Kepler Ten share positive feelings throughout the change of Time and Tide

As the times change so does the tide. It all just seems to be coming and going. So does life look at least to me. Kepler Ten seemed to have picked up the topic with their latest track "Time and Tide" and it's not only a song of thinking out loud but also packed with immensive power showing how much three musicians are able to put out of sheer musical expression and sharing positive thoughts and feelings this way. It's uplifting for me.

Steve Hales, Drummer of Kepler Ten who wrote the lyrics for this song, says this about the track:

‘No matter how in control of our lives we feel when it comes to the passing of time we are merely passengers. Our journey is flagged along the way by important personal moments such as falling in love but metaphorically the same powerful tide that brings two people together can in the blink of an eye tear them apart (in the song through illness). Whether you call it fate, probability or just dumb luck it's still outside of our control and there is no way that we can ever stop the clock or turn it back for a second chance. The song is sad but the message is not. Don't take anything for granted and make the absolute best of those good times. Fly their flags high!’

The cover for the video single "Time and Tide" by Kepler Ten, (c) by Kepler Ten, used with kind permission

Kepler Ten’s debut album ‘Delta-v’ was mixed and mastered by John Mitchell and will be released on February 10th 2017 via White Star Records.

Make sure to keep a close eye on the band on their homepage or connect through Facebook with them.  

Northern Lines demonstrate own idea of instrumental prog music

Some bands work out instrumental tracks that can impress you with it's simple structure yet the track never becomes boring also it has a long duration.

Northern Lines, who are located in Italy have created such a piece of music and currently are handing it out on a pay what you want basis on their Bandcamp page. The fine thing is that it's surely progressive rock/metal but that it's listenable on such a direct and easy basis. I think that's what not many band's have to offer and make this band worth checking out.

The track is taken of the upcoming album "The Fearmonger" which will be released this month. Make sure to keep a eye on the band via Facebook or Twitter so you won't miss out about the release details. As for the first you can already have a look upon the cover which give's a short glimpse upon the concept story of the record which will talk about death/dying.

The cover of Northern Lines album cover for "The Fearmonger", (c) by Northern Lines, used with kind permission

CD Review: Alluvion - Reverberations (Melodic Metal/2016)

A hefty EP incorparting as many styles of the heavy genre as one could imagine.

Short Introduction

Alluvion are a metal band located at Fredericksburg, Virginia. They mix elements of metal, rock, prog-rock, and shoegaze into there own brand of music. Alluvion has been a band for about 10 years recording several albums and performing regionally. The "Reverberations" EP has been released in October 2016.

Alluvions's "Reverberations" EP cover, (c) by Alluvion, used with kind permission

Summary

This release surely speaks out to the one's being open to travel between various sounds.You can take this as a sign that the music never get's boring or one-dimensional throughout the whole duration. But there's even more variation in them.

What I'd like to say is that the EP changes it's mood without warning. While the EP starts up rather epicly with the longer track "Exodus" it cracks you down quickly already with the second song "Heel of the Boot". It feels as if you're sitting in a rollercoaster. At one moment it was all fine and good but just around the corner the heavyness just kicks straight into the face. The next round goes to the title track that provides you with a moment to take a breath just before another ride start's with "Drop It" but this time more midtempo. It's the song with the most positive note on the whole record. "Critters" gives you a massive "kick-me-out" feeling with it's heavyness once again. Anyway I guess many of you'll want to follow the band once they'v had taste of it.

The cool thing in the band's style is that they added some shoegaze to their typical metal sound. If you like that style but prefer it to not dominate the band's sound with it's typical slowness and multi-layered song structures but instead have more typical metal elements with the music I think Alluvion's "Reverberations" are the definite place for you to check out. Just check the songs "Exodus" and the ending of "Critters" for more details on this.

Purchase-Link and Album stream

The whole package comes free of charge. I'd like to ask you to give some bucks if you like it because making music ain't free. Artists have a lot of costs to cover just to entertain us the way they do so giving back is never a wrong thing.

Besides that this is the first download I came across that comes with MP4 files in them. Those nice goodies are short live video clips the band shared as preview items on their Facebook page. They show the live power and atmosphere of the band so they are a nice addition to the release and give a idea if you consider going to one of Alluvion's live shows (please do show up to give them your support).

On my Smartphone the cover as well as the lyrics were integrated into the mp3 files so they were displayed automatically upon selecting them with my player app. That was a cool surprise to me to have everything at hand with just one single click. The lyrics are rough and direct and speak clearly. If you want to have a message straight - this band provides it. Here's the EP stream for you to quickly check it out.


Contact Data

The band is up for contact on Facebook as well as on Youtube and Instagram.

CD Review: Third Voice - A Day Like Today (Progmetal/2016)

Classic prog rock for fans of the genre. The tunes are kept in a sound format like in the early 90s.

Introduction

Prog rock can be a satisfying music if you can relate to the music and the way the songs are written. I had a period in my life when Dream Theater dominated my CD player and few other bands had the chance to be heard at that time. Like ever so often this time passed me by. But the thougts of back in the day are still there so it was a pleasure when this Third Voice album arrived at my inbox.

The cover of the "A Day Like Today" album by Third Voice, (c) by Third Voice, used with kind permission

Summary

This band surely doesn't have much in common with today's trends soundwise and songwriting like.The album feels like a expedition back to the feel of times long ago. This starts already when you listen to the music. It's kept in a softer production than today's majority of output. That means the guitars are much less rough, synths shine through and the drums are kept in a natural sound without all the soundstyling that is possible these days. The vocals follow the concept and keep it in a similar form, his voice is very present and constant yet there are highs and lows in it.

The songwriting also comes out as a one piece record. All the songs can easily be imagined to be written in one period of time with a certain focus. It feels like a puzzle - all tiles fit to each other to form one big picture. Most of the time the album has a midtempo rhythm with it, so it's enjoyable at a longer time. Few pieces come along faster or slower, it's all very one style.

Preview Track / Purchase-Link

Here's one song example to add some music to the words.

If you like progressive tunes in the way described above the album will give you a good time. Most fans of Fates Warning should find this something to share their time with.

You can purchase the tracks over at the homepage of the band (US only) or buy a copy at CDBaby.

Contact data
 
You can contact the band through their homepage.