DEEEXPUS

'Pttee' is a barely veiled homage to Porcupine Tree, possessing the same clanging contrasts between groove psychedelia, raging electric onslaughts and tight rhythms. The prowess is deafening, between Ditchfield burning up the guitar and the pooling of achingly beautiful emotions, deftly portrayed by the hearty lead vocalist.

'One 8' is where their ability to craft lush symphonics comes to the forefront, a talented vision of melody, deep felt passion and structural instrumentalism. From the initial pastoral serenity painted by puerile piano tappings, the sweet lullaby begins to take shape and penetrate profoundly into the bliss. Suddenly as expected, the mood turns slowly more aggressive and then outright speedy, axes ablaze and riffing hard and fast, Raine pushing it all along like a death-metal he-man (he looks the part, too). A Wishbone Ash-like dual guitar barrage will undoubtedly elate the fans of such parallel forces at work.

'Pointless Child' is even more sedate, a sadly distressing affair, with mortal lyrics and a deadly chorus, using multiple backing vocals with guitars unafraid to buzz in the background. Breezy, crystalline and vibrant. The sing-along qualities are nothing to pooh- pooh, it's plain exhilarating! Loopy synths and all.

'Red' (no, not the KC song) is an original non-album comp that succeeds astrally, wonder why it never made it to record as it's a lovely slice of classic British prog, with all the usual suspects ingrained within the fabric of the song. Soulful singing and elegant accompaniment, flayed first by a terrific organ rumble, vibrating merrily and then slain by a driving axe solo full of vigor and sizzle. A colossal wave finale sets this one down to rest, Raine and Jager really punishing.

They finish off their brief opening slot of a multiple billing in Katowice with the bold, daring and epic 17 minute piece 'Half Way Home', a soon-to-be prog classic. In keeping with the theme of tragedy and despair, the subject is suicide, never an easy narrative but an epidemic nevertheless that has plagued humanity since time immemorial. This epic has all the adornments and grandiosity one could ask for but in a modern, hard-hitting format. The wah-wah pedal is used a la Steve Wilson, crashing, careening and carving crazily. Then, starkly, the forlorn mood is elevated by tape effects of an academic narration, gloomily morphing into rage, confusion and anger. Raine presses boldly on his chubby bass. Jager hits 'em hard between the eyes.

Encore, you ask? The sleeping beauty '7 Nights' puts all this magical music in perspective, entirely entertaining and riveting, wielding a huge chorus and some slithery synthesizer playing. A highlight track that has all the goods in spades (clubs, hearts and diamonds too), amazing on the debut disc and even better live! There is that unmistakable Level 42 vibe mentioned in my album review,

Knowing that 2 other more established bands were to follow, (Overhead and RPWL) the crowd showed amazing enthusiasm for the effort, a sure sign of impacting the unexpectant crowd and forging a future career. the band genuinely enjoyed themselves and the crowd. seeing is believing , what a talent here!

The slick package comes with a full CD version, bonus tracks, band interview and extra video. Yup! A star is born!

4.5 rest areas

'Greed' is malicious opener, armed with a punishing barrage of mighty drums (Leigh Crowther), flailing along to the keyboard ('Cynthia'sizer again) sway, backed by gorgeous Tony Wright vocals and a Phil Sloane lead guitar solo. The setting is metallic heavy-prog like In Absentia-era Porcupine Tree, relentlessly hacking away at the pleasure nodes. Bassist Ian Raine holds down a cavernous low-end, dexterous and powerful, a dream come true for bass fans, what a cool and simple riff can do to an arrangement, what a way to kick of a debut disc! Phew!

'Pointless Child' forges the melancholia ahead, very despondent and binary rhythms unite to form a classical prog- ballad, presenting a valorous vocal full of emotion, the bass bubbling along and the bashing drums. The piano sits way in front, almost childlike in its expression, as the song becomes more upbeat and graceful, at times even close to breezy and well-crafted English pop (say Supertramp with a wicked guitar).

If Porcupine Tree was referenced earlier, here is the undeniable proof in the pudding! A track called 'PTtee' is no coincidence and the music within involves a Kraftwerk-like drone intro on ponging synths (TEE-era) and the impetuous guitars pummeling mightily, razor- sharp and lethal, the rumbling surge devastates , only to be briefly softened by an elegant piano sortie. Crowther is no slouch on the drummies, hitting hard and often! This is another awesome track, gargantuan pillars of 'boom' batter the brain into proggy submission, showing why there has been so much recent adulation for this talented band. The seeds were set here for the sophomore release of which this is a fine (though tougher) brother. A Manfred Mann-like synth blast (Mike Henderson ) adds even higher octane fuel to the incandescent fire, slipping into a serene mid-section with e-piano (devilish decision!). The colossal guitar solo is ridiculously raucous, careening outrageously and brashly untamed, searing the chorus all the way. Phew!

'One Eight' mellows the atmosphere somewhat, an effortless piano theme and a sweepingly sweet voice dance in loving embrace , hip to hip and lip to lip. It's a slow comprehensive song, with massive orchestrations that suddenly (you guessed it) gets heavy. An extended Sloane onslaught (word games again!) leaves any potential indifference far behind, catapulting the piece forward like a laser-guided projectile. Power ending, boom! Phew!

Snippet time for 'One Day' , a Beatles White Album-like ditty , pastoral Englishness front and center, cricket and crumpets, if you please!

'Seven Nights' owns a bass riff to exhale for and some delectable Tony Wright vocals, soulful, groovy and memorable, held together by an accessible chorus, all amalgamate like a proggier Level 42. Insistant synths and drums induce hypnosis and ultimately the Formula One guitar solo nails you to the cross. Titanic track, this! Phew! To have the sheer audacity to end their premiere release with a 17 minute rambler, well'..That's ballsy! The title track 'Half Way Home' has all the ingredients necessary to vulcanize the finest pedigree of prog . The usual premeditated cheerful introduction blooms into a shimmering refrain, organ trembling mightily, guitars clanging with joy and exalted vocals. The bass and drum arsenal packs a tight punch and batter ahead mercilessly. The raging guitar swirls screech amid the leaden riffs, veering nearly into heavy-metal delirium. We are brought back to placidity with a forlorn narrative vocal effect and a gloomy musical pretense, pioneered by classic Pink Floyd, the bass taking over the controls to the heart of the home. Intensely dreamy and touching, the epic searches out many volatile sonic landscapes, blending luxuriant symphonics with stunning effect (cascades of mellotron). Then things boom-boom again, break-neck sizzle, machine gun guitar, bass and drum salvos, what a climate of swirling panacea! I have rarely witnessed such a powerful progressive rock epic. My goodness! Phew!

This is the essence of Deeexpus' talent, the ability to go from very heavy to very airy, and back, without being corny and mostly, by adhering to the structural purity of their craft. That is laudable to the hilt. Andy Ditchfield is another musical genius, I can assure you! A star is born!

5 Phews

'Me and My Downfall' kicks this one right into immediate overdrive, no quarter asked or given. Stubborn, swift and solid like some of the recent PTree material where sweeping keys and menacing guitar snarls, booming bass and the Rogers steamroller elevate the tune to glorious heights, with dejected RPWL's Yogi Lang-like vocals providing the brisk doom and gloom. The dead simple mid-section has the burnt smell of oily turbo charged riffs that can only induce a smile from the most jaded listener. This rocks and rocks well. What an opening salvo!

'Maybe September' is dripping in opaque synth and cello-driven melancholia, intensely autumnal and desolately beautiful. Upon repeated listens, this piece really exudes an incredible emotional intensity, a trembling Tony Wright vocal full of pain and delicate agony with Marillion's Mark Kelly providing that special classic touch. Take notice of the synth work here, a pure ivory blitzkrieg that is only overtaken by a thrilling axe solo from Ditchfield. Rogers batters this whole into a massive orgasmic oblivion. Phew!

Jude Kelly (Mark's little daughter?) introduces this monster highlight, with initial techno-like keys evolving into a crunch-guitar riff that explodes into this unreal main melody. Some kind of instrumental multi-tasking on the sensational 'Marty and the Magic Goose' from the supremely talented Andy Ditchfield who supplies all the swirling guitar, sinuous bass and whopping keys while Rogers keeps the rock steady. The atmosphere is chaotically controlled within a tight sonic context and its just plain superb.

The bulk of this stupendous album relies on the multi-part epic suite that gives us the title, a colossal adventure that scans the entire spectrum of modern prog, littered with achingly beautiful melodies, deadly choruses, scintillating solos and tremendous vocal work from Tony and Steve Wright, together with Ditchfield all give the arrangements a profound sense of accomplishment. Needless to say once again, Rogers pummels with unabashed gusto, confirming his obvious sense of propulsion.

The classic 'Memo' finishes this one off with utter gusto, a brilliant and memorable tune that sticks in your mind long after consumption. Rogers ripples intensely, the bass burping along, content while the melody just dredges intensely into the psyche. A perfect example of why Henry Rogers is such a kick-ass drummer, just check out and contemplate in awe his work , a shivering experience to say the least! Real drumming! Moving impeccably from hard-driving to even more majestic propulsion , maintaining that solid foundation of sound is a voice to be heard on your speakers. Play it loud?. Astonishingly, the once famed pop singer Nik Kershaw handles the vocal (the man always had a definite prog tendency) and this majestic and memorable track puts an end to an entirely satisfying sonic adventure. Fans of melodic and concussive prog such as Porcupine Tree, Haken, Galahad, RPWL, Sylvan, Silhouette, Mystery, Nine Stones Close etc'will lap this stuff up with utter glee.

A do-not-miss 2012 release.

5 stunning royal messages

One of my favourites is by far the shortest song on the album, "One Day", which is a gentle piano and acoustic guitar instrumental duet that demonstrates that beautiful music doesn't always need words, or great length. In contrast, the album closer and title track belts in at more than 17 minutes with wonderful complex rhythms and guitar lines at the beginning that cries out Mr So & So. In fact, my only complaint at the end of playing this album is that the lyrics in the booklet are just too hard to read! They may fit on two pages on font 5, but some of us are getting on a bit now?

Seriously, this is a great album from a band who at this time were more a project than a group. If you have yet to come across DeeExpus then you owe it to your ears to investigate this great British group at www.deeexpus.com

This certainly doesn't sound like only the second album, as it is a hugely polished effort moving from riffs to gentle piano and through a gamut of neo-progtastic moves. There are areas of extreme delicacy such as gentle piano, fretless bass and acoustic 12-string on "Marty and the Magic Moose" before Andy let's fly with a great guitar solo and the band brings it all together. If you enjoy bands like IQ and Galahad, then this is something you need to seek out. Mark has had to take a temporary break from the band so he has been replaced for live work by Mike Varty (Credo/Landmarq/ Shadowland) as they support Marillion on their UK tour. If you have yet to come across these guys then you need to go to www.deeexpus.com to find out more.

The epic 'The King of Number 33' starts with spectacular atmospheric sounds (part I), in the line of Oldfield or Jarre and follows in a hard-rocker explosion of synth, drums and guitar work. The duel of the synth and the guitar (part II) is fantastic. The vocals are very clean melodic and melancholic (part III). The track continues with de duel of synth and guitar (part IV), the highlight of the album, by Andy Ditchfield with all leading guitars + keyboards. Part V is a more accesible and poppy track with the brilliance of Wright vocals. This epic finishes with the return of heavy prog style, and some lyric reprises.

The album ends with 'Memo' This song could be the hit of the album. Accesible, contemporary, 'Memo' has, in addition, some instrumental good work. In the initial of this cut, we can see, again, Oldfield style.

(+) The variety of sounds and styles (-) No negative things in this work. But I think vocals could be improved. For me, are a little bit flat

The second track "Maybe September" is a touching song in memory of Edward Michael Wright, no doubt a relative of band members Tony and Steve Wright, it starts off at a slower pace with plenty of piano and some cello thrown in before it becomes more upbeat with fine keyboard and guitar solos. "Marty And The Magic Moose" is a memorable and upbeat instrumental written by Andy Ditchfield, who plays all the lead guitars and keyboards on the track. This leads to the 26 minute epic song on the album "The King Of Number 33" telling the story of character with psychiatric problems from Tony Wright's hometown in Weardale in the NE of England. The final track "Memo" features 80s pop star Nik Kershaw on vocals and catchiness of the song suits Kershaw's style down to the ground.

"Half Way Home" was a fine album but I think "The King" is superior with better, more consistent quality of song writing and musicianship. Mark Kelly's keyboard work improves the sound greatly. Andy Ditchfield's versatility gives the band two keyboard players and two lead guitarists which gives them a rich and varied sound. I recommend this album it's worth four and a half stars, no problem.

DeeExpus Project actually "out-porcupine-trees" Porcupine Tree with this album! While PT is one of the most impressive bands in the Prog Universe, DeeExpus takes Steven Wilson to task with a rich, sophisticated, and extremely listenable album.

"Greed" is the best song of the year. But "PTTee" (an ode to the greatness of Porcupine Tree, especially their album Deadwing, one of the best of all time) comes in a close second. Pointless Child is haunting and beautiful - with harmonies singing of a despairing relationship.

Following the release in 2008 of the critically acclaimed (and mighty fine) DeeExpus début album "Half way home", founder Andy Ditchfield decided that it would be a good idea to play some live gigs. The only problem was that he had recorded the album virtually single handed, with vocalist Tony Wright being the only other full band member as such. Thus he set about putting together a proper band line up, calling in bassist Ian Raine and second lead guitarist, Steve Wright (Tony's brother), both of whom had made gust contributions to the studio album. The line up was completed by drummer Kev Jager and keyboard player Marc Jolliffe.

The band's fist official gig took place in late 2008, but this set from February 2009, recorded in Katowice, Poland, represents the first opportunity for most of us to witness a performance the band.

With only one album release to their name, it is not surprising that all the tracks from "Half way home" are included here, albeit in a completely different sequence. There is little variation from the originals, the focus being on tight renditions which capture the essence of their studio counterparts. One excellent bonus though is the inclusion of one non album track, "Red" (not the King Crimson song). This turns out to be one of the highlights of the set, the audience reaction afterwards reflecting the power and majesty of the piece. In a lighter, bizarre moment during the gig, after the song, the band ask the audience to pose for a photo taken from the stage!

The main set closes with the 17 minute title track from "Half way home", a modern day prog classic indeed. The encore contains the two songs from the album not thus far performed.

It seems this performance was part of a prog festival in Katowice, so the audience was not there just to see DeeExpus. On that basis, and remembering that the audience would at best be only vaguely familiar with any of the music, it is to the credit of both band and audience that the performance is received with such enthusiasm.

If you have not yet had the opportunity to hear DeeExpus, I would recommend either the studio album or this live set as an excellent introduction. Whether you're a fan of Porcupine Tree, Marillion, or something more neo-symphonic such as IQ or Pendragon, the music here will undoubtedly impress.

The set runs to around 70 minutes in total, with the DVD extras consisting of a lengthy documentary plus an interview with Andy Ditchfield and Tony Wright. There's also the usual text biography, discography (brief!), photos etc.

With due thanks to Metal Mind Productions, whose attention to detail in recording and packaging the DVD is well up to their usual exemplary standards.