Docker’s Guild | The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past
Label: Lion Music
Release Year: 2016
Genre: Melodic Progressive Metal/ Space Rock Opera
Country: International
Band Members
Roxy Petrucci – Drums
Elisa Montin – Drums
Anna Portalupi – Bass
Nita Strauss – Guitars
Mio Jaeger – Guitars
Douglas R. Docker – Keyboards, Vocals
Amanda Sommerville – Vocals
Elize Ryd – Vocals
Valentina Procopio– Vocals
Contact Links
Docker’s Guild Official Website
Docker’s Guild Official Facebook
Docker’s Guild Official Twitter
Docker’s Guild Official Reverbnation
Docker’s Guild Official Youtube Channel
One of progressive rock and metal’s most ambitious undertakings in modern memory has been happening since 2012, this being the Docker’s Guild. In middle 2013 a friend of mine told me about a project that included Tony Franklin – Blue Murder, Greg Bissonette – David Lee Roth and Steve Vai and Amanda Sommerville. At hat point my curiosity was too wet not to pursue this. I found a place to buy Docker’s Guild – The Mystic Technocracy – Season 1: The Age of Ignorance. The front cover art was provocative and the song titles thought provoking. I opened it up and finally listened to it and was mind blown as far as the mind can imagine. This time Douglas Docker returns with probably the first solid ALL female cast for a project of this kind.
What I heard was one of prog’s and AOR’s best kept secret genius’ in Douglas Docker its creator. The best way I can describe the sound is Dream Theater and Ayreon meets Survivor and Journey. Both heavy on the progressive rock/metal and heavy on the AOR just as equally. Like Ayreon it carries a heavy science fiction element. This is no different with with his 2016 offering Docker’s Guild – The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past. This is the second in a planned nine albums of the project called Docker’s Guild.
Returning home with his wife from Jerusalem after the events that happened in Season 1 of The Mystic Technocracy, Dr. Heisenberg decides to indulge himself into a self imposed TV marathon full of science fiction. Some of the tracks on The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past represent the television programs he and his wife are watching. It is a more personal reflection of the main character throughout the seasons of The Mystic Technocracy.
Some of the tracks on The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past serve as period pieces that transport the listener back in time on a pop culture science fiction perspective. A song like Flash Gordon Suite represents a era where disco was almost at its end and just about everything in the late 1970’s – early 1980’s still carried a disco sensibility in music. For 15:20 the track explores every dimension of progressive AOR with heavy doses of disco. The returning Amanda Sommerville provides a lot of soul and depth in the vocals. Douglas Docker has a soundtrack approach on Flash Gordon Suite as well.
Another period piece is Barbarella with a late 1960’s vibe that reminds me of shows such as Laugh In or The Monkees. Although it has a heavy pop sensibility, Barbarella is still very progressive. Douglas Docker brings shades of Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys to his vocals. The rest of The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past continues to give you a quality space rock opera experience that contains science fictional pop cultural elements.
Douglas Docker has certainly made vintage science fiction totally relevant again. With a modern and fresh sound he has arrived with another step in the evolution of great science fiction based rock opera’s. The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past leaves your thirst for seasons 2 through 5 of The Mystic Technocracy and The Heisenberg Diaries – Books B through D . Douglas Docker has managed to forge his own distinct sound while maintaining the integrity of the music for both fans of progressive rock and metal and even AOR purists. All you have to do is look at the talent he recruits and manages to bring all their styles in harmony with his musical vision. I give The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past a 4/5.
