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Music Reviews Progressive Rock

Salim Ghazi Saeedi – Iconophobic

Iconophobic is an instrumental album that is far more focused than most releases by self-produced individual artists, yet each of its compositions offer unfocused melodies that appear to be controlled chaos to your ears’ benefit. The album never gives you cheap thrills that you would expect and the short songs often have a feel of jamming to them, despite their construction being that of one person, Iranian musician Salim Ghazi Saeedi.

The first two songs offer the listener a clean and simple way to enter into Saeedi‘s musical world, particularly with the ultra short “Composer’s Laughter”, which features moments that captures the song’s namesake. “The Songful Song of Songbirds” has the jam feel to it, praise for a one-man operation. “Don’t You See the Cheerful Rainbow” has a playful and slightly humorous quality to it.

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Music Reviews Progressive Rock

Kaipa – In The Wake Of Evolution

While Kaipa has had a lengthy career, beginning in the mid-1970s when English progressive rock was waning and the influence was spreading to other countries, I have finally heard them. My knowledge of them is more recent, as a big fan of The Flower Kings knowing that Roine Stolt was a founding member would give enough fodder to gain my interest. In The Wake of Evolution is an wonderful album, deep in conventional progressive ideals, Kaipa has a welcomed place in most traditional progressive rock fans. Kaipa continues and strengthens my opinion that some of the best progressive rock has come from Sweden in the past decade plus including Opeth, The Flower Kings, and Beardfish to name a few.

The opening track, “In The Wake Of Evolution” is the grabber and a wonderful way to introduce the album’s musical contexts, and as a new listener a great way to introduce the band. Aleena Gibson’s voice is well placed in the mix and adds an uncanny romanticism to the lyrics, especially when the music kicks back in. The solos are filled with talent and never masturbatory and add the right amount of tension to the musical journey. “In The Heart Of Her Own Magic Field” has an excellent melody in the chorus that will embed itself into your mind.

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Music Reviews Progressive Metal

Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier

Iron Maiden‘s 15th studio album, The Final Frontier continues much of the same sound that has preceded them throughout the first decade of the millennium. For some this a travesty; to others, this is a move in the right direction. There is no doubt that the 2008-2009 Somewhere Back in Time World Tour had some influence on the album’s sound. It is a blessing for fans of Maiden’s 1980s sound, and a treasure for fans of the band’s entire discography.

The album begins with a “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier”, acting as both an opening montage of sounds that quickly turns into a catchy, straight-forward Maiden tune, very reminiscent of Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son era offerings. Some bass drum triggers bring back much of the dated 1980s sound, as well as reversing the trend that has spilled into the current decade. Yet the 2nd half of this song returns to much of the band’s progress made during the A Matter of Life and Death.

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Music Reviews Progressive Rock

Rush – “Caravan” and “BU2B”

When describing progressive rock legends RUSH, there are certain reactions from fans and music reviewers that are usually given; incredible musicianship, drum solos, high-pitched vocals, eerily long epics and yes,  a bit of quirkiness.

It goes without saying that 2010 and 2011 are going to be on the biggest years in Rush’s history. Not only is the Canadian trio touring across North and South America, their popularity is sky rocketing to new found heights now in the 36th year of their existence. Recently, the long awaited documentary, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage directed by Sam Dunn/Scott McFayden was released to an enthusiastic response, the band released two new songs in June; “Caravan” and “Brought up to Believe”, formerly called “BU2B.”

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Music Reviews Progressive Rock

Spock’s Beard – X

Spock’s Beard has continued to press on, despite the diminished fan base over the years. With a lesser, but loyal fan base the band chose to use crowd funding to pay for studio time with an early limited 5,000 run pre-order edition with retail and digital editions at later dates. The crowd funding idea worked tremendously for Marillion, and many other bands have taken similar steps and may be the only way long-tail bands with a specific niche can survive. This independent choice in production of their tenth album is another wake up call for bands to being to realize the eventual change in tides when distributing music, particularly to retain control and ownership.

X is a pivotal moment for Spock’s Beard. The fourth album after Neal Morse left, certainly recorded during a time where fans of Spock’s Beard have retreated to a scarce few who remain loyal. For those who have stuck with the band, even pre-ordering the album will be fully rewarded with the band’s most solid release to date.

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News Progressive Metal

Porcupine Tree “Bonnie The Cat” Music Video Premiere

“Bonnie The Cat” off the The Incident has been given the music video treatment. This ultra wide screen edition is currently only available on the Porcupine Tree RoadRunner Records site, which you can find here.

It certainly has a very Tool-like style which fits perfectly with Porcupine Tree‘s Tool-meets-Pink Floyd musical blend.

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Music Reviews Progressive Metal

Demians – Mute

Demians was the surprise progressive metal newcomer of 2008 with Building An Empire. Focused on intense, densely layered dynamics, mastermind Frenchmen Nicolas Chapel created a lucid and ethereal experience. Met with critical acclaim, Chapel employed a live band and opened for acts such as Anathema, Marillion, and Porcupine Tree. Demians‘ new release, Mute picks up where their debut left off. While the albums features far more, and far heavier tunes, the lyrics appear to be more upbeat than their previous release.

Chapel delivers tense, ever-building sequences that only resolve at the right moments. Opening tracks “Swing of the Airwaves” and “Feel Alive” properly encompass the unique sound and style of Demians “Overhead”
“Rainbow Rus” has a sludgy bass rhythm over a haunting single note piano melody.

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Music Reviews Progressive Metal

Pain of Salvation – Road Salt One

Pain of Salvation‘s seventh studio album Road Salt One features the band experimenting with a more low-key production style which may come to a shock for many fans. Regardless, Road Salt One has taken the band to a completely new direction, while continuing to supply their exclusive brand of progressive metal. This raw, un-mastered release has several tunes featuring some deep, bluesy fuzz and and even folkish elements, woven into a hyperlinked narrative story saturated in socio-economic themes.

For the limited edition owners, the first track “What She Means To Me” offers a brief prologue before the band slams into the groove of “No Way” with the bluesy guitar fuzz and passionate vocal cry placed into the forefront. The blues aspect continues into the melodramatic “She Likes to Hide”.

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Music Reviews Progressive Metal

The Devin Townsend Project – Addicted

The Devin Townsend Project 'Addicted' album cover

Addicted tends to express Devin Townsend’s acceptance of his personality coupled with his sobriety and fatherhood. All of which have certainly had a positive effect on Devin Townsend after touring and latter disbanding both Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band in 2007. His personal project dubbed The Devin Townsend Project debuted with Ki, expressing much of his newly found acceptance of his broad range of musical styles and personality.

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