs the progressive rock and metal pure pallet’s. The excellent rhythm section between Mike LePond and Marco Minnemann – drums seems to have come together quite naturally while the soulful vocals of Henrik Bath gives the stringed and rhythm sections a world class quality. Tom Frelek has engineered Exodus so well that the ‘Supergroup’ connotation seems to not apply on Waken Eyes. Exodus is ten tracks. Nine tracks tell various stories of positivity, spirituality, fearlessnes and media and governments both the good side and the bad. It all comes together on the final self titled 18+ minute track Exodus.

Lets explore Exodus a little bit.

Cognition is the opening instrumental on Exodus. It has a really cool intro that has the effects of the outdoors and nature before being followed by a nice solid and steady drum/keyboard section. It gives the listener time to digest what they are hearing. Cognition demonstrates Tom Frelek’s orchestral prowess in great detail. Once again Mike Lepond demonstrates why he is one of the worlds most sought after bass players. The instrumental is joined in the middle of the track by a nice symphonic choral section.

Abberation starts right after a brief spoken word transition at the end of Cognition. Soon this is followed up by a solid progressive intro signature heavy with guitars and deep rhythm section. The first couple of minutes Mike LePond puts on a bass clinic before Henrik Bath comes in with a soft warm vocal. The rest of the track takes on a heavily cinematic orchestral signature. About the 3:00 mark there comes a thunderous series of of various signatures and progressions. Some of these progressions and signatures take on a math prog metal vibe in certain areas. Tom Frelek has a solid solo in the middle of Abberation. Lyrically the track is about a lost soul hoping to be found.

Deafening Thoughts begins in a almost progressive doom metal signature with heavy bottom rhythm section and a tuned down guitar. About the :50 mark enters a keyboard of almost filmscore proportion. This goes on until the 1:40 mark where the track takes on a more traditional prog metal signature. The rhythmic section between Marco on drums and Mike on bass really start to tighten up the album and give it a true rhythm identity. They also manage this without bringing any of their primary band influences and resting on them.

Back To Life is the first official single off Exodus and is probably the most radio friendly without going through the horrible editing to make it acceptable for radio. It starts out with a nice spoken word speech that appears to be a political one before Henrik Bath graces this with his warm vocal that is becoming a signature for him on the project. The guitar solo in Back To Life reminds me of a Steve Vai or John Petrucci with the initial melodic explosion of notes. This has a nice traditional verse, bridge chorus that gives it a pop sensibility that can open doors to a non progressive or metal listener.

Palisades takes on a beautiful intro of deep rhythm guitar with a even deeper bass to drum rhythm section. If you like rhythm oriented instrumental rock, Palisades is a track for your ears. Even the most discriminating listener can find this relevant. About the 2:00 mark it explodes into a hybrid of progressive and power metal with a faster guitar and galloping rhythm section. The vocals continue to get better and tighten up the more Exodus progresses. The guitar solo here is a monsterous one and in perfect harmony with the odd time signature in the rhythm section.

Cornerstone Away starts with a lush and gorgeous semi acoustic guitar underbelly while a nice semi solo intro is overdubbed in perfect harmony with it. The rhythm section takes on a very deep and brooding signature before the track starts ascending in progression and signatures. Henrik Bath begins to stretch the vocal more and more. Lyrically it is a song of searching and introspection. The guitar solo takes on some shredding sensibility in the middle. The band seems to becoming progressive metal entity with its own identity now. The end of the track finds various fuzzy and clean signatures flowing in and out of one another along with big drum blast beats and deep bass rhythms.

Still Life begins with a very dark yet haunting guitar signature. The guitar almost manipulates the sound of a violin while a solo is playing over top. It soon takes on a harmonic acoustical element with a solo running in harmony with it. Still Life is the power ballad of Exodus if there is one. Still Life is the second instrumental on the project.

Arise picks up where Still Life leaves off in a somewhat somber progression. At the :40 mark the track explodes again with hard pounding progressive signatures and a power vocal performance spot on for any prog purist. Their is a thick underlying cinematic signature that helps the vocal tell the story of the track. Their are some nice breaks where the vocal is isolated with the instrumental. At the 3:53 mark the track calms into a slow somber signature that is comfort to the ears of the listener. At the 5:46 mark there is a spoken word undertone speaking of rising against darkness. This is followed up with a solid vocal and instrumental melody.

Across The Horizon starts with a hard driving straight away heavy metal progressive hard rock signature before settling in at the 1:13 mark. From there there are various subtle time signatures going in and out with the occassional vocal harmonic vocal. At the 2:30 mark it slows again and then explodes into a feel good progression with a explosive vocal. The track stays on course with a vicious rhythm section that doubles almost like a heavy AOR signature. The track continues to display the reasons Tom Frelek hired Henrik Bath and that is for good quality progressive rock and metal vocal work that stays spot on. At the 5:45 mark the track just explodes into almost a power metal style with great vocal melodies in harmony with the various odd signatures.  

Exodus is the self title 18+ minute track that really ties the entire theme together of the previous songs and stories on the album. It starts with a nice solid semi acoustical guitar and electric guitar in a deep rhythm progression with the bass work of Mike LePond. At the 2:30 mark the track begins to shift gears and a barrage of various time signatures and progression begin to exchange and interchange. The signatures and progressions give the listener no time for boredom. They really wrap the attention of the listener and take it to another atmosphere in the theater of the mind.

It is a good 5+ minutes before Henrik Bath once again enters in with a warm eloquently sung vocal. At the 5:50 mark time signatures and progressive elements go on another unpredictable passage. The vocals are accompanied by varous breaks along with some very well executed spoken word segments. The track continues in a more acsending progression and signature building chord on top of chord. At about the 9:00 mark the track slows way down as if there is a part 2 or intermission. This is met with semi acoustical guitar with a series of well executed spoken word sections that give the composition depth and direction. The spoken word sections are snippets of political speeches from various points in history.

At the 11:41 mark the track takes on a really gritty rhythmic signature before taking a more traditional progressive element. There are various solos and rhythmic elements going in and out taking different turns allowing for a full listening experience and display the talents of the individual members in a more united front. Exodus allows for the album to finish strong.

I am not sure if Waken Eyes is a one and done project. I do know after the listening experience that the members have a great quality product they can tour on.  They definitely established themselves as a prog entity. In 2015 where this has been a banner year for progressive rock and metal a new force has emerged on the scene that being Waken Eyes. I give Waken Eyes Exodus 4.75/5. 

Edge Of Paradise| Immortal Waltz | Album Review (Installment #28)

by Robert 'Unlce Prog' Brady | Nov 1, 2015 | Uncategorized

Edge Of Paradise| Immortal Waltz

Label: Pure Steel Records -World /Twin Peak Records -AU, NZ, parts of S.E.A.
Release Year: 2015
Country: USA
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

Band Members
Magarita Monet -Vocals/ Piano
Dave Bates – Guitars
Nick Ericson – Bass
John Cominsky – Drums

Contact Links 

Edge Of Paradise Official Website

Edge Of Paradise Official Facebook

Edge Of Paradise Official Twitter

Edge Of Paradise Official Youtube Channel

Just when I had given up hope for straight up hard rock with a heavy metal attitude, comes along Los Angeles’ own Edge of Paradise. This band has the appeal of both Generation X and the Millenial generation. While they have the hallmarks of straight up classic hard rock in the vein of the Runaways, Girlschool and Wendy O Williams, they also have the modern sensibility of Kittie meets Nightwish and Epica. Edge Of Paradise also come with something that has been lacking in recent years, this being rock with attitude and street credibility.

Edge Of Paradise sounds like a cinematic soundtrack of carefully written and orchestrated rock with the tough garage rock attitude. Immortal Waltz has the pulse of true classic rock n roll. They have definitely created a work that they can tour on from various demographic’s within hard rock and heavy metal. When I listen to Immortal Waltz I hear a direction that bands of yesterday ie Girlschool, Runaways should sound like with a modern contemporary flavour. I also like the fact I can book Edge Of Paradise for Female Metal Voices while at the same time book them for a Rocklahoma style festival. Let’s take a brief look at Edge Of Paradise Immortal Waltz.

Perfect Shades Of Black starts in the vein of a soundtrack before the band and Margarita Monet really take off at the :29 mark. There is a nice spoken word passage at the :51 mark. The track from the get go has a lot of spunky angst and attitude. The instrumental is more heavy metal while the vocals have a tasteful old school vibe. Dave Bates has a killer guitar solo on this as well. There are some good solid backing vocals towards the end.

It’s My Showtime begins with a great rhythmic progression. Soon Magarita Monet comes in almost in a jazz standard styling of a Jane Monhiet with a eloquent spoken word passage. The vocals gibe the listener the appearance of naughty teen angst. The vocal layers are very solid. The instrumental have of this reminds me a lot of a cinematic soundtrack. There is a alternative sensibility about this track in a haunting way. The guitar solo is a straight away classic.

Immortal Waltz begins with a haunting passage liken one of a dark rock opera gone towards a film score standard. The piano adds a nice layer to the track. The thunderous rhythmic section gives this a brutal dark atmosphere. The spoken word vocal seems to be shaping a signature for the bands identity within the album. About the 2:44 mark there are some great spoken word effects complimenting the instrumental.

In A Dream starts with a great rhythm section with a great dark rhythm guitar section. The vocal is soft yet subtle before it explodes into a straight up classic symphonic metal passage. This track reminds me of very early Theater Of Tragedy without the death metal growls. There is a strong emphasis between a semi spoken word with a cinematic film vibe.

Rise For The Fallen begins with a straight away melodic metal instrumental with a solid keyboard as a accent to the intro. The band never stays in one mode. This takes on all the hallmarks that make a classic hard rock / heavy metal track. You have a great intro with some killer verse and chorus progressions.

Ghost takes on almost a dark power ballad. It has a haunting intro. A solid rhythm section with good quality vocal oriented rock. The solo reminds me very much of heavy metal solos of the 1980’s that were a staple in hard rock and heavy metal. Ghost is a track with a light pop sensibility.

Break Away takes on almost a Dio-esque vibe in the intro. This continues with the rhythm section and vocal almost in the vein of Holy Diver by Dio. John Cominsky has some killer drum passages to serve as the backbone to the rhythmic based sections. Magarita Monet has such a confidence in her vocal by now and it is showing.

Goodbye has a 1990’s alternative hard rock sensibility. This also has a great hammond organ to vintage mellotron sound in the underlying stringed section. The vocal has a sassy spoken word passage about it giving the track attitude. There are some good solid yet subtle breaks in the track both lyrically and instrumentally.

Edge Of Paradise are a band that comes around once every 10-15 years with a very original sound about them. I can see this band standing out going forward among their contemporaries and peers. Edge Of Paradise’s sound is like a fantasy filmscore for classic hard rock and heavy metal with solid cinematic elements. For originality and a distinct sound alone I give this 4/5 .