Haken guitarist Charlie Griffiths returns with a follow-up to his 2022 solo album. This time Charlie assumes the moniker ‘Tiktaalika’ and presents ‘Gods of Pangaea’ – set for release on March 14th, 2025. The album picks up where the last left off, and continues with an exploration into an ancient forgotten world, colliding with the human-centric planet we inhabit today.
To coincide with today’s announcement, the title track from the album has been launched, featuring vocals from Texture’s Daniël de Jongh. The video sees Charlie coloring in the striking cover art, once again created by Dan Goldsworthy (Sepultura, Body Count, Aborted). Watch it now here:
Musically the album pays tribute to the art of the guitar riff, with its DNA strands reaching back to the golden era of metal with flavours of Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Metallica. Of the creative process Charlie explains, “This time around I wanted to be more song oriented, rather than having an overarching concept. Although I had a rough blueprint for the shape of the album in my head and was always conscious of the balance and flow of the album experience; starting with a fast thrasher, following up with a longer progressive track, then a slower sludgy song, followed by a softer track and so on. I finished all the music first and really focused on each section be there for a good reason, with a guitar riff that propels the song.”
The album sees Charlie joined by drummer Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) and basis Conner Green (Haken). He is also helped by a collection of some of the best vocalists in the business, with Tommy Rogers (Between The Buried & Me), Rody Walker (Protest The Hero), Vladimir Lalić (Organised Chaos) all joining the aforementioned de Jongh. “I had all the music written for a good while”, comments Charlie, “I was able to allow them to really percolate in my mind before moving on to the lyrics and vocal line demos. I’m very specific with melodies and word placement so the singers can focus on just delivering it 100% without having to figure too much out. Of course every single track came out a thousand times better than I’d hoped; everyone did an incredible job!”
The full tracklisting is as follows:
1.Tyrannicide feat. Daniël de Jongh 3:54 2.Gods of Pangaea feat. Daniël de Jongh 8:36 3.The Forbidden Zone feat. Vladimir Lalić 5:52 4.Mesozoic Mantras feat. Vladimir Lalić 6:32 5.Fault Lines feat. Rody Walker 6:30 6.Give Up The Ghost feat. Daniël de Jongh 5:15 7.Lost Continent feat. Tommy Rogers 9:12 8.Chicxulub 7:31 (Bonus Track on CD & Digital)
The album was mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street studios. The album will be available as a Limited CD Edition (incl. 1 bonus track), Gatefold LP & as Digital Album. Pre-order now here: https://tiktaalika.lnk.to/GodsOfPangaea
US-based rising instrumental progressive metallers, Sometime In February, are pleased to announce their upcoming new studio album ‘Where Mountains Hide’ will be released March 21st, 2025 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this instrumental guitar trio present sophisticated yet accessible compositions that reveal a maturity beyond their brief time together as a band.
To celebrate the announcement, the band have also launched their latest single ‘Palantir’, accompanied by a brand-new video. Watch it now here:
The band comments of the album and single release: “We are so excited to announce our sophomore record, and our debut with InsideOutMusic, Where Mountains Hide. It’s been a long time in the making, our biggest accomplishment, and our boldest statement. Once we signed with the label, we knew we had to step up our game to keep up with the legendary names on their roster.
Alongside this announcement comes our lead single, Palantir. It was the first track written for our new album, and it sets the tone for the record as a whole. We feel it is the definitive sound for Sometime in February in our current state, and we are so excited for everyone to hear this single and the rest of the album, and for everyone to see it live in person very soon.”
‘Where Mountains Hide’ will be available as a Limited CD Digipak, Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl (both including bonus track) & as Digital Album. Pre-order’s are available now here: https://sometimeinfebruary.lnk.to/WhereMountainsHideAlbum
The full track-listing is as follows:
1.Palantir
2.Mourning Bird
3.The Bad Fight
4.Outside In
5.What Was Heard
6.What Was Said
7.Phantom Sea
8.Bury You
9.Homeworld I: Green Mountain
10.Homeworld II: Dislodged
11.Funeral House
12.There Is Nothing Here But Technology (Bonus Track)
In 2023, the band introduced themselves with their first single under InsideOut, titled ‘Hiding Place’, which showcased their melodic approach. Now, with a full album of new material, Sometime in February presents 11 captivating tracks, from the fusion-metal opener ‘Palantir’ to the progressive complexity of ‘Outside In’ to the blues-infused, prog-metal closer ‘Funeral House.’
Originally founded as an instrumental solo project for guitarist Tristan Auman in 2020, Sometime in February became a fully rounded prog rock trio with the addition of drummer Scott Barber and bassist Morgan Johnson after making the jump from studio to stage following the release of their EP ‘Here Goes’ in 2021. The Carolina-based group has kept their foot on the gas ever since, touring throughout the Southeast US and releasing their follow-up, the debut LP ‘There Goes’, in 2023.
The trio’s connections extend into the progressive music world, featuring collaborations with Between the Buried and Me members Paul Waggoner and Dan Briggs. Tristan had been working for Waggoner in a local coffee shop. After getting to know Tristan, he went to see the band and was impressed by their live performance. He later invited Auman to fill in alongside Paul on BTBAM gigs. In return, Waggoner contributed to the track ‘The Bad Fight’ and appeared in the music video. “I had a part open for him on the song,” Auman recalls. “He sent over some ideas, and they were perfect, as expected.”
Briggs added a unique touch, playing textural elements and additional instruments like mandolin, rather than bass. The BTBAM connection also extended to the album’s mixing, handled by engineer Jamie King, who previously worked with Scott’s former band, Trees on Mars. “Tristan knew right away he wanted to work with Jamie, and I was all for it,” Scott says. “Jamie was great in the studio with a positive vibe the whole time.”
To enhance the album’s sound design, the band brought in Eric Guenther, keyboardist for The Contortionist. “We discussed sound design, and The Contortionist was at the top of our list,” Morgan explains. “Eric was our first choice, and he was on board right away. He had seen Tristan on the BTBAM tour, and he elevated the entire project with his contributions.”
For Tristan, ‘Where Mountains Hide’ represents a step forward, with an uplifting and optimistic feel. “For this album, I wanted the songs to stand alone more, instead of making everything flow together like typical prog albums. But in the end, it naturally felt cohesive. The album has a grand and fantastical vibe, and with instrumental music, it can be challenging to create a specific atmosphere, but that’s what I aimed for.”
Originally released in 2006, Signal to Noise was White Willow’s attempt to break out from the established 70s prog rock sound. Wanting a sound that was a bit more up to date, the band chose to work with an outside producer.
“We were great fans of the work Tommy Hansen had done with various bands, and we knew he had a really nice studio. So we set off to Denmark and spent some wonderful weeks in his garden studio in Horsens. One of our influences on this record was City Boy; we wanted a similar kind of amalgam of progginess and catchiness. We also had a singer, Trude Eidtang, who was very comfortable experimenting with vocal harmonies, which brought a new aspect to the band’s sound.”
This re-release, meticulously remastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo brings new life to the album, featuring the iconic original cover art for the first time on vinyl. It’s the fifth in a series of six White Willow re-releases on Karisma Records.
Tracklist: 1. Night Surf 2. Dusk City 3. Joyride 4. Chrome Dawn 5. The Dark Road 6. Splinters 7. The Lingering 8. Ghosts 9. Ararat
“Performs Days of Future Passed Tour” – Playing the iconic album in its entirely, plus a selection of CLASSIC HITS
John Lodge, legendary bass player, songwriter and vocalist of The Moody Blues, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, will be back on the road in February and March with his electrifying ‘Performs Days of Future’ show, featuring a first set of Moody Blues classic hits, and a second set of this iconic album, performed in its entirety.
The tour kicks off on February 19th at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, and includes 12 dates in the NE, Midwest and Florida, plus his appearance on the ‘Rock and Romance Cruise’, sailing out of Fort Lauderdale on March 15. Then John will be taking his show to the UK for the very first time – ‘Bringing it Home’!
This is a unique opportunity to hear fan favorites such as ‘Isn’t Life Strange’, ‘Legend of a Mind’, ‘I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)’ and ‘Ride my See-Saw’, plus this groundbreaking album. John and his band lovingly recreate these classic songs, in full symphonic glory, and together with his tributes to his bandmates, and the mesmerizing video of Graeme Edge reciting his poetry, the audience is truly transported back to Moody Blues concerts of the past.
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Following a stroke at the end of 2023, John has gone from strength to strength, driven by his love for this music, and his deeply held desire to continue to share it with the fans. The critically acclaimed shows in July and November 2024 are testament to his passion and commitment, and as John says, his hope is that people leave with a little bit of joy, and certainly the audience can be seen leaving with Moodies magic around them.
Joining John on stage are his 10,000 Light Years Band featuring Alan Hewitt and Billy Ashbaugh (from the Moody Blues touring band), Duffy King and Jason Charboneau, plus Jon Davison of YES will again be joining John on stage to provide his soaring vocals on ‘Nights in White Satin’ and ‘Tuesday Afternoon’.
“A lot of these places we used to go to as the Moody Blues, and I just want to give the fans a sense of that time again. It may not be a Moody Blues show, but Alan, Billy, Duffy, Jason and, of course Jon, create an incredible energy on stage, and such beautiful music. Then when Graeme appears on screen, and I turn to hear his beautiful words, it all makes me feel part of something very special, and I can feel I share it with the audience. Being on stage with them all, I think we all smile together, all of us on stage, and all of those in the audience. It’s a little moment away from the challenges of life.”
“Days of Future Passed” was released 58 years ago, and was arguably the start of progressive rock. John has surrounded himself with a band who put simply, love performing together, and who appreciate and respect the legacy of the music. The Moodies may not perform any more, and the loss of Graeme, Ray and Mike is felt deeply, but this show honours John’s friends and the music.
The electrifying show will also be in support of John’s new EP “Love Conquers All” out on Feb 14th, and available now for pre-order on Amazon and other online stores. Signed copies are also available including limited edition vinyl. The first single ‘Love Will Conquer All’ is available now on all streaming services and hit the No. 1 spot over New Year on the Fab Chart.
For USA (including the limited edition 180g violet vinyl, hand signed by John):https://shop.johnlodge.com
‘If you love The Moody Blues music, then you really need to check out John live. He and the band put on a great show!’
John Lodge is bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the iconic Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2018 inductees, The Moody Blues. Songwriter of such mega Moody Blues hits from ‘Ride My See-Saw’, to ‘I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band)’, ‘Isn’t Life Strange’ and many more. Lodge has been performing and recording with The Moody Blues for more than five decades, selling in excess of 70 million albums, as well as releasing his three solo albums “Natural Avenue”, “10,000 Light Years Ago and B Yond”. Lodge has been voted one of the “10 most influential bass players on the planet,” and has been the recipient of many awards, including ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers), an Ivor Novello Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Prog Magazine, to name just a few.
USA Dates Feb 19 Capitol Theatre Port Chester, NY Feb 20 Cary Hall, Lexington, MA Feb 22 Shubert Theater, New Haven, CT Feb 23 The Vogel, Red Bank, NJ Feb 25 Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA Feb 26 Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, NY Feb 28 Brown County Music Center, Nashville, IL Mar 1 Genesee Theater, Waukegan, IL Mar 3 Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City, IA Mar 5 Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, WI March 15 – 22 Rock and Romance Cruise March 23 The Villages, FL March 24 The Center of Anna Maria Island, FL
UK Dates April 6 Birmingham Town Hall April 8 Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester April 9 Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow April 11 Union Chapel, London April 14 St George’s, Bristol April 15 G Live, Guildford
Riverside – Friend Or Foe? (Live ID.) (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO) Taken from the upcoming live album “LIVE ID.”, out January 24th via InsideOut Music. Pre-order here: https://riverside.lnk.to/LiveID – Directed by Paul Green Production company: Paul Green Productions, UK Edited by Paul Green
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