Rikard Sjöblom’s Gungfly recently announced the release of ‘Friendship’, their brand new studio album, due out on November 9th, 2018. Following the release of 2017’s ‘On Her Journey To The Sun’, as well as 2018’s retrospective 5CD collection ‘Rumbling Box’, the band masterminded by former Beardfish frontman & current Big Big Train member Rikard Sjöblom.
Today a video for the track ‘Ghost of Vanity’ has been launched and you can watch that here:
Rikard comments: ”A song that really just came to me all at once while I was strumming away on my guitar one day, lyrics and all. I kept singing ‘I don’t want no part in this’ over and over at first and then started partake in. Well, vanity is something I’ve never been a big fan of but one way or another we’re all slaves to it. I think most people, especially teenagers and young adults strive to live up to unrealistic expectations from TV-commercials or the superficial parts of showbiz. I remember when I was a kid and thought everything they said on TV was true, or at least didn’t reflect too much about whether thinking about what it was I didn’t want to it was real or not. No matter how much we try to not care about how cool or pretty or rich we are, I think it gets to us. The ghost of vanity is always present and I guess it takes a lot of reflecting over your own identity and a lot of courage to try to be yourself. I admire those who truly are.”
The album will be available as a limited CD Digipak & gatefold 2LP + CD (both including 3 bonus tracks) as well as digital download. Pre-order now here: https://Gungfly.lnk.to/Friendship
The full track-listing is as follows:
1.Ghost of Vanity
2.Friendship
3.They Fade
4.A Treehouse in a Glade
5.Stone Cold
6.If You Fall, Pt. 2
7.Crown of Leaves
8.Slow Dancer (Bonus Track)
9.Past Generation (Bonus Track)
10.Friendship (Utopian Radio Edit) (Bonus Track)
Rikard comments of the musical direction: “Musically, what can I say? This is prog rock, but I want to be free to move in whatever direction the music wants to go and I happily go exploring where it wants to take me. Even though there are a few softer songs and sections, most of the album turned out to be a rocker; a collection of hard rock songs with lots of tricky parts, some heavier moments and some downright jazzy elements too!”
Rikard Sjöblom is perhaps best known as the multi-instrumentalist frontman of Beardfish, who established themselves as one of the most consistently brilliant modern-day progressive rock bands over the course of eight studio albums. In recent years, he has also become known for his work with English progressive collective Big Big Train, playing live with them as well as performing on their most recent studio album ‘The Second Brightest Star’ as well as the new live album ‘Merchants of Light’.
THE TANGENT, the progressive rock group led by Andy Tillison, will release their 10th studio album ‘Proxy’ on November 16th, 2018. Recorded during the band’s tour with Karmakanic in 2017/18, which saw them with more chances than normal to work together on the record – hotel writing sessions, van discussions, soundcheck ideas – all of which have allowed the band to make an album that is as organic as they have ever achieved since their formation 15 years ago.
Watch a trailer for the album here, featuring some snippets of brand new music, here:
‘Proxy’ is now available to pre-order as limited CD digipak, 180g vinyl + CD (including several coloured vinyl versions) & as digital download here: https://the-tangent.lnk.to/Proxy
Andy Tillison comments: “Our belief is that Progressive Rock music is still a valid and viable musical form in 2018 and will continue to be so. Our band has always sought to take on board things from the present and add them to that magical mix. We don’t claim to be offering the FUTURE. We just claim to be offering one set of possibilities. Ours. Now.”
‘Proxy’ is a riot of juxtaposing styles, presented in a really direct manner and despite being firmly rooted in the stylistic traits of the Progressive Rock Genre takes some unexpected turnoffs and a major swerve. The albums kicks off with a trademark Tangent prog fantasia based around growling Hammonds, shrieking Synths, whirling guitars and sharp percussive bass – influences of ELP, Egg, Hatfield & the North, Caravan and Camel proudly worn on their sleeves. This 16-minute title track eventually becomes a protest song about the continuing wars that share their name with the song.
But this album features no overall concept. The second track is a sun-drenched Mediterranean fusion instrumental, more Chick Corea than Che Guevara. And the third track is referred to by the band as an attempt to find the missing link between Porcupine Tree and Jamiroquai. By the time we reach the centrepiece epic track ‘The Adulthood Lie’, the rulebook has been left behind and the band are trying to fix the car with whatever is at hand.
The Tangent came of age some time ago now. After 15 years with a constant presence on the periphery of the scene, this album is the next step on the road from a band who have painstakingly revered and recreated the past, with one eye on the future.
The album will be available as a limited CD digipak, Vinyl LP + CD & as digital download. The full track-listing is as follows:
1.Proxy
2.The Melting Andalusian Skies
3.A Case of Misplaced Optimism
4.The Adulthood Lie
5.Supper’s Off
6.Excerpt From “Exo-Oceans” (Bonus Track)
The album features the following players:
Andy Tillison – Vocals, Lyrics, Keyboards, Composer
Jonas Reingold (The Sea Within, Steve Hackett Band) – Bass Guitar
Theo Travis (Soft Machine, Travis-Fripp) – Sax & Flute
Luke Machin (Maschine, Francis Dunnery Band) – Guitar
Steve Roberts (ex Magenta, Godsticks) – Drums
With special guest: Goran Edman (Karmakanic) – Vocals
‘Proxy’ follows the release of 2017’s ‘The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery’ which received fantastic reviews upon release:
“Eloquent, far-reaching prog” – Prog Magazine
“sophisticated and spot on” – Classic Rock
“This is essential listening” – Powerplay
STORYUM, symphonic-electro band from Slovakia, have released the music video for the second single, “All In”, taken from their forthcoming album, “We Are The Fire”, out on October 12 via Musicarchy Media.
“All In”, filmed in Slovakia, was directed and edited by Elena Mazzei, who already worked on former Skylark singer Kiara Laetitia‘s video “Luv Calamity”.
The new album “We Are The Fire”, is the second full-length for the band and features 10 brand new songs.
Tracklisting:
1. We Are The Fire
2. Half Moon
3. When The Storm Comes
4. All In
5. Higher
6. Take A Rest
7. Play With Me
8. Mother
9. Do You Know Me
10. Own Ghost
STORYUM have been formed in 2006 by JJ (guitars), who was later joined by childhood friend, Ness, on drums, Tie on bass and Raw on vocals. STORYUM succeeded in combing powerful metal riffs with disco-electro parts, symphonic moments and pop choruses – the result is a unique STORYUM sound. In 2011, the band released debut album “Insomnia” via Ravenheart Music.
Poets of The Fall new single + music video Dancing on Broken Glass is out!
This is the 2nd single from our upcoming album Ultraviolet. Ultraviolet will be the group’s eighth album and will be released this October, with an international follow-up tour. Poets of the Fall (POTF) is a Finnish alternative rock band from Helsinki. The group consists of Marko Saaresto (lead vocals), Olli Tukiainen (lead guitar), Markus “Captain” Kaarlonen (keyboards, production), Jani Snellman (bass guitar), Jaska Mäkinen (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), and Jari Salminen (drums, percussion).
Poets of the Fall: New album + merch sale
The release of new Poets of the Fall album “Ultraviolet” is less than a month away. Pre-order exclusive bundles and new merchandise from the official webshop.
HAKEN, one of progressive music’s most exciting bands, recently announced details of their much-anticipated fifth studio album titled ‘Vector’, due for release on the October 26th, 2018. The album was produced by the band themselves, and recorded & mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend Project), with the artwork once again being handled by Blacklake.
Now they are pleased to reveal the video for the album’s first single, titled ‘The Good Doctor’, directed by Stuart White. Watch it now here:
HAKEN, one of progressive music’s most exciting bands, recently announced details of their much-anticipated fifth studio album titled ‘Vector’, due for release on the October 26th, 2018. The album was produced by the band themselves, and recorded & mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend Project), with the artwork once again being handled by Blacklake.
Now they are pleased to reveal the video for the album’s first single, titled ‘The Good Doctor’, directed by Stuart White.
Watch it now here:
They add on the video: “Making this video was a very cool, creative experience for us. Our director Stuart White presented his interpretation of the song in which we follow a man experiencing a manic, psychotic episode. Combined with the band footage, it encapsulates the energy of the song splendidly.”
The band will embark on an epic tour starting this October in North America, with dates in South American & European tour dates for 2019.
Haken & Leprous with Bent Knee:
October 30th – The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI
October 31st– Opera House, Toronto, ON
November 1st – Astral, Montreal, QC
November 2nd– Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA
November 3rd – Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
November 4th – The Sinclair, Boston, MA
November 6th – Soundstage, Baltimore, MD
November 7th – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
November 8th – The Orpheum, Tampa, FL
November – 9th Revolution, Fort Lauderdale, FL
November 10th – The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
November 11th – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
November 13th – Gas Monkey, Dallas, TX
November 14th – Barracuda, Austin, TX
November 16th – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ
November 17th – Glasshouse, Pomona, CA
November 18th – August Hall, San Francisco, CA
November 19th – Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
November 20th – The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
November 21st – Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, BC
November 23rd – Metro Music Hall, Salt Lake City, UT
November 24th – Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
November 25th – Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS
November 26th – Delmar Hall, St Louis, MO
November 27th – Exit/In, Nashville, TN
November 29th – Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
November 30th – Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
December 1st – Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
‘Vector’ will be available as Limited edition 2CD Mediabook (including instrumental versions), Gatefold vinyl 2LP + CD, Standard CD Jewelcase & as digital download. Pre-order now here: https://haken.lnk.to/Vector
track-listing
1. Clear
2. The Good Doctor
3. Puzzle Box
4. Veil
5. Nil By Mouth
6. Host
7. A Cell Divides
To celebrate the announcement of the new album, the band ran a competition for one lucky fan’s artwork to be etched into the fourth side of the vinyl version of the record. They invited people to submit their own version of the Rorshach test ink-blot which graces the album cover, and the winner was revealed as Shakoor Bukhuth aka SHAUN BEYOND.
Since their inception in 2007, Haken have shown over four previous studio albums, one EP and a live release that they never stand still, merely satisfied to rely on past triumphs. Rather, Haken always look for ways to challenge themselves as musicians and artists, and also to keep the listeners on their collective toes. “We don’t like to make simple music,” laughs vocalist Ross Jennings. “We always aim to defy expectations, and I believe we’ve surpassed what we aimed to achieve with our new album.”
Their fifth studio record sees the band going in a heavier direction with the music. “We’ve always had a heavy influence”, explains guitarist Charlie Griffiths, “but it was obvious from the riffs that were naturally coming out of us early in the writing process that this would be a more metal album. These are some of the most riff driven songs we’ve ever written.” As is usual, Haken produced the album themselves, but for the first time they have enlisted Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood during the recording and mixing stages. Formerly bassist with Periphery, in the last couple of years he has built a reputation as a fine producer. “We produced the album ourselves, as we always do,” insists Jennings. “But we’re fans of what Adam has done with Periphery, Sikth and Devin Townsend. He has a great reputation for the heavier end of our genre”.
But if this album is musically heavy, then there’s an underlying theme running through the seven songs which is certainly esoteric and fascinating. “The scene is set with the track The Good Doctor, which was a really fun song. Musically it feels like a logical step from ‘Affinity’, but lyrically it’s a bit more theatrical and about as ‘rock opera’ as Haken has ever got”, explains Griffiths. “It’s about a Doctor with an intriguing, perhaps sinister interest in a particular patient. From there the story enters the point-of-view of the patient – who appears to be catatonic, but his mind is sparking with what could be memories, or delusions brought on by the treatment he’s receiving – we leave this up to the listeners to decide. Although we don’t want to give too much away, people who are familiar with our back catalogue will have fun discovering further clues we’ve planted throughout the album. And that’s the challenge for the fans – to find out for themselves their own meaning for ‘Vector’ as an album”.
Photo by Will Ireland
HAKEN are:
Ross Jennings
Richard Henshall
Charlie Griffiths
Diego Tejeida
Conner Green
Ray Hearne
Progressive rock instrumentalists GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA from Stockholm, Sweden will be releasing their newest, 5th studio album effort entitled ‘ET EX’ on October 12th, 2018 via InsideOutMusic worldwide.
Progressive rock instrumentalists GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA from Stockholm, Sweden will be releasing their newest, 5th studio album effort entitled ‘ET EX’ on October 12th, 2018 via InsideOutMusic worldwide.
Therefore, GBS are launching a first single today with the start of the album’s pre-order.
GBS checked in with the following comment about the track: “To us, ‘CLC&R‘ is a logical progression in the continuous chiseling of the sound that is Gösta Berlings Saga – or at least parts of it. While the song itself is very minimalistic and repetitive, we didn’t spare any expenses on this one instrumentation-wise to achieve a sense of contrast – for instance by inviting Lars Åhlund from Soen on saxophone. Basically, it’s a simple and powerful tune with a complex soundscape!”
The “ET EX“ album was recorded throughout a year-long period from May 2017 until May 2018 in various studios with the help of producer Daniel Fagerström and mastered by Heba Kadry at Timeless Mastering (Björk, The Mars Volta).
The album’s final track-listing reads as follows:
1. Veras tema
2. The Shortcomings of Efficiency
3. Square 5
4. Over and Out
5. Artefacts
6. Capercaillie Lammergeyer Cassowary & Repeat
7. Brus från stan
8. Fundament
Next to an initial Digipak CD format and the Digital Album format, “ET EX“ will also be available as 180gr. LP (with the entire album on CD as a bonus) on black vinyl, but also as strictly limited runs on clear vinyl (100x copies via IOM webshop / CM Distro) and on silver vinyl (200x copies via the band directly).
The music of GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA is an incredibly dynamic Nordic instrumental adventure, tilting from melodic, starkly beautiful lines shimmering like an aurora borealis over the desolate Arctic tundra, to powerful and aggressive riffs reminiscent of glacier calves crashing into rugged Scandinavian fjords. Over the years the band’s music has been compared to King Crimson, Goblin and Radiohead, mixed into their very own and peculiar sonic universe.
GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA was formed in 2000 in the Stockholm suburb of Vällingby, taking its band name from one of the most famous works in Swedish literature, the debut novel of Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, which was published in 1891. To date GBS have released 4 albums as follows: “Tid Är Ljud” (translated “Time Is Sound”) in 2006, “Detta Har Hänt” (translated “This Has Happened”) in 2009, “Glue Works“ in 2011 and most recently “Sersophane” in late 2016. While the latest release came out through the band’s own label Icosahedron Music, GBS have now teamed up with InsideOutMusic as new worldwide label partner to launch their upcoming, fifth studio album entitled “ET EX” on October 12th, 2018.
Stay tuned for more news on GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA coming soon…
GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA – Live 2018:
Sept 8 – Tivedstorp, Sweden – Electric Moon Fest
Oct 5 – Stockholm, Sweden – Slaktkyrkan
Oct 6 – Göteborg, Sweden – Truckstop Alaska
More dates to be announced soon…
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