Set to make their worldwide live debut at ProgPower USA XXI on June 3rd, Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra have released a heavy new single appropriately titled “Sic Riff”. The track is the second single to be released in advance of an upcoming album due out later this year.
Jason Bieler had this to say about the new single: “It is about time for the musical high wire act of the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra to take the stage this week for our worldwide debut at the Progpower Festival in Atlanta! In keeping with a long history of storied prog traditions, we will be wearing sequined capes and playing versions of songs that sound nothing like the ones from the record. In fairness, we couldn’t figure out how to get the backing track machine to work…so we said…let’s just leap the breach and plow through the music like an Amish run farm! We also won’t have in-ear monitors…again not because we don’t have them…but sticking with BVBO tradition, we couldn’t figure out how to get them to work either.
“Ohh, yes…to the point, we are going to be playing two new songs from the unreleased record, “Postcards From The Asylum”…because if I know one showbiz thing, nothing pleases music fans more than new tunes, especially live! So to attempt to remedy this blasphemous display of self indulgence we’ve ( when I say “we” I mean “me” and the “voices”) decided to release one of the songs June 1st…it is called “Sic Riff,” it is technically in 12/4, which is really 4/4…but you have to admit for a sec you were like…”this Baron Von Bielski cat is entirely off the mental reservation!” I don’t like to really discuss my lyrics…but this tune is not about “Monkeypox”…although there is a new song on the upcoming record, called Flying Monkeys…which has Marco Minnemann on it, and to my knowledge, as of this writing at least, he has no primate based illnesses…for that matter he doesn’t even own a monkey.
“I personally would love a monkey…but I digress. New tune out everywhere June 1st! Featuring the brilliance of Andee Blacksugar on guitars and noises and Edu Cominato on drums, he is from Brazil and I’m not really sure he actually knows that he played on the record, as I used google translate to chat with him, but it was accidentally set to English to Uzbekistan…so in hindsight all he knows I said is “does your goat have global entry” or something to that effect. If you see Edu, please tell him thanks and that I was referring to the TSA, not his goat being a hussy.”
ProgPower USA will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, June 1-4, 2022. Please visit www.progpowerusa.com for further details.
ason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra recently shared a lyric video for a new track titled “Human Head.” It features a return guest appearance by Andee Blacksugar (KMFDM, Peter Murphy, and Blondie).
We are thrilled to announce “Shelter” the upcoming fourth album by Costa Rica’s premier Prog Metal act Time’s Forgotten to be released in early 2022 via label Melodic Revolutions Records.
“This is a concept album and I think it is our best work yet,” says Calvo. “It shows how we’ve matured throughout our 16-year career as a band and we can’t wait for you to listen to it!”. The band also has some very special surprises for this in 2021, so stay tuned!
Tracklist: 1. New Dawn (prologue) 2. City 3. Cycle #248 4. Defiant 5. Accident of Evolution 6. Waking Up (interlude) 7. Ascension 8. Outsider 9. Moments of Clarity 10. The Road Home 11. Sleepless
Produced by Ari Lotringer and Juan Pablo Calvo and arranged by the band. Mixed and mastered by Calvo at Lúcuma Estudios.
Art direction: Fernando Fonseca. Photography: Sebastián Blanco. Photo editing: Ari Lotringer
Format: CD & Digital Catalog Number: MRRCD 22208
Time’s Forgotten is. Priscilla Ruiz: lead vocals Jorge Sobrado: drums Ari Lotringer: lead guitar Gonzalo Trejos: bass Juan Pablo Calvo: keyboards, guitars, vocals
First, and foremost the RoSFest team would like to thank their supporters for being so patient in awaiting further announcements with regards to new festival dates. As fans and supporters of music and festivals; we tried and consider the impact of our decisions on fans and try to minimize any disruptions to the best of our ability while still maintaining the best overall experience. These considerations are what have guided the RoSFest Team in deciding to move the 2022 festival dates to make sure fans and supporters won’t have to miss out on any great music.
The new RoSFest dates have been chosen as not to conflict with the new dates of the Cruise to the Edge (CTTE). We have decided it was in everyone’s best interest to not share the same dates. The RoSFest Team wants to wish the organizers and CTTE team the best of luck on the new dates for the cruise. To that end, we have moved RoSFest 2022 from May 2022 to April 15-17, 2022.
We continue to work diligently behind the scenes to sign contracts with hotels to secure the best possible rates for your accommodations and organize the best event we can. We hope to make some of those announcements soon and we are sure you can’t wait to find out who will be on the big stage, you won’t be disappointed, so stay tuned.
Thank you for your patience and support, we cannot say that enough, but most of all we look forward to mingling with our friends and meeting our many new supporters.
Join Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius on YouTube Saturday, February 27th at 3 PM EST for a chance to win free music downloads. There can only be 20, will you be one of them?
The new video features claymation with live footage from each band member from their own studio. “Cognitive Dissonance” is a collaboration with Patrick Carmichael, who has subbed on drums for the band through the years.
“Cognitive Dissonance”’s first verse deals with the confusion we go through, when elders and leaders influence us to change our minds with their negative feelings on those we care about. “We are all born innocent, free of prejudice and hatred, but our elders make us carry a heavy burden, which can last our whole lives. Hatred is taught, we are not born with it,” explains Joe. “We all see children that are terrified by friends that are their same ages, because their parents have taught them negative things about other religions, ethnicities, genders, skin colors, political ideologies….” He says prejudicial teachings “can create “cognitive dissonance” in anyone’s mind when they’re told their friends are ‘evil’ because they have different roots.”
The second verse deals with political and ideological intolerance. “There’s rising extremism, and it’s been this way for decades. People are prisoners of fake news, social media echo chamber bubbles, and politicians who reinforce conspiracy theories and retweet them to their followers. The line ‘No one can touch us now’ refers to people hiding behind their screens, spewing the deep-rooted hatred without fear of physical retaliation. Even though I wrote the song a year ago, I think it eerily speaks to recent events.”
“It’s easy to write about our high ideals and our wishes for world peace, but when you have a gun pointed to your head or your business is burning down, it’s a rude awakening about how nasty the world really is. The big collective guitar/electric violin solo at the end represents two sides screaming at each other, full of hatred, fading out screaming, never reaching an understanding or resolving anything.”
Multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine, who has subbed in Stratospheerius on guitar, bass, and drums, has played on a few of the band’s songs: “Soul Food” and “Impostor.” His voice blends with Joe’s, that “we thought it’d be cool to have him sing lead on the second version of ‘Cognitive Dissonance.’”
Joe has been called The Jimi Hendrix of the electric violin. Stratospheerius has showcased their “frenzied mélange of progressive rock, jazz fusion and funkabilly” throughout the world. Stratospheerius was a winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition the Musicians Atlas Independent Music Awards. They have been featured in Progression, Relix, Downbeat, and Jazziz, among other publications. Their last album on Melodic Revolution Records, “Guilty of Innocence,” has been widely acclaimed by critics and fans. Joe has played violin in orchestras for Bruce Springsteen, the Who, Sheryl Crow, 50 Cent, and Renaissance.
Stratospheerius is: Joe Deninzon – lead vocals/electric violin Jason Gianni – drums Michelangelo Quirinale – guitar Paul Ranieri – bass
Blood Like Red is the 3rd track from the 2014 Music From An Expanded Universe album. The video features Leon Alvarado on Keyboards and Drums. Trey Gunn (King Crimson, The Security Project) on Warr Guitar and Bass and Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates) on Taos Drums percussion. Produced by Leon Alvarado, Engineered by Leon Alvarado, Trey Gunn and Mastered by Andy Jackson
For years I had wanted to add visuals to what it is one of my favorite pieces from my music. Leon Alvarado
Leon Alvarado is Texas-based prog drummer, keyboardist, composer, and illustrator, Alvarado has recorded with many talented musicians including Bill Bruford (Gong, Yes, Genesis, Earthworks), John Goodsall (Brand X, Fire Merchants), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Paul McCartney), Billy Sherwood (Yes, Asia), Rick Wakeman and Tony Levin.
On the graphics front I have done album covers and touring materials for bands such as Brand X, Genesis, Phil Collins, Jethro Tull, Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, and King’s X.
A Critics Point of View
This is not one of those balls-to-walls prog-rock affairs. For instance on “Blood Like Red,” the artists execute a slowly moving and budding rock pulse, steered by Gunn’s prominent bass lines, in support of the leader’s polytonal voicings, sounding somewhere in between a mellotron and synth strings type soundscape. Moreover, Alvarado layers a tabla vibe to incorporate a world music background into the mix, followed by Gunn’s stinging and crunchy Warr guitar notes. All About Jazz
“Blood Like Red” starts and ends with atmospheric wind effects with the middle brimming with Alvarado’s spacier synth exploits and Gunn’s textural Warr guitar crunch. It is here the band really gets into a full but subtle groove. Jon Neudorf – Sea of Tranquility
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John, Nick, Rebecca, Tony, Lisa & Octavia 
