Swedish progressive rockers, Moon Safari recently announced their long-awaited new album Himlabacken Vol. 2.Ten years in the making, their 5th studio album will be released on December 6th through Marquee Inc. in Japan and worldwide on December 8th through the band’s own Blomljud Records Inc.
Moon Safari are now pleased to share the video for album’s second single “Emma, Come On.” You can see video here:
The band had this to say about the track: ”Do people still have posters of their favourite artists or movie stars on the walls in their room? This song is about celebrity worshipping, the slightly unhealthy kind. All dressed up in swirling moogs and guitars, as if Genesis in the mid ‘80’s kept one foot in their past and didn’t care for airplay. Which celebrity poster did you hang on your bedroom wall?”
About the making of the album: “It took us ten years, for a million different reasons. But we’re not dead yet. We return with what we know is a worthy comeback album, filled with our own special brand of symphonic rock cultivated over 20 years as an antidote to the long, dark winters of northern Sweden, with those trademark vocal group-inspired harmonies, uplifting melodies and soulful romantic lyrics that our fans have come to expect. With the addition of ex. Black Bonzo drummer Mikael Israelsson to the band we’ve totally revamped and boosted the low end of our sound, tightened it up, and that attitude shift is felt through our entire arrangements.Tying it all together is the mix by the great Rich Mouser. He’s been the go-to guy for the big boys in the genre for many years, and now we understand why. The mix is clear and punchy, booming and never flat. It just sounds expensive, and we couldn’t be happier. You’ll get almost 70 minutes of this heady brew, spread over nine tracks, with zero fillers. And of course there’s the obligatory epic. The whole thing is a banger, and we’re immensely proud of it.”
Track Listing: 1. 198X (Heaven Hill) (3:55) 2. Between the Devil and Me (10:38) 3. Emma, Come On (3:19) 4. A Lifetime to Learn How to Love (8:28) 5. Beyond the Blue (2:12) 6. Blood Moon (5:44) 7. Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse (21:03) 8. Forever, For You (10:08) 9. Epilog (3:22)
Moon Safari is: Petter Sandström – Lead and Backing vocals, Acoustic Guitar Simon Åkesson – Lead and Backing Vocals, Piano, Organ, moog. Pontus Åkesson – Lead and Backing Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitar Sebastian Åkesson – Backing Vocals, assorted keys, percussion. Mikael Israelsson – Backing Vocals, Drums, percussion, keyboards, piano Johan Westerlund – Lead and Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar
Special guest performance by Jamison Smeltz – saxophone on “Forever, For You”
We are excited to announce our upcoming 4th studio album, MANNEQUIN releases 2nd February 2024 on limited edition double orange vinyl, digipak CD, digital download, and streaming. We are now taking preorders from our online merch store at www.kyrosmusic.com
Alongside this exciting announcement, our new single ‘Ghosts Of You’ is available to stream *right now* on all platforms.
We’re also excited to announce that we’ll be heading back out on the road next April alongside Azure. and Leoni Jane Kennedy and hitting up Brighton, Reading, London, and Southampton. Want us to come visit your town? Let us know below
“Our upcoming album, ‘Mannequin’ is like peeling back layers of paint on an old canvas. With each track, we’re exploring the masks we all wear, the stories we tell ourselves to get by.
This album is a real heart-on-sleeve affair for us and it’s probably the most ‘us’ we’ve ever sounded. It’s about what happens when the facade cracks and you’re left with nothing but the truth. Nothing but your true self. We can’t wait for everyone to hear it and perhaps see themselves in it, just like we do.”
And for our new single, Shelby goes on to say:
“This song captures that haunting feeling of chasing the elusive. A theme that carries through a lot of our songs and especially my writing these days. That feeling of seeing remnants of someone or something that once was. The contrast in styles, mashing inspiration from 90s New Jack Swing with progressive rock and big band elements mirrors the feeling of not knowing how to front yourself.”
Today, British rock icons MAGNUM share “Blue Tango”, the first single from their upcoming studio album, ‘Here Comes the Rain’, out January 12th, 2024 via Steamhammer / SPV. the track is accompanied by a new lyric video.
Tony Clarkin had this to say about “Blue Tango,” :
“Apart from MAGNUM’s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises in store, such as ‘Blue Tango’, which is a real riff-rock number that makes you want to move your feet.”
Watch the New Lyric Video for “Blue Tango”
There are few great bands on our planet that can be infallibly identified within the first few bars of one of their songs. With unique melodic skill, tasteful instrumentation, an amazing balance of depth and catchiness, and, of course, that charismatic voice: MAGNUM are Magnum!
The same can be said of their latest studio album ‘Here Comes The Rain’, which will be released via CD + DVD, double vinyl LP, as a box set and for digital download, proving once again that classic rock music could hardly sound more atmospheric.
The album’s highly inspired artwork is once more designed by the great Rodney Matthews, who has already created a number of MAGNUM sleeves to support the band’s atmospherically dense music. Says Tony Clarkin: “The back cover features a kind of avian battalion in attack mode, which I think is a great allegory!”
Apart from MAGNUM‘s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises. First single, “Blue Tango”, is a catchy, guitar rock groover while “The Seventh Darkness”, is filled with awesome brass sections courtesy of guest musicians Chris ‘BeeBe’ Aldridge (saxophone) and Nick Dewhurst (trumpet), which lend the song brilliance and shape.
There is no doubt about it: ‘Here Comes The Rain’ sees the MAGNUM line-up consisting of Catley, Clarkin, keyboardist Rick Benton, bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Lee Morris, once again succeed in creating an outstanding, colorful, varied and inspired new studio album.
“Everyone played their part without me dictating anything,” Clarkin enthuses, “everyone just instinctively played what their inspiration told them.”
Emerald City Council just posted on social media, “Our first single, called Ice Thinning, will be released this Friday, Dec. 1. We can’t wait for you to hear it!!”
Ice Thinning is the first single from the upcoming album Motion Carries due out in early 2024 on Melodic Revolution Records
Ice Thinning is the first single from the upcoming debut album, Motion Carries. This challenging composition demonstrates the ability level and versatility of the group, while still providing strong melodic hooks that will make you want to sing along. The harmony and interplay of the guitar and soprano saxophone create a unique texture that is a prominent feature of the ECC sound. It blends a variety of musical styles, including a tribute to Jake’s uncle, the great Kerry Livgren, and lyrically, it is a call to set aside differences and hatred to find common ground. For fans of prog or people who just enjoy great rock music, this is the song for you!
Emerald City Council are: Jake Livgren-lead and backing vocals, keyboard Noah Hungate-drums Jeremy Nichols-bass Seth Hankerson-guitar Brent Bristow-saxophones, keyboards, recorder, guitar, vocals
Music and Lyrics by Brent Bristow Produced by Brent Bristow
The Affinity Oeuvre is the 4th Aethellis release and features a collection of instrumentals and songs with lyrics that reflect the challenges people have faced in the past few years. The music styles are eclectic as well, ranging from prog-rock to new wave to pop to jazz fusion; the diversity being representative of the diverse situations people have experienced recently. The latest Aethellis release differs from the previous three as the spotlight is on guitarist/vocalist Mark Van Natta, both compositionally and vocally. Ellsworth Hall and Erik Marks still contributed to the album, however, adding their signature composition styles.
Tracklist 1. Anandia 12:36 2. Affinifunk 03:26 3. Pathdancer 05:28 4. Dreams On Pause 03:40 5. Do Like I Do 03:15 6. Chicago News 03:35 7. Another Car 04:23 8. Let Me Be Me 03:33 9. The Stennis Compromise 02:09 10. Why Do You Keep Fighting 05:03 11. RIP 04:32
Aethellis is:
Ellsworth Hall – Keyboards, Vocals, Guitar, Drum Controller Mark Van Natta – Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Keyboard Erik Marks – Bass
Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Ellstudio, Timonium MD, USA Portions recorded at the Van Natta home studio, Cockeysville MD, USA
16th November 2023: Legendary rock guitarist Steve Hackett will release his new studio album The Circus And The Nightwhale on 16th February 2024, via InsideOut Music. A rite-of-passage concept album with a young character called Travla at the center of it, The Circus And The Nightwhales 13 tracks have an autobiographical angle for the musician who says about his 30th solo release: I love this album. It says the things I’ve been wanting to say for a very long time.
The Circus And The Nightwhale is Steve’s first new music in over two years. It follows the beautiful acoustic LP Under A Mediterranean Sky from January 2021 which rose to No. 2 in the UK Classical chart and, in September of that year, his metallic masterpiece Surrender Of Silence, which hit the UK Top 40. His 2023 live album, Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton, reached No. 2 on the Rock & Metal Chart. Steves’s new LP promises ballads, blues, blistering progressive rock… and healthy measures of theatre and fantasia.
Recorded between tours in 2022 and 2023 at Siren studio in the UK with guest parts beamed in from Sweden, Austria, the US, Azerbaijan, and Denmark, the line-up for The Circus And The Nightwhale includes some familiar faces alongside Steve on electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass, and vocals. Roger King (keyboards, programming, and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums), and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D’Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as guests on the drum stool, engineer extraordinaire Benedict Fenner appears on keyboards and Malik Mansurov is back with the tar. Finally, Steve’s brother John Hackett is present once more on flute.
The new album will be available to pre-order from the 1st December 2023 on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray media book (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high-resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh.
The full tracklisting is as follows:
1. People Of The Smoke
2. These Passing Clouds
3. Taking You Down
4. Found And Lost
5. Enter The Ring
6. Get Me Out!
7. Ghost Moon and Living Love
8. Circo Inferno
9. Breakout
10. All At Sea
11. Into The Nightwhale
12. Wherever You Are
13. White Dove
Summing up the Circus And The NightwhaleSteve says: It’s a lovely journey that starts dirty, scratchy, and smoky and becomes heavenly and divine. How can you resist it?
Steve is currently on tour in North America, continuing his Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights run. Next year he will tour the world extensively, including a brand-new UK tour under the name Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo, and that will see him return to the legendary Royal Albert Hall. For the full list of dates, head to: http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
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