The Helsinki-based Wheel were formed in 2015 when singer James Lascelles moved to Finland and, through a fluke appearance on a Finnish TV show, met the core of what would become the early stages of the band. The members’ love of polyrhythms, different grooves, abstract time signatures and bands that see things differently would create the unique sound that appeared on their first EP in April 2015. A follow EP ‘The Path’ in 2017 would show further cement the group as one to look out for.
With their first headline tour booked in for February 2020, and the promise of a US tour waiting for them in April, it was around then the instrumental bare bones of ‘Resident Human’ were coming together. Initially to be squeezed into a 10-week recording period, their plans changed once COVID-19 hit the world hard; the band had to roll with the ever-changing punches.
Pushing back their allotted studio time, as a three-piece of vocalist and guitarist James Lascelles, bassist Aki Virta, and drummer Santeri Saksala – after guitarist JC departed amicably in Spring (with Jussi Turunen later joining the ranks) – Wheel hunkered down to get the album together.
From the desperate content harvest of copy/paste culture (“Ascend”) to the polarized rhetoric surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement in America (“Movement”), ‘Resident Human’ is Wheel vocalizing the ashes they’ve witnessed falling throughout 2020 – putting a voice to our fallible nature.
“We joked at the start of the year that it’s going to be the year of progressive music concept albums about COVID,” James laughs. “And we’ve kind of done that…but it’s more about the time COVID has allowed us to explore ourselves rather than the pandemic itself.”
Finnish Prog Metal band Wheel have announced their new album ‘Resident Human’. The follow-up their 2019 album ‘Moving Backwards’ will be released on March 26th, 2021.
Nordic favorites THE VINTAGE CARAVAN are pleased to announce the upcoming release of their new full-length album, Monuments, out April 16, 2021 via Napalm Records! The band incorporates a fountain of modern influences mixed with retro reminiscences to create an addictive sound all their own.
After countless high-voltage live performances at festivals such as Roadburn, Wacken and Hellfest, and touring with Opeth, the Icelandic band’s new full-length impressively demonstrates that they have matured both musically and lyrically, accented by bold, nostalgic nuance. Virtuosic ‘70s-inspired guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of fresh elements and psychedelic, progressive and blues rock trademarks on Monuments, radiating the soul of some larger-than-life bands of the past as these youngbloods breathe new life into a classic formula.
Cut from Monuments, their first new single, “Whispers”, showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing the retro-inspired staples they’ve become renowned for. The accompanying video takes its viewer straight into the hearts and studio of the band, connecting with lucid live-music vibes. Above all, the performance video also highlights the band’s musical passion and provides an intimate glimpse into their sonic work. THE VINTAGE CARAVAN on the new single “Whispers”: “First single is Whispers! It was one of the first things we came up with for the album. We always try to start our albums in a strong and powerful way and it felt fitting as an opener. Hope you like it as much as we do! Enjoy!!” Watch/listen to the new single “Whispers
On 11 diverse tracks, these fast-rising musicians from Reykjavik truly cast a spell on fans of bewitching, guitar-driven classic and blues rock influences. The album opener, “Whispers”, clearly showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing their tried-and-true, retro-inspired sonic trademark. “Crystalized ” convinces with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. “Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind” takes its listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus, while tracks like “This One’s For You” represent a stunning blueprint in THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s musical universe with unconventional, surprisingly calm melodies and Óskar’s gripping, tranquil vocal power. In contrast, bold drumming merges with fast-paced riffs, enveloping an impressive galloping vortex and pronouncing tracks like “Dark Times” and “Said and Done” as top notch rock pieces. The softly plugging, atmospheric sound of album closer “Clarity” symbolizes the crowning culmination of a 60-minute journey through the eternal landscapes of Iceland and the poetic lyricism of the trio.
With their new studio-album, Monuments,and its captivating, stellar arrangements, these rising stars definitely know how to put their very own stamp on the retro rock wave!
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN on the new album:“We are proud to present to you our new album Monuments!! This one has been long in the making and we truly believe this is our best work so far. We went into a legendary Icelandic studio, Hljóðriti, during the stormiest season of last winter and tracked non stop for 22 days, working around the clock to get as much done as possible. Luckily enough we finished tracking just before the pandemic hit.
Having worked with producer Ian Davenport on our previous album Gateways we were comfortable and inspired to take the album to new heights in terms of sound, feel and songwriting. We ended up with quite a diverse set of songs through an interesting and in many ways different process than our usual recording sessions. It was a great feeling to get to experiment more with our sound in so many different ways. We hope you’ll enjoy the journey through Monuments!”
Monuments will be available in North America in the following formats:– 1 CD Digipak – 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Black – 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Yellow/Red – limited to 300 copies – Limited Diehard Edition – 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Multicolor Splatter + Patch, Slipmat – limited to 200 copies – Digital Album
Tracklisting: 01. Whispers 02. Crystallized 03. Can’t Get You Off My Mind 04. Dark Times 05. This One’s For You 06. Forgotten 07. Sharp Teeth 08. Hell 09. Torn in Two 10. Said & Done 11. Clarity
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN are: Óskar Logi Ágústsson – lead vocals, electric guitar Alexander Örn Númason – bass guitar, backing vocals Stefán Ari Stefánsson – drums, percussion
Change We Must, to Live Again! In the words of Jon Anderson, “Change we must, to live again”, we find hope, resolution, and a renewed sense of excitement. With these lyrics in mind, it is my great pleasure to announce that with the change, RoSfest will continue to produce one of the best progressive rock festivals in the world located in tropical Sarasota, Florida, but under new leadership and board of directors to further support and grow this endeavor.
The Rites of Spring Festival has been a treasure in the progressive rock world for the last 17 years and it has been my pride and privilege to create, produce, host, and share the experience with you, our RoSfest audience! New to producing RoSfest, but not to the world of progressive rock, our new leadership team have been supportive members of our festival’s family for years. I feel honored to be able to pass the torch to such a dedicated group of musical masters.
Please give a warm RoSfest welcome to our new leadership team and read below for more detail about their background and accomplishments; John Blangero, Nick Katona, Tony Anzalone, Rebecca Avelar, Octavia Brown, and Lisa Wetton.
The team will follow up with information regarding everything RoSfest as the information becomes available. I will continue to support the festival as a consultant and remain its biggest fan. As I’ve previously mentioned, it has been an honor to interact with such accomplished and inspiring musicians and music lovers in the progressive rock community. Long Live RoSfest! George Roldan
John Blangero A scientist, musician, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. John is well known as one of the world’s leading biomedical researchers with a focus on complex disease genetics. As a singer/songwriter, he recently released his first solo album under the moniker of Sun King Rising on Peacock Sunrise Records and fronts the progressive rock band, Harlequin Reborn. He also is a co-founder and Board member of 4TellX, an Austin-based predictive analytics company.
Nick Katona Is an iconic figure in progressive rock music circles as the President of the Melodic Revolution Music Group which includes record labels, Melodic Revolution Records, and PeacockSunrise Records. He has experience developing and managing small festivals as the owner and operator of an independent music store. As a music promoter, he also owns and operates Power of Prog and ReZonatZ, both internet music blog publications, and has worked as an internet DJ since 2011.
Tony Anzalone Has a BBA in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame and has served in a variety of administrative and management roles in private industry. He has been active in the music business since the 80’s when he managed his first band. Currently, he is the manager of rock acts, Sun King Rising and Harlequin Reborn. He is also an administrator and officer in the World Prog Project. Tony now lives in Sarasota, Florida, and will take on much of the local leg work and financial management associated with RoSfest.
Rebecca Avelar Is currently the Director of Marketing and Promotions for the MRR Music Group and is Street Team Manager for House of Prog and Power of Prog. She has extensive experience in accounting and human resource management.
Octavia Brown Better-known for her close involvement with Italy’s 2Day Prog + 1 Festival, has already been a member of the RoSfest crew making her a familiar face to many prior RoSfest attendees. Based in Italy, she works as a freelance translator (recent works include the English version of Mario Giametti’s ‘Genesis – 1967 to 1975: The Peter Gabriel Years ‘) while spending most of her free time…. Hang on, what free time?
Lisa Wetton Is a Syracuse transplant, Lisa Wetton routed herself firmly into the progressive music scene after co-founding Smokewind Music, an agency that specialized in world and progressive music bookings, and which has recently transitioned into audio and visual production. In 2015, she retired from practicing medicine and moved to the U.K. to be closer to her beloved husband, the late music icon, John Wetton. She currently spends her days drinking tea, making compost, and getting paid to hit things. Her most recent work has been with Edison’s Children, United Progressive Fraternity, and Southern Empire.
The Rites of Spring festival or RoSfest is an annual progressive rock music festival taking place at the end of April or in early May.
Established in 2004, the festival was first held at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania until 2007, and then moved to the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania for 2008 and 2009. In 2010, the festival moved to the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and in 2019, the festival moved to its current location at the Sarasota Opera House in Sarasota, Florida.
On December 26, 2020, co-founder George Roldan announced on the official RoSfest Facebook page that RoSfest would end its 16-year run as of 2020. Increasingly expensive production and travel costs, combined with tighter visa restrictions for international artists traveling to the United States, plus financial losses resulting from the cancellation of the 2020 festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic had made continuing the festival unsustainable.
However, on February 1, 2021, Roldan posted another announcement stating that RoSfest would continue under a new organization. New event dates have yet to be announced. From Wikipedia
The festival is known for importing some fantastic talent from around the world including Flor de Loto (PE), Anglagård (Sweden), Spock’s Beard (US), Riverside (Poland) IQ (UK), Magic Pie (Norway), Unified Past (US), Pain of Salvation (Sweden), Lazuli (France), RPWL (Germany), Ambrosia (US), Kinetic Element (US), The Flower Kings (Sweden), Evership (US), among others.
1. UNSELF (1:05) 2. SELF (2:56) 3. KING GHOST (4:06) 4. 12 THINGS I FORGOT (4:43) 5. EMINENT SLEAZE (3:53) 6. MAN OF THE PEOPLE (4:42) 7. PERSONAL SHOPPER (9:49) 8. FOLLOWER (4:39) 9. COUNT OF UNEASE (6:08)
“The Future Bites” deals with two recurring themes of my musical output, identity and technology. It picks apart our 21st century utopia, while also allowing for moments of personal growth and optimism. It’s less a bleak vision of an approaching dystopia, more a curious reading of the here and now” – Steven Wilson
“SELF is about our new age of narcissism and self-obsession, one in which a human race that used to look out with curiosity at the world and the stars now spends much of its time gazing at a little screen to see themselves reflected back in the mirror of social media. In that sense everyone now can take part in the notion of celebrity, and has the potential to share their life with an invisible mass of people they will never meet. The video takes things further by exploring the idea that anyone can now project a version or “self” that has no bearing on reality, and by using only well known faces the deception is made transparent.” – Steven Wilson
Melodic Revolution Records is thrilled to announce that it’s true… we have signed GorMusik a music project fronted by Gordon “Gordo” Bennett Guitarist / Synth Guitarist / Bass Guitarist / Composer / Producer. Gordo is well known in the indie music circles for his ability to create some great music as a session man as well as being a brilliant musician in his own right. Gordo has worked with such acts as Band of Rain, Ronald Marquiss, Joshua Leibowitz, Collin Tench Project, and United Progressive Fraternity.
Greetings GorMusik friends and fans. I am extremely happy to announce my collaborating & singing with Nick Katona & Melodic Revolution Records. I am honored to be part of such an awesome line up of artists and musicians. Its been some time coming with a lot of work behind the scenes so I thank you all for your continued support and can’t wait to share my latest creation with you. Peace & Love… Gordo / GorMusik
Snakes & Angels will be the first effort to be released via Melodic Revolution Records, the album has been in the works since 2018 and will see the light of day in 2021 in three popular formats, CD, Digital downloads as well Streaming. More info on the album soon.
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