Canadian heavy music artist Devin Townsend has officially announced the release of his forthcoming new album ‘EMPATH’ for March 29th, 2019.
In the lead up to the album’s release, Devin will walk fans through how Empath came together with a series of documentary episodes recorded as phone conversations during the course of the albums recording. Watch him explain more in this video:
Devin comments: “Hello everybody, this is Devin Townsend and I would like to formally announce that after almost a year and a half of working, I have finished Empath. Now this record has taken me down a lot of very interesting psychological and technical avenues and the process was documented from the very get-go by a series of documentary videos that I have done, that outline everything from the gestation of the idea to the actualisation of it, through all the existential ups and downs that went on. As such this record is different to any record that I have released thus far, and trying to get people on board for what it is versus what it isn’t, I think needs to be dealt with in a different way. Stay tuned for the making of Empath – the video series.”
Over the past few years, the success that Devin has slowly worked for has fortunately come with the power to control his own creative destiny. The recent successes with the DVD from a sold-out Royal Albert hall, or his 2012 ‘Retinal Circus’, or last year’s ‘Ocean Machine’ live DVD with the Orchestra and Choir of State Opera Plovdiv has put him in a position where with the new album ‘EMPATH’, he will once and for all define himself as a musical force outside of any particular genre classification.
On this album Devin has decided to see what would happen if all the styles that make up his current interests were finally represented in one place. To finally shake the fear of expectation, and just do what it is he was meant to do creatively, EMPATH, true to the name, is about allowing the audience a feeling for a variety of musical emotions. The musical dynamics represented on this single album are broad, challenging, and immense. To approach this sort of work with a long history of what makes heavy music ‘heavy’, allows this to be done with a type of power rarely heard.
Joining Devin on this album is Frank Zappa alumni Mike Keneally as music director, as well as Morgan Ågren (Mats And Morgan, Frank Zappa, Fredrik Thordendal), Anup Sastry (Monuments, Periphery), Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, Abigail Williams), Nathan Navarro, Elliot Desagnes, Steve Vai, Chad Kroeger, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Ryan Dhale and the Elektra Women’s Choir.
A bold statement with massive production values and dynamic, uncompromised musicality. This is a statement about not only pursuing creative freedom in a conservative scene, but also trying to show that heavy music is truly a valid musical tool.
‘EMPATH’ will be released on Limited 2 CD Digipak (including an entire disc of bonus material), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180G 2LP Vinyl + CD + LP-booklet & as digital album.
The full track-listing is as follows: 1.Castaway 2.Genesis 3.Spirits Will Collide 4.Evermore 5.Sprite 6.Hear Me 7.Why 8.Borderlands 9.Requiem 10.Singularity Part 1 – Adrift 11.Singularity Part 2 – I Am I 12.Singularity Part 3 – There Be Monsters 13.Singularity Part 4 – Curious Gods 14.Singularity Part 5 – Silicon Scientists 15.Singularity Part 6 – Here Comes The Sun
Last year Devin announced a special ‘An Evening With’ tour that would see him performing acoustically, as well as taking part in a fan Q&A at each show.
The full list of dates are as follows, many of which are already sold out: 7th March – The Piano Man Jazz Club, New Delhi, India SOLD OUT 8th March – Levi’s Lounge, Mumbai, India SOLD OUT 29th March – Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland SOLD OUT 30th March – Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland SOLD OUT 31st March – Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden SOLD OUT 1st April – Edderkoppen, Oslo, Norway SOLD OUT 2nd April – Bremen Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark 4th April – PassionKirchhe, Berlin, Germany 5th April – Stodola, Warsaw, Poland 6th April – La Fabrica, Prague, Czech Republic SOLD OUT 7th April – Freiheiz, Munich, Germany SOLD OUT 9th April – Kulturkirche, Cologne, Germany SOLD OUT 10th April – Grunspan, Hamburg, Germany 11th April – Bravo Kerk, Haarlem, Netherlands SOLD OUT 13th April – Reading 3, Tel Aviv, Israel 24th April – Bush Hall, London, UK SOLD OUT 25th April – Bush Hall, London, UK SOLD OUT 26th April – St George’s, Bristol, UK SOLD OUT 27th April – City Varieties, Leeds, UK SOLD OUT 29th April – Jam House, Edinburgh, UK SOLD OUT 30th April – Glee Club, Birmingham, UK SOLD OUT
Devin’s varied back catalogue is also being celebrated with lavish vinyl box-sets under the name of ERAS. Having already released parts 1 and 2 earlier in early 2018, the end of the year saw the release of part 3, which features some of his most recent work with Devin Townsend Project, including the albums ‘Accelerated Evolution’, ‘Epicloud’, ‘Sky Blue’, ‘Transcendence’ & the first ever vinyl release of the second part of the DTP’s now legendary Royal Albert Hall show. Order your copy of this deluxe 10 LP box-set here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/ErasIII
Tim Bowness’ fifth solo album ‘Flowers At The Scene’ is set for release on InsideOutMusic/Sony on March 1st, 2019. Produced by no-man, the album is a vibrant collection of 11 strikingly diverse songs.
Today sees the launch of the album’s first single, “I Go Deeper.” You can watch the video for the track here:
Tim comments: “This was one of the last tracks written for the album. I co-wrote it last Summer with Italian musician Stefano Panunzi for use in a film. The original is in the more romantic tradition of no-man (and Porcupine Tree at its most lush), but I heard something very different in the piece so set about accentuating the differences between the sections and completely changing the instrumentation. Colin Edwin and Tom Atherton make for a formidable rhythm section on this and the soaring guitar solo by Brian Hulse is also a highlight for me.”
‘Flowers At The Scene’ will be available as CD, LP + CD & as a digital album, as well as a limited edition red colored vinyl version available exclusively through Burning Shed. Pre-order now here: https://timbowness.lnk.to/FlowersAtTheScene
Tim added of the new album: “’Lost In The Ghost Light felt like a conclusion to a particular way of writing and working. In the wake of that, Flowers At The Scene very much feels like a new beginning.
It was an exciting project to put together and it was great working closely with old sparring partners, Brian Hulse, and Steven Wilson. Steven was initially brought in to mix the album, but very quickly he was doing far more and developing production ideas alongside Brian and I. Listening to pieces such as Not Married Anymore, Borderline and The War On Me, we both felt that the project had more than a hint of the spirit of no-man and it became obvious that this was a no-man co-production rather than a Bowness/Wilson one.
Elsewhere, the likes of Fates Warning’s Jim Matheos, Colin Edwin, Dylan Howe, and Tom Atherton delivered some incredible performances and it was a delight to get Peter Hammill, Kevin Godley, Andy Partridge and David Longdon involved.
Peter and Kevin were two of my favorite singers growing up and I’ve been a long-term fan of XTC, so it was genuinely a thrill to hear their excellent contributions.”
Representing the duo of Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson’s first joint production in over a decade, the album features performances from an extraordinary cast of players including Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator), Andy Partridge (XTC), Kevin Godley (10cc), Colin Edwin(Porcupine Tree), Jim Matheos (Fates Warning/OSI), David Longdon (Big Big Train), co-producer Brian Hulse (Plenty), Australian trumpeter Ian Dixon, and drummers Tom Atherton and Dylan Howe. The Curator, David K Jones, violinist Fran Broady, and Charles Grimsdale also guest.
Mixed by Steven Wilson and mastered by Steve Kitch (The Pineapple Thief), the album’s artwork is once again by Jarrod Gosling.
The full track-listing is as follows:
I Go Deeper (4.15) 2) The Train That Pulled Away (4.04) 3) Rainmark (4.15) 4) Not Married Anymore (3.30) 5) Flowers At The Scene (3.04) 6) It’s The World (3.03) 7) Borderline (3.45) 8) Ghostlike (5.08) 9) The War On Me (3.47) 10) Killing To Survive (3.59) 11) What Lies Here (4.00)
Tim Bowness is primarily known as vocalist/co-writer with no-man, a long-running collaboration with Steven Wilson.
In addition to releasing six studio albums and a documentary DVD with no-man, Tim has worked with popular Italian artist Alice, Mercury Prize nominated Banco De Gaia, Robert Fripp, Peter Hammill and Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera (amongst many others).
Tim recorded the album Flame (1994) with Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree/ex-Japan), and co-produced/co-wrote Talking With Strangers (2009) for Judy Dyble (ex-Fairport Convention).
Tim Bowness released his fourth solo album, ‘Lost In The Ghost Light’ last year through InsideOutMusic, garnering the best solo reviews he has ever received and reaching #5 in the official UK rock chart. It also picked up Best Cover Artwork at the prestigious annual Progressive Music Awards 2017.
The Mute Gods, featuring Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson, Steve Hackett), Roger King (Steve Hackett) & Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, The Sea Within), have announced the release of their third studio album ‘Atheists and Believers’ for March 22nd, 2019.
Arriving just over 2 years after its predecessor ‘Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth’, Beggs once again turns his attention to the state of the world as we know it now, focussing on universal topics such as politics, humanity & love over the course of 10 tracks that run from turbulent rock compositions to more sentimental pieces of music.
Nick comments: “The album’s key message is that we now empower stupid people and don’t listen to educated, informed experts anymore because truth is no longer fashionable.”
For ‘Atheists and Believers’, Beggs has enlisted some very special guests, including Alex Lifeson, Rush’s legendary guitarist; Craig Blundell, renowned drummer currently playing with Steven Wilson’s band; multi-instrumentalist Rob Townsend with whom Beggs worked in Steve Hackett’s band and his vocalist daughter, Lula Beggs.
1.Atheists and Believers 2.One Day 3.Knucklehead 4.Envy the Dead 5.Sonic Boom 6.Old Men 7.The House Where Love Once Lived 8.Iridium Heart 9.Twisted World, Godless Universe 10.I Think Of You
‘Atheists and Believers’ will be released on Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP + CD & as a digital album. You can find the full track-listing below:
The Mute Gods is the musical vehicle Beggs created in 2015 to channel his songwriting. It was conceived while he was embarking on an intensive period of almost continuous touring, firstly with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and then latterly, Steven Wilson, the prolific, widely-acclaimed composer, musician and record producer with whom Beggs still records and tours.
Beggs’ career spans nearly four decades, working with artists across a broad musical spectrum. Bassist, stick player, composer and vocalist, Beggs has sold more than three million records with his own groups, including Kajagoogoo, as well as contributing to genres such as pop, rock, funk, soul, Celtic and latterly, progressive rock.
Among the artists with whom he has collaborated are rock and pop legends John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Belinda Carlisle, Kim Wilde, Gary Numan, Seal and Engelbert Humperdink, as well as progressive rock’s Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Iona and Lifesigns.
Alongside Beggs in The Mute Gods are his regular collaborators Roger King and Marco Minnemann. King is the keyboards player, guitarist and producer of Atheists and Believers, and Steve Hackett’s right-hand man for more than 20 years. Minneman, who has also played with Joe Satriani, is regarded as one of rock’s most exciting drummers and has worked with Beggs on Wilson tours and recordings.
PORT NOIR is:
Andreas Wiberg
Love Andersson
Andreas Hollstrand
Swedish alternative rockers PORT NOIR are pleased to announce they have signed to InsideOutMusic for the release of their forthcoming new studio album, and today they launch the brand new single ‘Old Fashioned’ that sees them embracing a new sound. Watch the video now here:
The band comments:
“A song driven by groovy drum beats, pulsating moog synthesizers, attitude and the passion for compelling melodies.
Old Fashioned is bold, refreshing and packs a powerful punch of contrasts that will knock you into the new sound of Port Noir.
This is the essence of what we’ve been cooking up the past few years and we hope it will stir up an interest for what we still have in store for you!”
Port Noir’s last album ‘Any Way The Wind Carries’ was released in 2016, with Metal Hammer UK commenting that it combined “aching melody with shuddering depth.” Recorded with Daniel Bergstrand, at a small mountain village in southern Spain instead of their native Sweden, ‘Any Way the Wind Carries’ was another bold statement from a band that defies pigeonholing in favour of embracing a vast array of influences and distilling these into smartly arranged, concise songs
HAKEN, one of progressive music’s most exciting bands, recently announced details of their much-anticipated fifth studio album titled ‘Vector’, due for release on October 26th, 2018. The album was produced by the band themselves, and recorded & mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend Project), with the artwork once again being handled by Blacklake.
Today the band have launched a video for the track “Puzzle Box” which you can watch here:
The band comments: “‘Puzzle Box’ was born from some of the jam sessions we had early on in the writing process. The music has a raw and slightly psychotic nature to it that is brilliantly complimented in Crystal Spotlight’s video. To achieve favourable consequences we suggest taking this dose of Vector at regular intervals throughout the day.”
They recently launched the first of a 3 part interview with band members Ross Jennings, Charlie Griffiths & Rich Henshall discussing how the new album came together. Watch it now here: https://youtu.be/0lMw-2VCztY
The band will embark on an epic tour starting this October in North America, with dates in South American & European tour dates for 2019.
Haken & Leprous with Bent Knee:
October 30th – The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI
October 31st– Opera House, Toronto, ON
November 1st – Astral, Montreal, QC
November 2nd– Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA
November 3rd – Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
November 4th – The Sinclair, Boston, MA
November 6th – Soundstage, Baltimore, MD
November 7th – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
November 8th – The Orpheum, Tampa, FL
November – 9th Revolution, Fort Lauderdale, FL
November 10th – The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
November 11th – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
November 13th – Gas Monkey, Dallas, TX
November 14th – Barracuda, Austin, TX
November 16th – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ
November 17th – Glasshouse, Pomona, CA
November 18th – August Hall, San Francisco, CA
November 19th – Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
November 20th – The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
November 21st – Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, BC
November 23rd – Metro Music Hall, Salt Lake City, UT
November 24th – Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
November 25th – Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS
November 26th – Delmar Hall, St Louis, MO
November 27th – Exit/In, Nashville, TN
November 29th – Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
November 30th – Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
December 1st – Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
‘Vector’ will be available as Limited edition 2CD Mediabook (including instrumental versions), Gatefold vinyl 2LP + CD, Standard CD Jewelcase & as digital download. Pre-order now here: https://haken.lnk.to/Vector
1. Clear
2. The Good Doctor
3. Puzzle Box
4. Veil
5. Nil By Mouth
6. Host
7. A Cell Divides
To celebrate the announcement of the new album, the band ran a competition for one lucky fan’s artwork to be etched into the fourth side of the vinyl version of the record. They invited people to submit their own version of the Rorshach test ink-blot which graces the album cover, and the winner was revealed as Shakoor Bukhuth aka SHAUN BEYOND.
Since their inception in 2007, Haken have shown over four previous studio albums, one EP and a live release that they never stand still, merely satisfied to rely on past triumphs. Rather, Haken always look for ways to challenge themselves as musicians and artists, and also to keep the listeners on their collective toes. “We don’t like to make simple music,” laughs vocalist Ross Jennings. “We always aim to defy expectations, and I believe we’ve surpassed what we aimed to achieve with our new album.”
Their fifth studio record sees the band going in a heavier direction with the music. “We’ve always had a heavy influence”, explains guitarist Charlie Griffiths, “but it was obvious from the riffs that were naturally coming out of us early in the writing process that this would be a more metal album. These are some of the most riff driven songs we’ve ever written.” As is usual, Haken produced the album themselves, but for the first time they have enlisted Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood during the recording and mixing stages. Formerly bassist with Periphery, in the last couple of years he has built a reputation as a fine producer. “We produced the album ourselves, as we always do,” insists Jennings. “But we’re fans of what Adam has done with Periphery, Sikth and Devin Townsend. He has a great reputation for the heavier end of our genre”.
But if this album is musically heavy, then there’s an underlying theme running through the seven songs which is certainly esoteric and fascinating. “The scene is set with the track The Good Doctor, which was a really fun song. Musically it feels like a logical step from ‘Affinity’, but lyrically it’s a bit more theatrical and about as ‘rock opera’ as Haken has ever got”, explains Griffiths. “It’s about a Doctor with an intriguing, perhaps sinister interest in a particular patient. From there the story enters the point-of-view of the patient – who appears to be catatonic, but his mind is sparking with what could be memories, or delusions brought on by the treatment he’s receiving – we leave this up to the listeners to decide. Although we don’t want to give too much away, people who are familiar with our back catalogue will have fun discovering further clues we’ve planted throughout the album. And that’s the challenge for the fans – to find out for themselves their own meaning for ‘Vector’ as an album”.
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