'Self Portrait' - Aeon Zen (7/10)

At some point in every artist's career, they will generally stop t take a look at what they've already done, consolidating their position and reflecting upon the path they've taken. After releasing one of my favourite progressive metal albums of the year in Enigma, now seems like a perfect time for Aeon Zen to take a moment aside for reflection. From the band's origins essentially as a personal project of multi-instrumentalist Rich Hinks to its full-fledged current form, Aeon Zen has come a long way. Featuring a new song and three re-worked versions of compositions from their 2009 debut A Mind's Portrait, the recently released Self Portrait is a fitting demonstrator how far the band has progressed. Although the EP doesn't excel without its context as a simple indicator of the band's evolution, Self Portrait is a fine bite-sized chunk of modern progressive metal, and a welcome addendum for anyone who shared my love of their most recent full length.

Although I hesitate to use the term 'djent' when describing a band (or at least a band I like), Aeon Zen share some of their sound with the likes of contemporary progressive metal acts; their compatriots in TesseracT come first to mind. Although the instantly identifiable palm-muted tone associated with that dubious word was downplayed on the new album, Self Portrait has a distinctly djenty tone to it. Even though it's the shortest piece on the EP, the original composition 'Psych!' is my favourite song here. Built around an odd time signature, it's the sort of brimming overture that would have set a perfect atmosphere for a full-length. It's a very atmospheric take on progressive metal, similar to Devin Townsend or the latest record from TesseracT.

As for the covers here, the most notable difference is the improved musicianship and production. Although Aeon Zen started off on a great note for what was then largely a one-man act, these compositions really benefit from a full band performance. Of the three, 'Portrait' is my favourite piece, balancing ambient clean vocals with death growls and rhythmic riffs that recall Cynic. 'Rain' is a much softer track; guitars give way to piano here for the most part. While the track benefits greatly from a much improved production, I'm left wanting something more aggressive from the band; the smooth saxophone solo recalls Dream Theater's 'Another Day' and is an unexpected contribution, but doesn't work as well with the rest of the band's sound as it was probably intended to. 'Demise' has been significantly shortened from its original twelve minute length.

While Aeon Zen has been a good band from the start, their recent material is a firm step up from their origins. While I'm sure it was Aeon Zen's intention with Self Portrait to emphasize that fact, I would prefer to hear newly written material rather than revised versions of older songs. Enigma remains a favourite of mine, and has made me anxious to hear more from the band. Comparing these older compositions to the recent stuff however, it's evident to me that Aeon Zen have improved in more than their mere execution. Self Portrait doesn't hold my interest as much as an EP of fresh material would have, but it's a worthy addition to the history of one of progressive metal's most promising contemporary acts.

This is the second full-length album from Munoch band Deafening Opera, following on from 2009'2 'Synesteria'. Although it is available through Bandcamp it is also available as a properly released CD, which is what I have. The first thing that really strikes the listener is just how polished this is, which both takes the edge off the heaviness but also provides additional emphasis where required. They describe themselves as a cross between Porcupine Tree and Riverside, but there are also plenty of elements of City Boy, 3rDegree and more in an album that is both restrained and in your face, full of Seventies influences yet very much for today, clean and simple yet complex and layered: all at the same time. The first time I played this it brought a smile to my face and each time I have listened to it that has just got bigger.

It is an album that brings in so many influences that different people will classify them in different ways: PA has them marked as 'Heavy Prog', MMA has them as 'Hard Rock' and my personal view is that they are Crossover with elements of Prog Metal. But really, who cares what we call it? In simplistic terms there are just two types of music, good and bad, and this definitely fall into the former. When there is a need for the music to crunch it does just that, but where it needs to be more restrained then yet again it hits the mark. This is a wonderful album, and if you want something that is polished and dynamic while packed full of great songs then this is for you. For more details visit their site at www.deafening-opera.de

Fates Warning's A Pleasant Shade of Gray earns points for ambition, presenting as it does a single multi-part song, but it fails to make that song compelling enough to hold my attention. In particular, I find the repetitive and tedious Part VIII so irritating that it ends up as a roadblock to my enjoyment of the piece as a whole. It's good that the band were trying to do something different - in particular, for a lot of the time the album is more sedate and sombre and less traditionally "metal" than most preceding Fates Warning work - but it isn't quite my cup of tea.

Steve Hillage - L

Those who are fans of the genre of progressive rock music will be familiar with the work of Steve Hillage. Hillage, who has worked with the likes of Gong and Egg, is a canterbury scene musician that has ventured into the realms of psychedelic rock, jazz fusion, and electronic trance music. L is a transitional release in Hillage's discography, since this is his first solo album that does not feature an extensive list of Gong's band members. The overall sound of the album is rather less spiritual and immersive that Hillage's previous album, Fish Rising, sporting a sound that is rather more riff driven and grounded than the bubbly new age sound of its predecessor. This is in no way a weakness, in fact one of the strengths of this album is its raw hippy tendencies which comes from the patchiness of the album as a whole.

The album begins with a cover of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man", a rather less aggressive and softer version than the original. It is clear from the very opening of the song that this album does not feature the bubbly new age tendencies of Fish rising. The Hurdy Gurdy is used in this track, adding a nice flavour. "Hurdy Gurdy Glissando" is very different to the previous track, beginning with a mellow guitar solo that is backed with a swirly combination of guitars and bells. It is evident that Hillage chose to imitate the ancient "aum" mantra with his guitar sound, and this is an idea that he explores in his following releases, most notably the 1978 release "Green". The track soon progresses into a percussion driven vocal section, where the swirling guitars grow ever more intense, further highlighting the choice of the "aum" mantra sound. The track soon moves into a bass-driven jam. This track is reminiscent of some of Gong's earlier work, particularly in the ethereal guitar backing. "Electrick Gypsies" is a whimsical affair, placed rather insensitively alongside the more spiritual sounding "Hurdy Gurdy Glissando". This track is driven by silly lyrics and a standard rock riff that is rather uncharacteristic of Hillage's other work. This is the album's weakest point, but while this track does fail to reach the heights of Hillage's other work, this new sound is fun and a pleasant listen.

Side two opens with "Om Namah Shivaya", an incredible track that is unique among all of Hillage's songs. Origionally written by Kesar Singh Nariula and Uma Nanda, this song is one of the album's highlights, simply for its retro sound and unique indian flavour. This track is a blend of swirling sitars, brass, indian chants and some of Hillage's best guitar work. This track incorporates the sacred Hindu chant "om namah shivaya", a chant which translates to "adoration to Śiva". "Lunar Musick Suite" is another unique track, recorded exclusively under the full moon. Jazz trumpet player Don Cherry was taken on board to embellish this track with a spacy improvisatory solo, which paints an exquisite painting across the canvas of synths and swirling guitars. Hillage's guitar is used rather minimalistically here (with the exception of the manic synth driven opening and the final guitar solo), and once again, he uses his guitar sound to imitate the "aum" mantra, creating a superb musical soundscape that is delivered with both a strong sense of direction and a vague, ethereal subtleness. Hillage closes the track with his charming vocals, concluding the affair with lyrics somewhat reminiscent of those in his previous release. The album is brought to an upbeat and sentimental conclusion with a cover of The Beatles' "It's All Too Much", which would be compatible with the ethereal "Lunar Musick Suite" if the transition was not disrupted by a disconcertingly loud chord from the band. This is one of the weaker tracks on the album, but it's upbeat and joyous mood make it a fitting and worthy end to the album.

There is no denying the patchiness of this album as a whole, particularly in contrast to the previous release, Fish Rising, which stands as one of psychedelic rock's greatest albums. Many of the songs do not flow well into each other, which creates a feeling of hurriedness in the production. However, this album was obviously not intended as an exercise of coherence, and there are some incredible compositions to amend any damage done by the lack of unity that exists between some of the songs. L's highlights are the retro fusion classic "Om Namah Shivaya", and the ethereal gem "Lunar Musick Suite".

L is an excellent album and a worthy addition to any psychedelic music collection.

'Sheep' - Anubis Gate (8/10)

For a covers EP, this is about as good as it gets! Anubis Gate are perhaps the most criminally underrated band going in progressive metal today, although existing fans will attest to their greatness. Although the prog-power scene is saturated with bands that lack much in the way of power or relative progginess, Anubis Gate have remained uncompromisingly perfectionistic in their quest to make the tightest music possible, so perfectionistic in fact that their much anticipated upcoming album Horizons was pushed back to 2014 for release. In its stead, Anubis Gate have offered us the EP Sheep as a stop-gap. Showcasing a progressive metal rendition of the so-titled Pink Floyd epic, along with a cover of the Mr. Mister hit "Broken Wings" and a sneak peek of the forthcoming full-length, Sheep should be more than enough to whet the appetites of any prog metal fan. It may be only a covers release, but Anubis Gate imbue it with the same inventiveness and attention to detail that has made them such a standout band in the first place.

Anubis Gate start Sheep off with an original track, "Destined to Remember". Being something of a sneak peek for an album that's run behind schedule, the track is good reason to get excited about the forthcoming album. It's Anubis Gate in top form; melodies, dynamic shifts, atmosphere and cerebral songwriting that picks up where Fates Warning left off at their peak. In true prog metal fashion, "Destined to Remember" condenses ideas that could have been the framework of a twenty minute epic into a concise five minute package. While the first half of the tune unfolds around a memorable chorus, the second half gets more complex, featuring an incredible guitar solo and cinematic atmosphere that has me thinking that Horizons is going to be one of the highlight albums for 2014.

While I haven't been able to call myself a fan of Pink Floyd in earnest for a few years now, Sheep has continued to wow me every time I heard it. It was a darkly atmospheric album with a biting concept, the band's cynicism held in full view. To hear "Sheep" reimagined as a metal track works much better than it may have sounded on paper; considering the song came out in 1977, it's a testament to "Sheep" enduring quality that it can be modernized so well. The classic intro is updated to incorporate Ayreon-esque electronic instrumentation, an instant reminder that this isn't the original we're hearing. Once the guitars kick in, it's clear that Anubis Gate have thrust the song firmly within metal territory. The chugging guitars are remarkably heavy for such a melodic and refined sound. Although I would have thought it clichéd for a band to have covered such a classic and well-known track, Anubis Gate make the song their own. Considering the legendary status of Floyd themselves, it's a major credit to Anubis Gate's name that they've managed to take one of the space rock masters' greatest moments and managed to make it their own. Excellence.

Their cover of Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" is pretty surprising, considering that Mr. Mister has nothing to do with metal or even prog, save for their drummer Pat Mastelotto's shared history with King Crimson. Like "Sheep" Anubis Gate are able to update the song and make it their own, although the result is obviously far less impressive. Henrik Fevre absolutely nails the vocals here, putting a heftier punch into his delivery than the original had. The electronic drum patterns during the chorus could have been done without, although I guess it makes sense given the original's ultra-80's appeal. All in all, a good cover of a memorable song, although given the excellence of the two tracks preceding it, it's the certain low point of the EP.

In short, I might not recommend Sheep to newcomers of Anubis Gate, but if any fan of progressive metal is reading this who hasn't yet heard the band, I'm speaking to you directly right now: check these guys out, because you're missing one of the genre's most underrated and excellent acts. It's a great covers EP in its own right, but what's more; it sets the stage for a potentially incredible album in the making. I can't wait to hear Horizons!

ALCEST is a band from France or more accurately the project of one guy called Neige. He plays all the instruments except for the drums. Apparently the music he makes has developed over the years eventually becoming a vehicle for him to express his most personal feeling that often can't be put into words. Man this is a gorgeous album, and if your like me and can really appreciate the beauty in melancholic music then chances are you will love this one.

"Ecailles De Lune(Part One)" opens with strummed guitar then it kicks in with a very gothic feel to it. Vocals a minute in are in French and this is all so moving, especially a minute later when the music seems to rise another level in a Post- Rock style. A calm after 3 minutes as the contrasts continue. Simply breath-taking. It's hard to express but it's like I was familiar with the music here before I even heard it. By the way parts one and two of this title track make up almost 20 minutes and almost half of this record. "Ecailles De Lune(Part Two)" opens with the sounds of waves and picked guitar. It kicks in hard before a minute. Raspy vocals before 2 minutes as he screams out from his very soul. A calm before 5 minutes with picked guitar as reserved vocals join in. It picks up some. Man this sounds so good. Another calm 7 minutes in as it stays laid back to the end.

"Percees De Lumiere" sounds great with the grinding guitars and steady beat. Raspy vocals join in as they continue to rip it up. Clean vocals before 3 minutes then it all settles back a minute later without vocals. Not for long though as the song kicks back in like before. "Abysses" is just over 1 1/2 minutes of dark atmosphere. Quite creepy actually. "Solar Song" is pure bliss with the clean vocals cascading over top of the riffing guitars. One of my favourite tracks right here. It all settles back before 4 minutes but not for long. "Sur L'Ocean Couleur De Fer" opens with a gently picked guitar as almost spoken vocals join in. Beautiful stuff. It becomes even more uplifting 5 minutes in. Vocal melodies also will join in.

Just an atmospheric and beautifully dark Post-Metal release that weeps emotion.

'Swinesong' - Omb (8/10)

I can only imagine Omb was born late one evening, when a drunken group of friends asked themselves how many styles of metal and prog they could work into an album and get away with. Had this been a typical group of friends, the idea may have started and stopped that night. However, with members from Reign of the Architect and Amaseffer involved, Omb has been anything but typical from its inception onward. One of the weirdest metal albums I've yet had the pleasure to hear this year, Swinesong is equal parts puzzling and amazing, a seemingly rhapsodic stream of playful ideas that draw in sounds from every corner of prog and metal. Not all of its musical experiments prove to be successful, but for the particularly adventurous listener, the handful of weaker moments are a small price to pay for what is otherwise one of the most memorable progressive metal albums in recent memory.

Omb does for avant-garde metal what Quentin Tarantino did for film: they have taken elements from some of their medium's greatest icons and made them their own. Although overall impressions place Omb in the similar avant-garde school as bands like Subterranean Masquerade and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum , Swinesong summons too many comparisons to comfortably squeeze into a review. In no particular order, Queensryche , uneXpect , Kayo Dot , Helloween , Voivod , Ayreon , Gentle Giant , Devil Doll , Opeth , Iron Maiden and Ennio Morricone are all but a few of the artists that came to mind listening to Swinesong. While the list may not give too specific a description of what Omb are really like musically, it should at least give an indicator how damned varied the album can be as a whole. Within the span of a single track, Omb can shift from folk to thrash and power metal, carnival music, and dissonant fusion. While even the most inept avant-metal band can go for this wildly varied approach, it takes a great band like Omb to do it this smoothly. The astounding variety may be evident while listening, but it doesn't feel forced at all. Stark shifts in style and tone are abundant throughout Swinesong, but at no cost to the musical momentum. Veteran listeners of avant-metal should recall a time when they thought a band had great ideas, but weren't able to tie them together properly. Against all odds, Omb have been able to circumvent this common fault, bringing everything under the sun together and making them work as one. It's a painfully rare feat in this genre to have good flow, and that accomplishment by itself is enough to get me excited about Omb.

Indeed, the flow on Swinesong shouldn't have turned out so well. Even the songs themselves eschew traditional (read: comfortable) structures in exchange for something rhapsodic and consistently adventurous. Even several listens into the album, Swinesong doesn't offer much in the way of a Rosetta stone to unlock the puzzle of the album's structure. Most of these songs unfold as would a theatrical performance, riding the music's emotional ebb and flow, rather than relying on recurring motifs or themes to give the material a sense of completeness. This apparent liberation from traditional form is perhaps the most 'outside the box' characteristic Omb have going for them. Approaching Omb's musical ideas individually, their adventurous experimentation isn't as obvious. The excellent track "A Smaller Dose of Tyranny" comes to mind, a chaotic labyrinth of a song that jumps between genres like a bipolar kangaroo. Somehow, the rhapsodic strain of death, power and thrash metal ideas fuse together into something wholly satisfying and constantly engaging. Throughout the album, this constant challenging of genre boundaries is tied together with a playfulness often sorely lacked by similarly experimental bands. The whimsical, schizophrenic personality of Canadian masters uneXpect comes first to mind, but Omb show more moderation in their display of wackiness.

Especially for a band in the throes of their debut album, Omb demonstrate an impressive level of musicianship and chemistry together, although the musicians' prior band histories doesn't make this fact a surprise. In particular, Omb's vocalist earns top honours for a vocal performance that's as diverse and varied as the styles they play. Davidavi Dolev is a man of one thousand voices, ranging from growls and powerful falsettos to an off-kilter sprechsegang. For the most part, Dolev is able to snuggle into these different deliveries like a musical chameleon; no matter where the music goes, his voice follows without falter. It's pretty incredible to hear such a talented vocalist go across the map like this; his power metal vocals in particular have an insane resonance that could go toe- to-toe with some of the genre's legends. Not all of his styles are so successful however; Dolev's glottal sprechsegang on "Oh Mrs. Wade! You Shouldn't Have!" was probably intended to be comedic or creepy, but it's downright irritating, and kills the otherwise excellent stream of consistency the album had going for it until that point.

For an album that tries so many things at once however, it's a marvel that Swinesong turned out as well as it did. Most of the musical experiments here are a ton of fun, and it's one of the rare cases where an outright rejection of song structure has actually helped the music become more engaging. In short, Omb have started off on an excellent foot, although their constant genre-hopping may have the unfortunate side-effect of limiting their audience. Swinesong is possibly the most exciting metal debut I've heard in a year. In a word, it is unique, and given the current metal standard of emulation over innovation, that trait alone should warrant checking it out.

I'd be the first to admit I'm usually not the biggest fan of Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Ayreon. The guy himself is an extraordinary talent, but too often for me the project presents the most deadly serious, stuffy, overblown spectacle without a trace of subtlety or sense of humour. The music is overloaded with a paint-by-numbers prog/metal approach, dialed totally up to 11, with an abundance of metal and theatrical kitsch worked in for good measure. Maybe the biggest hurdle for he has always been the over-the-top metal voices, which have never been a favourite type of vocal for me. So long story short, I've found Ayreon more than a little embarrassing.

So imagine my surprise when I found that the latest double album `The Theory of Everything' finally clicked with me. Don't get me wrong, it's still completely full of the above mentioned details, but I think this time I'd been warmed up to the idea by two other works. Earler this year, Clive Nolan's theatrical symphonic masterpiece `Alchemy' was unleashed, my favourite album of 2013, and a little earlier Lucassen's wonderful solo album `Lost in the New Real' truly won me over with it's colour, sense of fun and relaxed vocals from the man himself. Both of those albums seem to have given me an opening to enjoying this one, and although it doesn't reach the same heights for me, it's still impossibly grand and excessive prog music that is extremely satisfying on repeated listens.

A double album on both CD and LP, it's comprised of four 21-plus minute pieces, and although it may look like the Lucaassen equivalent of Yes' `Tales From Topographic Oceans', don't be fooled! It's not exactly the same genre-breaking tour-de-force that album was, but it's still very ambitious, even if it sticks to a similar format and sound that previous Ayreon works offered. The overall concept revolves around a group of individuals involved in the discovery of a complex set of equations with the potential to change the world as we know it, and a web of jealousy, suspect motivations and conflicted intentions unfold throughout the album. Taking in the viewpoint and inner monologue of different characters over a course of multiple time-frames, the story is tensely dramatic, exciting and confronting for the entiretyof the near 90 minute running time.

A frequently orchestral soft metal theatrical symphony might be a quick way to describe all the music here! Some parts of it come awfully chose to the brooding atmosphere of Pink Floyd's `The Wall' and `Welcome To The Machine'. There's brief electronic diversions like late 70's/early 80's Tangerine Dream, many other sections recall prog-metal bands like `Mindcryme'-era Queensryche, but rarely so heavy to ever actually resemble proper heavy metal or overloaded with suffocating technicality. Often the vocal passages have a confident and pleasing AOR smoothness, even recalling the sophistication of the Alan Parsons Project. The instrumental sections offer a truly wordly adventure, with numerous grand orchestral flourishes that incorporate a range of Celtic and even middle eastern themes, and the aggressive darting flute and violin almost aligns the music with the classic Italian bands. Other terrific reviewers on the Prog Archives go into greater track specifics, as well as the concept in better detail, so I'll leave that up to their superior descriptions.

Lucassen has the pull to ask for contributions from a number of legendary progressive musicians for this work. Rick Wakeman offers some lovely piano and Mini Moog solos (honestly, the guy is really in his element here!), Keith Emerson has a brief Modular Moog run, Jordan Rudess a synthesizer passage, Troy Donockley brings classy pipes and whistles, and Steve Hackett unleashes a ripping guitar solo near the end of the second disc. But special mention must go to UK/Asia/King Crimson maestro John Wetton's marvellous vocal contribution. Sounding better than ever, the guy must surely be on something of a roll after his memorable appearance on District 97's recent `The Trouble With Machines'. The high quality of the main vocals are performed by a number of vocalists more aligned with the metal end of music from bands such as Nightwish and Lacuna Coil, I'm sure many listeners will be more familiar with them than I am, but they are all excellent here and more than up to the task of conveying the story and it's different characters.

But as much of a selling point the legends of the genre here will be to some listeners, it's actually the core line-up of players that make the most impact. Ben Mathot's violin, Maaike Peterse's cello and Jereon Goossens' flute/other wind instruments positively dominate, their dazzling playing covering almost the entire show. Same too for Siddharta Barnhoorn's lush and sweeping orchestration, Ed Warby's subtly complex drumming, and of course Arjen himself is an effortless master of numerous instruments, his searing guitar solos, thick atmospheric bass and keyboard washes are all over the album. It's these musicians who should especially be praised and not have their achievements ignored compared to the more famous names present.

Although I probably prefer his lighter solo album `Lost in the New Real' over this (and I'm looking forward to the eventual follow-up!), there's no denying Lucassen is worthy of the status he has in the prog industry. His work with Ayreon is pure heavy concept and big spectacle, everything so painfully and carefully constructed, expertly performed and arranged, and he more or less shares the same kind of ludicrous, bombastic approach that made Rick Wakeman so (in)famous in the Seventies. None of what I said is actually an insult, it's simply giving him credit for a type of prog rock that thrills a great many listeners, who cherish and welcome a new Ayreon album as a truly special event.

Four stars.

With Plenty to Inspire

Re-phrasing the refrain from "Pale Fire", I deny to accept that Inside Out has been overlooked just because it falls between two legendary Fates releases, Parallels and APSOG. Rather than tagging this as a continuation of Parallels, we'd better take a look inside - shall we?

Inside Out has a great fundamental advantage: it flows uninterrupted from the first moment you hit play till the last notes of "Afterglow". The music and melodies follow the recipe of Parallels, while the inspired lyrics continue the deep emotional search of their makers. The majority of compositions are restricted to 4-5 minutes without extended solo sections, overly virtuoso passages but rather treading safely on beautiful melodies and one of the best vocal performances Alder has delivered. The distinct Fates character with the trademark twin-guitar metallic sound is enriched with an AOR and 80's Rush feeling, investing heavily on an accessible sound.

A characteristic example is "Pale Fire" as the backing (clean) and front (distorted) layers of guitar-playing mingle so successfully that most of the tunes in the album stick to your mind and you replay that album once more - this happens with only a handful of albums in my collection. There are no real highlights in Inside Out as all songs seem to be part of the same story-telling; an album that shows Fates at their most mature, even if the super-elaborate/technical aspects have taken a back seat.

Highly recommended.

This one is hard to rate impartially. But that is the idea of universal information.

So here it goes.........I never considered Harmonia as a "guitar leaded" band. Their studio albums, by rule, never stick to the same option of styling, among so many choices of electronic gadgets usually found in studios and the ones each brought in. The best part of this "Live-1974" cd, is that you will never have noticed it is "live". No applauses, cheers, whistling nor stuff like that. The "live" music went directly to the tape.

The performance is constructed as a sole base. The songs, most of the time are intense in repetition, more than in creativity. The incessant drum box beats more than once overshadow, the frontal music. Now, talking straight, they have to rely constantly in the "human" nature of the electric guitar performance, which of course has always been an integral part in their "studio" albums, but never that much, as to become too much.

So, an outdated drum box sound, a somehow leadind guitar, which at times is not that creative, because it is holding the whole song alone, because the other two guys are busy, "live" controlling their synths, sequencers, drum boxes and other simmilar tools.

The song writing has its occasional awesome heights, the "drone" like "live" experience should have been amazing, but as recorded material or album as such, ***3.5 "I admire the band, but this is "universal" information" PA stars.