ProgCenter Seventh Wonder Update - New Single released

Well how Could I knew that a couple of days after I posted my last post on the blog, about Seventh Wonder. The band itself would release the single for their new album.
On June 27th of this year 2014, they announced the new video on their Facebook account, follow them if you feel like it
https://www.facebook.com/seventhwonderofficial?fref=ts


The New video it's called Inner Enemy
I really enjoyed the song, it continues a bit from where they kept on The Great Escape, however now the progressive and power metal styles pratically had a fusion that resulted in this song, hope for more progressive songs in the album at the moment without a name

I am really glad. knowing that between The Great Escape and this new material Tommy Karevik started their presence on Kamelot is good to know that he kept true to himself and Seventh Wonder, it's not easy to find Kamelot influences on Tommy when he is with Seventh Wonder and that's hard to achieve.
So I leave you with Inner Enemy and the lyrics, posted by the band today on facebook. During the next week I hope to be able to write about another band of one of the singers I already talked about, will not be easy to guess of who am I talking and about a band that is more into black/progressive metal, which released new material on last month, stay tuned

For a man that never prayed upon salvation
It’s quiet when the world is breaking down
But when the neon light is calling
Gotta search for one more fix
A rat race for a man-made crown

Please... Help me! Help me, somebody…
My heart is open wide!
Save me and just maybe I'll survive...

You gotta get up and go...
Hey!
Tonight is the night
And I'm gonna face my Inner Enemy!
Get up because
Hey!
This is your life
And it's time to kill your Inner Enemy…

Cause we are pushing through as flashing lights go by us
Our good intentions pave the way for greed
So we are running through an endless maze
A wicked society
With smoke and mirrors, ecstasy…

Please... Help me! Help me, somebody…
My heart is on the line!
Save me and just maybe I'll survive...

Chorus

Not gonna make it on your own
Trying to fly
But you keep falling like angels to the ground
You brought the world to its knees
And forced us to rise
To kill the limelight that blinded your eyes

Chorus

I'm gonna give myself
One fighting chance
To face my inner enemy
Get up because
One too many have died
And it's time to kill your inner enemy…

ProgCenter - Seventh Wonder (Mercy falls 2008) and The Great Escape (2010)

Today I bring to you, Seventh Wonder, most of You might know this band because of new Kamelot's vocalist Tommy Karevik. However even before he went to Kamelot, Seventh Wonder was already a band to follow

Their Sound varies between a more progressive one, great composition, changes of pace, mixed with an harmonic or melodic style, mixing well all the elements, and another style more near to power progressive metal. Mercy Falls from 2008 has songs more into power progressive than The great Escape where you have, long songs with lots of variety in the song, almost seeming like a jam session.



Mercy Falls from 2008, was the album where I first met the band, the construction is well planned, not to harsh changes, with power metal influences all over, a somewhat mystical style in the air in their songs. The band member were as follows:

• Tommy Karevik - Vocals
• Andreas "Kyrt" Söderin - Keyboard
• Johan Liefvendahl - Guitar
• Andreas Blomqvist - Bass guitar
• Johnny Sandin - Drums
• Jenny Karevik - Female vocals

On A great Escape, the progressive elements are more present, more guitar solo, keyboard more influent, for those who are not so fans of the keyboards you may feel a bit disapointed. However I feel the band sound as one is more fluent, more symbiotically mixed, we see more harmony in the sound.
The Band members were as follow:

• Tommy Karevik - Vocals
• Andreas Söderin - Keyboard
• Johan Liefvendahl - Guitar
• Andreas Blomqvist - Bass
• Johnny Sandin - Drums
• Jenny Karevik - Guest Vocals on Long Way Home and The Great Escape

Today I leave you with Welcome to mercy Falls from 2008's album Mercy Falls and Alley Cat from a Great Escape, official video, this one from A Great Escape. keep paying attention to Karevik work with Kamelot but never forget to check Seventh Wonder as it's really worthing. They are releasing a new album soon we are expecting it for sure.

Progcenter/elements of Prog - Adagio - Sanctus Ignis/Underworld/Archangels in Black 2001/2003/2009

Today I wake up with Adagio's songs in my head

Adagio started with a Neo-Classical metal band, with progressive metal influences. Today they are really more into progressive metal, the neo-classical is still there however. Adagio are a French band, with some other vocalists, the best one till today was the British David Readman. Strong rifs, great keyboard

I really enjoy their first two albums, Sanctus Ignis, Their debut album is an hymn to neo-classical style, announced amazing songs that would came.

I will share with you, The Stringless Violin, a true hymn to neo-classical

On Underworld, for me the biggest Adagio masterpiece the neoclassical and progressive are in a great symbiosis, creating unique masterpieces that sill are worth hearing, sadly this was the last album of David Readman on Adagio. In Underworld, Richard Andersson was replaced on keyboards by Kevin Codfert that still introduced the piano on Adagio work. About Underworld read this Review here is a part of that review:

"Even though Forte's guitar work and song-writing skills are fantastic, he is NOT the high point of this album. That belongs to the vocal brilliance of Mr. David Readman, who IS the greatest singer alive today, WITHOUT question. There is no way to describe his sound to someone who hasn't heard it previously, as there is nobody to compare him too. He is unique in the vocal world which is saying something. He sings with such passion and energy that it's almost infective. He turns what would have just above average neo-classical songs into masterpieces."

The Track list was this one, I only put the track list on this album as it is my favourite of Adagio
1. "Next Profundis" (M: Stephan Forté / Kevin Codfert)
2. "Introïtus/Solvet Saeclum in Favilla"
3. "Chosen"
4. "From My Sleep... to Someone Else"
5. "Underworld"
6. "Promises"
7. "The Mirror Stage" (L: Audrey Bedos)
8. "Niflheim" (instrumental)
9. "Missa Aeterna" (Japanese bonus track)

On Underworld I could show you all the tracks cause all are worth it, but I will show you the most progressive one, Underworld song, 4 minutes opening creating the atmosphere to the whole song, a masterpiece of music, not only of metal, and also found a video which will show you also another brutal song, Promises:

Archangels in black, I don't know it so well, as David Readman left I lost interest on the band, however today I went listen and it's worth, totally worth, however Adagio in this album has more progressive influence, more heavy sound. The melody was lost a bit.

Stephan Forté - Guitars, Vocal
Franck Hermanny - Bass
Christian Palin - Vocals
Eric Lebailly - Drums
Kevin Codfert - Keyboards

From Archangels in Black I will show you Fear Circus the official video:

Stay tuned for another different band

Out of metal/into progressive rock - Arrow Haze

Today I will talk a bout a band that i just discovered, Arrow Haze.

I was searching for Warrel Dane(ex-Nevermore) songs when I stumbled upon this amazing band. A touch of Power metal really sliding into Progressive, I rather say that it is a balanced mix between Progressive and Power metal into 50% and the other 50 percent being fulfilled by progressive Rock.
This is a Belgium band, formed in 2012 which members are:
Timo Somers (guitar & vocals)
Barend Courbois (bass)
Theo Vasilchenko (drums & vocals)
 
They have only one album, Music Factory from 2012
 1. Casino (5:56)
2. Memories (4:01)
3. Visions (3:32)
4. Dreams (5:45)
5. Lost (5:04)
6. Perfectly Ordinary (3:55)
7. Confirm the Message (4:11)
8. Along the Way (3:20)
9. Elly Kedward (3:46)
10. Music Factory (4:38)
11. Stranger Tides (3:54)
12. Routine (3:09)
13. Crisis (4:33)

I will share with you the song Along the Way, Enjoy, this is the first post outside the progressive metal style, but into progressive rock

Elements of Progressive - Ava Inferi - Onyx (2011)

Today or Tonight as you wish I will show you something different.

Ava Inferi is a project created by Rune Eriksen (Mayhem) with Carmen (from Aenima), here there are elements of progressive, like the heavy guitar, some ambience sounds, but the main style of Ava Inferi is Gothic, Opera, symphonic, Lyric and even Fado. It was created in 2005. The Portuguese singer is a remarkable piece on the band. Her voice is strong, clean and with great vocal range. makes a perfect combo with the guitar of Eriksen. This band despite of Rune has deep Portuguese roots, as some songs have Fado as influence

Onyx from 2011 is an album that brought more progressive elements, more dark ambience to the band, they will no longer be only Gothic, they will add other influences to their sound.

The band members on this album were the following

• Carmen Susana Simões - vocals
• Rune Eriksen - electric and clean guitars, effects
• André Sobral - guitar
• Joana Messias - bass
• João Samora - drums, percussion

The track list was this one

1. "Onyx" – 4:49
2. "The Living End" – 6:49
3. "A Portal" – 4:56
4. "((Ghostlights))" – 6:57
5. "Majesty" – 5:56
6. "The Heathen Island" – 9:19
7. "By Candlelight and Mirrors" – 5:48
8. "Venice in Fog" – 5:59

The Song I will share with you it's called Living End, strong song, melodic also, we can feel the emotion through the entire song.

Sadly in 2013, more or less two months after what we in Portugal Called, Lisbon Dark Failure (Lisbon Dark Fest), where Therion weren't fully payed as they deserved to be by a bunch of stupid promoters. Ava Inferi announced their end. However, even this year they released a new single in a compilation, and Rune and Carmen anounced a new coming project. We are eager to hear it in a near future.

ProgCenter - Star One - Victims of the Modern Age (2010)

As I said yesterday, I will talk about a special band, a so called supergroup, STAR ONE.

More or less at the time when I first heard Damian Wilson On Threshold, I saw on Last.fm some other related groups, specially related to Ayreon someway. You may ask, what are the similarity between Star One and Ayreon? well both bands have the same mentor behind Arjen Anthony Lucassen.

As it happens With Ayreon, here we have a lot of great metal names, but in this case some not so obvious, some still are, I will talk about Victims of Modern Age Album. 

 

 The album is basically, a concept one around Ecological warning, the problems faced by internet or interweb if you prefer, the dangers that technology uncontrolled can make. The progressive part is also present, it his in the same music, melodic and symphonic and then becomes more speedy, harsh sometimes or even more electronic influenced. The artists on this album were:

• Sir Russell Allen (Symphony X) - vocals
• Damian Wilson (Threshold) - vocals
• Dan Swanö  (Edge of Sanity)- vocals
• Floor Jansen (Ex-After Forever, ReVamp, Nightwish)  - vocals
• Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon)– guitars, Hammond, mellotron, analog synths, solina strings on all tracks, lead vocals on "Lastday" and "Knife Edge"
• Peter Vink  – bass
• Ed Warby – drums
• Gary Wehrkamp – guitar solos
• Joost van den Broek – keyboard solos 

The track list is this one:

 1. "Down the Rabbit Hole"                 1:20
2. "Digital Rain"                         6:23
3. "Earth That Was"                       6:08
4. "Victim of the Modern Age"             6:27
5. "Human See, Human Do"                  5:14
6. "24 Hours"                             7:20
7. "Cassandra Complex"                    5:24
8. "It's Alive, She's Alive, We're Alive" 5:07
9. "It All Ends Here" (A. "I Think Therefore I Am" / B. "Four Years" / C. "It All Ends Here)   9:46

 The song I will share with you, it's called Earth That Was, it's  a post-apocalyptic scenario where Earth lost the battle against pollution and ecological hazards and Men were forced to found an alternative world, and how it seems a hard battle as nothing is as how own world.

 

It's important to keep our ears alert so we don't loose bands and super-projects like this.

ProgCenter - Threshold 4/4 - March Of Progress (2012)

Today I will Post the last part of this 4 parts post about Threshold. March of Progress makes a major turning point for several reasons. I think this cover is something simply amazing. In my interpretation is like you're trying to catch something or someone beautiful and interesting that will give you joy, but your hands are tied/chained, so even if you try harder you will never catch what you wanted. In Threshold perspective the message is clear, when you have ideals, ideas and want to follow your decisions, you can't be chained to anything you need to open the chains and try to catch/achieve what you want.

One important thing changed from Dead Reckoning to March of Progress, has I have already said Andrew MacDermott quitted the band in 2007, because of a Kidney problem. Big Mac was readilly substituted for a previous vocalist of the band who entered the formation in 1992 but quitted in 1993, being Threshold vocalist in their first studio album, Wounded Land. As so Damian Wilson entered the band smoothly and fitting well the band.
 The band formation form 2009 to now, and crossing March of Progress is:

• Karl Groom - lead guitars (1988–present)
• Damian Wilson - lead vocals (1992-1993, 1996-1998, 2007–present)
• Richard West - keyboards (1992–present)
• Johanne James - drums (2000–present)
• Steve Anderson - bass (2003–present)
• Pete Morten - rhythm guitars (2007–present)

However in 2011 the band received some really bad news, Andrew MacDermott, got worse of his health condition and died with a kidney failure in August 3rd of that year, 2011. It left a feeling of sadness not only in the band, but in all the listeners of Threshold. Mac will always be remembered for all they've done to Threshold, for you to see how amazing is voice was, listen one of my all time favourite from Threshold - Avalon, from Critical Mass album(2002). Is one of my favourite songs, it gives me shivers, The pace is slow, but speeding, and some lines make you think

Returning to March of Progress, Damian Wilson fitted perfectly the band, The next post will be about another project Damian Wilson was involved, that will show you how good he is to. His voice however is different from Mac's voice, is I think heavier, stronger, but can't reach so well the lower notes, so some of the songs that had some doom atmosphere become less powerful with Damian, but allowed them to follow other lines. The music had some evolutions, that accompanied the entrance of Damian. The band knew how to adapt their sound to the new singer without loosing their identity.
The Track list form March of Progress is this one:

1. "Ashes" – 6:51 (Groom/West)
2. "Return Of The Thought Police" – 6:09 (Groom/West)
3. "Staring At The Sun" – 4:25 (West)
4. "Liberty, Complacency, Dependency" – 7:48 (Groom/West)
5. "Colophon" – 6:00 (West)
6. "The Hours" – 8:15 (West/Anderson)
7. "That's Why We Came" – 5:40 (Wilson)
8. "Don't Look Down" – 8:12 (Groom/West)
9. "Coda" – 5:24 (Morten)
10. "The Rubicon" - 10:25 (Groom/West)
11. "Divinity" (Morten) - 3:08

My favorite one from the album is The Hours, made me think a lot, however, the whole album as all the ones before are all simply amazing, one can listen any album from the first to last track and can't feel tired.
 Enjoy the videoclip taken from this album, the videoclip was made for a fan made competition asked by Threshold, with some adaptation it became the band official video clip, Staring at the Sun:

This Album ends this Threshold Post, when the new album appears surely I will talk more of them, or if I just want to share any of Threshold songs, even from album I didn't talk about.
As I said the next post will be about another band that counted with several good names, one you can call a super project, with Damian Wilson, Dan Swano, Russel Allen, Arjen Anthony Lucassen and Floor Jansen. This will allow you to figure out of which band am I talking about.

Stay Tuned

ProgCenter - Threshold 3/4 - Dead Reckoning (2007)

This Tuesday I will post the third part of the Threshold post. The third part for me came with Dead Reckoning, the band would hardly believe that this would be an album that wound bring them more fans, more public, and put Threshold on it's right place. I am one of the ones who knew Threshold only on Dead Reckning, had rediscovered the other albums later.

Dead Reckoning had this current line up and track list

• Karl Groom - lead guitars
• Richard West - keyboards
• Andrew "Mac" McDermott - lead vocals
• Johanne James - drums
• Steve Anderson - bass 

Track List

1. "Slipstream" – 4:54 (Groom/West) (feat. Dan Swanö)
2. "This Is Your Life" – 3:41 (West)
3. "Elusive" – 6:10 (Groom/West) (feat. Dan Swanö)
4. "Hollow" – 4:00 (West)
5. "Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams" – 9:46 (West)
6. "Fighting For Breath" – 8:16 (Groom/West)
7. "Disappear" – 4:17 (West)
8. "Safe To Fly" – 5:06 (Groom/West)
9. "One Degree Down" – 8:33 (Groom/West)
10. "Supermassive Black Hole" (Bonus Track)* - 3:08

This album makes a turning point in several things, the band follow is political view on lyrics, but now they also had some metaphoric stories and line, gives less linear musics, but as hard ans strong as before. Also some new subjects are added to lyrics, mainly the ones involving, good emotions, trust, partnership, belief. They now create a complete lesson on their songs. On their released single they release a rare thing on metal, at least not so seen, the drummer is a black one and the bassist seems to have any indian background, it's a multicultural band for sure. The Progressive elements are for me more evident than ever, all songs have their paces and rhythms.

On this album, Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity) appears in two songs, ading to that we still count with BIG Mac. However that would change Drastically and dramatically, in 2007 Andrew MacDermott left the band, didn't took long until the bad news came out, he was with somekind of disease in his kidneys. I will tell more on the last part of this Threshold post.

The song I will post was the first one I ever heard from Threshold and here you can see how a matter of trust, love, partnership, belief can be so easily related to a plane departing and all the troubles the plain senses with storms and so ever, and how it relates to any of us. It shows how our troublefree sky of dreams can suddenly become a torment and there is when is really important to have someone to hear us. I will put the Video Version, and right after the normal album version, enjoy.

Pilot in the Sky of Dreams

Official Videoclip

ProgCenter - Threshold 2/4 - Subsurface (2004)

Today I will talk about what I consider a second Phase on the career of Threshold
The one that comes with Subsurface album

On this Album, an also since 1998's album Clone, that the band had a new vocalist, Andrew MacDermott. Andre MacDermott, or just "Mac" was for me one of the best singers I've known in metal, singing with such passion, power and even tough being able to pass all the messages without eating words with bad diction, In the last part of this Threshold Post I will post what happened to Mac.

For now the complete line up of the band was this in subsurface:

• Karl Groom - lead guitars
• Nick Midson - rhythm guitars
• Richard West - keyboards
• Andrew "Mac" McDermott - lead vocals
• Johanne James - drums
• Steve Anderson - bass

And the track list is this one

1. "Mission Profile" (Karl Groom, Richard West) – 8:19
2. "Ground Control" (West) – 7:13
3. "Opium" (Groom, West) – 6:48
4. "Stop Dead" (West) – 4:21
5. "The Art Of Reason" (Groom, West) – 10:20
6. "Pressure" (Groom, Nick Midson, West) – 5:17
7. "Flags And Footprints" (West) – 4:54
8. "Static" (Groom, West) – 5:07
9. "The Destruction Of Words" (Groom, West) – 6:14
10. "What About Me" (Johanne James) – 4:21 (bonus track)

This album was clearly more into Progressive sound, longer musics, change of musical pace and sound atmosphere changing within the music, all that completing the lyrics to give a full symbiotic sound,
This album is for me one of the most political, anti-corruption and meanigful album that I ever heard. IT can sometimes seem really harsh and lyrically violent, but every word and every meaning obliges us to stop and think, what do we want this World to be for us and for our descendants?
Listen one sample, Mission Profile, the number 1 track of this album.

and if you want to see the lyrics in full

Can we go on?
Can we be strong?

We've got a system, you're going to use it
We call it freedom and you are free to choose it
If you're not against it, you've got to be for it
Neutral is dangerous and you cannot ignore it

Can we go on? Forcing our hand
Can we be strong? 'Til others understand
Can we go on? To save our wounded land
Can we be wrong?

We've got the money, we're going to spend it
Peace is our mission, we'll murder to defend it
Sooner or later you'll get the picture
We're the creator and you were just created

Devastation, is where we're heading if we follow this illusion
Escalation, of all the hurting that is borne of our confusion
Unrelenting, as we persist in putting everyone beneath us
Never ending, until we understand our honesty deceives us

There is still one truth on which we can depend
We've started something we can never end

We know although we try to justify the means
The truth behind the end remains unseen
And while we all assume we all agree
We're giving up the freedom to be free

Disillusion is always possible but we've got propaganda
Mass confusion is always better than the threat of understanding
We'll deceive you, we've got so many ways to make you stand behind us
If we need to, we'll use them on ourselves to constantly remind us

There is just one lie that we can still defend
We've started something we can never end

We know although we try to justify the means
The truth behind the end remains unseen
And while we all assume we all agree
We're giving up the freedom to be free

There is still one truth on which we can depend
We've started something we can never end

We know although we try to justify the means
The truth behind the end remains unseen
And while we all assume we all agree
We're giving up the freedom to be free

The freedom to be free
The freedom to be free

Can we go on? Forcing our hand
Can we be strong? 'Til others understand
Can we go on? To save our wounded land
Can we be wrong?

ProgCenter - Threshold 1/4 - Psychedelicatessen (1994)

Today I will start a theme that will have 4 different posts. Why 4 do you ask? because the next band I am talking next, can be divided in 4 different parts, maybe even 4, but I'm only focusing on musical/voice aspects

Threshold are a real singular band, It won't be easy for you to find a similar band as Threshold. With a Political oriented music and lyrics, with a cadence that follows the differente rythm of each part on any song, this Band formed in Surrey, UK in 1988 released by now 10 studio albums, being their current line up the following

• Karl Groom - lead guitars (the oldest in the band)
• Richard West - keyboards
• Johanne James - drums
• Steve Anderson - bass
• Pete Morten - rhythm guitars
• Damian Wilson - lead vocals

I will not talk about their first work, but I will talk about the 1994 album Psychedelicatessen.

This name could be a name for a german progressive band single, but no, is from the English band Threshold. In 1994 the band formation was this one

• Karl Groom - lead guitars
• Jon Jeary - bass
• Nick Midson - rhythm guitars
• Richard West - keyboards
• Nick Harradence - drums
• Glynn Morgan - lead vocals

The reason I'm talking of this album is because this is the only album with Glynn Morgan on vocals and the most raw and harsh album I know from them. With clear influence form the heavy metal and hard rock, that was being made back then in the early 1990's. The progressive elements are present, but not as much as in future albums. 

Psychedelicatessen track list is this one:

1. "Sunseeker" (Karl Groom, Jon Jeary, Nick Midson, Richard West) – 7:38
2. "A Tension of Souls" (Groom, Jeary) – 7:10
3. "Into the Light" (Groom, Jeary) – 10:00
4. "Will to Give" (Glyn Morgan) – 4:54
5. "Under the Sun" (West) – 3:05
6. "Babylon Rising" (Groom, Jeary) – 4:42
7. "He Is I Am" (Groom, Jeary) – 5:51
8. "Innocent" (Morgan) – 4:43
9. "Devoted" (Groom, Jeary) – 7:32
10. "Lost" (Jeary) - 2:41
11. Intervention (Groom, Jeary, Midson) - 7:53

 Here is one of the songs that I like on this album, is by far one of least albums that I like from Threshold, but from here we can identify some important influences from the divergence their sound makes a bit from here. The music that follows is He is I am, track number 7 from Psychedelicatessen

Soon I will post the part 2 of this theme about Threshold