18th May 2023: ASIA are a multi-platinum selling, English Rock band who formed in 1981 and celebrated their 40th Anniversary in 2021. ASIA announce the release of Phoenix for the first time as a 2 vinyl LP set on 26th May. Phoenix was originally released in 2008 and was their first studio album with the original line-up in a quarter century.
In terms of sound this emotional, compelling comeback album sees Asia continue the very high standards from where they left off in 1985, as ever displaying suppleness when stretching out into multi-part suites while retaining a knack for big, arena pop hooks.
Their 1982 self-titled debut album reached number one in several countries, including 9 weeks topping the US charts, with lead single Heat Of The Moment making the top 40 in over a dozen, including US #4.
This is the second of four critically acclaimed reunion releases (2007-2012) featuring vocalist John Wetton ex of King Crimson, guitarist Steve Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes from Yes and drummer Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
The sleeve comprise unique artwork by world famous rock music artist Roger Dean.
Tracklisting
Side A 1. Never Again 2. Nothing’s Forever 3. Heroine
Side B 1. Sleeping Giant / No Way Back / Reprise 2. Alibis 3. I Will Remember You
Side C 1. Shadow Of A Doubt 2. Parallel Worlds / Vortex / Déyà 3. Wish I’d Known All Along
Side D 1. Orchard Of Mines 2. Over And Over 3. An Extraordinary Life
Pooling the talents of bassist/vocalist John Wetton, drummer Carl Palmer, keyboardist Geoff Downes and guitarist Steve Howe, ASIA immediately became the epitome of a supergroup of rock aristocracy and the natural heir to its members legendary bands of the 70s King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Buggles and Yes.
Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound that dominated US airwaves and took that, and the new MTV video channel, by storm. The single Heat Of The Moment was a world-wide monster smash and their eponymous 1982 debut album spent an incredible 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart as Asia became the biggest selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out.
A second album, Alpha, was released in 1983. The four original members reconvened in 2006 for a world tour, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that incredible success, and the album Phoenix followed.
While the members were still heavily involved in other projects, they came together again to record Omega in 2010 and XXX in 2012, both albums were acclaimed by their faithful fans and supported by more world tours.
Steve Howe stepped back from ASIA to concentrate on his work with YES and was absent for 2014s Gravitas. Following this tour came the news of John Wettons treatment for cancer, a fight he sadly lost in 2017.
Prog music artist Leon Alvarado will be releasing a new box set of his most recent album “Charging The Electric Dream” on May17th! The set includes the original CD of the very well-received album plus a second CD containing “Outisde The Dream” (Epic version) which serves as the soundtrack for the short film of the same name. The box set also includes two full color post cards recreating some of the promotional poster and a numbered and signed presentation card. All the materials are neatly contained in an elegant, collectible box with a color-printed insert and it’s own unique artwork.
Says Leon, “The project as a whole has taken a long time to come to fruition, so I wanted to give it a release with all the trimmings. I think collectors will find great enjoyment and additional engagment in this box set.”
The music housed in this box set was recorded periodically over a span of several decades. A video for the title track was released concurrently with the album on Decemeber of last year followed by “Outside The Dream” the short film which was released on February 15th along with its soundtrack. The Box set will be sold exclusively through Melodic Revolution Records.
Primarily known for his record label and music promotion artwork, in 2008 Leon Alvarado released his first album,“Plays Genesis and Other Original Stuff”as an ode to one of his favorite bands. Since then, he has released several records and worked alongside an impressive list of well-known musicians such as Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison (Yes), John Goodsall (Brand X), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, KC), Jerry Marotta, (Peter Gabriel), John Helliwell (Supertramp), Tony Franklin (The Firm), Johnny Bruhns, (Circa), Edoardo Scordo, Damian Darlington (Brit Floyd), Ty Tabor (King’s X) to name a few.
Leon’s musical output can be categorized as a blend of Prog Rock with Ambient, some Classical and a measure of Fusion. Each piece, as well as his library as a whole, is a constantly evolving musical landscape that can simultaneously embrace the listener in familiarity, while embarking on exciting and experimental journeys of sound.
Personnel: Leon Alvarado all instruments Engineered by Leon Alvarado Engineering Assistance by John Douglass Mastering by Maor Appelbaum
Hello everyone, The time has sadly come to announce the departure of our bassist, Peter Episcopo. This was by no means sudden to the rest of the band as we’ve been aware of this decision for a while. Our recent shows were our last with Peter and the feeling was incredibly bittersweet and we feel privileged and grateful that more people than ever came out to see us and share the send off with us. We will all continue to be close friends with Peter and look forward to many more happy memories ahead outside of Kyros. Let’s all wish Peter the best of luck for his future endeavors! A few words from the man himself:
“Hi all, My last note with Kyros was a D#, at the end of Cloudburst at the Lower Third in London. I never wanted it to end on that note, but hey.. After almost 10 years, it feels surreal to be announcing my departure from Kyros. The band has been a big part of my life ever since Shelby graced me with bass duties back in 2014. Playing with Robin, Joey and Shelby has been an absolute honour, a treasure that I will always hold dear. They’re insanely gifted musicians and keeping up with their skill level has been one heck of a challenge. I remember walking into our third ever rehearsal with a shirt saying ‘Sorry girls, I’m gay… The bond grew strong. Fellow musicians quickly became friends. Friends became family. Jesus, so dramatic… All I’m trying to say is that I’m very fond of them. My eyes got watery when I last hugged them at the end of our last show together. I wish them all the best and will always be a fan of their music. I’m massively looking forward to the new material and I’m very proud of what we have achieved and to have been a part of this adventure.
I would like to take this opportunity to also thank you all for the continuous support over the years. I’ve met many lovely people and have played alongside many incredible bands on this journey. I don’t know where, I don’t know when, but I know we’ll meet again. All the best, Peter”
And with our next shows a mere four months away – we must press on ahead and the search begins for a new bassist for Kyros Time is of the essence but we are determined to find someone who fits our ethos, drive, determination and tenacity. We are ideally looking for a bassist who is based in the south/midlands of England, has a good ear for learning parts aurally, is capable of basic keyboard playing and backing vocals.
If you think you fit the bill, we’d love to hear from you ASAP.
To get started – send us some footage of you playing, plus some brief words about yourself to band@kyrosmediagroup.com
We’ve been Kyros. You’ve been amazing. Here’s to the future. Shelby, Joey & Robin
Melodic Revolution Records is proud to announce that Ten Jinn’s 6th studio album ARDIS the new release is now available worldwide for pre-order with an official release date of May 26, 2023.
About The Album Ten Jinn’s new record, Ardis (a concept album in song-cycle form) is loosely inspired by Jack London’s Novel, the Iron Heel, first published in 1908, and tells the story of an Oligarchy, which takes over America during the first decades of the 20th century. This chaotic period of the past is viewed through the lens of a 27th-century scholar (Anthony Meredith) working out of the “wonder city” of Ardis in the year 419 B.O.M. (Brotherhood of Man), still standing four centuries after the fall of the totalitarian state and leading to the eventual rise of an enlightened society.
The songs are organized in a “cinematic” manner, moving between the two aforementioned time periods, and shifting between the two points of view in an effort to provide a musically contrasting arc of the storyline. It is the juxtaposition of these two diametrically opposed societal structures that is important and, as such, specific mention of the main characters in the book was intentionally left out of the record.
Singles released include. Adumbrations: beginning of the end, Slaves of the Machine, and Nightmare
Track-list
1. Elegy 1 (01:29) 2. Brotherhood of Man (04:02) 3. Slaves of the Machine (05:47) 4. Say Aye/Bishop’s Vision (06:50) 5. Elegy II (05:49) 6. Adumbrations: beginning of the end (03:52) 7. The Red Virgin (07:54) 8. Nightmare (04:18) 9. Ardis/Elegy III (07:32)
Total run time: 47:25
The Band
John Strauss – Lead and backing vocals, piano, and keyboards Mark Wickliffe – Drums, percussion, bass, electric guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals. Mike Matier – Electric and acoustic guitars. Matt Brown – Keyboards and backing vocals. Matt Overholser – Bass. Kenneth Francis – Electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, and bass.
Special guest: Stan Whitaker – Guitar solo “Say Aye.”
*lyrics for “Bishop’s Vision” borrowed in-part from the poem Easter Day (1881) by Oscar Wilde
Production Produced by Mark Wickliffe, John Strauss and Ken Francis Arrangements by Ten Jinn Recorded at: The Torture Chamber (Panorama City, CA), Stone House Studio (Honey Brook, PA), Babaji’s Cave (Van Nuys, CA) and Radd Studio (Van Nuys, CA), Bear Lake Studio (Big Bear, CA) Mixed by Kenneth Francis at Babaji’s Cave (Van Nuys, CA) Mastered by Ken Skoglund at Sound Control Studio (Sweden)
Album layout: Nick at A zene háza Management: Steve Troegler
Swindon’s Lighterthief label has released the debut single by THE 3 CLUBMEN – comprised of ANDY PARTRIDGE, JEN OLIVE and STU ROWE.‘Aviatrix is the first offering from their eponymous debut EP (out June 30 with CDs available exclusively via Burning Shed) – an avant-pop delight offering a strange, seductive blend of experimental pop, jazz and sci-fi cinema excellence.
The 3 Clubmen is the culmination of a decade of antics from these longtime collaborators, who started writing and recording this material years ago. While each artist has worked with the others in some form since 2008, this is the first time Stu, Andy and Jen have combined forces as a trio, an inevitable partnership once described as “a three-headed Frankenstein’s monster dancing at a neurodivergent singles club”.
Partridge notes, “Like an ‘action painter’ throws colour at a canvas, we tend to throw musical and sound things, knowing that we’ll cut through this seemingly insane mess later, to hopefully find some beautiful garden, hiding there. I throw paint, Jen throws paint, Stu throws paint…and we walk away. If, when we return, something in there calls to us, we’ll move heaven and earth to get it out and let it breath. Using whatever it takes, be it contrary musical ideas, parts in clashing keys incongruous sounds, contradictory words/phrases. Its all clay to us.”
TRACK LIST
1. Aviatrix 2. Racecar 3. Green Green Grasshopper 4. Look At Those Stars
CREDITS All songs written and performed by The 3 Clubmen Music by Andy Partridge, Jen Olive and Stu Rowe Lyrics by Andy Partridge and Jen Olive Recorded and produced between 2010 and 2023 in The Lighterthief Bunker, Swindon, England Additional recordings in Albuquerque, New Mexico Andy Partridge – vocals, guitars, programming and production Jen Olive – vocals and guitar Stu Rowe – bass, guitars, keys, programming and production Frank Abrams – flute Mikey Rowe – keys Curtis Tweed – slide guitar Andreas Rebhuhn – drums ‘Bangy’ – percussion Produced by Stu Rowe Mixed by The Encyclopedia Salesmen Mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering
Austrian funk prog metallers Hog Meets Frog recently released their third EP this past February. The record is a non-conceptual concept EP under the motto of the title: “humANIMALization”. Its purpose is to be witty and entertaining as it flirts with obscurity and is meant to be entirely thought-provoking for listeners.
Frontman Peter ’PETZ’ Schwabl explains:
“When the animal in the human awakens, then, for example, one turns into a bigot monkey and the other becomes an insecure piggy, one becomes a peeping control bear and the other becomes a greedy stock market bull. Just this behavior – sometimes silly, monkey or also clumsy, bearish – is told in the lyrics, as well as through the wide range of sound worlds and riffs.”
Today, in support of the EP, the band is sharing their Claymation video for the track “Of Snakes ‘n’ Moles ‘n’ Bulls ‘n’ Dough”.
“The text tells of a friendship between a snake and a mole and a greedy bull who is addicted to the madness of money-making and wants to break up the friends to get more money himself. In the end, of course, friendship wins. Musically, this song starts with a stonerous riff and then slides into a dry narrative stomping, and then further into a spherical reverberant sound of delirium.” says bassist/vocalist – Peter ’PETZ’ Schwabl.
Watch and listen to “Of Snakes ‘n’ Moles ‘n’ Bulls ‘n’ Dough”
With influences ranging all over the musical spectrum from progressive and death metal to jazz, to world music and funk, there is something for everyone in the riffs and chords that Hog Meets Frog presents on this avant-garde record.
The band finds that the best approach to serious topics is with fun and that is emphasized with “humANIMALization”. Most people will first notice the cheerful, funny, sick side of Hog Meets Frog, but a few will remove the mask and then let themselves fall into the deepest depths of the music and lyrics and see what thoughts lie dormant there: Stories that life writes.
Adventurous listeners are invited to go through the looking glass and find the deeper meaning in each of the tracks on the EP, or simply frolic in the bright colours on the surface. “humANIMALization” is recommended for fans of System of a Down, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, TOOL, and Frank Zappa.
“If you are a fan of the jerky, spiky, awkward sounds of Primus you’ll love this. I daresay if you enjoy a bit of early Red Hot Chili Peppers you may also dig this – certain parts of the record do have a sneak peek toward Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown – not too obviously, but those sly, sideways little looks are there.” – Ever- Metal UK “‘Does humor belong in music?’ was once a question that the late/great Frank Zappa asked – and Austrian funk-prog metallists apparently agree wholeheartedly, as evidenced within the video for their new tune, “Peeping-Bear’s Exegesis of Not Peeping,” – Bravewords “Many hard rockers like when it is funky. Then this cool act must not be overlooked! This unit is a tight bunch of players and they have catchy tunes, for sure… Well worth checking out for fans of crazy funky hard rock.” – Melodic.net “There’s an element of uniqueness to how each of these songs are written, although you can’t deny the clear influence of say the Primus bass lines or Zappa-esc experimentation, yet it is within the niche, thematic storytelling that gives Hog Meets Frog a real musical identity. The way they can tell a story with humour yet allow you to consider the real and often times scary true circumstances behind where these stories originate is what gives this band their staple. Certainly one to look out for in the future, long live Sqeekquackmusic!” – Metal Epidemic “If I had to draw a comparison for this band… it’d be Primus, heavy catchy, quirky and big bass guitar. Great stuff!” – Mosh Pit Radio 89.9 FM (Madison, WI) “They’re from Austria. One of the greatest song titles (Peeping-Bear’s Exegesis of Not Peeping) I’ve ever heard. That’s all you’re getting. Press play and share the adventure” – Metallum Sub Terra “If the song titles like Apes don’t smoke cigars, just pipes are very funny, the musical aspects are of very high quality and definitely not “suitable for a headband”. Sure, funk isn’t a run-of-the-mill genre to sing along to, but sophisticated music at the highest level. So to speak, jazz music of the metal species. One can clearly register the inspiration of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Primus and Co. on this record, whereby the songs transport positive energy.” – Rock Magazine “Overall – As chaotic as claimed, with quirky features, throughout, it’s fair to say that you never know where this is going to go, next. Trippy, outlandish and bizarre, it’s a wacky wonderland, all of its own… ‘HumANIMALIZATION’ can never be accused of being boring or predictable. Spicy and novel, in equal measure, it may appeal more to niche audiences. Hard to summarise easily, it’s a case of suck it and see.” – Rock Queen Reviews
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.
