Norwegian Rock outfit LEPROUS are pleased to announce the coming of their new, 8th studio album entitled “Melodies Of Atonement” to be released in August via InsideOutMusic worldwide.
LEPROUS checked in with the following comment about “Melodies Of Atonement”: “’Melodies of Atonement’ is the name of our new album and like every band on earth thinks about their new album, we feel like it’s our best one so far! But in this case, it happens to be true…The orchestral elements are gone, which gives more space for each individual band member to shine. It’s straight to the point, and heavier than what we’ve been in a while…It’s a new sound. But it’s still Leprous. We can’t wait for you to hear it!”
LEPROUS recorded “Melodies Of Atonement” across the last months with David Castillo at Ghost Ward Studios in Sweden, while mixing with Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves, etc.) and mastering with Robin Schmidt (The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.). The album’s front cover artwork (To be seen below!) was created based on photography by John Dolan and design by Ritxi Ostáriz.
Further details and information about the new album as well as its first single will be made available soon…
But in the meantime, LEPROUS can already announce a first North American headline tour with special guests Monuments and supports Fight The Fight for September and October 2024.
LEPROUS comment about their return to North America as follows: “We can’t wait to tour North America again together with our good friends in Monuments and Fight The Fight. It’s been too long and we’re super eager to come back!”
LEPROUS, Monuments & Fight The Fight “Melodies Of Atonement” US 2024 Tour 09/04 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl 09/05 – Atlanta, GA – Progpower USA 09/06 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground 09/07 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live! 09/08 – Mckees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre 09/10 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 09/11 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House 09/12 – Montreal, QC – Beanfield Theatre 09/13 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 09/14 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair 09/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer 09/17 – Pontiac, MI – The Crofoot Ballroom 09/18 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues 09/19 – Chicago, IL – Metro 09/20 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre 09/21 – Minneapolis, MN – The Lyric at Skyway Theatre 09/23 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre 09/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell 09/26 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall 09/27 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues 09/28 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theatre Underground 09/30 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater 10/01 – Austin, TX – Mohawk 10/02 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall 10/04 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live 10/05 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Other upcoming international shows by LEPROUS are as follows:
LEPROUS – Live 2024: 23.05.2024 Hammamet (Tunisia) – Mena Rock Festival 07.06.2024 Gdansk (Poland) – Mystic Festival 14.06.2024 Zamora (Spain) – Z!Live Rock Fest 15.06.2024 Tomar (Portugal) – Comendatio Music Fest 03.07.2024 Athens (Greece) – Rockwave Nights / Lycabettus Theater 05.07.2024 Joensuu (Finland) – Ilovaariock 11.07.2024 Brønnøysund (Norway) – Rootsfestivalen 28.07.2024 Manchester (UK) – Radar Festival 03.08.2024 Brasov (Romania) – Rockstadt Extreme Fest And more shows to be announced soon…
LEPROUS – “Melodies Of Atonement” Cover Artwork
LEPROUS line-up: Einar Solberg – vocals/keys Tor Oddmund Suhrke – guitars Robin Ognedal – guitars Simen Børven – bass Baard Kolstad – drums
Recorded in 2016, “Powertron” has languished in the Bill Nelson archives for eight years.
A potent collection of twelve pieces that highlight Nelson’s prowess and invention as a guitarist.
“Its genesis came whilst recording tracks for ‘The Jewel’ album. Amongst these was a track titled ‘Drive Shaft’ which I considered too brash for ‘The Jewel’, but too good to abandon. I decided to create a suitable album to house ‘Drive Shaft’ and ‘Powertron’ was the result. It’s an album of left-field rock songs, mainly vocal but layered with loud and edgy guitars. It will appeal to those who enjoy the wilder side of my work.” – Bill Nelson
Track list: 01) Fascinating Noise 02) A River On The Edge Of Time 03) Dreams And Smoke (Flow With The River) 04) The Moon Came In My Window 05) Where’s The Wonder? 06) Loose Chippings 07) When I Don’t Feel Blue 08) Moments In The Day 09) Fair Winds And Steam Machines 10) Sailing My Boat 11) Laughing Sailors, Raging Seas 12) Drive Shaft
= 1 MORE TIME TOUR CELEBRATING OVER 50 YEARS OF SMOKE ON THE WATER WITH YES
VIP Packages and Fan Pre-sale available starting at 12pm local time today. Use password SMOKE
General on sale begins Friday, April 12th at 10am local
Deep Purple, one of Britain’s most influential bands, today announced =1 More Time Tour of the U.S. with a stop at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, to celebrate over 50 years of Smoke On The Water on Wednesday, August 14.
They will be shaking the walls of U.S. amphitheatres this summer with an explosive lineup of unforgettable hits taken from their repertoire of rock, spanning half a century. Joining Deep Purple on their US tour is YES, making each stop on the tour an unmissable event for rock fans everywhere.
SMOKE ON THE WATER MEET & GREET VIP PACKAGE Package includes:
– *Great Ticket in first 3 Rows – **Meet n Greet with band member (will not include Ian Gillan) – Photo Op with band members (will not include Ian Gillan) – 1 Personal Item autographed – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP T-shirt – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP Merchandise – Commemorative laminate & lanyard
**Meet and Greet / Photo Op may be socially distanced based on any potential COVID related restrictions/precautions. *Ticket location may vary from venue to venue.
HIGHWAY STAR PREMIUM MERCHANDISE PACKAGE Package includes:
– *Great Ticket in first 10 Rows – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP T-shirt – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP Merchandise
(Art Rock Wizard Derek Ferguson Dealing with Darkness, Depth of Light and Darkness)
Coming May 4 is “Intourist,” the third album from Refestramus, and the album’s new music video “Smiling.” The video premiere is set for 12 PM CT/10 AM PT (Friday night/Saturday morning) on May 4 at https://youtu.be/WYJ_I0f236c
Bandcamp fans will be able to hear and download the ArtRock album, “Intourist” this Thursday night/Friday morning (April 4 and 5) at midnight on https://refestramus.bandcamp.com/
“I’m the writer, I play drums, I pay for everything,” states Derek Ferguson, the Wizard who leads the progressive rock studio ensemble known as Refestramus. Named after a word his mother made up to mean “rearrange,” Derek and his producer – Colouratura’s Ian Beabout – liked it because it wasn’t a legitimate word, “A web search will only turn up our band!,” which means the latest search for “Refestramus” will show their new album, Intourist (Melodic Revolution Records)!
As the bearer of this music, Derek’s powers are rooted in inspiration through his writing and finding musicians. He discovered many on the Internet gig site, Fiverr.com: Gifted voices adorn Intourist: Induction lead singer Craig Cairns, rock vocalists NIDA, Denisse Ferrara, and Vedrana Lina. Brazilian keyboardist maestro Rogelio Desouza is also a Fiverr artist.
Derek writes from the depth of emotion. The album’s first video, “Smiling,” he says, “delves into the complexity of concealing one’s sadness to maintain others’ happiness, offering a poignant reflection on the masks we wear in society.”
Refestramus was born May 2020 as Derek’s home studio project during the COVID pandemic. Having been in a variety of progressive rock bands in his native Chicago and an avid listener of Ian Beabout’s Internet radio program “Prog Rock Deep Cuts,” he reached out to Ian to mix and master the recordings. Ian, who plays flute and sings on some tracks on Intourist, introduced Derek to Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, Saxophonist Mitch Lawrence and Wisconsin multi-instrumentalist Jerry King, who plays bass on Intourist. Adding prog multi-instrumentalist Dave Newhouse, who contributed accordion, helped Derek Ferguson guide the album to completion.
Favorite songs on Intourist include “The Red Apple” based on Maxim Gorkiy’s story about a gypsy horse thief and themes of rejection and longing. “Asunción” is a heartfelt tribute to the city of Asunción, “You know how bands used to say ‘we’re big in Japan’? We’re big in Paraguay – they even play us on their national radio station there from time to time!” “Side Hustle” is a Jethro Tull inspired song. “‘Mr. Darwin’ offers a lighthearted take on human survival and natural selection.” The album’s title track is a 3-part epic that combines themes of resilience with the supernatural realms on earth including “zombie love” in the third part of the track, “Intourist.”
In addition to acoustic versions of “Asunción” and “The Red Apple,” the physical CD features a cover of Spirit’s “Mr. Skin.” Spirit is one of Derek’s favorite bands, and he points out, “the songwriter here also has the last name Ferguson”
Refestramus’ debut album, Decoupage, was released in December of 2021. Expose’s Peter Thelen, who has reviewed thousands of Progressive Rock albums over the years, declared it a “Solid opening move.” In 2022, Refestramus released the EP, From the Sublime to the Ridiculous, which featured possibly the “Prog-iest” track on the album “The Devil Returns” – drawing inspiration heavily from Bulgakov’s famous novel “The Master and Margarita.”
Swedish metal veterans EVERGREY, known for their dark and profound compositions, have unveiled a haunting new video for their captivating song “Ominous”. The song is cut from their latest and highly acclaimed chart-topping opus, ‘A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)’, which entered the charts worldwide at #3 in Sweden (Metal), #5 in the United States (Top New Artist Albums), #7 in Finland, and #12 in Germany. The gripping new visual for “Ominous” marks the closure of this chapter, while EVERGREY is more than ready to head into new sonic adventures.
EVERGREY’s journey shows no sign of slowing down – their new album will be released this year. Stay tuned for more exciting news coming soon!
Throughout over 30 years of existence, Gothenburg’s finest export of darkness has gathered numerous worldwide chart positions with thirteen studio albums in total and has enthralled fans around the globe. The band, centered around mastermind Tom S. Englund, has been a consistent presence in the metal scene, leaving an indelible mark with their powerful performances, also appearing at renowned festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Bloodstock, Summer Breeze, and Graspop.
EVERGREY states:
“This is the last song to be released as a stunning feature film-like video from the ‘Heartless Portrait‘ album, however, it is at the same time also the beginning. This will become much clearer VERY soon! Stay excited! :D”
Watch the enchanting official video for “Ominous”
‘A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)’, the follow-up to the unit’s highly successful 2021 full-length, ‘Escape of the Phoenix’ (which landed at numerous chart positions worldwide), reveals a 10 track mélange of which every note, every riff and every word seeps pure poetry – creating a ceaseless intensity that mesmerizes from the very first second.
‘A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)’ was recorded at Top Floor Studios Gothenburg, engineered by Jakob Herrman, and produced by Tom S. Englund and Jonas Ekdahl, with mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios (Volbeat, Destruction, Epica and many more), whereas the hauntingly beautiful album artwork was conjured by Giannis Nakos at Remedy Art Design. Nakos is known for creating artworks for acts like Oceans Of Slumber, Amaranthe, The Agonist, and The Crown as well as merchandise for Morbid Angel, Suffocation, and Cryptopsy – just to name a few.
Artwork by Giannis Nakos, Remedy Art Design
‘A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)’ is a striking testament to the fact that while the Swedish five-piece doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone at this phase, they still impressively showcase that their creativity sees no bounds – dropping yet another sensation within their impressive catalog!
‘A Heartless Portrait(The Orphean Testament)’Track List:
Following the overwhelming success of their 2023 tour, Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks today announce the first 22 shows of the 2024 “YES Epics, Classics, and More” tour. The tour begins on May 30th at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. Like the 2023 tour, the set list will contain numerous YES songs from all stages of the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career that feature Jon as their lead vocalist and songwriter. The tour also promises the introduction of new material created by Jon and The Band Geeks.
Jon and the Band Geeks are currently putting the finishing touches on a brand new nine track cd set for release in late summer with a first single and video targeted for release in late June.
Tour Dates :
5/30/24 Thursday – New Brunswick NJ @ State Theatre
6/1/2024 Saturday – Englewood NJ @ Bergen PAC
6/3/2024 Monday – Rochester NY @ Kodak Center Theatre
6/6/2024 Thursday – Albany NY @ Hart Theatre
6/8/2024 Saturday – Hammondsport NY @ Point of The Bluff Concert Pavilion
6/13/2024 Thursday – Chicago IL @ Copernicus
6/15/2024 Saturday – Maryland Heights MO
6/18/2024 Tuesday – Greensburg PA @ Palace Theater
6/20/2024 Thursday – Hershey PA @ Hershey Theatre
6/22/2024 Saturday – Concord NH @ Capitol Center for the Arts
We’re thrilled to announce that on March 22, 2024, our label will unleash Ruud Jolie’s For All We Know‘s latest masterpiece, ‘By Design Or By Disaster’. The album will be available on CD and on vinyl!
Since 2011, For All We Know has been the side project of Ruud Jolie, known from Within Temptation. The debut album was released in the same year, followed by the second album called ‘Take Me Home’ in 2017. In 2023, both albums were released on vinyl via prog rock/metal label Construction Records. The brand new third album, entitled ‘By Design Or By Disaster’, will also be released on CD and colored vinyl via Construction Records.
During the writing process, Jolie again worked closely with singer Wudstik, and the band consists of the same musicians who were featured on the first two albums: Léo Margarit (Pain of Salvation), Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex Pain of Salvation), and Marco Kuypers (ex Cloud Machine). The 11 songs on the album were produced by Jolie himself and range from metal to calm melodies.
Compared to the previous two albums, ‘By Design Or By Disaster‘ takes the listener to even more extreme corners, ranging from beautiful atmospheric strings to powerful rhythms and heavy guitars. Despite this diversity, Jolie continues to search for unexpected melodies and harmonies, where he is not afraid to go off the beaten path. There are also some ‘Easter eggs’ hidden for the attentive listener; melodies from the previous albums that return in an innovative way on this new album, making the first two albums together with this album a kind of trinity, which also applies to the artwork. First single and video ‘The Future That Came Too Soon’ Second single and video ‘Lifeline’
They appear alongside a line up of great artists including That Joe Payne, The Paradox Twin, Amanda Lehmann, Storm Deva & more
Saturday 24th August to Monday 26th August 2024, Cantley Park, Wokingham
Wokingham Festival has announced its three day line up featuring a wide range of musical genres including a showcase of some of the best current progressive music artists.
Taking place on Saturday, Sunday & Monday of the August Bank Holiday weekend with over 40 artists appearing, the festival has announced that the Monday line up on August 26th, which focuses on the best of prog & rock, will feature one of the most influential bands to emerge from the 1980’s festival scene, Ozric Tentacles as headliners. The band are the creative vision of multi-instrumentalist, Ed Wynne and their uniquely trippy soundscapes connect fans of progressive rock, psychedelia and dance culture. Ozric Tentacles released their 17th studio album, ‘Lotus Unfolding’ in October 2023 to great acclaim in in their 40th anniversary year.
Photo : Ozric Tentacles. Credit : Artist Also appearing on the main stage on the day will be That Joe Payne, performing a full band set with his
incredible group of musicians, plus The Paradox Twin, Spriggan Mist, Hoopy Frood & Amanda Lehmann.
There is also a second stage with no cross over so that every minute of music on the day can be enjoyed by all. The stage features a great mix of prog, blues & indie from some excellent artists. Headliners are the fast rising band from the Netherlands, Sonic Whip and there will also be performances from Chloe Mogg, San Demas,
Jimmy the Dog & Storm Deva. Gates open at 11.00am, Music starts at 12.00 midday and finishes at 8pm on the Monday (10.30 on Sat &
Sun) so not a late night if working the next day.
The first two days of the festival on the Saturday & Sunday feature a wide range of musical style including tribute artists, cover artists as well as original artists. Original prog and rock will also be represented on those days with Flutatious headlining the second stage on the Sunday, The Room playing the main stage on the Saturday and The Cold Blooded Hearts playing the main stage on the Sunday. There will also be performances from a number of excellent young indie bands.
About Wokingham Festival :-
Wokingham Festival was set up over 16 years ago by founder Stan Hetherington, who also runs the renowned Wokingham Music Club and it has built a solid and growing reputation over the years as a quality family friendly festival run by the community for the community. As well as the music across its two stages there is a great range of food and drink stalls in addition to the well stocked bar and beer tent.
The festival was traditionally a two day festival but in 2019 Stan asked Chris Hillman of White Star Records, if he would help set up a new day 3 of the festival to focus on the best of prog and rock. Chris was happy to oblige and the day was so successful that it has continued with 2024 being the 6th year since that first event!
Stan Hetherington has decided to step down from the festival as part of his retirement and has handed over the reins to a new team that will be run by Dean Nelson, known in the prog scene and beyond as manager of Kyros and owner of Generation Studio. Dean and his new team will be assisted with ongoing advice from Stan & Chris.
Chris Hillman spoke about this year’s event :
‘It’s been wonderful to see the reputation of Wokingham Festival growing further since we added a day of prog and rock to the event. The crowd has grown each year so hopefully that means we are doing something right.The aim has been to bring established bands to the area and also to help support up and coming artists in a fun friendly music loving environment. We are really excited that Ozric Tentacles are able to join us this year, alongside a great line up of quality artists’
Photo : Wokingham Festival Day 3 Crowd. Credit Andrew Merritt
Early Bird Tickets for Wokingham Festival which offer great value have already gone on sale, and may be purchased via the web site at www.wokinghamfestival.co.uk
For more information and to stay updated on Wokingham Festival, follow their social media at www.facebook.com/wokinghamfestival www.instagram.com/wokinghamfestival www.twitter.com/wokinghamfest
Album features performances by Steve Morse, King Crimson violinist David Cross, GnR guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and keyboard legend Patrick Moraz plus members of Weather Report, Utopia, Angel, Soft Machine, Gong, and more!
Los Angeles, CA – As longtime guitarist and co-writer for the powerhouse rock hitmaker Billy Idol, Steve Stevens is widely celebrated as a master of composing forceful, electrifying rock melodies that balance their intensity with an undeniable mainstream appeal. It’s that melodic sensibility matched with an impressive technical mastery that has made Stevens one of the most sought after collaborators in music today. Recently, Stevens accepted an invitation to contribute to the new album from The Prog Collective and the result is one of the purest expressions of Stevens’s creativity ever captured.
For the uninitiated, The Prog Collective, founded and helmed by producer/multi-instrumentalist and famed bassist for Yes Billy Sherwood, has united some of the finest musicians of rock, jazz, metal, pop and everything in between since its founding in 2012. The group’s newest studio effort, entitled Dark Encounters, takes a deliberate turn toward a more brooding and melancholic musical path, filled with haunting ambience and eerie melodic passages. All of this makes Stevens the perfect partner for an exploration into the darker side of prog rock. Check out the album’s first single and the album’s leadoff track, “Darkest Hour,” which is released today on all music platforms.
Dark Encounters is set for release on March 29 and includes contributions from a number of notable musicians and creative geniuses from the legendary Steve Morse, violinist David Cross, and guitar wizard Bumblefoot to keyboardist Patrick Moraz, Utopia’s Kasim Sulton, Gong’s Steve Hillage, and more!
Track List: 1. Darkest Hour with Steve Stevens 2. Ominous Signs with Steve Morse 3. At The Gates with David Cross 4. Dark Days with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Patrick Moraz & Omar Hakim 5. Lonely Landscape with Kasim Sulton 6. The Long Night with Frank Dimino & Marco Minnemann 7. The Quasi Effect with Billy Sherwood 8. The 11th Hour with John Etheridge 9. Between Two Worlds with Steve Hillage & Gregg Bissonette 10. Distant Thunder with Todd Sucherman 11. Dark Money with Joe Bouchard 12. For All To See with Pat Mastelotto 13. Beyond Reason with Chad Wackerman BONUS TRACKS [CD ONLY] 14. I Saw the Light – Todd Rundgren with Rick Wakeman 15. I’m Not In Love – Nektar with Rick Wakeman
Following their recent acclaimed tour in the USA, progressive legends YES are set to return to UK stages in May and June.
22nd February 2024: Hot on the heels of their hugely successful Classic Tales Of Yes American Tour, Progressive Rock legends, YES, are poised to hit the road in the UK once more on a 9-date trek across the country starting on 23rd May at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and ending in London on 4th June at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, a fitting end for such a majestic band.
The Classic Tales Of Yes Tour will see YES mining their rich catalogue to deliver a career spanning set of classics, rarely played vintage cuts and new songs from 1970s Time and a Word right up to Mirror To The Sky, their 23rd album released last year, together with a special section celebrating the 50th anniversary of their momentous Tales From The Topographic Oceans opus.
Every show will feature a Roger Dean gallery in the venues foyer area. Deans masterful artwork of striking other-worldly landscapes has graced classic album covers and posters. He has sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His artwork appears on the cover of the current YES album Mirror To The Sky. Roger is planning to be at each show on the tour, to meet with fans.
Steve Howe, whose association with Yes began in 1970, along with Geoff Downes, a member of the 1980 Drama era line-up are joined by Jon Davison, lead vocalist in Yes for well over a decade now; Billy Sherwood on bass, hand-picked by original bassist Chris Squire and Jay Schellen, who worked closely with Alan White, on drums completing the line-up.
YES are very much looking forward to playing in Europe and the UK during April, May and June this year. It’s been a while since we toured here and we’ve really missed you all. says Steve Howe
Geoff Downes goes on to say: Were very much looking forward to bringing the Classic Tales of YES Tour to the UK and Europe. It promises to be one of our most interesting sets to date, scanning through much of YESs history and with some previously unheard pieces together with music from out latest album, Mirror To The Sky. As always, were committed to pushing new boundaries and are very excited to be performing another chapter in the rich legacy of the band.”
Jon D. here, My band mates and I are very pleased and excited to bring to the UK and parts of the EU our current set of classic Yes music which, covering the rich spectrum of Yestory, delighted US fans last fall. Well be performing many song favourites but also adding rarities, some of which havent been performed in decades! Lets all join together in May, band and audience alike, in celebrating whats best about Yes music. See you there!
Very much looking forward to playing all this wonderful YES music across Europe and the UK. Its an interesting set of music and one that spans the many decades of the bands unique and rich history continues Billy Sherwood
Jay Schellen says: Im very excited and looking forward to performing our 2024 Classic Tales Of YES tour in the UK. This collection of songs is unique in many ways. A classic YES show, thrilling and dynamic! Im sure our fans will be excited and pleased as well!
The Classic Tales of YES UK Tour Dates 2024
Thursday 23 May Manchester Bridgewater Hall* Friday 24 May Glasgow Royal Concert Hall* Sunday 26 May Liverpool Philharmonic Hall* Tuesday 28 May York Barbican* Wednesday 29 May Southend Cliffs Pavilion* Friday 31May Bristol Beacon Saturday 1 June Birmingham Symphony Hall* Sunday 2 June Gateshead The Glasshouse (formerly The Sage*) Tuesday 4 June London Royal Albert Hall
*UK Shows rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
It was fantastic to see the band dig deep and play selections such as It Will Be A Good Day (The River), a song not played live since 2000. What tale can be complete without digging up Tales From Topographic Oceans. The band did a condensed reimagined version which ended the main set with a thunderous ovation. Consider it a treat that YES still exists in 2023. Joseph Suto, ROCK SHOW CRITIQUE
This show is bound to please and have something for everyone. Everyone together produces a sound that is almost indistinguishable from the earlier incarnations. The only real difference is the improvement of technology and better fidelity. If you have enjoyed Yes in the past, you will enjoy this show and if you have never seen them, there is no better time than now. Kim Hansen, GHOST CULT MAG
About YES
Steve Howe: guitars, backing vocals (1970 1981, 19901992, 1995present) Geoff Downes: keyboards (19801981, 2011present) Jon Davison: lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2012present) Billy Sherwood: guitar, backing vocals ((1994, 19972000), bass guitar, backing vocals (2015present) Jay Schellen: drums and percussion (2016-present)
Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans, Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.
With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125.
YES released their 22nd studio album in 2021, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe and which went to No. 1 in the UK Rock Albums Chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No. 20.
In 2022 came the sad news that drummer Alan White, ever-present in the YES line-up for 50 years, had passed away. The news came shortly before the band embarked on their classic, genre-defining album Close To The Edge 50th Anniversary Tour, which he was intending to be a part of until ill-health determined otherwise. The tour was dedicated to Alan.
In February 2023, ahead of the news of the new studio album Mirror To The Sky, YES confirmed Jay Schellen as the new permanent drummer with YES, hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan Whites role. I had done the 2016 tour on my own for Alan, says Jay. From late 2017 onwards, we had a beautiful partnership. I learned and discovered so much about Alans style. His passion and creativity was phenomenal. The new album has Alans presence all over it. It is inside of us. So, this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.
Mirror To The Sky, YES 23rd studio album, was released on 19 May 2023 to universally positive reviews in the music press. Mirror to the Sky is very much a band album, where all five members… have been at the top of their game, stated The Progressive Aspect. YES will continue to have a role to play in shaping the future sounds of prog.
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