Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) is back with a new Star One album titled Revel In Time. The new album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on Feb 18th, 2022 on InsideOutMusic. Today, Arjen is pleased to share the first single and video from the album’s closing track “Lost Children of the Universe.”
Watch the video here:
Arjen has this to say about the track: “This 10-minute epic is the first video clip/single of the new Star One album Revel in Time. The lyrics are inspired by the movie Interstellar.
This is a slightly different version than on the CD. On CD1 Roy Khan sings the lead vocals and on CD2 Tony Martin sings the lead vocals. For this YouTube version I combined their voices. Both such great singers, I just couldn’t choose! Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for your attention!”
CD1: 1] Fate of Man 5:29 2] 28 Days (Till the End of Time) 7:21 3] Prescient 6:34 4] Back from the Past 4:50 5] Revel in Time 4:38 6] The Year of ’41 6:20 7] Bridge of Life 5:14 8] Today is Yesterday 5:46 9] A Hand on the Clock 5:52 10] Beyond the Edge of it All 4:52 11] Lost Children of the Universe 9:46
CD 2 features the same songs as CD 1, but with different vocalists
The album will be available for pre-order on Dec. 17th and it will come as Ltd. 2CD Digipak, Ltd. Deluxe 3CD+Blu-Ray Artbook (incl. a poster of the cover artwork), and as 180g Gatefold 2LP (incl. the album on CD & an LP-Booklet).
CD 2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD 1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind the Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.
Arjen explains the decision to return with a new Star One album: “Ayreon is like the mothership for all my music. It contains all the different musical styles that I like to listen to and that I love to create. But I’m always looking for challenges and trying to create something new and original as well. Working within a set of constraints forces you to do that, so sometimes I like to limit myself and focus on just one style. For example, with Star One I focus on the metal-side of Ayreon. That means you won’t hear the exuberantly liberal use of acoustic instruments that are so often featured on Ayreon albums, like violin, woodwinds, cello, horns, dulcimer, mandolin, etc.”
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in to comment about the new track as follows:
“Story of My Dream” is a composition prepared especially for our 20th anniversary. We wanted it to contain all the characteristic elements of our style, and to combine Riverside from the first decade, when we sounded a bit “heavier”, and Riverside from the second decade, the more melancholic-song-oriented one. The lyrics contain direct quotes and references to many of our previous song titles. To reflect that, the cover of the single, prepared by Travis Smith, also contains fragments of our past covers and graphic designs.
“Story of My Dream” is the first song we recorded in the new line-up, with Maciej Meller. It’s also, in a way, a taste of the way we’re going to sound on our new, eighth album (scheduled for 2022). Although the single itself is not going to be on it, it will be the opening track of this year’s release, “Riverside 20”, containing remastered versions of some of our past compositions.
In times of “retromania”, playlists, and all sorts of compilations, we thought it wouldn’t be the worst idea to mark our 20th anniversary with this kind of release. The compilation will be split into two parts called “The Shorts” and “The Longs”, and will showcase our career to date, summarising what we’ve done so far and preparing us all for the upcoming new album, which will open another music chapter for Riverside.
What will the new album be like? You can find out in the lyrics to the new single, “Story of My Dream” 🙂
“Story of My Dream” is released today worldwide as Digital Single featuring artwork by Travis Smith (Opeth, Katatonia, etc.) and can be also checked out in a video clip directed by Tomasz Pulsakowski / Sightsphere here:
“Story of My Dream” was recorded and mixed at The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock, Poland during two days in July and five days in September 2021, engineered and mixed by Paweł Marciniak as well as mastered by Paweł Marciniak at Manximum Records in Łódź, Poland.
“Story of My Dream” also serves as the opening track of the first of two special digital “best of” compilations to be released on November 19th, 2021 in celebration of the anniversary and to showcase the comprehensive and rich back-catalog from across the last two decades of RIVERSIDE’s activity.
Featuring all specially remastered material and some deep cuts, “Riverside 20 – Vol.1, The Shorts” will include 19 tracks, and “Riverside 20 – Vol.2, The Longs” will include 14 songs as follows:
RIVERSIDE – “Riverside 20 – Vol.1, The Shorts“ 1. Story of My Dream (05:47) 2. In Two Minds (04:35) 3. Loose Heart (04:47) 4. Acronym Love (04:43) 5. Conceiving You (03:40) 6. I Turned You Down (04:34) 7. Panic Room – Radio Edit (03:52) 8. Through The Other Side (04:05) 9. Forgotten Land – Radio Edit (05:10) 10. The Depth of Self-Delusion – Radio Edit (04:59) 11. We Got Used To Us (04:09) 12. Shine (04:07) 13. Lost (05:51) 14. Addicted (03:58) 15. Time Travellers – Radio Edit (05:19) 16. Vale of Tears (04:48) 17. Guardian Angel (04:23) 18. Lament (05:06) 19. River Down Below – Radio Edit (04:25)
RIVERSIDE – “Riverside 20 – Vol.2, The Longs” 1. The Same River (12:07) 2. DNA Ts. Rednum Or F.Raf (07:20) 3. Second Life Syndrome (15:40) 4. Dance With The Shadow (11:38) 5. Ultimate Trip (13:13) 6. Rapid Eye Movement 2016 (12:40) 7. Egoist Hedonist (08:56) 8. Left Out (10:58) 9. Living In The Past (10:15) 10. Deprived (08:24) 11. Escalator Shrine (12:40) 12. Towards The Blue Horizon (08:08) 13. Wasteland (08:25) 14. The Curtain Falls (07:57)
RIVERSIDE have most recently re-issued their debut album “Out Of Myself” as well as the “Lost’n’Found – Live in Tilburg” release via InsideOutMusic, following the launch of their acclaimed latest studio album “Wasteland” in 2018. Check out the various available back-catalogue titles by RIVERSIDE from the IOM webshop here: https://www.insideoutshop.de/Search?q=riverside
And stay tuned for more RIVERSIDE new soon…
RIVERSIDE line-up: (From left to right on photo!) Maciej Meller – guitar Mariusz Duda – bass, vocal Michał Łapaj – keyboards and hammond organ Piotr Kozieradzki – drums
Robby Steinhardt and Solar Studios announce Robby’s first and only solo recording, Not in Kansas Anymore. Release date: October 25th, 2021.
You know him as the legendary violinist, vocalist, and frontman for the band KANSAS, recording 9 albums that reached gold, platinum, and double platinum status, and is now making another mark on the world with his first and only solo album.
The new album, Not in Kansas Anymore is a powerful, well-thought-out offering of Prog Rock magic. Timely songs with incredible arrangements and virtuoso performances. Robby’s vocals and signature electric violin come through on this continuous work labeled a “Prog Opera”.
In his only interview for the project, he spoke with Bill Shafer of PBS. Steinhardt was asked what the meaning behind the title Not in Kansas Anymore was. Steinhardt responded, “It’s not slight against the band, no never! My time with Kansas defined a big part of my life, of which I am very proud of. Ever since The Wizard of OZ, those words have become an American axiom for moving forward, you can never go back etc.” Robby laughed, “I guess it has a special meaning when it is fixed to me.”
The album, produced by Michael Thomas Franklin, is his latest production since the highly acclaimed Jon Anderson 1000 Hands Chapter One. Franklin used a similar approach using a large cast of renowned musicians to lend their talents. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Steve Morse of Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs, Billy Cobham of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones, Liberty Devitto (Drummer on Billy Joel’s hits), Jim Gentry, Pat Travers, Billy Ashbaugh (Moody Blues/Pat Benatar), Lisa Fischer (longtime vocalist for The Rolling Stones), 1000 Hands members Michael Franklin, Tommy Calton, Tim Franklin, Jocelyn Hsu, Rayford Griffin and Benoit Lajeunesse and many others including Orchestra and Choir.
The songs provide powerful lyrics, hard to forget choruses, combined with crafty playing. All this combined with Franklin’s lavish and complicated arrangements makes listening toNot in Kansas Anymore a wonderful hour well spent. The stunning album artwork created by Tom Lupo of Magnificent Pictures and subliminal song quotes from the Wizard of OZ are another added feature to this complex Prog Opera. Currently, four videos are in the works.
Promo video:
Not in Kansas Anymore, Digital Download, CD and preorder LP with free Digital Download can be found at: www.robbysteinhardtofficial.com
Robby was a big fan of local vinyl vendors. Here is where you will be able can to find LPs and CDs locally www.solarmusic.com/
Bill Shafer Growing Bolder at PBS Growing Bolder episode featuring Robby in 2018 before he started the project can be found here: https://growingbolder.com/stories/robby-steinhardts-unlikely-incredible-journey/
Six months after the release of the critically acclaimed album ‘COMMON GROUND‘, Big Big Train are pleased to announce a new album ‘WELCOME TO THE PLANET’, due out on January 28th, 2022 on their own label, English Electric Recordings.
The band have recorded a video announcing the new album, which you can watch here:
Big Big Train founder Gregory Spawton explains the short time between albums: “The experience of the pandemic has shown us that we need to make the best use of our time on Earth. With that in mind and with new band members on board giving us a fresh head of steam, we decided on a speedy return to the studio to write and record Welcome To The Planet.”
As with ‘COMMON GROUND’, ‘WELCOME TO THE PLANET’ sees Big Big Train retain their progressive roots but also take influence from all spheres of music. The album’s opener ‘Made From Sunshine’, co-written by guitarist Dave Foster and singer David Longdon, has guitar lines redolent of Johnny Marr and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Finn Brothers/Crowded House, with violinist Clare Lindley sharing lead vocals with Longdon.
Elsewhere on the album, keyboard player Carly Bryant gets her first Big Big Train writing credit and lead vocal on the captivating title track. The two recent singles ‘The Connection Plan’ and ‘Lanterna’ are included along with a winter themed song ‘Proper Jack Froster’, a bittersweet tale of childhood. The album is completed by the delicate acoustic ‘Capitoline Venus’, the beautiful ‘Oak And Stone’ and a pair of dazzling instrumentals, ‘A Room With No Ceiling’ and ‘Bats In The Belfry’, written by guitarist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom and drummer Nick D’Virgilio respectively.
For their March 2022 UK tour, which will be their most extensive to date and which will culminate with a show at the prestigious London Palladium, David Longdon (lead vocals, flute), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals), Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Greg Spawton (bass), Carly Bryant (keyboards, guitars, vocals), Dave Foster (guitars) and Clare Lindley (violin, vocals) will be joined by a five piece brass ensemble. In addition to two further UK shows in September, the band expects to announce North American and continental European tour dates shortly.
We are looking for ambitious, curious, and hard-working young musicians!
Have you ever dreamed of performing live on stage with a famous musician? The Paul Green Rock Academy (PGRA) makes that dream come true!
The Paul Green Rock Academy (PGRA) is the latest company from Master Teacher, Paul Green, and is the only rock school dedicated to serious musicians. Having just completed an incredibly successful tour with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artist, Jon Anderson of Yes, the school is accepting new students and opening new locations to provide more opportunities to more young musicians.
The program at PGRA offers an immersive music education for students between the ages of 12 and 18 who are selected by audition for their musical prowess, showmanship, dedication, ambition, and ability to share the stage with professional musicians as they tour the world.
Paul Green has been teaching music to students of all ages for over 30 years. He is the original founder of School of Rock, but PGRA is his dream school, as he teaches only students determined to learn. At PGRA, all the teaching is done by Paul, and the students have incredible opportunities to tour, play with amazing guest artists, and to get a proper and focused music education designed to prepare them to become professional musicians.
Jon Anderson with the PGRA – photo by John Barry
In the summer of 2019, their students opened for Yes legend Jon Anderson’s “1000 Hands” show, leading Jon to want to restart the tradition of playing shows with PGRA students and eventually to the summer tour they just completed (which was rescheduled from 2020 due to the Covid virus).
Jon enjoyed this summer tour so much that he wants to tour with PGRA again in 2022. The plan is to do 30-40 shows with Jon in 2022, all over the US but also internationally (Europe) if Covid restrictions allow.
“Boy oh boy what a special treat it was for us all…27 teens on the first leg, then 25 on the second…they were all magnificent and a joy to be around…
Paul Green, bless him, is a master of getting things done…the teens were shy, yet wild and crazy beautiful…but Paul made sure the shows worked…like the perfect storm…they all played their hearts out and put on a very wonderful show every time…
Currently, with locations in Philadelphia PA and Wilton CT, Paul Green Rock Academy plans to open four additional locations in Brooklyn, Fairfield CT, Wexford PA (suburban Pittsburgh), and Lancaster PA. Plans for the 2022 tour, along with some interest from some other legendary artists, including a very big name in the punk rock world, have both necessitated and provided the opportunity for expansion. The student limit is determined by the number of students per instrument and the number of good shows that the school can supply for the students.
Students who join PGRA’s program can expect to play up to 40 shows per year with the school, including a tour in the summer.
PGRA is currently looking for ambitious, curious, and hard-working young musicians! Audition now and let the Paul Green Rock Academy make your rock dreams come true!
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
