Babal releases Limited Edition LP, CD, also available a digital release includes original art by Paul Kopal and Andy White.
All profits from this release to benefit Macmillan Cancer Support charity which provides specialist health care, information, and financial support to people affected by cancer in the UK.
CD Cover Art
Track Listing 1. FRANK’ S LAMENT 09:31 2. THE AXE 03:31 3. BONES & BLOOD (new version) 03:45 4. ENDLESS RE-RUN SOCIETY (live) 05:44
In November 2018, Vocalist Karen Langley received a shocking diagnosis that she was suffering from potentially terminal blood cancer. thankfully through intensive, life-saving chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant, she has recovered and the cancer is in remission.
Our world was turned upside down, inside out, through the wormhole and back again. Everything changed. The focus was on Karen’s illness. BABAL went dark and all energy went into living with the unknown and not giving in to black thoughts. Throughout, Rob carried on getting existing BABAL material produced and put out as well as looking after Karen.
The good news is that Karen is through the worst and is now on the path of recovery. BABAL’s new release came out of all the uncertainty and anguish. So much love and support over the year have kept us going mentally and physically and our music continues to evolve with all perspectives remaining on authenticity and inner creative impulses.
We are not defined by illness or bad luck or even the past; we meet in the now and are thankful for the continuation that prevails.
Small things become important and big things happen when you are looking at the flowers. Be ready xx
Enjoy the new music; all profits to benefit Macmillan Cancer Support charity which provides specialist health care, information, and financial support to people affected by cancer in the UK.
Dear friends, followers, music lovers, and random passers-by!
The Christmas approaches, the year is nearly over and it’s time to reflect on the events that made it. It’s been quiet on Transport Aerian’s side, but turbulent all around at the same time, so as much as I would like to say, that there is some work being made behind the curtains of this intimate and deeply personal musical journey, that wouldn’t be entirely justified, although, not entirely untrue either.
Making music, just like anything that comes out of creative mental processes does require time to be thought through and money to be put to life. Besides, it needs a certain clarity of ideas and – most importantly – a massive energy investment. I struggle with either. I have never really been a creative breed machine. Words, images and musical constructs have never been flowing effortlessly, rather, it’s always a long process of careful examination of what inspires the particular ideas, and the analysis of what has already been done – to avoid self-repentance. Unlike many of my artistic brothers, I never write anything starting from a melody or a separated part on an instrument, I start with the idea and the concept. And I never even consider starting until the bigger and complete concept emerges. That said, I’m not in the void with the ideas. I do have something in mind, something painful and personal enough to require me developing layers of nacre around it, so writing of the first sketches and lyrics is already in process for quite some time, and I have a few very solid pieces laying on my table awaiting for more infusion, alongside with possible album title – but given that I have a habit of changing everything around a couple of times before the final plan crystallizes it’s too early to make that all public, but one thing I can say for sure – it won’t be a light-headed, singer-songwriter style thing, likely, I’ll drown even deeper into the experimental side, while maintaining it comprehensible and melodically consistent – everything you know Transport Aerian for, yet something that you don’t quite expect from it!
The plans of releasing a 3-album box-set in the shape of the art-book to be set up alongside with some intimate-style live shows are not entirely dismissed either, although there is an incredible amount of logistics and financial obstacles that need to be resolved before this could happen. The conclusion of it all, this has been a quiet year for Transport Aerian, it is very possible, that I won’t publish much new in the coming months either. On the other hand, the other side of me is undergoing quite turbulent and active phase. The avant-garde metal project I’m involved in, Fabulae Dramatis, is very active currently, as we’ve been extensively gigging throughout this year supporting our second album and whispers of working on the third one are getting louder and louder, but for that you’d have to visit their pages as I don’t intend to spoil anything here!
As for energy inputs, a lot of my firepower is now aimed towards my other front of operation: as some of you might know, my musicianship is but a part of my life. The second, and not anyhow less important being in an academic and educational line of work that I mostly keep out of the musical circle, to prevent two quite opposite worlds collision. But unlike usually, now I feel compelled to be outspoken regarding this issue. It does take a lot of me, both creatively and physically at this moment. In that department, a lot of changes has happened in the course of last months as I was pushed to change the University, I’ve been working at for nearly a decade, and it takes an incredible amount of effort to establish elsewhere, while still maintaining the quality of work and scientific (or cultural) creativity that I was used to. It takes time, money, ideas, but most importantly, it takes nearly all my energy, which significantly slows down other creative aspects of work, obviously including music.
That said, I’m still here, I’m as alive as ever. And I wish all of you – in the coming year – to stay safe and keep going for what you love the most. And Merry Christmas to you all!
According to a post on Bent Knee’s Facebook page.
Hey all, we hear you, and we want to press our back catalog to wax, too. The catch is that our records are long and wax is expensive, so here’s the deal — if we launch a pre-order campaign for dual-LP copies of Say So, would you order one? Reassure us in the comments and we’ll try to get this long-overdue project up off the ground.
P.S. If a Say So pre-order campaign is successful, Shiny Eyed Babies is next on the vinyl agenda.
The bands latest album “Land Animal” was released on 23 Jun 2017 via Inside Out Music
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.
Celebrate the release of Land of the Blind: a new Half Past Four album!
Date: September 17th 2016
Where: Hard Luck Bar
Location: 772a Dundas St W. Toronto, ON M6J 1V1 Cover: $1008:30PM – Doors
09:00PM – Chromatica
10:15PM – Half Past Four Set 1
11:30PM – Half Past Four Set 2
Progressive Hard Rock band Chromatica will open the night at 9PM, followed by two 50-minute sets from Half Past Four! This is a rare occasion to see Half Past Four deliver almost two hours of energetic, fiery prog that would please even the most snobbish prog connoisseur in the city!Half Past Four is one of the best progressive rock bands to have emerged from Canada. Over nearly two decades, they have developed a unique sound, employing traditional prog-rock music laiden with folk, country, jazz, heavy metal and classical genres, among others.
Half Past Four has been compared to early-80s King Crimson. Yet any comparisons can only truly function on a per-track basis. While one piece might sound reminiscent of late-70s Yes, listeners might feel the influence of early Pink Floyd in the next piece, followed by a piece that harkens Primus in the 1990s. Or Kate Bush in the mid-80s. Like the best of progressive rock music, the listener cannot predict where the band will take them next.
It is this shifting flow of sound and feeling that distinguishes Half Past Four. They are an aural tapestry, weaving 50+ years of musical influences into mellifluous melodies and rhythmic resonances that take their listeners on a journey to states that are both fresh and familiar.
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