As you might have notice this blog plays around the progressive word, The main objective is to help on the promotion of metal and trying to change the perspective metal=noise.
However, Expect the unexpected. Mainly focussed on progressive metal or rock, but easily going to catch some good stuff to bands with only some progressive elements. And sometimes also going totally out of the progressive genre and of metal. Help you discovering what has been done of value around the world in my opinion.
Some time passed since my last post in this format. One of these days I remembered a band I used to hear a lot from Finland, no I am not talking about Poets of the Fall this time. They are or were, don't know their current status, called Widescreen Mode, If such thing as doom rock even exists they would be really close to that sound, dark lyrics and sounds, amazed at the time 2008/2009. But forgot about them for some years.
Starting with "Serotonin", a song about a neuroreceptor is always something different right? this is a good way to talk indirectly about depression and mood problems, as Serotonin usually regulates our moods. This song comes in "The Hanging Man"
The Other song from the 2007 album, "Until the End" and is my favourite, Dead Inside. Both song and video are pretty violent talking about a sudden turn in life that leaves you thinking if "it" is still worth it or not. For those darker days this sounds so good.
This is a more usual song from rock/metal, called Everlasting Bomb. But I think is always good to show at least three songs to help you decide what you think about the bands whenever I can.
Finally time for "The" Therion album that brought me to this amazing band "Gothic Kabbalah", Any of the following musics will enter immediately in your mind they need time. With no further ado let's advance to this album songs
The first song of the album is "Der Mitternachtslöwe" a germanic title translating by Lion of Midnight, it was one of the first songs I felt in love with, it is almost a prophetic song. Seems like the Runes Are being read to us, it feels so good, it ends so amazingly as it starts
The second song of the album is the homonymous track, "Gothic Kabbalah", for some reason this track in youtube has the Lemuria cover.... well. This is not so epic as the one before, but still a pretty solid song to hear, it has a more epic approach to it. the segments between parts are some of my favourites from Therion
The third song of the album is "Perennial Sophia", Snowy Shaw is simply amazing in here with his deep vocals, is an iconic song, and live sounds even more amazingly. It grows in your mind so violently that it will never leave your mind. It end once again with a prophetic feeling surrounded by an enormous magical veil. Once again shout out for Jonny A Magnis Maximayoutubechannel.
The 4th song is "Wisdom and the cage" in this song once again with snowy in highlight we have the difference between a deep strong voice of Snowy and the melodic female voice. It incorporates so much the Gothic theme, the darkness around it. This song makes me cry as I recall amazing moments I lived hearing this one song. The part containing the female voice and the instrumental part after it around the middle of the song make me cry every time from how beautiful it is.
The 5th song of the album is The one which deserved the official video, "Son of the Staves of Time", the Videos is really week, but the song might be the first to attach to your mind. It's a good one to start until the others are getting their way. The female vocals at beginning gives an extra something to the song, and the return with the acute sound of the instruments fit so well. Here it is the time of Mats Leven to shine.
The next song I am talking about is 8th of the album, I could be here all day talking about every song on the album, but I decided to talk and focus more on those songs I enjoy the most in this amazing album, The next song I am talking about is "Close Up the Streams". This song has a phantasmagoric sound to it which I love in the female vocals, and a mystic voice in Snowy Shaw's voice. It results soooo well in my opinion
Time for my favourite ones, the 9th song of the album is called "Wand of The Abaris", it follows what is talked about in "An Arrow From the Sun" from Lemuria, the first part of the song is already really good with the melody fitting the vocals of a prophetic tone once again, with the female voice giving it the mystic sound from ancient times, and the guitar crying. But the second part is what makes it superb, the vocals there seem like a prophecy happening the truth revealing and the chords on it bring it to a simply majestic sonority, I miss more words to show how much I love this song. Even the chorus which normally are the most commercial part of many songs fits so well. along side with The Siren of the Woods my favourite song.
The 10th song for a long time I didn't like it, has it is more of a tale than of a song, "Three Treasures", but with time that part started to catch me more and more, and now the last part of the song is my ringtone on my Android. That instrumental part he last 50 minutes more or less are other simply amazing piece of musical art. I started as is obviously shown to love this track, and I think you might like it too. I will give you the full song, and then, a cut I made only of the instrumental final part. Enjoy
Instrumental part:
Approaching in fast pace from the end of the album, we have the 13th song Chains of Minerva. This is one of the most calm ones and in more of a terrain song in between all I already shown, this one is to show you how even the simpler songs sound so good
The 14th song of the album is "The Falling Stone" if you were missing a more paced song with fast lyrics? here you go. I think it is one of the fastest songs in pace from therion, more Symphony than melody in it.
To finish an amazing album nothing less than a mythical song, "Adulruna Rediviva", It is a progressive song basically, several paces with a touch of classical music. It is such an important song, that some years after the album been released(6 exactly) and after some events I will talk about on the next album they decided to record a video for this song, and I must say despite not having some of the original singers showing in the video it is really interesting the idea for the video.
Well with this another Therion album is presented, only two more to go. see you soon.
Today I bring you something with a touch of progressive, but is mainly World music and a big touch of folk here and there, They are Irfan from Bulgaria, I'm hearing this once and again for this days.
The first song is Hagia Sophia I love the rythmic session of it.
Dark Moor were always one of those bands which I always liked but never checked much of, however this album was the one which brought my attention to them. the album has this name cause it mentions the cards usually present in the Tarot.
This has some progressive touch but not as much as the one I posted last week
This last posts were about Norwegians bands. Today we will stick once again to Norway.
You might probably remember me talking about the amazing voice of Garm present in Borknagar. The truth is a bit after stumbling upon them, I happen to found his former work. Now he is in a band called Ulver, It seems the band started in Black metal and is not in a more experimentalist way, The way they sound now is mystical in so many ways that gives me chills to hear it. I bring you a song from 2007's album Shadows Of The Sun, which brings a kind of a tribal sound to the music which I love it.
Today I make the last post of 2015, this is my Christmas Present to anyone who stumble upon my blog, hope on the last two months I might be able to show some cool stuff, some that you might already knew, and some new stuff
I don't want to leave this year without a song, so I choose a Swedish band, Darkwater to maximize the progressive(ly) style of this blog. this 2007's album Calling the Earth to Witness is worth hearing, specially this one, Again. Here it is, enjoy.
Stay around in 2016, the next bands appearing here, don't know by now the exact order, are
Les Discrets, Leprous and Antimatter(the band I'm hearing in repeat by now), I still don't know which songs I will post so in 2016, wait for it.
Today I bring you another middle eastern sound band, not properly from middle east but from Northern Africa. Myrath from Tunisia. Their sound is easily noticed as progressive. Some songs I think brings us the perspective of the Arab Spring. lyrics like:
War has come, bringing death,
lust and pain soiling our home.
Mourns and cries kindle hate,
taint our hearts, corrupt our souls.
Corroborate What I just said.
The 2007 album has more the progressive sound than the third one, I don't appreciate the second one that much, but if you want to check out, be free to do it. From this album Hope, the track which title the album Hope
From the third Album, "Tales of the Sands" I bring you three different songs.
First Under Siege the one from which I took the lyrics before. Here with the presence of Clémentine Delauney, some might know her from Serenity or Visions of Atlantis, or some other projects she is today. As I said for me being this song from 2011 is heavily connected with the Arab Spring
The Second one Braving the Seas, is about a Pirate, obvious as we hear the lyrics in it, not much to add, except the quality of the song
The third and last one is Merciless Times, the official video, some important message, how sometimes our life seems to keep going without us.
I share Myrath because in February they will be the first part of Symphony X concert here in Lisbon and I thought it would be good to share them with you.
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
"Slipstream" – 4:54 (Groom/West) (feat. Dan Swanö)
"This Is Your Life" – 3:41 (West)
"Elusive" – 6:10 (Groom/West) (feat. Dan Swanö)
"Hollow" – 4:00 (West)
"Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams" – 9:46 (West)
"Fighting For Breath" – 8:16 (Groom/West)
"Disappear" – 4:17 (West)
"Safe To Fly" – 5:06 (Groom/West)
"One Degree Down" – 8:33 (Groom/West)
"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
