by Nick | Nov 16, 2018 | Reviews
I must confess not to have heard a version of “Watchtower” quite like this before, as it has been deconstructed yet still contains plenty of guitars. It is as if Hendrix never existed, and someone took Dylan’s classic as a base and wondered just what they could do to it yet still keep t recognizable. Spoken words, excerpts, layers of mellotron, treated vocals, acoustic guitar, seagulls, it’s all in there and certainly the song to a totally different level. It is incredibly weird, and brilliant at the same time. “The Doors of Perception” is a new song, which allows Nick to show just how psychedelia can be brought into the modern age.
9/10 Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Nov 16, 2018 | Reviews
I rarely review singles these days, as I just don’t have the time, but when I heard this I was just blown away – so consequently reviewed all four FdM singles I was sent. I already have multiple versions of this song, as I have long been a fan of Fairport Convention (just checked, I have 44 of their albums!), and this is a song that will always be associated with the incredible Sandy Denny. But, Elizabeth Kearney aka Elfin Bow, has produced what is to my ears the best version by anyone else. Her vocals are pure and clear, the reverb is just right, with an arrangement including orchestra that has taken the song to new heights. Singing a song so closely associated with one artist is always a risk, but here it has most definitely paid off and I can see that I am going to have to discover more by Elfin Bow, as this is simply wonderful. That there is another song on the single, “The Wisdom”, was almost overlooked due to the majesty of the other, yet the way this is totally different, being far more folky and simple with clearer vocals, also makes this a delight. I have been playing these two songs on repeat and if you only buy one vinyl single this year, this decade, it has to be this one. I can only say that this is worth 10/10 as anything higher is a mathematical impossibility, but one almost wishes that it was possible to create a new construct of a higher value, as this is worth it. Simply incredible.
10/10 by Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Nov 16, 2018 | Reviews
Apparently, FRUITS DE MER was originally intended as being a 7” reissue label, and after only ten years of existence, they have finally released their first one. Touch released just one album in 1969, and had such an impact on label boss Keith that he copied the band’s logo onto every surface he could. Here we have two songs taken from the album, and a third “We Finally Met Today” which was recorded for an aborted 1968 single and here makes its first appearance on vinyl. This is manically over the top, loads of guitar, and if anyone really wants to understand psychedelic progressive madness then this is the place to go. 7/10
So, four vinyl singles, all being released in December. All worth getting, but one of those is an absolute classic which your ears will never forgive you for missing.
e you a clear indication of why this album is more rock-based. It all comes down to the songwriting.”
The album title may also upset some people if they understood the origins as well. “It’s a verse from the Bible,” Nergal reveals. “It’s actually a quote from Jesus Christ himself. For Behemoth to use it as the basis of our record, it’s sacrilege to the extreme.” No strangers to controversy, Behemoth is back with an album that while not exactly essential, is still pushing all the buttons in the right place.
7/10 by Kev Rowland
by Nick | Nov 14, 2018 | News
Nth Ascension the northwest English Progressive Rockers have looked across the pond for the mixing of their third album. American Progressive Rock multi-instrumentalist Eric Gillette a newcomer with an impressive start. From his beginnings in 2010 with The Swon Brothers (who would later appear on The Voice), as a guitarist and backing vocalist; to working with Neal Morse in 2012 and finally joining The Neal Morse Band as lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter in 2015.
Craig Walker (drums) noticed Eric Gillette’s contributions on The Grand Experiment, The Neal Morse Band’s 2015 release and became an instant fan; seeking out Eric’s solo material soon after.
As the writing of the new Nth Ascension album wound down and the time to enter the studio neared, the band would learn that the mixing engineer and studio (Mat Arnold, Hilltown Studios) of their 2016 release, In Fine Initium wasn’t available for the upcoming album.
Craig had been so impressed with Eric’s work and was aware that he was a mixing engineer in addition to his musical endeavors. Eric had made it known in social media that he was taking on a limited number of projects this fall between his other commitments. Craig contacted Eric to see if he would be interested in providing the mix engineering for Nth’s new project, and the response was positive. Craig then approached his bandmates and they unanimously agreed this was the direction the band would like to pursue their 2019 release.
The new album was completely produced and engineered by the band and is … unmistakably Nth Ascension. This third offering is filled with the signature full rich cinematic soundscapes you have come to expect of them; encompassing dark and light expressed in powerful vocal and lyric structures leading us to a new dimension of consciousness; and certain to capture something just a bit more with the help and talents of Eric Gillette at the mixing board.
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by Kev Rowland | Nov 12, 2018 | Reviews
Samuel is a Brazilian-born drummer currently based in New York, and here he is taking the Latin styles of his homeland and mixing and melding them with jazz in a way that is both inventive and inviting.
There is a lightness and deftness of touch in his playing, and while he keeps everything moving from the back, he rarely takes the lead himself and concentrates more on drums than adding additional layers of percussive complexity. Six of the eight songs are originals, and by having a simple quartet of Claudio Roditi (trumpet, flugelhorn), Marcus McLaurine (bass) and Tomoko Ohno (piano). The musicians all have considerable history behind them, with Claudio best-known for working with Dizzy Gillespie, and they bounce ideas off each other, dropping in and out of taking leads, and letting each other have plenty of room to breathe. It just isn’t possible to listen to this without a smile, and gently nodding the head as this is what jazz is all about, great musicians just playing and having fun.
For a debut album, this is an incredibly enjoyable release: we are going to be hearing a great deal more from Samuel Martinelli, which is definitely a name to keep an eye on. 8/10 by Kev Rowland
