It would take ages to list all the bands and musicians Colin has been involved with in the last 50+ years, but many will recognise his name from being co-founder of Flash with Peter Banks. Five years on from his debut as a solo artist, ‘One’, he is now back with this five-track release which is just under 30 minutes in length. Colin provides lead and harmony vocals, drum programming, bass, keyboards and guitar while he also worked long distance with George Keller who added guitar and more guitar. Colin’s vocals still have plenty of range, and it is difficult to realise he was in his seventies when this was recorded, having been born just a few hours after Peter Banks in 1947.
This does not sound like an album of today, nor does it sound British, which is probably not a surprise given that Colin has been living in the States for more than 40 years now. It feels like a late Seventies commercial mild rock album, of which there appeared to be many back then. There is not really enough of an edge, but just enough to give the album some presence, and while the drum machine is obviously not as good as the real thing it is not too obtrusive in this instance. The result is something which is mostly middle of the road and quite forgettable, but there are some instances (such as on “Night Vision Number 2”) where things start to come to life as the music moves more in a power pop direction. Would I play this in preference to the first two Flash albums? No, and having written about it I cannot imagine playing it again, yet while it is on this is a pleasant listen and I am sure there are plenty of people out there who will be surprised to know Colin is still going and will be intrigued enough to give this a try.
Norwegian Rock outfit LEPROUS are pleased to announce the coming of their new, 8th studio album entitled “Melodies Of Atonement” to be released in August via InsideOutMusic worldwide.
LEPROUS checked in with the following comment about “Melodies Of Atonement”: “’Melodies of Atonement’ is the name of our new album and like every band on earth thinks about their new album, we feel like it’s our best one so far! But in this case, it happens to be true…The orchestral elements are gone, which gives more space for each individual band member to shine. It’s straight to the point, and heavier than what we’ve been in a while…It’s a new sound. But it’s still Leprous. We can’t wait for you to hear it!”
LEPROUS recorded “Melodies Of Atonement” across the last months with David Castillo at Ghost Ward Studios in Sweden, while mixing with Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves, etc.) and mastering with Robin Schmidt (The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.). The album’s front cover artwork (To be seen below!) was created based on photography by John Dolan and design by Ritxi Ostáriz.
Further details and information about the new album as well as its first single will be made available soon…
But in the meantime, LEPROUS can already announce a first North American headline tour with special guests Monuments and supports Fight The Fight for September and October 2024.
LEPROUS comment about their return to North America as follows: “We can’t wait to tour North America again together with our good friends in Monuments and Fight The Fight. It’s been too long and we’re super eager to come back!”
LEPROUS, Monuments & Fight The Fight “Melodies Of Atonement” US 2024 Tour 09/04 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl 09/05 – Atlanta, GA – Progpower USA 09/06 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground 09/07 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live! 09/08 – Mckees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre 09/10 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 09/11 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House 09/12 – Montreal, QC – Beanfield Theatre 09/13 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 09/14 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair 09/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer 09/17 – Pontiac, MI – The Crofoot Ballroom 09/18 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues 09/19 – Chicago, IL – Metro 09/20 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre 09/21 – Minneapolis, MN – The Lyric at Skyway Theatre 09/23 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre 09/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell 09/26 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall 09/27 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues 09/28 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theatre Underground 09/30 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater 10/01 – Austin, TX – Mohawk 10/02 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall 10/04 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live 10/05 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Other upcoming international shows by LEPROUS are as follows:
LEPROUS – Live 2024: 23.05.2024 Hammamet (Tunisia) – Mena Rock Festival 07.06.2024 Gdansk (Poland) – Mystic Festival 14.06.2024 Zamora (Spain) – Z!Live Rock Fest 15.06.2024 Tomar (Portugal) – Comendatio Music Fest 03.07.2024 Athens (Greece) – Rockwave Nights / Lycabettus Theater 05.07.2024 Joensuu (Finland) – Ilovaariock 11.07.2024 Brønnøysund (Norway) – Rootsfestivalen 28.07.2024 Manchester (UK) – Radar Festival 03.08.2024 Brasov (Romania) – Rockstadt Extreme Fest And more shows to be announced soon…
LEPROUS – “Melodies Of Atonement” Cover Artwork
LEPROUS line-up: Einar Solberg – vocals/keys Tor Oddmund Suhrke – guitars Robin Ognedal – guitars Simen Børven – bass Baard Kolstad – drums
Recorded in 2016, “Powertron” has languished in the Bill Nelson archives for eight years.
A potent collection of twelve pieces that highlight Nelson’s prowess and invention as a guitarist.
“Its genesis came whilst recording tracks for ‘The Jewel’ album. Amongst these was a track titled ‘Drive Shaft’ which I considered too brash for ‘The Jewel’, but too good to abandon. I decided to create a suitable album to house ‘Drive Shaft’ and ‘Powertron’ was the result. It’s an album of left-field rock songs, mainly vocal but layered with loud and edgy guitars. It will appeal to those who enjoy the wilder side of my work.” – Bill Nelson
Track list: 01) Fascinating Noise 02) A River On The Edge Of Time 03) Dreams And Smoke (Flow With The River) 04) The Moon Came In My Window 05) Where’s The Wonder? 06) Loose Chippings 07) When I Don’t Feel Blue 08) Moments In The Day 09) Fair Winds And Steam Machines 10) Sailing My Boat 11) Laughing Sailors, Raging Seas 12) Drive Shaft
= 1 MORE TIME TOUR CELEBRATING OVER 50 YEARS OF SMOKE ON THE WATER WITH YES
VIP Packages and Fan Pre-sale available starting at 12pm local time today. Use password SMOKE
General on sale begins Friday, April 12th at 10am local
Deep Purple, one of Britain’s most influential bands, today announced =1 More Time Tour of the U.S. with a stop at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, to celebrate over 50 years of Smoke On The Water on Wednesday, August 14.
They will be shaking the walls of U.S. amphitheatres this summer with an explosive lineup of unforgettable hits taken from their repertoire of rock, spanning half a century. Joining Deep Purple on their US tour is YES, making each stop on the tour an unmissable event for rock fans everywhere.
SMOKE ON THE WATER MEET & GREET VIP PACKAGE Package includes:
– *Great Ticket in first 3 Rows – **Meet n Greet with band member (will not include Ian Gillan) – Photo Op with band members (will not include Ian Gillan) – 1 Personal Item autographed – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP T-shirt – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP Merchandise – Commemorative laminate & lanyard
**Meet and Greet / Photo Op may be socially distanced based on any potential COVID related restrictions/precautions. *Ticket location may vary from venue to venue.
HIGHWAY STAR PREMIUM MERCHANDISE PACKAGE Package includes:
– *Great Ticket in first 10 Rows – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP T-shirt – Exclusive Deep Purple VIP Merchandise
(Art Rock Wizard Derek Ferguson Dealing with Darkness, Depth of Light and Darkness)
Coming May 4 is “Intourist,” the third album from Refestramus, and the album’s new music video “Smiling.” The video premiere is set for 12 PM CT/10 AM PT (Friday night/Saturday morning) on May 4 at https://youtu.be/WYJ_I0f236c
Bandcamp fans will be able to hear and download the ArtRock album, “Intourist” this Thursday night/Friday morning (April 4 and 5) at midnight on https://refestramus.bandcamp.com/
“I’m the writer, I play drums, I pay for everything,” states Derek Ferguson, the Wizard who leads the progressive rock studio ensemble known as Refestramus. Named after a word his mother made up to mean “rearrange,” Derek and his producer – Colouratura’s Ian Beabout – liked it because it wasn’t a legitimate word, “A web search will only turn up our band!,” which means the latest search for “Refestramus” will show their new album, Intourist (Melodic Revolution Records)!
As the bearer of this music, Derek’s powers are rooted in inspiration through his writing and finding musicians. He discovered many on the Internet gig site, Fiverr.com: Gifted voices adorn Intourist: Induction lead singer Craig Cairns, rock vocalists NIDA, Denisse Ferrara, and Vedrana Lina. Brazilian keyboardist maestro Rogelio Desouza is also a Fiverr artist.
Derek writes from the depth of emotion. The album’s first video, “Smiling,” he says, “delves into the complexity of concealing one’s sadness to maintain others’ happiness, offering a poignant reflection on the masks we wear in society.”
Refestramus was born May 2020 as Derek’s home studio project during the COVID pandemic. Having been in a variety of progressive rock bands in his native Chicago and an avid listener of Ian Beabout’s Internet radio program “Prog Rock Deep Cuts,” he reached out to Ian to mix and master the recordings. Ian, who plays flute and sings on some tracks on Intourist, introduced Derek to Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, Saxophonist Mitch Lawrence and Wisconsin multi-instrumentalist Jerry King, who plays bass on Intourist. Adding prog multi-instrumentalist Dave Newhouse, who contributed accordion, helped Derek Ferguson guide the album to completion.
Favorite songs on Intourist include “The Red Apple” based on Maxim Gorkiy’s story about a gypsy horse thief and themes of rejection and longing. “Asunción” is a heartfelt tribute to the city of Asunción, “You know how bands used to say ‘we’re big in Japan’? We’re big in Paraguay – they even play us on their national radio station there from time to time!” “Side Hustle” is a Jethro Tull inspired song. “‘Mr. Darwin’ offers a lighthearted take on human survival and natural selection.” The album’s title track is a 3-part epic that combines themes of resilience with the supernatural realms on earth including “zombie love” in the third part of the track, “Intourist.”
In addition to acoustic versions of “Asunción” and “The Red Apple,” the physical CD features a cover of Spirit’s “Mr. Skin.” Spirit is one of Derek’s favorite bands, and he points out, “the songwriter here also has the last name Ferguson”
Refestramus’ debut album, Decoupage, was released in December of 2021. Expose’s Peter Thelen, who has reviewed thousands of Progressive Rock albums over the years, declared it a “Solid opening move.” In 2022, Refestramus released the EP, From the Sublime to the Ridiculous, which featured possibly the “Prog-iest” track on the album “The Devil Returns” – drawing inspiration heavily from Bulgakov’s famous novel “The Master and Margarita.”
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