Darrel Treece-Birch has chosen The Stand as the second video release from the album Healing Touch released October 27, 2017. The Stand represents that which we achieve against the greatest of odds, finding the inner strength that only the soul can muster. The gravitas of the journey and the magnitude of the achievement can only be captured in imagery which we can all relate. A child of the space age, Darrel simply and with great elegance takes us on a journey to space to look upon our home, humanities “stand” against gravity. Each of us is on a journey, and though we find ourselves moving in our own time, and to the beat of our own drum we find commonality for at some point we stood fast, and we held strong; to defy that which tried to hold us back from our great potential. Healing Touch is an album that speaks of a journey to renewal with the pivotal moment being – The Stand.
Progtoberfest Festival is very happy to welcome Oak – Official Fanpage from Oslo, Norway!!!
Oak is an Oslo based quartet made up by Simen Valldal Johannessen (vocals, keyboards), Øystein Sootholtet (bass), Ole Michael Bjørndal (guitars) and Sigbjørn Reiakvam (drums, percussion, programming). All the band members are in their late 20’s or early 30’s and have mostly grown up in the Oslo area. They have a huge variation in their musical inspirations – everything from classical composers and singer/songwriters to electronica, progressive rock, and metal.
Oak released their debut album, Lighthouse as a digital release in September 2013. In addition, a limited run of CD’s was produced for promotional purposes and to accommodate sales at gigs. The album was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios by noted producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Symphony X, Paradise Lost).
As of January 2015, the band is working on new material for their second album, and are working towards getting international distribution for this forthcoming album as well as becoming a more active band in the live circuit.
Progtoberfest Festival is happy to welcome The Knells!!!
The brainchild of guitarist Andrew McKenna Lee, Brooklyn, NY based band The Knells is a band that belongs to a genre inhabited perhaps by themselves alone. The band is self-proclaimed as a post-rock neo-psychedelia act, but the musical collective is so much more than that. And indeed the band is a collective more than just a band, as Lee utilizes a trio of vocalists, Nina Berman, Amanda Gregory, and Katya Powder, two guitarists, Lee and Paul Orbell, drummer Michael McCurdy, mallet percussionist Jude Traxler, electric bassist Joseph Higgins, and the critically lauded Mivos String Quartet. The twelve-piece band weaves a sonic blanket that ranges from choral chamber rock to avant post-psych to melancholic psych-blues.
The Knells released their debut self-titled album in 2013 on New Amsterdam Recordings. The album is an enveloping one hour song cycle that follows the concept of the meaning of life, the meaning of time, the beauty and violent tendencies of nature, and the questions that plague humanity’s existence. A dense theme for a dense album – and the band pulls it off.
While the uniqueness of this band makes it difficult to relate artists to them, fans of impossible creative avant-garde rock will likely enjoy this band. The band fuses elements of chamber rock, choral music, psychedelic and post-rock, and the raw power of classical composition.
Power of Prog are thrilled to announce that on Friday 2.2.2018 we will premiere the latest video Behind the Curtain by Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
Behind the Curtain is the second video form the bands latest release Guilty of Innocence released September 29, 2017, via Melodic Revolution Records.
Guilty of Innocence is the 5th studio CD by electric violinist Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius. The album features guest appearances by guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament), keyboardist Rave Tesar (Renaissance), and guitarist/vocalist Randy McStine(The Fringe).
The music has gone quiet temporarily at Melodic Revolution Records as we sadly report the tragic news of the loss of one near and dear to our hearts and a member of our Melodic Revolution Family. Last evening our dear friend and Musician Extraordinaire, Colin Tench left this world, and though the music lives on we will forever feel the loss of his creativity.
According to members of the family, we have learned that Colin passed away peacefully due to natural causes. Out of respect for his family, we felt it necessary to keep this info out of the public attention until all family members were notified.
On behalf of us all at Melodic Revolution Records, we extend our deepest love, eternal respect, and condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Colin Tench. Colin was 63 years old and had just released his latest album “minor Masterpiece” under the “Colin Tench Project.” Anyone that knew or had worked with him could and most definitely would tell you that he was an under-rated and exceptionally talented musician who was charismatic and witty, well respected and loved. Colin was a rare breed indeed in today’s world, a friend and mentor to so many. Colin will be missed more than words can express. We hope that he has taken his wings to join the great gig in the sky, heaven is blessed with our loss. May you rest in peace.
In a note from Gordo Bennet who just finished working closely with Colin on his new album.
“My heart and time stopped when I heard the news that my dear brother, friend, and musical mentor had left this earth on angels wings. It deeply saddens me, and I am broken right now because of it. Colin has touched so many of us in different ways but it was his music that brought us all together as one. I think that he would want us to “pay attention to the details” as he would say and focus on all the laughter, love, and music he brought to us all. It will be different for all of us but from his Brazillian to his final Masterpiece he will always be a part of me. “We Love and miss you Coilin”
“Sleep well, my friend…”
Dreadnought are certainly one of those bands you can never judge the book by its proverbial cover or in this case the name of the band. When you peel away the cover and begin to peel the layers back it is a a Melodic Christmas over and over and over again. This band have their own Periodic Table of Elements as far as music is concerned. My goal for this review will to elaborate the multiple elements in a very conclusive way without boring the reader of the review.
Review
When I use to live in Denver, Colorado back in the later 1990’s, I began to notice just how utterly diverse the entire I-25 corridor was as far as music was concerned. One day you could be in Denver at a metal show, the next day be out in Boulder, Colorado at a ‘Jam Band’ style festival and a day after that be in Colorado Springs, Colorado at some ‘Alternative Music’ show. It seems Denver is one of the few areas that allow for such diversity in the music and arts to breathe and flourish without much persecution. It has always seemed that the Denver, Colorado area has been able to really coexist as far as musical genres have been concerned.
Denver natives Dreadnought have certainly embraced this attitude of diversity within their music and art. They have taken many various elements within music to truly form their own unique sound. At first glance or listen many questions come to the surface that could leave some to pigeonhole this band in one particular genre or another. However listener beware this band are totally adamant that they will never be pigeonholed at all whatsoever. So it leads to the pressing questions, who are Dreadnought and what style are they?
Is this band Black Metal? Are they Avant Garde? Are they progressive metal/rock? I would have to say they are all that a a whole lot more. Dreadnought are on the very new vanguard of a all new intelligentsia cropping up among several genres that seem to get closer together as time and music evolves. For a band with only four members they give the listener the appearance that there is a entire symphony orchestra to accompany them. Dreadnought are also coming along at a perfect time where many genres are embracing various elements of one another and allowing the melting pot to cook to perfection.
Dreadnought’s approach to the progressive music side is rooted very heavily within the 1970’s and spans nearly three generations. Dreadnought are also a band that constantly changes the questions when people believe they have all the answers concerning the band. Over the remaining duration of this review I will point out many of the various elements that make up the Dreadnought sound. Vacant Sea begins with a beautifully isolated female vocal that creates a atmosphere to the listener in attempt to gain their undivided attention. This soon subsides and the beauty of percussion enters in along with a profound rhythm section before the female vocal comes into a harmonic bliss with the instrumental portion. The progressive aspect of this is rooted within the 1970’s in the tradition of Yes, King Crimson and ELP. The jazz style sections are a reminder of bands like Jaco Pastorius era – Weather Report with various elements of Caravan and Camel.
The Black Metal aesthetic runs in the tradition of both old school low fi resolution sounding guitar atmospheres in the tradition of early Mayhem, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. It is also met by some heavily laden Atmospheric Black Metal much like Agalloch and Summoning come to mind along with some elements of both Shoegaze and Blagaze. All of this is much like a marriage of sounds along side with with very intricate time signatures and various chord progressions make for a very unique sound that separates Dreadnought into their own unique and independent sound.
The duel female vocal between Kelly Schilling – Guitar, Flute, Clean and Harsh Vocals and Lauren Vieira – Keys, Clean Vocals is definitely something groundbreaking within all the various musical genres present on the album. They have taken what Cadaveria (ex Opera IX) did to a entire creative level. These two ladies have also brought something to this style of Progressive Extreme Metal and that being a singer/songwriter element to the genre. Vacant Sea immediately dives into all these elements.
This track may be 17+ minutes but rest assured the long instrumental parts have a specific purpose and mean something and lead somewhere. Dreadnought are not the type of band to have insignificant fillers just for the sake of making the length of time rendering the song to appear redundant.
(Dreadnought – Vacant Sea – A Wake In Sacred Waves)
Within Chanting Waters opens up much in the vein of Opeth’s Leper Infinity from Blackwater Park meets Agalloch’s The Mantle with a twist of early King Crimson. The rhythm section of bass and drum really rips from the very first note and chord progression. The band certainly and deliberately are taking their sound to the next level and showing various depths of dimensions with this one. The band certainly displays their progressive prowess here as far as incorporating chord progressions and time signatures that sometimes get drowned out with the more extreme elements. The clean female vocal and the extreme metal vocal allow the track to breathe in such away where both vocals appear to take on a split personality to the central story. In the mind’s imagination it seems like there is a calm and angry side being conveyed in the vocal. Jordan Clancy – Drums, Alto/Tenor Saxophone, has a very keen sense of how hard to hit the drums and when to fall into the general rhythmic background. The band also display the very prowess of engulfing the listener into their various layers of diverse atmospheric elements.
The Luminous Scale immediately opens up into a very diverse progressive atmospheric chord progression. The deep tones of the rhythm section along with the semi – atmospheric guitar certainly hook the listener into a mellow disposition. This is a preparing the listener for the duration of the album. Throughout the album the band’s chord progressions, passages and riffs all have a unique purpose that deliberately lead somewhere. There is absolutely no insignificant filler anywhere on the album. The keyboards really have a distinct presence on here as well. Those are beautifully done by Lauren Vieira – Keys, Clean Vocals. Kelly Schilling – Guitar, Flute, Clean and Harsh Vocals has a very heavily Summoning style vocal on here as well. They both echo and haunt the listener’s very soul and hook it all at once. The rhythm section totally engulfs and assault’s every last sense within in the listening audience. The flute in this track as a very Jethro Tull to Camel vibe stemming from 1970’s progressive rock. Kelly Schilling – Guitar, Flute, Clean and Harsh Vocals, is certainly the Black Metal equivalent of Ian Anderson or various flute players in the history of the band Camel.
A Drifting Reign explodes right out of the gate with deep rhythm sections along with a beautifully played lush piano chord progression. It takes a break and the band sets a deep atmospheric rhythm section between various layers of piano and horned sections that is quite psychedelic in nature. The subtle psychedelic elements are also blended with very lite post metal elements as well. This is the final track on the album. This is also the most eclectic and eccentric track on the album blending many of the bands never ending elements and talent together like a progressive buffet feast on the ears.
By now it is perfectly clear they refuse to be pigeonholed into one genre. It is this approach and attitude that will allow the band to play live on various and very different bills and festivals. Their infrastructure will also allow them the creative space to do what they want and what their fans want instead of a power hungry and a monetary beast with the mainstream side of the industry that is a continual disease to artists and creativity. Dreadnought’s A Wake In Sacred Waves will be a album talked about 20 years from now as a album that both expanded progressive music and exposed further possibilities that display that progressive music will always have many directions to go in. Dreadnought’s A Wake In Sacred Waves get a 5/5 for perfection.
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