Prog Explorations – from Germany Crises – Coral Dreams

Coral Dreams

So one of the albums that’s been on the iPhone for a while and really hasn’t been listened too fully is from the German Prog Rock band Crises. The album is their 2009 release Coral Dreams But tonight I was listening to a mix of tracks on the iPhone and several of the tracks on the album came on and they sounded really good , so I went and listened to a few more and I say I am going to have to give the album a full listen! From ProgArchives:

This Prog Metal band from Germany with a melodic / heavy blend characteristic. Very interesting quiet melodic passages shift to crunch speed guitar avalanches. Some vistiosism can be noticed among the musicians – above average in the Prog Metal style. read more

Lunchtime Prog Rock from Suspyre – A Great Divide

Suspyre

Over the last few days an album that has been listened to several times is the 2007 release from a band called Suspyre, the album is A Great Divide. Here is a quote about their music from their website:

“Suspyre’s music has a wide range of influences and members with distinct personalities that make up the band’s sound. We all have a common interest in progressive rock and metal, while jazz and classical are also at the top of our lists. Our current goal for the future is the push our musical boundaries even further by creating a fusion of the best music to date and then attempting to add new life to it.” read more

Life’s Soundtrack – A Good Run with Prog Rockers Spock’s Beard!

So last night I came home last night and wasn’t sure whether I was going to run. I expressed that sentiment to my wife who reminded me that I feel better when I run! So that was the nudge that I needed to get me on the road. When I started my legs felt really good, and for the first time in a long time I didn’t feel like turning around and going home within the first half-mile! I hit the first mile mark in about 9:45 and the held on to average 10:02 per mile for the rest of the run! While my heart rate is still above where I’d like it throughout the run the good thing is that it’s almost under 100 within 5 minutes after the run! Now I just have to work on getting two more days per week in consistently! The soundtrack for the run was last year’s live album from Spock’s Beard, The X Tour Live. Spock's Beard X LiveNow I have stayed away from Spock’s Beard because it’s one of my sons favorite bands. I know that should make me want to listen to the band, but somehow it has the opposite effect on me – now it may just be that I enjoy being contrary or that I’m afraid I won’t like them! Anyway the fear of not liking them has been removed! I thoroughly enjoyed the album. Now over this may not be the band that Andrew loves, because the band has had many personnel changes over the last ten years. The biggest being the departure of founding member Neal Morse. Morse founded the band in 1992 along with his brother Alan. left the band in 2002 to focus on his solo career. Therefore, the album “Feel Euphoria” released in 2003 was a new beginning. The band released Octane in 2005 and a self-titled release in 2006. They released the album X in 2010. The album that I listened to was The X Tour Live. Jimmy KEEGAN provided some additional vocals on that release and later followed the band on the promotional tour for the new material. After the release of  X Nick D’VIRGILIO left the band to concentrate on his solo career. The line-up for the X Tour Live was: Nick D’Virgilio / vocals, drums, guitar Dave Meros / bass Alan Morse / guitar Ryo Okumoto / keyboards Jimmy Keegan/ tour drums The line-up for their latest 2013 release Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep is: ( I listened to parts of that album today) Alan Morse / Guitar & Vocals Dave Meros / Bass, Bass Pedals, Keyboards & Vocals Ryo Okumoto / Keyboards & Vocals Ted Leonard / Lead Vocals & Guitar Jimmy Keegan / Drums & Vocals Anyway, the run only got me through the first five songs on the album. The two tracks that really stood out for me were “From the Darkness” and “The Man Behind the Curtain” I’m listening to the album now and the track “On a Perfect Day” is on and it sounds great! Overall, the album has a 3.55 rating at the ProgArchives and is labeled as an excellent addition to any Prog Rock collection and the novice says: I agree. Now Andrew, you have to tell me what earlier albums to listen to, when Neal Morse lead the band! Here is a performance of the aforementioned “On a Perfect Day” read more

Life’s Soundtrack: A trip to 30th Street Station with Prymary!

Prymary the enemy withinSo the soundtrack on my drive into Philly last night to pickup Elizabeth at 30th Street station was The Enemy Within from the progressive metal band Prymary. The album is a little harder rock then what I usually listen to, but the music is just flat-out good, especially from the drums of Chris Quirarte! Anyway here’s some info from the Prog Archives:

PRYMARY is a progressive metal band that was formed in 2000 in Southern California and consisted of members Mike Di Sarro (vocals), Sean Entrikin (guitar), Smiley Sean (keyboards), Chris Quirarte (drums), and James Sherwood (bass).
PRYMARY released their self-titled and self-financed debut in 2003 and began gigging to promote the album,opening for notable bands like FATES WARNING and KING’S X. read more

Kotebel – Ouroboros – and a little ramble by me!

OuroborosAfter a folkie morning listening to Left Arm Tan and Matt Harlan, I switched it up this afternoon and put on a little and turned to the symphonic progressive rock of Kotebel. last week I listened to and enjoyed  their 2012 release Concerto For Piano And Electric Ensemble. Today I listened to the band’s 2009 release Ouroboros Of the two I like Ouroboros just a little better.

One thing I’ve learned over the last two years of writing this blog is that I am not good at describing the intricacies of the music, what I can tell you is whether I like it! Now I guess that really doesn’t tell you much since you don’t know me and for all you know my taste might suck! (which is often what my wife and daughter think of my taste) But that’s the reason I always try to include some positive press from others, so the reader can see that most of the time someone else likes the music, too. Or maybe I’ll provide a link to a review that can really tell you about the music. The things that I can tell you about is who the band is, where their from, etc. What I try to be is on one hand a guy who has listened and collected music for about fifty years and I’d like to tell you about some of the musicians that I love, that you may never have heard about. On the other hand, I don’t want my ears and head to be stuck in the sixties and seventies, so I am constantly on the look out for new music that I enjoy! My tastes cover a range of music, folk, blues, bluegrass, jazz, New Age, and recently Prog Rock. What I am not is an expert in any of the genres, especially prog rock. I’m an average guy who may listen to music a little more than the average person and wants to share that music with the reader! Ok so now I’ve used most of this post just blabbing on, but I think it’s been helpful to me and hopefully to the readers! But back to Kotebel! read more

New Prog Rock from Old Friends – Soft Machine now Soft Machine Legacy!

Burden of proofSo tonight I visited the Jazz Music Archives to see what was new. What I found were some old friends. The second review I saw was for the latest release from Soft Machine Legacy, Burden of Proof. Hum, way back in 1970 or so I was a fan for at least one album of The Soft Machine having bought and played many times, their album Third. Anyway I was interested in finding out who Soft Machine Legacy were what I found out was that the original line-up for the band only lasted through 1971 when Robert Wyatt left the band, after that several members revolved in and out of the band through their last studio album, Land of Cockayne released in 1981. Since then many live recordings have been released. In 2002, four former Soft Machine members – Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall and Allan Holdsworth – toured and recorded under the name Soft Works (initially called Soft Ware, debuting at the 2002 Progman Cometh Festival). read more

Prog Exploration Goes to France and finds Delusion Squared II

Delusion Squared IISo I’ve written before, that one of the things I like about Prog Rock is that the bands come from all over the world. The band that was the soundtrack for my ride down to the Garden State Parkway was the French band Delusion Squared. The album is their sophomore release appropriately titled II The band, formed in 2009, is a trio composed of lead vocalist and guitarist, Lorraine Young, guitarist, keyboard and drummer – Steven Francis and bassist/keyboardist – Emmanuel de Saint Meen. Their music can be classified as Crossover Prog (or Art Rock). If you are a novice to the world of progressive rock, you can go here, for the ProgArchives definition of Crossover Prog! read more

Life’s Soundtrack: Greylevel – Hypostatic Union

Hypostatic Union

So it does bode well for a run when within the first quarter-mile you start thinking to yourself, “You know my legs don’t feel very good, maybe I should just go back home”, which is exactly what happened today! But I kept going and turned inward and tried to concentrate on the music, which was provided by a progressive rock band from the west coast of Canada, Greylevel and their 2011 release Hypostatic Union. I passed the first mile mark in just under 10 minutes and my heart rate was too bad. Then it was up Pancoast Avenue, to the beats in second song on the album. After reaching the top of the climb it was downhill to Bridgeboro, all to the great sound that Greylevel crafts. The band calls it  ” a unique blend of progressive and emotional rock music”.GreylevelGreylevel started as a solo studio project for Derek Barber a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, In 2005 Barber teamed with guitarist and bassist Richard Shukin and vocalist Esther Barber (Derek’s wife) to form a real band.  Since then Greylevel has developed into a full-fledged band. read more

Prog Rock Explorations: Blind Ego – Numb

Numb2So I this morning I listened again to the album Numb from the German group Blind Ego and I liked it as much this time as I did the several previous times I listened! So I was surprised when I went to ProgArchves and saw a rating in the low 3s (3.12). To me, and I know I am just a neophyte when it comes to Prog Rock, the album has everything – good musicianship and vocals, and lots of tempo changes keep me interested in the music! The band is a side project for RPWL guitarist Karlheinz “Kalle” Wallner. (note to self find out who the hell RPWL is!) Here’s some information on the band from the ProgArchives: read more

Life’s Soundtracks:The run was a struggle but the music from Day Six was great!

Day sixSo some days you really look forward to your run, you start, you feel good and the run goes very smoothly. Then there are other days, well, they don’t go as well. Saturdays area often a slow day for me. I work all day at Lippincott and then at Target not getting done until 11:15 plus! Yesterday the day went from 7:15 to 11:15, so overall today this 61 year-old body was moving kind of slow! So this afternoon when I just felt like taking a nap I did some kundalini yoga trying to wake me up, and it worked so I got motivated enough to run, went out and discovered that it was a lot colder and windy than I thought it was, anyway, I put on another layer of clothes and set out. I had created a new four mile course and the start looped around a little, so that, after just a little bit a left turn would have led me back home, which was where I really wanted to go or a right turn would set me on my way into the fourteen mile an hour wind and the first leg of my four mile run. Now the only thing good about heading into the wind on the first two miles of a run is that the wind is at your back on the way back!! That’s what happened and really the only reason that I was able to finish the run! The other thing that got me through the run was the music, as always! The music was from a prog rock band Day Six and their album The Grand Design. So with the wind at my back for half of the run, I made it through with an overall pace of about 10:05 per mile, so overall it was not a bad run! read more