The first single “Outrage Olympics” is now streaming on all digital platforms. Plus the album Impostor! is available for pre-order on Bandcamp and the 7D Media website.
Led by the remarkable Kansas violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon, who also serves as the frontman and lead singer, Stratospheerius boasts a talented lineup including guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale (Thrilldriver), keyboardist Bill Hubauer (Neal Morse Band, Crack the Sky), bassist Paul Ranieri (Mark Wood, Riot Act), and drummer Jason Gianni (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock of Ages, Neal Morse Band).
The band’s sixth album “Impostor!” will be released on October 11 by 7d Media. Their album features an impressive array of guest musicians from the prog rock world, such as Michael Sadler (Saga), Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree), Fernando Perdomo (Jacob Dylan), Chloe Lowery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Val Vigoda (Groovelilly), and multi instrumentalist Rachel Flowers.
Press release 6 September 2024 Images/downloads: www.jazzsabbath.net/press.php JAZZ SABBATH – THE 1968 TAPES
Some would say The 1968 Tapes is Jazz Sabbath’s third album on which the trio, helmed by longtime Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne keys and guitar player Adam Wakeman, present 7 new exploratory jazz arrangements based on Black Sabbath tracks from the period 1970-1973.
You can also choose to believe the album’s liner notes:
Although never released until recently, Jazz Sabbath’s music has been finding its way to millions for over 50 years. Through a vicious cycle of personal tragedy and plagiarism the songs intended to change the jazz world ended up giving birth to a much darker sound. Now a third recording from the Sixties has resurfaced, perhaps their most important one.
In 1968 Jazz Sabbath were an instant hit on the UK jazz scene. It wasn’t long until they were offered a record deal. This first recording was rejected by the label; the label manager said it was too experimental and had no hit potential. However, just like the tracks from albums that followed, these tracks were also shamelessly presented as ‘original songs’ by that band from Birmingham a few years later. Their lasting popularity, even in the crude way they were covered, only proves just how monumental these songs were and how record labels are often wrong.
With the truth now finally out there and that Birmingham band exposed as the musical charlatans they are, Jazz Sabbath have finally mastered the 1968 tapes to present their best work to the public.
Video link:
The 1968 Tapes will be released November 29th via Blacklake Records on Vinyl, CD, Cassette and all streaming/download platforms. The track Supernaut is streaming on all digital platforms now.
Track Listing 1 Into The Void 2 Spiral Architect 3 Warning 4 The Wizard 5 Electric Funeral 6 Supernaut 7 War Pigs
The 1968 Tapes is the follow-up to 2022’s Vol. 2 which received praise from both the jazz and the rock media and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. The trio will embark on an extensive UK/IE tour in 2025, followed by shows throughout Europe and beyond.
Jazz Sabbath will present this album in an all-new live show in 2025.
Dates in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Greece have already been announced.
Get tickets here or click on the venue name for tickets and info.
Cult Swedish progressive rockers Beardfish began playing their first live shows together this year since breaking up in 2016, and now they are very pleased to announce the release of a brand new studio album titled ‘Songs For Beating Hearts’ on November 1st, 2024. Coinciding with this announcement is the launch of a brand new single titled ‘In The Autumn’, a piece of music that some may recognise from their recent live dates. This song is a duet between Rikard Sjöblom & guest vocalist Amanda Örtenhag.
Watch the video now here:
“I think the reunion became an idea in 2021, a few years ago,” explains Rikard Sjöblom. “We started talking about doing something. People had made amends, and I guess everyone started missing being in a band together, and missing each other! We all kept in touch, and things ended up on the right foot in many aspects, and then we started talking about maybe meeting up and trying to play something. I had a couple of new songs written, and they really sounded like Beardfish, and I had some instrumental doodles that I was working on. So we met up and tried to play. The first thing we played was Without Saying Anything from Mammoth, and we started jamming and it felt like home, even after many years. I felt like, ‘These are my brothers!’
With strong echoes of past glories but a whole new vibe of wistful wonderment, Songs For Beating Hearts is a glowing testament to the magic that happens when these four musicians join forces. From the dreamy melancholy of the opening Ecotone and the intricate opulence of five-part sprawl Out In The Open, to the prog-friendly pastoralism of bittersweet 11-minute epic Beating Hearts, and the sobering prog-noir of the closing Torrential Downpour, Beardfish have not just made their strongest work to date, but also their most emotionally resonant. Loosely held together by thoughts of love, loss, friendship and finality, Songs For Beating Hearts is the sound of four kindred spirits laying their hearts bare.
‘Songs For Beating Hearts’ will be available as a Limited CD Digipak (including one bonus track), Gatefold LP & as Digital Album, all featuring artwork from longtime collaborator Spencer Keala Bowden, and can be pre-ordered now here: https://beardfish.lnk.to/SongsForBeatingHearts
The full track-listing is as follows: 1.Ecotone 04:30 2.Out in the Open 20:33 3.Beating Hearts 11:01 4.In The Autumn 05:58 5.Ecotone (Reprise) 00:43 6.Torrential Downpour 08:29 7.Ecotone – Norrsken 1982 edition (Bonus Track) 06:13
Beardfish originally formed back in 2001, and today are made up of Rikard Sjöblom, David Zackrisson, Magnus Östgren and Robert Hansen. They released eight studios albums up until their disbandment in 2016 The band are confirmed for 2025’s edition of Cruise To The Edge.
Progressive alternative rockers Pure Reason Revolution return with their sixth studio album ‘Coming Up To Consciousness’, released on September 6th, 2024 via InsideOutMusic. Betrayal, deception, fear, grief, mortality, and questions of sanity: heady and primordial themes animate the latest conceptual LP from Pure Reason Revolution.
Today sees the release of the second single from the album, and you can watch the video for ‘Useless Animal’ here:
Jon Courtney comments of the track: “Very pleased to launch our next single, showing another side of ‘Coming up to Consciousness’. The song’s about how we don’t realise something’s worth until it’s gone.
Taking my dog to be put down & the emotional fallout, the unexpected impact. Grief is the price we pay for love. Written as a result of purposefully trying to avoid my usual repertoire of chords. This was the first track Guy Pratt played bass on, he did a wonderful job & his input spurred on further creativity.”
‘Coming Up To Consciousness’ is the third of its post-hiatus renaissance records that began with 2020’s ‘Eupnea’ and continued in 2022’s ‘Above Cirrus’. Like those two predecessors, the new record is intensely personal. Its eight tracks are all between four and seven minutes long – concise by PRR standards – and they grapple with darkness of various kinds.
Courtney, who lives in Berlin, shared writing duties on several tracks with US-based Greg Jong. The pair formed Pure Reason Revolution together in the early 00s at the University of Westminster, creating breakout hit ‘The Bright Ambassadors of Morning’ as their third year project. They reconnected during the creation of ‘Eupnea’ and have continued the partnership since then both in the studio and on stage. Legendary session musician Guy Pratt, who has worked with Pink Floyd among myriad iconic acts, provided bass guitar on seven of the eight tracks, resulting in more ambitious bass lines than any of Pure Reason Revolution’s previous records. Meanwhile, Ravi Kesavaram, of My Vitriol fame, returns to the drums on this record after touring with the band in 2022.
Another newcomer on this record is vocalist Annicke Shireen, known for her work with Shireen and Heilung, as well as her solo project. Shireen stepped in after original PRR member and fan favourite Chloe Alper was unavailable for recent live shows. With Alper’s schedule remaining packed for the foreseeable future, she has been unable to rejoin the lineup. She and Courtney agreed it made more sense for Shireen to sing on the record if she was going to continue appearing in shows. Both Courtney and Jong have nothing but enthusiasm for working with her:
“They’re impossible shoes to fill in a lot of ways,” Greg Jong says. “But we were just blown away with how good she is. We were really excited by the fact that vocally she does have a similar tone to Chloe, and yet she definitely holds her own.”
The band was equally thrilled to work with multiple members of prog icon The Pineapple Thief; the record was mixed by Bruce Soord, mastered by Steve Kitch, and sees Jon Sykes playing bass on one track. ‘Coming Up To Consciousness’ is also the third PRR album to feature cover art by Jill Tegan Doherty, who Courtney originally met in Berlin on a German language course.
The album will be available as a Limited CD+DVD Digipak (featuring 5.1 Surround Sound & High Resolution Stereo Mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, as well as a Gatefold ReVinyl LP (Recycled Vinyl), and digitally in both stereo and Dolby Atmos.
The band have also confirmed their first tour dates in support of the album, playing in Europe alongside Lesoir in September & October, starting at Be Prog! My Friend Festival in Barcelona.
27th September – Be Prog! My Friend, Barcelona, Spain*
29th September – Stummsche Reithalle, Neunkirchen, Germany
30th September – Backstage By The Mill, Paris, France
1st October – Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
3rd October – Cpunt, Hoofddorp, Netherlands
4th October – Progpower Europe, Baarlo, Netherlands*
5th October – 013, Tilburg, Netherlands
*No Lesoir
The band will also make their first appearance on Cruise To The Edge in 2025, alongside Steve Hackett, Riverside, Haken, Big Big Train, Robert Fripp & many more.
Legendary Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess recently announced that his brand new solo album, ‘Permission To Fly’, will be released on the September 6th, 2024 via InsideOutMusic. No stranger to experimentation, Rudess is known for leading the charge in pushing creative, sonic, and technological boundaries. His latest endeavor, epitomizes this ethos, delving into the complexities of human existence within our multifaceted world.
Today, in conjunction with Lightricks, Jordan is pleased to launch the music video for ‘Shadow of the Moon’. Lightricks hosted a competition, inviting creators to submit unique music video concepts for Jordan’s song. The winning filmmaker, Manny Walker, was whisked away to a state-of-the-art set in Serbia, where he was given the opportunity to co-direct the video alongside the Lightricks team, bringing his vision to life.
Watch the video now here:
Legendary Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess recently announced that his brand new solo album, ‘Permission To Fly’, will be released on the September 6th, 2024 via InsideOutMusic. No stranger to experimentation, Rudess is known for leading the charge in pushing creative, sonic, and technological boundaries. His latest endeavor, epitomizes this ethos, delving into the complexities of human existence within our multifaceted world.
Today, in conjunction with Lightricks, Jordan is pleased to launch the music video for ‘Shadow of the Moon’. Lightricks hosted a competition, inviting creators to submit unique music video concepts for Jordan’s song. The winning filmmaker, Manny Walker, was whisked away to a state-of-the-art set in Serbia, where he was given the opportunity to co-direct the video alongside the Lightricks team, bringing his vision to life.
Watch the video now here:
Jordan comments: “Creating the ‘Shadow of the Moon’ video with Lightricks was an incredible experience. Working with such a talented team and the contest winner, and using Lightricks’ new cutting-edge LTX studio software, brought my vision to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. This collaboration truly showcases how powerful it is to combine music with innovative visual storytelling.”
*** While some previous releases were true solo pursuits, this time, Rudess assembled a core group of musicians to support and elevate his vision. The album features Jordan alongside That Joe Payne on vocals, Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) on drums & Steve Dadaian on guitar, as well as guest guitar solos from Bastian Martinez.
With the music in capable hands, Rudess wanted to make sure to give the lyrics their proper attention. For that, he turned to a source close to home, his daughter.
“All the lyrics on the album were written by my daughter, Ariana. While I enjoy writing lyrics myself, my primary focus tends to be on the sonic quality of the words. For this album, I wanted to delve deeper and offer something that resonated on a more profound and cerebral level. Ari did an exceptional job.”
‘Permission To Fly’ will be available as Limited CD Digipak & Gatefold 180g 2LP (both incl. bonus material), as well as digitally. Pre-order now here: https://jordanrudess.lnk.to/PermissionToFly
Jordan recently made his live debut with Darby Todd & That Joe Payne, with two rapturously received sets on the 2024 edition of Cruise To The Edge, also marking the live premiere of the new single ‘Embers’.
More information on Jordan Rudess:
Renowned as the “Best Keyboardist of All Time” by Music Radar Magazine, Jordan Rudess stands out as the extraordinary keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist for the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning progressive rock band, Dream Theater. Embarking on his musical journey as a classical prodigy, Jordan initiated his studies at the illustrious Juilliard School of Music at the age of 9, laying the foundation for a career marked by a distinctive fusion of classical and rock influences.
Beyond his role in Dream Theater and the power group, Liquid Tension Experiment, Jordan’s musical prowess has resonated across a diverse spectrum of collaborations. From Deep Purple and David Bowie to Steven Wilson and Jan Hammer, he has left an indelible mark on the industry. Notable projects such as LMR (his side venture with Tony Levin and Marco Minneman), Steven Wilson’s Blackfield, guest appearances with Deep Purple and the Dixie Dregs and collaborations with artists like Enrique Iglesias, the Paul Winter Consort, Annie Haslam, and many others, underscore the breadth of his musical reach.
Venturing into the realm of cutting-edge technology, Jordan has emerged as a pioneer with a focus on state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps. As the owner of the highly successful iOS app development company, Wizdom Music, he has spearheaded the creation of award-winning apps, including GeoShred, MorphWiz, SampleWiz, Vythm, Polywave, Jam with Jordan and SampleWiz 2. GeoShred, Wizdom Music’s latest triumph, was a collaborative effort with moForte, founding members of Stanford University’s Sondius team. Rudess is currently working on an AI interactive project as Visiting Artist at MIT’s Media Lab in the Responsive Environments group.
Cloud Over Jupiter returns with their 4th release, Atomic Jupiter.
Led by multi-instrumentalist Jerry King and featuring long-time original Jupiter member, Michele King, the music continues its often-dangerous path into the future of progressive rock, from beautiful orchestrations of color to revealing a captivating new sonic dimension of Lovecraftian horrors.
The album features 10 brand new tracks, arranged and written by King, that include guest musicians Ron Anderson (PAK), Nick Didkovsky (Doctor Nerve), Dave Newhouse (The Muffins, MOON X), Dereck Higgins, Pete Zolli, Derek Pavlic (Colouratura, Refestramus) Paul Sears (The Muffins), Amanda Chaudhary, Pete Prown, Ric Parnell (Atomic Rooster, Nova, Spinal Tap), Richie Castellano (Blue Oyster Cult), Jamie Bruhn (the Lizardz), Mark Larson (the Lizardz), and others.
Produced by Jerry King, mixed & mastered at the Rec. Room by Ian Beabout, the album also has stunning artwork layouts by Dan Sauer Design and is dedicated to the memory of Ric Parnell, who left this planet in May 2022.
Melodic Revolution Records is excited to be working with Jerry King and Cloud Over Jupiter on the upcoming album Atomic Jupiter to be released on September 6th, 2024.
About Atomic Jupiter: The concept of the album and, the concept of the Cloud Over Jupiter band and music, is to represent the horror of futurism through music, and/or the beauty and delicate nature of music and Love. It’s the constant contrast between the two. The terror of LEVIATHAN! LEVIATHAN! And LOVE CRAFT countered with the delicate symphony of LEVITATION TO EDEN or LAST SHIP TO AVALON. Cloud Over Jupiter represents the balance between Horror and Love, and (hopefully) pushes the limits of each, all with the eerie unknowns of outer space and the unknowns of the Future. Will humanity achieve reaching the Eden that we strive for? Or will the future awaken Dark Horrors as we attempt to conquer the depths of Space?
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