Marty Friedman & Brian Auger perform on new Fusion Syndicate single

It's moments like this that make you wonder what's able to happen in the world of music - and only there is seems to be possible. These thoughts rushed through my head as I've become aware of the new Fusion Syndicate single.

It comes with two guest stars I never thought would come together in such a music frame. Marty Friedman is known to many as the guitar player with Megadeth in the 90's. His performance is one of a kind and he also puts out own solo albums ("Dragons Kiss" still rotates on my mind).

Brian Auger took part in the german TV show "Super Drumming" that was broadcasted way back in August 1989 here in Germany. Pete York was the sticksman who brought together many great drummers of that time among them Cozy Powell, Simon Phillips, Ian Paice and Gerry Brown to name just a few. 

It was all centered around the history of the drums in Rock and Blues music. A core band called "The All Styles band" performed classic tracks in a church - amongst them Brian Auger on keyboards. The drummers added their own signature drumming and solo parts into those songs. It left a massive feeling behind in me that music is something very special here on earth.

And now both can be heard in this jazz fusion supergroup called Fusion Syndicate. This link has been given to me with a overview on several music services that have "Meteor Shower" on offer for streaming and download.

Marty Friedman and Brian Auger unite in the Jazz Fusion Band The Fusion Syndiacate.

A first listen left a balanced impression on me. It's happily not a too overloaded release coming in two parts. It all starts out with a more basic performance with lots of atmosphere and few splitters of all contributors taking part. The topic of a meteoric shower is well present in my mind as I listen to the music. It's very well worked out in the details and the sound. The second part clearly put's the guitar into the bright spotlight. It's a typical hefty axe attack that shows Friedman's abilities very well most of all towards the end of the track. 

There's also a full album coming up. Read the following announcement for more details on this:

f you thought you would have to wait another 10 years for a new Fusion Syndicate album to light up the night sky, we have some exciting news for you! Yes it took over a decade for the jazz fusion supergroup to follow up its 2012 debut self-titled album with their sophomore effort, A Speedway On Saturn’s Rings, released earlier this month. But now comes the announcement that the group is set to release another full-length album, Beautiful Horizon, on November 3, ensuring that their fans and followers will have plenty to tide them over for at least another decade or more!

Beautiful Horizon is in many ways a companion piece to Speedway, continuing its cosmic theme while expanding its universe with a mindblowing array of eclectic performers including Fishbone's Angelo Moore, The Door's Robby Krieger, PiL's Jah Wobble, Mahavishnu Orchestra's Jerry Goodman, Megadeth's Marty Friedman, Chrome's Helios Creed, and more. The album showcases even more adventurous, musically complex master works, including the album’s first single “Meteor Shower,” which is released today. The combination of fiery metal guitarist Marty Friedman and icy cool keyboardist Brian Auger creates a brilliant once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event that not even Haley’s comet could upstage!

Watch for the full album experience of Beautiful Horizon to be released on CD and digital with bonus tracks that feature additional performances Steve Morse, Tony Kaye, John Etheridge, Steve Hillage and others! And keep watching the night sky for the appearance of the vinyl version following shortly after.

Order the CD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/the-fusion-syndicate-beautiful-horizon-cd/

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/beautifulhorizon 

Factory Of Art restart activities after 20 years

It's great to hear a band is coming back you didn't even knew before. This is what happened to me as I was introduced to the progressive Power Metal music of the german band Factory Of Art.

Factory Of Art bandshot taken at a liveshow.

Having sent me a Email with two linked YouTube videos I was blown away by "No tears" taken of the 2002 output "The Tempter".

It's music performed and composed like I had wished for in my mind. The riffs go a straight way and some keyboards in a lighter way set the basic for the mood of the song.

The drums powerfull and hard keep it straight forward so the progressive style never becomes too complicated and unstructured also this is surely not a easy pattern to perform. The drum sound is also great - it's held in a more dry tonality so it's good to follow.  

But most of all the vocals left a lasting impression on me. They haunt you with it's spoken und darker tone and totally leave a emotional expression left behind in me. it's going under the skin as we are here in Germany going to say.

Happily it's not all past as the band is going to perform the next show in 2022 on the 10. December 2022 at Tonelli's in Leipzig (Germany).

In addition to that the guys are working on new material and the first four songs are said to be already finished with some guests who aren't revealed any closer yet. 

In the meantime they are occasionally going to publish live videos of Factory of Art concerts from the past year to bridge the waiting time in an interesting way. 

Make sure to keep a eye further on this great band. I can't believe I should have missed them in all the years before.

Factory Of Art website

Factory Of Art Facebook

Preview: Last Frontier - Aether (Atmospheric Power Metal, 2020)

I'm missing keyboards in the sound of many metal bands of today. One of the few bands that still works with this instrument to raise some atmosphere in their sound at Italy's "Last Frontier".

After longer last the band has wrapped the third longplayer "Aether (Equivalent Exchange)". A preview player for the albm has been installed on the website of Revalve Records. That's how I got the chance to hear something of the new songs in advance.

The cover already shows that something different is about to be released by Last Frontier.

Track Analysis
It reveals that the agressive elements the band worked on so hard in the past have been kept in the sound. Besides that there's also a lot of room in the songs for the mentioned keyboards. "Fields Of Thetis" and most of all "Flames of Moloch" speak like from the bottom of my heart that it's great to have such elements in the sound.

Other tracks like "Shahar" have a slightly majestic feeling with it and also add the keys to power up the music. "The Wilow" shows that the band can put a lot of pressure into the sound to go a rougher direction if needed. Track number seven feels like a mixture of majestic, power and atmospheric elements.

Preview-Summary
It looks like a album with much detailed work on feelings has been created. It comes with a modern heavy sound yet it holds the tradition up as well. If everythings goes fine the new album will be out on January 24th, 2020 via Revalve Records.

Tracklist  "Aether (Equivalent Exchange)"

1. Toward the Last Frontier
2. Cults of Cargo
3. Fields of Thetis
4. Flames of Moloch
5. Wings of Stone
6. The Willow
7. The River
8. The Brier
9. Shahar

Follow the band through their Facebook page for all the next steps towards the album release.

Chris Tsangarides performs bass&keys on new King's Call record

Some producer of records have become icons for themselves. But did you know that legend Chris Tsangarides will also perform the Bass Guitars and Keyboards on the upcoming King's Call release? Plus all the mixing, mastering and the production also ran through his hands.

I guess a lot of you guys out there will want to know about "ShowDown" the upcoming album of melodic metal band King's Call so here is the first single for some fast checking out how this collaboration sounds like.


"ShowDown" will be released physically and digitally on 27 November 2017 by Lions Pride Music. Digital copys are up for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon.

Here is the cover, track list and some more detail info for the third release of the band:

The front cover of ShowDown, cover done by Joey Polycarpo, (c) by Kings's Call, used with kind permission

Tracklist: 1) Who am I, 2) Looking in the mirror, 3) Get out, 4) High time, 5) Principle of love, 6) S.O.S, 7) Showdown, 8) Shout it out, 9) Cry on the wind, 10) Rocking in the free world (Neil Young Cover [only on physical version]), 11) Hope.

King's Call Line Up:
Alex Garoufalidis: Vocals, Guitars
Chris Tsangarides: Bass, Keys
Asec Bergemann : Drums

Special guests:
Michael Bormann: Lead & Backing vocals
Tony Carey: Keyboards

Guest Musicians:
Additional vocals & back up vocals: Miriam Busse, Vivi Thill, Stephan Kabisch
Additional Hammond organ: Stephan Kabisch

Front cover by: Joey Polycarpo
Layout by: C.S. Management & Promotions
Mixed, Mastered & Produced by: Chris Tsangarides

Make sure to keep track about what's going on via Facebook or the website of the band.

Lyra's Legacy expand sound to a much wider range

Some time ago we had a review of Lyra's Legacy first output (the mini album with the same name as the band) up here for reading. Since then the band was in the studio and was closed liped about how they would move on soundwise.

Happily the silence has ended now and the band gives some insight into what's coming up with the new release in the form of a brand new music video. The moving picture is given the title "Prisoner" which will also be the name for the upcoming album which is scheduled for release in 2017.

The bandlogo of Lyra's Legacy, (c) by Lyra's Legacy, used with kind permission

The band has surprised me in a very positive way with this song. It represents a massive development the band has gone through in the recent time. The soundscape the band produced is much more powerfull and most of all tighter than on the first offering. This is sourced a lot of the rhythm section. But the overall guitars have strengthen in the pressure and the vocals also show more depth yet it all is wrapped in a warm sound package which prevents it from sounding just hard and cold.


The band has some shows coming in the next time. Make sure to see them to have a look on their live presence for yourselves. Here are the dates:

29. October 2016
Brothers of Metal BOM 2016
Langerwehe, Germany

12. November 2016
Eisenfest VI
JZ Schwelm, Germany

25. November 2016
Metal for Mercy on Stage
Witten, Germany

03. December 2016
Metal Journey
Falkenheim Lüdenscheid, Germany  

09. December 2016
KULT on Tour
Eckhaus Kettwig, Essen - Germany

Let's keep a further eye on this band using the world wide web site of the band or joing them on Twitter or Facebook to stay in touch.

CD Review: Lyra's Legacy - Lyra's Legacy EP (2014)

A great first EP combining sharp guitars with a lot of fine melodies, a excellent rhythm section and many vocal variations. It's the tension between the heavyness of the guitars and rhythm patterns on the one hand and the harmony of the voice on the other that makes this band so special.

Short Introduction

Lyra’s Legacy was founded in 2008 and consists of five musicians from North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Every band member brought in their individual musical experience from previous bands like Heavenfall and Frozen Fire.

Since 2011 Lyra’s Legacy is playing gigs and festivals e.g. “Metal for Mercy On Stage”, “Realms of Metal” or “Brotherhood of Metal” and shares the stage with bands like The Name, Gloryful and Ivory Tower.

Lyra’s Legacy represents sophisticated and melodious metal and inspires the audience with their melodies, musicality and power. They've put out a three track EP under the title "Lyra's Legacy".

The cover of the Lyra's Legacy EP, (c) by Lyra's Legacy, used with kind permission

Summary

A compact and razorsharp three track EP is what we have here. All songs go straight into your ears and will make you headbang to them all the way. On the contrary there's lot's of room for emotions and slower sections with keyboards giving it a silker touch. The vocalist uses a wide range of variations for his performance which makes the tracks even more enjoyable. There are surely not only some high pitched notes in the vocals but also a lot of midtone as well as some sing-along choruses to be found.

Player and Purchase Link

The whole release is up for a free listening session on the Soundcloud service so there's no need to buy the stuff without testing. If you like what you hear you can purchase a copy on a silver disc for 5 Euro plus shipping and handling. A band shirt is available for 10 Euro plus shipping and handling.

You can order these goodies through the band's Facebook page, through the band's contact Email form or contact Andreas Denz at his Facebook account to order your copy.


EP Overview

Mirror Of My Life
Powerfull compact starter, very riff packed, few keyboard inserts. The fine outworked vocals show much variations in them and the refrain invites to sing along,

Breath Of A Winter Night
A epic beginning but it changes quickly to faster riffing, free power riffing follows. It's a very direct number going all on it.

Utopia
The final song starts slow and then goes over straight into a pure powerfull riff rollercoaster providing the listener with sharp, straight, hard, powerfull and intense moments.

The band Lyra's Legacy, (c) by Lyra's Legacy, used with kind permission

Links

Check in to the band's website for all the latest tourdates and also tune in to Facebook for even more regular updates.