Voyager-X take a critical look on media overload

In this brand new song the re-formed progressive metal band Voyager-X cuts the topic slowly step by step yet in a very precise way.

 © Artwork Album Tobias Roetsch | Artwork Singles Richard Touzimsky

The song "Hypnotize You" is going down in a way that is very cool. With every verse the music feels like fading the audience in into the show. I can imagine this going down in a great way in a live situation yet the message of bread and games is vital and important. 

While the progressive metallish music walks down a straightforward and catchy way with direct drums and play-around sharply tuned guitars it's the vocals that put in a raw and dazing touch that makes sure a feeling rises up in me that not everything is as easy as it seems.

I think the pictures chosen to suit the lyric video speak on point that media can make us forget all the things around us that are truly of importance - the destruction of our nature, wars and much more. 

Make sure to pre-order the new album "Magic" that also holds "Hypnotize You" on it (out: March 2024). It's available at these places.

VOYAGER-X „Magic“ Digifile CD:

► www.dr-music-promotion.de/?p=23071/#shops

🎧 VOYAGER-X „Magic“ Streaming & Download:

► Amazon: https://li-nk.net/voyager-x-magic-amazon

► Apple Music & iTunes: https://li-nk.net/voyager-x-magic-applemusic

Serenity redefine sound on upcoming album The Last Knight (Europe dates inside)

I remember that I first saw Serenity live the time they opened up for Morgana Lefay in 2007. They played a sort of progressive metal with lots of heartfelt melodies and lyrics that spoke from my heart.

After the show I had the chance of speaking to Georg Neuhauser and get some autographs of nearly the whole band. That experience lead me to follow Serenity through more symphonic times and now they are about to send a new album out to the world called "The Last Knight".

The album talks about the life of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I..

The first appetizer sounds like a much heavier form of the band's sound yet some of the above mentioned heartfeltness is still to be found in there. All in all it's more based on riffs and the refrain hangs on my mind. The newfound power in the music is a kicker and teases me a lot towards the new material. "The Last Knight" will be out on January 31, 2020. Pre-Order is available here.

Also make sure to show up to the coming tour.         

SERENITY on Tour:
w/ Rage
05.02.20 DE - Mannheim / MS Connexion Complex
06.02.20 DE - Hamburg / TBA
07.02.20 DE - Siegburg / Kubana
14.02.20 IT - Milan / Legend's Club
15.02.20 DE - Memmingen / Kaminwerk
16.02.20 DE - Nuremberg / Hirsch
18.02.20 CH - Pratteln / Konzertfabrik Z7
19.02.20 AT - Vienna / Szene
20.02.20 SK - Kosice / Collosseum
21.02.20 SK - Zvolen / Dom Kultury Zsr
22.02.20 CZ - Prague / Nova Chmelnice
23.02.20 DE - Bochum / Zeche

w/ Ad Infinitum, Dynazty, Victorius
01.04.20 DE - Munich /Backstage
02.04.20 DE - Berlin / Nuke CLub
03.04.20 DE - Weinheim / Cafe Central
04.04.20 DE - Essen / Turock
05.04.20 NL - Haarlem    / Patronaat
07.04.20 NL - Enschede / Metropool
08.04.20 BE - Aarschot / De Klinker
09.04.20 DE - Rüsselheim am Main / Das Rind
10.04.20 CH - Luzern / Schüür
11.04.20 AT - Wörgl / Komma

Check the band's Facebook for updates on these shows.

Voyager gives live-preview to coming album "Colours In The Sun"

Open mindeness combined with their own dream-like style sound. This band has found a place in the world of sounds that expresses everything they've ever dreamed of I suppose. So far the cover of the coming full length has been revealed along with the first single and tourdates.

All of Voyager's covers are different. This one is no exception of that.

As for me I can only say that the mixture of rough and sharp riff packed power parts along with clear sections and silk vocals are what I've always searched for. Enjoy every single second of this new single taken of the coming album.

Also make sure to see them live in Europe these days. They'll give a preview to the upcoming record "Colours In The Sun" (available to pre-order from https://smarturl.it/Voyagerinthesun ) at these liveshows so that's one more massive reason to go.

TOUR DATES
21st September - Space Rocks - Indigo 2 - London (featuring Anathema)
22nd September - 229 - London  (Intimate headline show)
23rd September - The Lanes - Bristol
24th September - The Flapper - BirminghamI
25th September - Satan’s Hollow - Manchester
29th September - Euroblast Festival - Cologne, Germany*
4th October - Progpower Europe, Baarlo, Netherlands (Headline set)
6th December - Good Things Festival, Melbourne, Australia**
7th December - Good Things Festival, Sydney, Australia**
8th December - Good Things Festival, Brisbane, Australia**

*(w/ Car Bomb, Between The Buried and Me, Dead Letter Circus)
**(featuring Parkway Drive, Karnivool, Coheed and Cambria)

Updates and more info on these shows can be found at the band's Facebook page.

CD Review: Final Coil - The World We Left Behind For Others (Progressive Metal, 2019)

Finally a album that gives a carthasis! That's what I thought when I finished listening to the newest output from England's prog heads Final Coil. It's like a rollercoaster ride to a inner fight between good and bad. Happily at the end you'll feel fine and refilled with new energy to move on with your own life.

The cover of the new Final Coil album was created by Andy Pilkington, (c) by Final Coil.

 
Changes in the band's sound
But what happened since the first full length album "Persistence Of Memory"? I think most of all the sound has taken a more sharper and clearer form. All of the sound ingridents come out strong and direct to you. The most remarkable sign speaks of the drums that set the beat heavier this time.

The new album also see's a lot of progress on the vocal site. Phil Stiles and Richard Awdry outworked their parts much more. You can feel more of the story through the vocal performance. Last of all the guitars show up more diverse than ever taking it with more surprise. The silver disc holds much moments that will have you raise an eyebrow since sounds come in you won't expect. Finally all the tracks vary. It's never a montone record but always one that keeps you on the stereo. Each song feels like a journey in itself.

More changes? Yes, "The World We Left Behind For Others" features intermissions. Some tracks seem to be composed as bridges between tracks so it will be one big artwork in the very end.

Track Overview / Analysis
It's hard to pick favorites for me but "Scattered Dust" was the most emotional moment for me. I love the softness mixed up with hammered powerparts that have been worked in. "Keeping going" comes around a bit like a electronic effect ladden song with open minded style. It's catchy and a bit of Depeche Mode shines through.

Some tracks are softer, feel dreamlike. Take "Imaginary Trip" and it will send you to a land far away. The title track is a good mixture of soft and slightly heavier parts. The ten minutes duration are gone before you'll notice it. The monotone setting of "Convicted Of The Right" is great along with the more creepy rhythm.

Conclusion / Purchase-Link / Stream
Finally if you're after a good progressive rock/metal album that is diverse and gives great feelings while listening you've found it. Be sure to pick the Deluxe Bundle. It has a bonus cassette tape with it holding not only three demo tracks of album songs but also one additional one not used for the record that is not available anywhere else. I bet this is going to be a collectors item many people will hunt after one day. All formats are available directly from the Bandcamp page of Final Coil.

CD Review: aeons end - IMAGO (Post Progressive Metal, 2016)

Speaking of bands that sound different this progmetal band from Rostock, Germany often comes to my mind. They have such a own attempt and sound so separate from all the other music that I always need some time to get into their music. It's seldom that you come across such unique crafted music these days.

The cover of aeon's end IMAGO release, (c) by aeons end, used with kind permission

Summary  
In the beginning you may stumble upon the complexity of the sound and it's many layers it offers. Don't let this stop you. I needed some rounds, too. It's overwhelming in the beginning but if you show patience the music takes sharp forms step by step.

All of the six tracks sounds destinctively different, slow in tempo and offer a deep and intensive atmosphere while sometimes edgy cuts of guitars shine through. The voice creates a ghost like feeling, sometimes surprising passages come rushing in at moments when you won't think they would come up ( listen to the song "expand" as a example). They are rich at details so listening to them multiple times is something they invite to often. I found myselves coming back to these compositions many times and that's not happening too often.

The tonality becomes rough and louder but never misses out it's fine note so it doesn't change the overall calm and spheric shell in which the music is packed into. Think of music that may surface as the next step in the landscape of progressive metal music.

The tracks have be given one word as if they should act as a impulse to the listener of what could be done next. The packaging doesn't follow other guidelines - you won't even think it needfully shows the sleeve that typically comes with such music packages. Just look at the six words written at the upper part of the round. If you ever had Latin in school like me you may find your knowledge useful at this point...

Album Stream and Purchase-Link
The tunes are given away for the fair amount of 5 Euro as download files in the format of your choice over at Bandcamp. If that's not your favorite place for music Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and Google Play also offer this outstanding EP in their stores.

Contact-Data
Make sure to see their socials such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube so you'll be notified at least every here about the latest news. The good old homepage that the band created in a beautiful and dedicated graphical style of the EP is surely also a good place for info so you won't miss out how the band evolves further on...

Voyager to tour Europe and UK September/October 2017

Some say that the beginning of a new week doesn't hold any good but this news blew me away. A mail reached my inbox saying that some of Australia's finest prog metal bands is going to hit some European and UK venues already at the end of this month.

Having followed the band Voyager since the days of the "V" album and being more than overwhelmed by the brand new "Ghost Mile" output this is news that needs to be shared all the way.

Voyager will open up for the French band Uneven Structure that also offers progressive metal music to the attenders. Make sure to come around for a event with bands that surely deserve your time and money.

Uneven Structure and Voyager tour dates

Sep 29: Cologne Euroblast Festival, Germany
Oct 06: Baarlo Progpower Europe, Netherlands (Voyager only)
Oct 09: London Underworld, UK
Oct 10: Birmingham The Flapper, UK
Oct 11: Dublin Voodoo Lounge, Ireland
Oct 12: Glasgow Audio, UK
Oct 13: Manchester Satan’s Hollow, UK
Oct 14: Guildford The Boiler Room, UK
Oct 15: Leiden Gebr De Nobel, Netherlands (Uneven Structure only)
Oct 16: Muenster Sputnik Cafe, Germany
Oct 17: Berlin Maze, Germany
Oct 18: Wroclaw Carpe Diem, Poland
Oct 19: Prague Underdogs, Czech Republic
Oct 20: Vienna Chelsea, Austria
Oct 23: Munich Backstage, Germany
Oct 26: Milan Legend Club, Italy
Oct 27: Zug I45, Switzerland
Oct 29: Barcelona Apolo 2, Spain
Oct 30: Madrid Caracol, Spain

Purchase tickets at  http://www.seetickets.com/ or via the venues' official websites for Europe.

Update 23.09.2017: Additional info about Uneven Structure - the band is going to play the newest album 'La Partition' in full EVERY night, as well as a few classics. Listen to the track "Incube" on YouTube.

Here are direct links that will let you quickly picking up tickets.

Buy Tickets for UK Shows

Buy Tickets for European Show

The tourflyer for the Uneven Structure /Voyager tourpackage fall 2017, (c) by Uneven Structure / Voyager, used with kind permission

If you've not heard something of the new Voyager record here is the title track their current album as a quick check out tune.

CD Review: Final Coil - Persistence Of Memory (Alt-progressive Metal, 2017)

A dark toned alt progressive album with lots of details to discover and a lyrical concept
that provides a critical look upon our technical overloaded existence.

This album comes around a bit different than the previous recordings. The first full length goes a different way to keep you on the stereo while listening.

The artwork of Final Coil's debut full lenth "Persistence Of Memory", (c) by Final Coil, used with kind permission

Summary and Track by track review
First of all it kicks in with the well known heavyness of the previous EP "Closed To The Light" just to throw you into cold water with softer and fragile vocals. These elements need a moment to sink in but we'll see later why it makes sense to be this way. "Corruption" is a great opener and introduction anyway.

The following "Dying" comes around with a simpler structure and feels familar, yet it also is not so straight as other tracks of Final Coil. The more rounds you'll give this the more you'll enjoy the atmosphere and details in this song.

"Alone" variates a lot throughout it's duration, while the basic riff is kept simple. It reminds of the first ever EP of the band but with better vocals.

A touch of Depeche Mode reaches your ears with the next one. The second single "You waste my time" comes with pop appeal yet it's much more dirty and rough than songs from that style.

A surprise is send our way with "Myopic". This is going back to the heavy formula, yet it's structure builds tension just to stop at it's climax. Great tune and fat production.

A band picture of the Leicester based band Final Coil, (c) by Final Coil, used with kind permission

If you started to discover the band while they put out the "Live with doubt" EP you'll love "Spider Feet". It has lot's of the music of that release. A hard tonality mixed with soft notes in the verses just to give you a blast with it's long and stretched refrain. One of my faves of the record.

The best is yet to come. This saying comes true with "Failed Light". It's epicness is a love letter to the beginnings of progressive music in days when Pink Floyd started to record music. It's giving me chilling freeze and lot's of noise tension in the end. One of the best tracks ever written IMHO.

"Lost Hope" provides what the song title promises. Sweet and slow suffering mixed with melodies sounding like lost in the haze.

The rough edge returns with "Moths to the flame". A cutting riff runs through this one. It's definitely for the fans of early material of the band.

Want more riffs? You got it! "In silent reproach" has a propeller rotating riff shaker with it. The drums kick heavier in here. Something less often to be found on "Persistence of Memory".

The album is closed with a silent number called "Alienation". Musically I would compare it with the "Somnambulant" accoustic sessions. A piece of music deeply rooted in thoughts and emotions yet the end holds something like a "won't give in" sound with it.

Finally the question: has the band become soft and are the vocals too easy?
I think it was the best decision to keep a eye on change and progression. Life is change. Everything is changing. I would've been silly to keep it all the same. As for me the band has found a way to maintain the hard riffs but to build  them into the music a intelligent way to give room for atmosphere and darkness.

The vocals are lighter most of the album but looking at the lyrical concept of digital distortion and destruction of humans (my interpretation of the lyrics) other styles wouldn't have fit. It's about hurt and regret so this needs to be expressed properly in my ears.

Finally I would recommend this record to you but listen to it on a real stereo system. The full ingridents only come to life with a extended sound system. All the laptop and smartphone stuff I tried never provided the full listening experience. Don't worry: a normal stereo system of a basic range already fit's your needs. Just make sure it has sharp sound and good bass sound available.

Album Stream / Purchase Link / Contact Data
It's a treat of great music recorded and mixed for full audio pleasure so it's worth giving back with some money. Remember that music can give you enjoyment for years if treated a good way. Few things in life will do the same for you.

The digital release is available via Bandcamp as of today. The CD version looks gorgeous but will be released September 22th. Pre-order packs of the physical edition with T-Shirts and more goodies will be set up earlier to the release date of the CD version. Just make sure to like the band's Facebook page to be notified or have a look on their homepage the good old way.

Voyager give us a ascension to the stars

Voyager amaze me. Not only have I been pointed to their music out of the nothingness but in addition they have been growing stronger with every song I've heard from them. The last new track the band shared all along with tourdates was "Misery is only company" and this time around the Australian progmetalheads have returned to blow my mind once again.

This time they serve a mixture of haunting and slightly freezing fragileness in the softer sections all along with eruptive and abrasive yet still enjoyable heavy potions all put in one track. It's outstanding how the band links these elements together while always taking care of the fact that everythings sound organic and real. A good production without going too far and making it sound impossible to replay.



Voyager are currently offering their next album "Ghost Mile" on pledgemusic as a preorder. Any pledges will contribute to the completion of the production and manufacturing of the album. You may decide to pick the record or choose one of the other cool items or events to support the band. The album is set for a release on 12th May 2017.

A cool coloured overview of the bandmembers of Voyager, (c) by Voyager, used with kind permission

If that's not so much of your taste you can see the band live touring Australia with the support band "The Algorith" in May 2017. Here are the dates.

Adelaide Fowler's Live - May 11
Melbourne Evelyn Hotel - 12
Brisbane The Zoo - 13
Perth Amplifier Bar - 19
Canberra The Basement - 20
Sydney Oxford Art Factory - 21

Tickets have gone on sale this Friday, 10 March.

Stay in touch with the band through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Live Review: Monster Truck / The Dirty Nil / Billy Talent Emslandarena Lingen 10.12.2016

What a night! Three bands that gave the fans of the sold out venue what they really wanted: Rock 'n' Roll at it's best. I think that's the best proof that the show was worth the money the people spent on it.

The Dirty Nil seem to have been added the last minute to the package. I was pretty surprised to see the band's banner on stage since I didn't hear before that a third band would rock out on that evening. They put out a typical modern punk rock format with their music and opened with a pounding fist of songs. The audience that was numerous up to that point already warmly welcomed their offer.

The Dirty Nil Live in Lingen 2016, (c) by Jan Starcke, used with kind permission

I think the people eagerly waiting for the Billy Talent show could somehow connect easily to the band's sound. The vocalist ripped up his voice roughly on most tracks so agression came out clearly while the drums layed down a pumping constanty to the sound and the guitars having razor sharp riffs with them. The band had a good mix of tracks but kept it fast for most of the time, something that was a good choice in my eyes. With a loud and rude opening and few but good lights on stage the evening was going to start out great.

Monster Truck were the best band of the night in my ears. They had in contrast to both of the other bands a different approach in any way. The most significant one was the sound. They decided to put the volume down, something that I love when it comes to live shows. That little bit of volume they cut was replaced with a beautifull sound spectrum. All instruments came through clear and direct and I think this sound was the
best I encountered in a long time.

Monster Truck put a highlight with their sound at the liveset in Lingen 2016, Photo (c) by Jan Starcke, used with kind permission

The soundstructure provides space for warmth, details in the performance and most of all it gave the possibility to enjoy each and every riff like having a good meal on which you spend a lot of time to taste every little nuance that is inside. The band opened up with a couple of faster tunes before they changed to a more slower and progressive format and also included a half-ballad in their set. This may have been too lengthy for some people especially when it came to the solo sections but the band once again changed the style and closed their set with rougher tracks that more people in the crowd enjoyed. After all I think the band was able to make some people open up their minds and discover their sounds.

Finally it was time for Billy Talent to rock the packed house. The first third came around filled with classic tracks while the new songs had to wait until they had their time. "Afraid of Heights" was my favorite they played on the show along with a clear statement on the meaning at the beginning. The show was wrapped in a nice stage setup that included a monsterous backdrop of the album artwork that was filled with lights and also had a second floor were the musicians placed themselves later in the set.

Billy Talent in his typical pose captured live in Lingen 2016, Photo (c) by Jan Starcke, used with kind permission

My personal favorite was "Ghost ship of cannibal rats" a razor sharp number with the typical punk attitude in it. As for me it's a highly symbolical way of saying how today's society looks like. The band showed some heart and decided to give one euro of each sold ticket on this event to a social organisation for people in need. It shows that the band has not forgotten where they are coming from. The audience was wild on the show and it's not often that you can spot moshpits and pogo in cities like Lingen. Billy Talent returned after the set for some additional tracks and left a happy crowd in the thought that this was the first real proper heavy music event to grace the Emslandarena in Lingen. Thanks for the great show and the fine memories to all the bands that played on this evening!

Jupiter Hollow reveal tourdates and send us Deep in Space

The release of the debut EP of the progressive duo Jupiter Hollow is drawing near. And as much as you (hopefully) are excited about the release as much I am looking forward to hear the final product.

As of today I can at least share one more video of the EP with you. It reveals one more track and shows how much diversity and feeling the two guys are able to transport with thir music to the listener. This time around it comes more to the rough and cutting side of the band but don't worry: there is still enough space for the melodies and big riffs to shine through the harder parts of the sound. Besides that it is also a perfect demonstration of how good the guys are when it comes to playing shows.

Shows is a good word: the band was able to confirm more dates in the meantime. Just check the column underneath the video to read all the details about the new tour dates.


Show Dates:
December 9 - Barrie, ON - Foxx Lounge
December 10 - Montreal, QC - Club Lambi
January 14 - Toronto, ON - Smiling Buddha (CD Release Show) - info

In the meantime pick up a free download of their track 'Ascending' available at http://www.grantmackenzie.ca/jupiterhollow

The prog duo Jupiter Hollow,
L-R- Grant MacKenzie (guitar, bass, synth), Kenny Parry (vocals, drums, synth/keys). Photo by Sandra Beatty 

The EP 'Odyssey' will drop on January 13th. The concept record will feature 5 tracks to introduce their ambient experimental progressive songwriting plus will act as a prelude to their planned full length 'AHDOMN'. Their sound is referred to as spacey, experimental and refreshing, reminding listeners of bands like Tool, Pink Floyd, A Perfect Circle, Tesseract, The Contortionists and Rush.

For more info make sure to see the band's homepage.

Onydia shares a glimpse of hope with upcoming single

I like it when the lyrics that come with the music transport something. This part of the song can be a message, a thought, a opionion, a statement or anything else you can imagine. I've often found myselves checking the lyrics out and many times they did hold something worth reading and thinking about. So I can only motivate everyone to do the same thing and have a closer look on what the song wants to tell you.

This track of the band Onydia also has this special idea behind it of transporting something to the listener.
The Main theme of the track is the rebirth of hope when everything seems to be over as the band points out in their own words:

"Life is a complicated path which often makes us feel lonely and abandoned.

In these moments, confidence in ourselves and in our abilities make us feel alive, restoring our energy and letting us create pure art. Creation is a supernatural entity which discloses itself.

The artist cannot help but lends his soul and his voice to this entity, which is stronger and bigger than him. "Dyaphany " is an explosion of creative strength which spreads energy and positivity. "

You can feel that these words come from the heart. Here is a little glimpse on how the single will sound like. If you like progressive metal with the deepth and intensity of the female voice - this is for you. Check out the snippet on the website of the band's record company Revalve Records.
The full single is going to see the light of day on Friday 09.12.2016.

Onydia is the new project born from the hands of the ex Elarmir musicians, Eleonora Buono (Ex Elarmir), Daniele Amador (Ex Elarmir, Ade), Luca Zamberti (Ex Elarmir), After sharing the stage with bands like Arch Enemy, Epica, Sirenia and Amorphis the band continued their way with a new chapter in form of a single and album. 

The Onydia name was created from two greek words, oneiro(dream) and diafanìs (transparent),”the display of a surreal dream in the real world, a mystical dream, our emoctions when creating art”
The band signed a record deal with Revalve Records for the release of the new single in autumn 2016 and the debut album that will be released in the first months of 2017. The album will feature some special guests.

Make use of Facebook to stay in touch with the band for all the further updates.

Jupiter Hollow introduce upcoming social/Sci-Fi concept EP with new video

As for me it's impressive to see what people are able to do if they really want to. This thought just came across my mind when I heard about this ambient progressive rock/metal duo from Barrie, Ontario.

It's only these two guys called Grant MacKenzie (guitar, bass, synth) and Kenny Parry (vocals, drums, synth/keys) who've put together music that is breathtaking for me. It is for sure dominated by a progressive tonality but they keep things more straight forward and give the music room to breathe.

You never feel stressed with all the elements they bring in to the sound but instead it's more of a deeply emotional music which keeps sounding straight forward, harmonic and you can understand the song structures straight away. In addition to that the new video is calming with it's beautiful nature recordings. What's even better is the fact that this song is part of their upcoming EP 'Odyssey' which has some concept behind it that reminds me of a novel-like social/Sci-Fi story.

The EP that will be distributed by Milagro Records and is set for release on January 13, 2017 will feature 5 tracks to introduce their ambient experimental progressive songwriting plus will act as a prelude to their planned full length 'AHDOMN'.  

The following column contains spoiler! Please only read on if you like to know things in advance instead of discovering them for yourselves step by step.

The cover of the upcoming Jupiter Hollow EP "Odyssey", (c) by Jupiter Hollow, used with kind permission

"This EP is a concept record, it will tell the story about two characters fighting one another in order to save their civilizations, but they just can’t do it. They’re in control of their civilizations future, but then you actually find out that there's only one person, who’s actually fighting with themselves. They're unhappy with who they are when they look in the mirror and realize they can’t grow past their indifference, and that they actually aren't a good person and the people from their civilization will die." says the duo. "The cool thing about the EP's title track Odyssey is that the story then takes place after the civilization is destroyed, and the character leaves on a spaceship somewhere else looking for a new start. This track will be the introduction into our second record, which will be about them looking for a new start. It will be a more hopeful record. Spoiler Alert! Overall this EP is like the “trailer” to a movie. Odyssey will help listeners get acquainted with us and prepare them for our full album AHDOMN later in the year."

If you'd like to listen to some more stuff right now (like me) you are surely happy to read that some tracks of the EP have already been released. You can buy and listen to these songs on the band's homepage and keep the contact via YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.

Medevil stream full album for limited time only

If you've read my article about Medevil's video "Nightwalker" you probably know about the band's qualities. Don't worry if you missed it out. You're still in for a treat.

Photo Credit - Kevin Eisenlord,  L-R - Eric Wesa (Bass/Backup Vocals), Ross Collingwood (Drums), Liam Collingwood (Vocals), Gary Cordsen (Lead Guitar), Brett Gibbs (Rhythm Guitar)

A little dream has come true for me with this band. Medevil capture all the things I love so much about metal. They combine elements of the best oldschool bands like Metal Church when it comes to the riffs, add the songwriting abilities of Iron Maiden and put in vocals that Udo Dirkschneider couldn't have layed down better on tape.

I guess many of you out there that have heard and seen the video can't wait to hear the full thing. Happily we are in luck and I can share a stream of the full "Conductor of Storms" record as a stream right here. But seize the opportunity. It will be up for a limited time only (from Aug 26-Sept 9).



If you like what you hear you can order a copy of the album over at medevilmusic.com or catch the band on the road in Canada these days (and maybe pick up a copy of the CD directly at the show).

Tourdates

Aug 28 - Chilliwack, BC - Main Street Night Club
Sept 5 - Kelowna, BC - Muninn's Post
Sept 8 - Calgary, AB - Verns
Sept 9 - Edmonton, AB - DV8
Sept 10 - Calgary, AB - Overtime Sports Bar

I'm sure this is a band we're going to see and hear of a lot in the coming years. I hope for that. Make sure to follow them via Facebook or Twitter.

Medevil mix thrash of the 80's with classic metal and razorsharp vocals

Today it is more than ever a exciting time that see's a lot of new bands emerging that are offering a wide variation of styles, influences and mixes. Today's metal scene has become more diverse and colourful than ever in my eyes offering a bandwith like never before. It's like the best is yet to come so we all should do our best so the metal scene can continue to evolve and survive and bring us all the music we love and need.

So how would it sound like if you mix up elements of old thrash classics of Metal Church, comine them with a songwriting attempt in a style of old Iron Maiden albums and round it all out with raw vocals reminiscent of Udo Dirkschneider? Well, Medevil is the answer in my ears. The new album of them is straight around the corner and set for release on 26th August 2016. In support of the release the band has set up three tracks as a prelisten and I'd like you to check out their newest video of the track "Nightwalk" which is the opening track of the record. You can pre-order the album "Conductor Of Storms" through the band's website. 
You can find the other songs on the Youtube channel of Medevil.


Medevil will play some shows these year. See the flyer below for the exact dates and the album cover.

The flyer for the Medevil tourdates 2016, (c) by Medevil, used with kind permission

Make sure to connect with them for updates via Facebook, Twitter or their homepage.

CD Review: Arcade Messiah - II

Short Introduction

Arcade Messiah is a one-man instrumental metal music project from KingBathmat frontman John Bassett. It combines a mix of Metal/Post Rock/Stoner/Doom/Prog elements all together on one disc. The first album was released exactly one year ago and received a lot of positive feedback from fans all over the world.

John Bassett spoke to Prog Megazine about the resonace he received. He was surprised about the positive reactions so he decided to create a sequel. He further said that it's meant to be a sort of continuation of the first record but with the hope of being a better, bigger and more dramatic piece of music. The intention was to grow the music without losing the vibe and atmosphere of the original album. The next chapter in the history of Arcade Messiah is set for release on 22nd November 2015 via Bandcamp and then everywhere else on Nov 27 through Stereohead Records.

(c) by Arcade Messiah, used with kind permission

Summary / Player / Purchase-Link

Please bring some time to listen to the album properly. It comes with many layers of melody and variation in them that are ofter overwhelming on the first listen. But if you give them more spins you'll discover so many fine points that you'll wonder what you may've overheard the time before. 

The album is well worth some money. Currently the pre-order price is set at 0,99 GBP on Bandcamp until the release on 22nd of November 2015. Afterwards you'll be able to set the amount free of choice. Please give some bucks so independent and progressive music can continue to push on forward and offer all of us even more of these great musical journeys. It will take you out of your everyday life for a good amount on time and I remember having enjoyed every single minute of it.

If you decide to pick up a physical copy packed in a six panel digipack you'll be rewarded with a ninth track on the disc that add's a playing time of 19 additional minutes to your playing time. That track is something very special, all of you guys out there digging the long-tracks of progressive music will love this. It's like a never-ending epic.

The record will be released on 22nd November via Bandcamp. Currently a album preview is available for streaming as well as two full tracks. I've included the full songs at the Album-Overview section of the review. Here is the album-roundup to get a quick idea of the record:

Album-Overview (Track-by-track review)

Moon Signal: after a slow intro section the album starts with a high complexity. This is a well outworked piece of guitar work. It really needs a lot of time to get through all of the sections and comes in very rough. Don't let this hinder you. It's a rather heavy start to the album but the further tracks go in a bit easier.

Red Widow: More groove based progmetal. It's a breaker and positive "push-it-forward-track". Complex yet very fitting drums and guitar shred on this one. Rough sections follow cleaner parts and surprisingly some total soft-toned notes see the light towards the last third of the song. They lead over to a very dirstorted part with crushing guitars all over. The end comes fast and abrupt.

Black Dice Maze: The song starts out as a beautifull ballad with clean and pure guitars. The drums fit very well to this starting a soft rhythm. Drastically it all changes and a lot of roughness comes rushing in. This goes over to a typical prometal riff and finally unfolds into some more rough crushing and edgy guitar sound giving it all a more complex and hard sound structure. The next move goes back to the progmetal style and comes around clearer and in a more compact style. The end comes in very climatic and dramatic before the whole soundsphere collapses and goes back to some soft notes but not in the same style as at the beginning.

Gallows Way: A clear and calling sound speaks out of the guitar. Is there someone out there? This creates a very spheric and haunting atmosphere. I often wonder why some of the roughest records include hard tracks but at the same time there are these soft pearls in there as well. Those give you freezing chills. This is one of those shining diamonds. It doesn't last long but maybe you'll remember it as long in your mind as I did... The slightly distorted ending builds a crossing to the next track.

(c) by John Bassett, used wth kind permission

Fourth Quarter: A fine mixture of rougher and silker soundscapes can be found in this one. Held in a typical progressive style it's slightly hard but with a very warm and melodic tonality to it. Beautiful melodies can be found a lot in here.
It's like walking through a garderen that offers so many flowers to see. A intensive journey through what instrumental progressive music can offer in all of it's variations, diversity and complexity.

Via Occulta: A short intermission. Clear guitar notes flying around. The drums catch them up and form a little jam-alike atmosphere.

Read the Sky: A highly complex track. It get's back to the rough style. Held in a midtempo the track evolves around the main riff and comes with a lot of distortion. Inside of the storm you'll find a eye of melody that shine through. The darkest and hardest track of the album in my ears.

Start Missing Everyone: Spacy sounds start this one.But once that is gone sheer power takes over. A compact closing point. A good ending point for all people taking the download edition.

The Four Horsemen (CD-only-track): A catchy start to the epic with soft yet ever-changing guitar sounds and rhythm patterns. It evolves even further to a powerfull guitar bloom but not so heavily distorted as "Read the sky". It comes to a first peak towards nearly the half of the track and goes over to a somewhat ghostly spheric intermission just to come back with fresh power before going back in the softer mode and back to power again. The chilling and dreamingly sphere is present on the vast majority of the next track section before heavyness comes rushing back in. The drumming is most complex on this song. Lot's of variations and drum fills. The end set's a last mark on heavyness leaving me in the hope that we'll hear more of this great musician in the future.

Vanden Plas to release Netherworld II album soon

Vanden Plas is such a dedicated progmetal band, I love the song structures and vocals so much. It feels to me as if their music goes somehow deeper, it has more depth to offer and most of all the tracks are played with a lot of power, always giving it a good balance between progressive elements and the needed agressive and direct parts that keeps the music moving forward and enjoyable for fans of the heavy music style.

They've for years now put out one strong record after another yet it seems not many recognize them. I remember having hear them first on a sampler CD of the german Rock Hard megazine back in 1999 which featured the track "I can see" and was overwhelmed by the way the vocals came out on that one. Over the years I've always had a eye on them, every here and there. Now the time is getting closer for the release of a a new record - the follow up to last years "Netherworld" album. This first trailer gives me chills offering a wide overview on the new CD.



The new release will be called "Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld II" and will see the light of day on 6th November 2015 through Frontiers Records. Here is the tracklist:

VISION 11even * In My Universe
VISION 12elve * Godmaker´S Temptation
VISION 13teen * Stone Roses Edge
VISION 14teen * Blood Of Eden (* All love must die) (* The rite)(* This is the night)
VISION 15teen * Monster
VISION 16teen * Diabolica Comedia
VISION 17teen * Where Have The Children Gone
VISION 18teen * The Last Fight
VISION 19teen * Circle Of The Devil

A first full song "Stone Roses Edge" along with a fine band-performance has been installed on Youtube as well. Make sure to connect with the band through Facebook or see their website from time to time to keep for more news, tourdates and so on.

A Light Within stream new single from the upcoming EP

So the clocks are mercyless ticking down the last hours of 2014...
What shall be done left before a new year will begin?

Don't miss out the chance to do something special on day number 365:
hear the new single from A Light Within already today! It will be released at the end of January 2015 but you can already listen to a stream of the full track "Between Shores" on the pages of Ragnarok Reviews. Very haunting and epic atmosphere on this one. Made my last day of 2014 a very special one...

The next show of the band will be on
Friday, 9th. January 2015 21:00 (CST) at the recordBar in Kansas City
If you would like to sneak a bit more into the upcoming EP don't miss out my article about the vocal recordings sessions as well as more clips from the recording process I posted some time ago.

Update 2015/01/17: The new song is available for streaming and download on the bandcamp page from A Light Within on a pay-what-you-want basis. Since it's such a great track I include the stream here as well. For me this track comes with a very haunting and blistering atmosphere. The intro perfectly rounds out this song which offers it's full bandwith and content only to those who listen to it several times...

Morphelia release 3 cam mix video of Northern Prog Festival

Sometimes, yes only sometimes there's a song and band out there that gives you this freezin' chills that make you feel so good. They help you escape from the daily gray, the dark and cloudy winter weather we are currently rolled in.

This little moment has just happened. I saw a live video from the band "Morphelia", a superb and excellent Progrock and progressive Metal band from Lower Saxony, Germany. Maybe this little post can help to reach out and touch some of you out there to make more people aware of them.

The cover of the current album "Waken the nightmare", (c) by Morphelia . Used with kind permission.

They are sort of a band which offers music to let you drift and dream away but never misses this groovy touch so it never feels boring or standing still. One of the bands you could compare them best to is the band Saga. But better than any words could ever do music speaks out for itselfs so please click the play button and enjoy some fine music and video (it's a fine three cam mix done from the guys at the Background Megazine).

I like the detailed work on this one, all of the elements are arranged in such a harmonic way that fits together perfectly. Most of all the atmosphere is supported by the fine keyboards and the whole excitement lasts for the full ten minutes duration of this track. That's something quite few band can come up with.





I've seen Morphelia myselves back in 2011 and they were awesome. A friend of mine made me aware of them and we spontanously drove over to the show. Never forgot that evening. Most of all the bass guitar solo. I've had the honour to see quite a lot of good bass guitar players so far but Renko Rickers is absolute excellent on his instrument.

Don't miss out to see Morphelias website to learn more about this excellent band. They also have a account on youtube as well as a page on myspace if you prefer to connect to them through these pages.

The band is working on a new album at the moment and sends out a newsletter through E-Mail from time to time. It includes information on the the recording process as well as about past and upcoming shows of the band. It comes in both, german and english language. Just enter your E-Mail adress into the proper field on the right row directly at the homepage underneath the Vossphor-Records Logo (please scroll down a little bit to see it).

The band recently played at the Northern Prog Festival in Siegerwoude in the Netherlands on November 1st 2014. If you want to read a detailed live review about the festival as well as some photos of all the bands playing then head over to the Background megazine. They've put together a fine detailed check up of the full festival.

CD Review: Lewis & The Strange Magics - Demo

Note: If you have a own band or project that you think might fit in well here for a review or as a presentation / introduction please drop me a line or two in a E-Mail. Please see my profile for my E-Mail adress. I appreciate new suggestions very much so please don't hesitate to contact me.

If you're having troubles writing in English please send me a E-Mail in your preferred language or use the free Google Translator to transfer your message to English. I also use that tool, it's of course not perfect but I think it will mostly likely work out for our purposes.

Short introduction

Lewis & The Strange Magics is a new Classic Rock / Heavy Psych / Doom band from Barcelona. At the beginning of the year the head of the band Lewis decided to make some songs telling horror and occult stories, because that are themes he loves to present in a classic sound.

So he recorded the demo in his home environment and some time after the actual band members joined to complete the band. Lewis & The Strange Magics have plans to do some concerts and will start to work on an album.

Short Summary / Player / Download Link

The demo is set deeply in the roots of the Classic Rock music such is the sound of the recording. The band makes heavy use of the Psych genre and mixes in a lot of hammond organ sounds which makes it sound like a old-school recording from back of the 70's .

All of the three tracks go in very straight, especially the last one which is the fastest one. The doom style comes in when you take a close look to the lyrics.  I suggest to check out the stream below first to get a idea of the band's sound.

Besides that the download of the demo tape is available for only 2 Dollar from Bandcamp so if you like such bands that follow their very own ways and make a own approach to it go ahead and buy it. Nothings better than to support your favorite band with buying the record. Ii's like a vote in a election.

Update 2014/10/31: You can now freely choice the amount you would like to pay for the demo on Bandcamp. The band has also set up a limited handmade edition of the record on CD (50 pieces only available).  One copy costs 3 Euro plus shipping and handling. You can order directly through the Bandcamp page of Lewis & The Strange Magics.



The band has opened up a Facebook page, so jump over to their site and give them a like if you want to stay up to date on all the things going on in the future.

Track-by-Track Review

How To Be You
Very powerful chords open up the track. Fast rhythm and the typical choice of vocals for such a style of music form together a well mood song. The track already sets the direction for the whole demo and makes it clear what to expect. A uptempo track with a cool solo and a fine hammond organ part in it. Towards the end suddenly a break - the song calms down a bit but then goes back to the powerful theme. A good start for the tape.

Cloudy Grey Cube
A bit slower track but warmly welcomed. Some progressive elements in there as well. Gives the demo some diversity. Vocals most in the front on this track and again a lot of hammond stuff in here with some more wild rhythm in there. High vocals and a very short end.

Golden Threads
Crash Cymbals and guitars open up the track. A short intro before the track changes over to a faster rhythm. Nice guitar theme on this one and much hammond effects follow up to it before it mixes up in a very hard and tight duell between both instruments. A short break towards the end with the intro part played again before a return to the main riff takes place. The track is kept very tight and straight forward but in comes in very handy. Feels like things come full circle - a good way to close the tape.

A Light Within returns with snippet from the upcoming EP

A while ago we here at metalunderdogs had a interview with the Post/Progressive Alt Rock band "A Light Within". The band also gave a little info about what to expect from the upcoming EP the band was preparing at those days.

By now the songwriting and recording process made some progress and the band recently revealed a first short, but in my eyes very cool teaser so we can have a idea of what's going on. Just sit back and enjoy the little preview below.

If you want to stay up to date about further developments just make sure to pick the RSS feed featured on the top of this blog or have a look at the bands Facebook page or the bands presence on Bandcamp.

Update 2014/07/25: I oversaw that there's another teaser for the track "Glaso" online so I added it here today.