TesseracT, a band that sit outside the bounds of any genre specificity, pioneers of the ever-evolving progressive metal scene and unstoppable force of off-kilter riffs, soaring melodies and disorientating atmospherics release their fourth studio album Sonder on April 20th, 2018 through Kscope.
Sonderadds significant firepower to the band’s arsenal, blending the harsh abrasiveness of One (2011) and progressive ethereal elements of Altered State (2013) with the accessibility of Polaris (2015). Sonder is streamlined, honest and direct with all the trademark TesseracT dreamy atmospherics and bending grooves. Sonder was recorded in the UK at 4D Sounds, Celestial Sounds and Project Studios, engineered by the band and Aiden O’Brien with mastering by Acle Kahney, and cover artwork designed by Amos Williams.
Listen to the new single “Luminary” HERE, described by vocalist Daniel Tompkins as “Conceptually exploring a deep and devouring sense of insignificance, which ties into the overall theme and meaning behind ‘Sonder’”. Also featured is an extended and re-worked version of last summer’s single “Smile”.
Sonder will be released on CD / 2CD – featuring binaural album bonus disc / black LP / Crystal Clear vinyl LP / picture disc and digitally (with digital album pre-order receiving “Luminary” as an instant download) and is available to pre order HERE / Digital
For audiophiles, TesseracT have produced a binaural version which will be available exclusively as part of the 2CD version, this version is a 360-listening experience designed by Klang: Fabrik for headphones listening Amos Williams explains more “the concept is to push past the restrictions of a stereo headphone mix and create an accurate ‘3D’ space in which positioning outside of the normal Left Right axis can occur. This is something that every artist that uses in ear monitors on stage wishes to recreate; the real and accurate positioning of instruments. We immediately felt that this technology could be applicable to us in the studio. TesseracT loves to bring what it does in the studio to the stage, but this time it’s experimenting with bringing a live element to the studio.”
Building on their phenomenal success with worldwide tours in support of Polaris over the last two years, as both headliners and as special guests for the likes of Megadeth, Meshuggah, DevinTownsend Project and Gojira, TesseracT area gearing up to take Sonder to worldwide audiences beginning in North America in April. On this tour they will be supported by Plini and Astronoid with the first show in Boston on 19th April and the tour culminating at New York’s Irving Plaza on 24th May. “North America is where TesseracT first took off and is always the leg of the album cycle that holds the most sentiment to me. There are a lot of good memories made and good friends discovered along those long and bumpy roads. This time we’re lucky enough to share the road with two boundary pushing bands: Astronoid, a wall of euphoric noise who have a bright and noisy future ahead of them. And Plini, with his genre defying effortless virtuosity. It’s going to be a fun tour for us, especially as we’ve got a bunch of new tunes to add to the set!” Amos Williams.
European summer festivals have already been announced, followed by a headline tour of UK & European and Australia – details will be announced in the coming months
08/06/18 – UK, Donington, Download Festival (headlining the Dogtooth Stage)
22-24/06/18 – BE, Dessel, Graspop Festival
22-24/06/18 – FR – Clisson – Hellfest
28-30/06/18 – ESP, Madrid, Caja Magica, Download Festival
The forthcoming release of The Shadow Theory will mark another chapter in the band’s illustrious career. Coming off of the success of Haven, the band has stepped up their game even more on this new album and the massive tour planned for 2018/2019.
Casey is off to new endeavors! Prior to the recent final recordings, long-time drummer Casey Grillo informed the band that he had made the difficult decision to pursue other music and touring opportunities, in addition to the desire to focus more time on his drumhead company.
“Casey has been my friend and colleague for nearly 20 years. We have seen and done a lot together both in and outside of Kamelot. As his friends, the band and I respect his decision. I’m sure that we will all still be hanging out together when we have down time.” adds Kamelot guitarist Thomas Youngblood (Official).
In a letter regarding his departure, Casey states: “First and foremost I would like to thank all of the Kamelot fans around the world for your support during my time with the band. It has afforded me the opportunity to travel the globe, meet the most amazing people, experience so many cultures, and to share some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Between the various other musical endeavors I am involved with, along with my rapidly growing business DrumStatic.com, it really just became evident it was time for me to explore and focus on these new opportunities without compromising the exclusivity Kamelot needs and deserves.”
The technical musical arrangements and intense touring demands drove the band to enlist a proficient and energetic musician which would fit perfectly within the Kamelot machine. The new Kamelot drummer is someone you may already know, so please welcome with open arms Johan “Jo” Nunez. This 29 year old drum master and instructor has been touring and playing on albums with Marty Freedman, Gus G, Firewind, Nightrage and more. “We knew Johan already from touring and he worked with us on the entire recent European tour. He’s a sensational drummer, and was an easy choice in my mind. Be sure to make him feel welcome, and bug him for a photo, he’s a super nice dude!” adds Kamelot bassist Sean Tibbetts.
Johan Nunez states: “I am thrilled to join the Kamelot family! I’ve known the band for well over 15 years and always looked up to Casey as a drummer, so it was a big honor for me when I was asked to step in. I have toured in the past with Kamelot and I could see how dedicated and loving their fans are! Everybody in the band and crew have been wonderful and already made me feel at home, so I’m really excited to meet you all soon on the road!”
Casey concurs with the selection and adds: “I sincerely ask for you all to give a warm welcome to Johan Nunez, and to embrace him as the new drummer. He is a great guy and will proudly represent and continue the Kamelot legacy!“
The band wishes Casey all the best in his future musical and business journeys. As part of the Kam family, he will continue to work behind the scenes with the band.
The band is also confident that with the release of The Shadow Theory, fans will immediately recognize that Johan’s fantastic musicianship is a perfect choice for Kamelot. They can’t wait for you to meet him on tour!
LA progressive rock outfit Perfect Beings have just released their latest album and debut for InsideOut/Sony Music, Vier. The album finds the band at their experimental best with a diverse collection of tracks including the first two singles, “Anunnaki – Patterns of Light” and “Vibrational – Mysteries, Not Answers.”
In a new video, members Ryan Hurtgen and Jesse Nason, along with Sean Reinert, (Johannes Luley does not appear in the video) talk about the new album, how Reinert joined the band and upcoming shows.
You can see the video here:
“…their most adventurous record to date.”
-Prog Magazine
“Vier is a fascinating work. Not only does it possess astounding variety and scope internally, but it also expands the group’s formula in stunning ways.”
-The Prog Report
“The genre has been around for so long that you would assume that it’s all been done by now. And then a band comes along that actually pushes things forward and challenges the listener. Perfect Beings are that band.”
-Progressive Music Planet
Guedra – 18:23
1.A New Pyramid
2.The Blue Lake of Understanding
3.Patience
4.Enter the Center
The Golden Arc – 16:47
5.The Persimmon Tree
6.Turn the World Off
7.America
8.For a Pound of Flesh
Vibrational – 18:17
9.The System and Beyond
10.Mysteries, Not Answers
11.Altars of the Gods
12.Everywhere at Once
13.Insomnia
Anunnaki – 18:42
14.Lord Wind
15.Patterns of Light
16.A Compromise
17.Hissing the Wave of the Dragon
18.Everything’s Falling Apart
About the band:
Singer Ryan Hurtgen originally met Johannes Luley as a client in Luley’s Los Angeles-based recording studio, My Sonic Temple. Luley, who was instantly impressed with his personality, song-crafting skills, and voice, asked Hurtgen to join him on a new project. This new group was going to continue the path Luley’s former band Moth Vellum had set out on. The two became fast friends and soon put together a full band which would also include founding member Jesse Nason on keyboards. After releasing Perfect Beings (2014) and II (2015) to critical acclaim, a few personnel changes occurred that left the band without a rhythm section. The guys decided they wouldn’t be deterred, even by such a major setback. Instead, they hired Minneapolis transplant Ben Levin to play the drums on their next album, with Luley taking over the bass spot in addition to playing guitars. The result is the exhilarating double album, Vier. As the group got closer to completing the record, they approached InsideOut, whose label chief Thomas Waber had shown interest a couple of years earlier. The parties agreed to join forces and release the record in early 2018. Levin dropped out and progressive rock drumming phenom Sean Reinert joined the band to add even more life force to an already powerful and highly skilled group, which also includes Jason Lobell on bass. The band can be seen in its current lineup at RoSfest 2018, early May in Gettysburg, PA.
Perfect Beings are:
Ryan Hurtgen – vocals; piano
Johannes Luley – guitars; bass
Jesse Nason – keyboards
Sean Reinert – drums; percussion
Jason Lobell – bass
Brett McDonald – sax and flute
Power of Prog are thrilled to announce that on Friday 2.2.2018 we will premiere the latest video Behind the Curtain by Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
Behind the Curtain is the second video form the bands latest release Guilty of Innocence released September 29, 2017, via Melodic Revolution Records.
Guilty of Innocence is the 5th studio CD by electric violinist Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius. The album features guest appearances by guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament), keyboardist Rave Tesar (Renaissance), and guitarist/vocalist Randy McStine(The Fringe).
When I relocated to Houston Texas from Los Angeles California in 1988 -89 I will admit that the Houston Texas metal, progressive rock scene etc … was a rather eclectic mix much more than Los Angeles. One night you could go see Houston Blues legend Freddy Everret out on the Northwest side off Jones Road, another night you could be a Club 6400 or Numbers watching local bands like ZLotZ and Helstar, the fledgling Galactic Cowboys or St Louis Missouri transplants Kings X. There was even ZRock that was a 100% all Heavy Metal and Hard Rock station.
As the 1980’s gave way to the Alternative 1990’s, Houston found itself in a musical culture that was either forcing the flavour of the month in rock n roll down the throats of its citizens. Soon modern rock formatted stations such as 101.1 KLOL would go from decent modern rock and metal to a full blown Espanol station. Outside Classic Rock radio and KPFT a non commercial station here as well. Then there were the record stores that seemed to be one of the few entities keeping any metal scene together. You had Catcus near the Montrose, Diamondhead Records and Vinyl Edge on the Northwest side. Yes for a while in the later 1990’s and early 2000’s the metal scene seemed to be a little bleak around here.
However something began to happen where the scene. With the rise in the internet and the explosion of small to larger venues, bands in any genre began to reclaim a foothold within the general conscience. The House Of Blues started to welcome local bands, the 19th Hole up in The Woodlands and BFE off Jones Rd, started to book national acts like Savatage, Fates Warning, Seven Witches among local bands like Well Of Souls and the subject of this album review Masqued.
Brief Biography Courtesy Of Masqued Official Website
The band was formed in 2014 by guitarist Eric Halpern (HELSTAR, LEATHERWOLF), bassist Shane Dubose, and keyboardist Adam Rawlings, all formerly with local Houston, TX legends Z-LOT-Z. They recruited drummer Jon Allen (SADUS, TESTAMENT) and second guitarist Drew Creel (MEVYN), with Steffany Johnston providing the missing piece after an extensive vocalist search. The group have just put the finishing touches on their first album which was produced by veteran SF Bay Area studio whiz Juan Urteaga (Testament, Vicious Rumors, Machine Head). Expect an amazing piece of American metal: melodic, progressive, aggressive, unique and modern, with elements from ‘70s rock and jazz, till Bay Area-thrash! Release date will be announced soon.
Eric Halpern on behalf of the band stated the following comments:
”After several years of hard work, MASQUED is very excited to present our debut CD! We are also proud to release it on Sleaszy Rider Records, a well-known and respected label. Metal fans around the globe, with much love and respect, we sincerely hope you enjoy our new music!”
My initial introduction to the band Masqued is a bit blurry. I believe it was a word of mouth thing combined with some social media exposure. I had the privilege of seeing the band live in its infancy at least once. I knew they were going to be a good band but I did not know they would turn out as good as they have. Although the band have only been a unit for 3+ years, in reality they have been preparing for this their entire lives with other prior musical ventures and other bands. With a lifetime of musical and personal experience the band unifies their God given talent that makes for a well crafted album that is The Light In The Dark.Masqued explore subjects of faith, spirituality and provide very uplifting positive in their compositions.
It would be easy and cliche to compare Masqued with other American Progressive Metal bands. If I had to best tell you the reader and potential fan of Masqued, I would say they are a cross between Shadow Gallery meets the Wedding Party. Vocally Steffany Johnston is a female version coming of the late Mike Baker of Shadow Gallery. Her pitch perfect range is well balanced throughout the album. On the male vocal side Shane Dubose lends a very strong European flavour to the band reminding me very much of Andrea Ferro of Lacuna Coil. On the instrumental side of the band it is one of the top and stellar lineups in the industry today. This is due to all the time playing live as a band and really honing the craft prior to making a full debut album.
There seems to be hook and riff after hook and riff. I will note the highlights of every track going forward.
A New Beginning is a straight forward instrumental intro to open up the album. Its heavy Arabic scale lends a very unique and beautiful dimension to the album from the first note go. It seamlessly transitions smoothly into the next track The Light In The Dark.
The Light In The Dark explodes with a thunderous rhythm section right out of the starting gate off A New Beginning. This is also the official first single off the album. The chord progressions are very tight like the band have been together for 10+ years. There is no filler whatsoever. Every chord progression and rhythm portion all serve a purpose and do their own intended purpose. Steffany Johnston – Vocals and Shane DuBoise – Bass/Vocals really play tight off one another. Their vocal structure is also in perfect pitch with the melodic composition half of the this track. The vocals do not overwhelm nor appear to have once ounce of weakness with the melody and harmony of the song. Lyrically the band immediately establishes a much more positive and uplifting message that is sometimes lacking in progressive metal.
The Call begins with thunderous rhythm sections with some very beautiful ethereal vocal chants. It soon switches gears towards a more atmospheric progressive track and the beautiful yet uplifting female vocals come in and really play on key with the instrumental section. Lyrically the subject matter revolves around life choices and destiny. This is one of the more aggressive tracks on the album. It is not only a heavy track sonically but vocally it is full of passion and grace. The track contains some very insane chord progressions and time signatures that certainly qualify it as a progressive minded song.
Let Go begins with a very blistering introduction with various chord progressions met with some very intricate time signatures in the rhythm section. It reminds me a lot of Shadow Gallery’s Deeper Than Life off 1995’s Carved In Stone as far as the explosive riffs and emotion within the opening instrumental section. Once again the female vocal narrative is on perfect point and range. Steffany Johnston totally demonstrates full control along with Shane DuBose in the male vocal narrative. It seems that vocal control and orientation is becoming the rule throughout the album more than just some exception and Let Go is yet another perfect example of this.
Hypnotized is a perfect demonstration of the band’s uncanny ability to create something different with every song and a killer brainstorm in the mixing of the track. In perfect harmony between the opening instrumental passage in perfect harmony with the vocal the track is fades in gradually and seamlessly. This track is very heavy on guitar solo’s as the beginning starts as a solo. Both the male and female vocal narratives work much like a melodic dialogue going back and forth in various sections. The instrumentals are very brutal and heavy throughout the song serving as perfect filters for the various solo’s. The outro is a beautiful blend of the brutal rhythm sections with the beautiful ethereal vocals.
Bullet By Bullet starts off with the band’s signature deep thunderous rhythm section in melody with the beautiful piano styles of Adam Rawlings – Keyboards. There are some breaks in the early notes before the song begins to blister the senses. The blistering soon subsides to the beautiful soothing balm of Steffany Johnston’s vocals. The message again is one of very uplifting. Then the male vocal narrative of Shane DuBose switches in and out. This is also followed by brilliant solo’s done by Drew Creel – Guitar , Eric Halpern – Guitar, Adam Rawlings – Keyboards. Much of this track reminds me a lot of Dream Theater’s Awake in 1994 meets Teremaze’s Tears To Dust in 1998.
The Other Side starts out with a spoken word narrative before going into a opening passage that is very Iron Maiden style, especially with Hallowed Be Thy Name. It does level off into a progressive frenzy of various guitars solo’s and atmospheric keyboards within the background. You have this situation that allows both guitarists to display their great rhythm work. The guitars come from out of the stringed section and meet up more with the rhythm section in the song. The vocal harmony even plays off the rhythm section very fluidly. Of course a few intricate guitar solo’s appear but within in the context of the rhythm section more than a stringed section.
Broken can easily be a single much like The Light In The Dark. It has a beautiful verse bridge verse to it. Where it lacks in chorus it certainly makes up for with beautiful vocal work and intricate guitar work. I can see this one gain a foothold within in live sets as the band progresses and plays shows in support of the album.
Rise Up starts out seeing and hearing Jon Allen – Drums put on one of the best drumming clinics on a album I have heard in the last 20 years. He certainly sets the tone for the rest of the band to chime in instrumentally and vocally to give the listener a full all out assault on the senses of the next 6:05. Once again the vocal narrative between Stefanny Johnston and Shane Dubose is spot on perfect in melody to the instrumental. The unsung hero on the song being Jon Allen on drums.
In a year that did see Houston Texas battered by Hurricane Harvey this album was very needed within the Houston metal, progressive and general musical community overall. Masqued The Light In The Dark and the World Series victory of the Houston Astro’s in that order are highlights in what appeared to be a dark bleak 2017. I knew I had moved from Los Angeles to Houston for a reason. This album is among those reasons and blessings. Masqued The Light In The Dark is now on my very short list of Album Of The Year 2017 contenders right up there with Ayreon, Nad Sylvan, Quadrus, Scardust and Perihelion Ship. Masqued The Light In The Dark gets a perfect 5/5 for stellar work.
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