’m guessing it must be 20 years since I last reviewed an album by Paul, but here he is with his 20th album in a forty-year musical career. Somewhat strangely this was actually completed as long ago as 2016 but was shelved at the time by the record label, but he recently revisited it and removed four songs and replaced them with four home demos of newer material. Munster’s buffs will, of course, recognize the address as being the home of Herman, Lily and their family, and Paul said he used the address as for him it is so reminiscent of the Sixties which is the feel he was trying to get with this album. I must say that for the most part he absolutely nails it, although there are times when he also veers into Rocky Horror territory which was slightly later, given that was also looking back in time perhaps he can be forgiven.
We have pop, psychedelia, Beatles, garage punk and surf all mixed together with Paul’s somewhat twisted and dark sense of humor, and the only thing to do is to sit down and settle in for what will undoubtedly be an incredibly interesting ride. I am sure the Clash frontman would be smiling if he could hear “Joe Strummer Said”, while my favorite has to be “Won’t Go Surfin’ No More” which has strummed acoustic guitar and picked electric guitar in a way very similar to many songs from the surf genre. Although his punk style sneering vocals are more Joey Ramone than Brian Wilson, and I am sure the Beach Boys never had a song as bleak as this. Here we have 13 songs which are a solid slab of Sixties nostalgia, but the far dirtier and menacing side. His use of organ as opposed to synthesizers along with over-driven and distorted guitars makes this a garage classic which should have been released more than 50 years ago. Paul released his first album as long ago as 1980 and is showing no sign whatsoever of slowing down, and for fans of the genre, this is well worth investigating.
Many years ago I bought a copy of ‘M.U. – The Bets of Jethro Tull’ but was extremely aggravated by having to do so. The reason was that at the time I was an avid Tull fan, and was annoyed that there was one song on the collection which wasn’t available elsewhere, “Rainbow Blues”. Now, I would have bought it anyway, but this really irked me (and still does, forty years later!). Now, there have recently been anniversary reissues of the three Phenomena albums, all with loads of information and really well presented, and here we now have an anthology. Given the title, I expected to find songs taken from the three albums, and while that is indeed the case we also have other songs which are either rare or previously unreleased. Although details are provided on who played what, there is no information as to where each song has been sourced from, and it is only because I have the other releases that I know something about the project.
It feels like an opportunity lost, as there are undoubtedly some fine songs on here including of course “Did It For All Love” which features great vocals from John Wetton and could have easily have come from the debut Asia album (it actually comes from ‘Phenomena II – Dream Runner’). I am somewhat confused as to who this is aimed at, as anyone who already has the other albums will be somewhat annoyed the few additional songs weren’t added onto the original sets (the longest of which is just 46 minutes), but anyone coming to the project without knowing those has no information whatsoever to explain what is happening.
All of this takes away from what is essentially an interesting collection of Eighties style melodic rock numbers featuring some real heavyweights of the genre. Glenn Hughes may not have been singing at his best back then, but his voice even when stressed is so much than many singers can ever manage, while Neil Murray is such a professional he probably has no idea how many albums he has played on, while Cozy Powell performed on one or two as well. “Hearts On Fire” is singalong anthemic fun, as are many of the others, but it would be better to pick up the other reissues and then come to this if you really need the additional material. Still a nice album though, just not well thought out.
The debut album by American band Potter’s Daughter was released towards the end of 2018, but I only came across it a few months ago, since when I have been trying to work out exactly how I can describe it. The band was formed when Dyanne Potter Voegtlin (piano, keyboards, vocals) was studying classical piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music. She wanted to find a way to combine her knowledge of classical theory and virtuosity with the freedom and innovation of jazz, creating something that in many ways is quite different from the rest of the scene. The very first time I heard this I felt there was a kinship with Renaissance, and I can’t be the only one as since the release of this album the band has collaborated with Annie Haslam on a single, “Blood and Water”. Dyanne has performed both as a classical pianist and a singer/songwriter in venues as prestigious as Carnegie Hall, so she was always going to look for the right musicians to fulfill her dream and she found them in Amit Chatterjee (guitar, bass, arranger, producer), Ian C. Voegtlin (guitar, EWI), Walter Sitz (drums) and Randy Crafton (percussion).
Musically the album is based around the piano and vocals of Dyanne as she works on bridging that gap between classical and jazz, with the use of space being a very important part of her armory. At times her voice is solo, at others, it is multi-tracked harmonies, and there are times when she is singing just against percussion with no other melodies around. However, it isn’t possible to overstate the importance of Amit to the overall sound as there are times when the guitar is subdued and actually non-existent and others when there are strident solos breaking through and over her voice while the bass is always warm and comforting.
There are times when this feels very much like a jazz album that is being taken in new directions, with “Memento” being an obvious example. However, it is on the softer side, with the piano often using sustain as opposed to the short staccato liked by many, while the lead guitar also takes on many forms, moving from sounds associated with jazz into fusion and then more into rock and prog. This is a band that are truly progressive, melding the forms to make something which is relaxed and laid back yet also inviting and urgent. The arrangements are in many ways incredibly simple, relying on a few key elements, yet that restraint is what makes this album what it is as there is no need to keep piling things on top of each other.
“Its Summer Night” contains classical choral vocals along with minor chords and a dark feeling which sounds more like Mediæval Bæbes than anything connected with rock, and it is the way this album progresses through different styles which makes it so interesting as one is never really sure what is going to happen next. Relaxing, exciting, enjoyable and fluid, this is a rippling stream with the light catching the water as it babbles over the stones in the riverbed. There is so much space between the notes, and between the instruments, that one can get inside the music and into the minds of the musicians creating it and feel at one. What a wonderful debut, next, please!
Mission Overview Keeping in tradition with mankind’s need to explore and bring unity and hope to the world, Voyager IV aims to do just that with their upcoming tour.
52 years ago Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to successfully orbit the Moon and return to Earth. 52 years later Voyager IV takes flight with a debut album under their belt while eagerly awaiting fans will soon witness first hand the unity, hope, and peace that music brings.
Apollo 8 Crew: Commander Frank Borman Command Module Pilot James A. Lovell Jr. Lunar Module Pilot William A. Anders
Voyager IV Crew: Piano & Keyboards Marcus Schinkel Vocals & Drums Johannes Kuchta Bass Fritz Roppel Drums Wim de Vries
Pictures At An Exhibition TourDates
Friday, January 24, 2020, at 8 PM Hypothalamus Auf dem Thie 15, 48431 Rheine, Germany
Saturday, January 24, 2020, at 8 PM Jahnhalle Nordenham Jahnstr. 20, 26954 Stadt Nordenham, Niedersachsen, Germany
Friday, January 31, 2020, at 8 PM Harmonie-Bonn Frongasse 28-30, 53121 Bonn, Germany
Saturday, February 1, 2020, at 8 PM Bürgerhaus Nistertal Westerwald, Germany
Sunday, February 2, 2020, at 8 PM Bürgerhaus Nistertal Westerwald, Germany
Thursday, February 6, 2020, at 8 PM Scheuer Wallbacher Straße 2, 65510 Idstein
Friday, February 7, 2020, at 8 PM Kantine Köln Neusser Landstr. 2, 50735 Cologne, Germany
Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 8 PM Riff Bochum
Friday, February 21, 2020, at 8 PM Kesselhaus & Maschinenhaus (Kulturbrauerei) Schönhauser Allee 36, 10435 Berlin, Germany
Friday, April 17, 2020, at 8 PM Unna Lindenbrauerei 59174 Kamen
What you can expect
Voyager IV has won awards in 3 categories at the 2019 German Rock & Pop Price Awards Johannes Kuchta: best progressive rock singer, 1st place Marcus Schinkel: Best keyboardist, 2nd place. Samuel Goldenberg: best progressive rock song, 1st place, from the album Pictures at an Exhibition
What’s being said aboutPictures At An Exhibition Courageous, diggin’ deep in the universe of Modest Mussorgsky and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, masterfully, creative, without wanting too much, absolutely admirable and worth listening! (Jazzrock TV)
“Really enjoyed the new album! Some very bold and adventurous avenues taken with Modest Mussorgsky. I always enjoy listening to someone’s interpretations of otherwise well-known themes. I like the fact that you incorporated those ideas in your own way and varied them enough to make it your own. Well done!” Marc Bonilla (recorded 4 albums with Keith Emerson)
Band reveal first single and video for “Denigrate” (feat. Daniel Tompkins)
Godsticks open 2020 with their new and most accomplished studio album, Inescapable. Their mix of heavy rock, progressive and alternative metal with a dynamic range of angular riffs and emotional depth will leave listeners reeling. The band’s sound has refined over their releases on Kscope, beginning with the technically astounding metal on Emergence to the more industrial and progressive-influenced Faced With Rage. Now, with Inescapable, the band have channeled their energy and technical ability into the melody, phrasing and vocal performance, allowing emotion to take center stage.
The band found themselves wanting a definitive theme running through Inescapable, without turning it into a concept album, of being more open, more personal and ultimately one that shines an inquisitive light on Charles’s struggle with inner demons which gave the songs a new level of intimacy. “Lyrically, I’ve always shared personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences but in a very ambiguous way. For Inescapable – in a conscious effort not to repeat ourselves – I thought I’d be a little more self-reflective and perhaps examine some of my inner demons. I have a strange relationship with music, and especially playing guitar. I would struggle to survive without either, but equally, they have made my life mentally torturous because my own self-worth is completely wrapped up in them. I used to be very much a perfectionist in my early years, and whilst some people may wear that as a badge of honor, I eventually viewed it as a huge heavyweight dragging down. It was a long time before I arrived at the realization that perfection was impossible to achieve.” elaborates Darran Charles.
Perfectly highlighting the album’s leitmotif, the band reveals their first single “Denigrate”, “the writing of this song was a sort of analysis of my ongoing battle with perfectionism and the general feeling that nothing you do ever meets the impossibly high standards you set for yourself”. The song features additional vocals from TesseracT’s gifted vocalist Daniel Tompkins to record vocal harmonies, adding an extra layer of aggression and energy.
The shoot for the quirky video, directed by George Laycock (Blacktide Audio/Visual) proved to be a memorable day for the band as Godsticks drummer Tom Price recalls “Everyone in the band was so excited about the concept, but when we arrived on set and saw a large table full of cakes, sweets, chocolate, sugar, sprinkles, honey and all manners of confectionary, the magnitude of what we had all let ourselves in for finally dawned on us! By the end of the shoot we were completely covered in everything – it was like ‘The Great British Bake Off’ meets ‘Apocalypse Now’! It was so much fun to make, but despite several spins in the washing machine I still can‘t get that sweet sickly smell out of my jeans!” Charles chimes in “It wasn’t fun, it was horrible!”
Inescapable was produced by James Loughrey (Skindred) and recorded at the famed heritage Monnow Valley studio.
Godsticks are supporting the new material beginning in April with a UK tour followed by summer festivals
2/4/2020 – Cardiff – Fuel Rock Club 3/4/2020 – London – Black Heart 4/4/2020 – Edinburgh – Opium 5/4/2020 – Manchester – Gullivers
Inescapable will be released on CD, LP & digitally. (“Denigrate is available as an instant download on digital pre-orders) on 7th February through Kscope and is available to PRE-ORDER HERE NOW
Godsticks are: Darran Charles: Vocals, guitars, keys, synths Dan Nelson: Bass Gavin Bushell: Guitars Tom Price: Drums Backing vocals on ‘Denigrate’ – Daniel Tompkins
Melodic Revolution Records is pleased to announce that we have signed Australian Rockers Sonic Divide for their sophomore release due out in early 2020.
“Sonic Divide consistently leads the way with their brand of quality rock… keep your ears to the ground as we share with you a band we have felt passionately about for some time.” – Nick Katona
About the band: From Adelaide Australia, Sonic Divide has been applying its melodic rock flavor to the Adelaide scene for the past 10 years.
A collaboration of 6 seasoned musicians who initially formed for the purposes of infrequently jamming together for pure enjoyment, the band soon evolved into a writing project which culminated in the release of their debut album in September 2013. Labeled the ‘best independent release of the year’ at the time by a renowned radio station in the UK, the album received critical acclaim and regular airplay across the globe.
The band’s video for their hit ‘I Wonder’ was picked up by a US-based promoter and was subsequently featured on multiple TV and online video network platforms across the US. Sonic Divide was chosen to play the main stage of the Adelaide 500 national V8 Supercar race in 2015 along with John ‘Swanny’ Swan and the Zep Boys, with the guys taking a break from the live circuit later that year to begin the process of writing for their second album.
The band returned to the live scene in June 2018 and has since been performing regularly around Adelaide to rave reviews. In August 2018 the band was selected to open for US-based rockers Stryper for the Adelaide leg of their God Damn Evil world tour and received glowing reviews on their performance.
In a statement from the band. “Sonic Divide is truly excited and honored to be joining the Melodic Revolution Records (MRR) family. For over 10 years Sonic Divide has been passionately producing original music and looks forward to sharing their work with a global audience through collaboration with MRR.
The band wishes to thank Nick Katona at MRR for this wonderful opportunity and look forward to a productive future together.”
The Band Wayne Holden – Lead Vocals Glenn Johnson – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals Andy Young – Keyboards, Backing Vocals Ian Slade – Bass, Backing Vocals Evan Johnson – Drums, Backing Vocals Steve Pirie – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Discography TBA (2020) CD & Digital – Melodic Revolution Records Sonic Divide (2013) CD & Digital – Self-Released
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