Spiral Key (UK): Crossover Prog

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SPIRAL KEY was formed in mid-2012 by David McCabe and Ken Wynne, two experienced performers and writers of rock music eager to express a common love of progressive music, and to write, record and perform progressive music influenced equally by the giants and the new blood of the progressive rock and metal scene, turning years of simmering ideas and songs into the coherent whole that is SPIRAL KEY - a fully independent progressive rock/progressive metal band with symphonic overtones.

The band is based in Swindon UK, and in October of 2012 Spiral Key entered Bentham Studios in Wiltshire to record their first full-length album, 'Perfect Machine'. Seven tracks blending complex time signatures and musical form with clean vocals and modern production, it was released earlier this year. 
Ken Wynne / bass, vocals, keyboards, programming.
David McCabe / vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming.
The following is extracted from the band's facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/SpiralKey
PERFECT MACHINE consists of seven thematically involved pieces of music that move in weird and wonderful ways, allowing both musicians to express themselves in their playing, writing, and arranging alike; it is an offering that has something to say and somewhere to be. No dance-pop, four chord, singer-songwriter 'can you hear my pain' ballads, or endless passages of tired by-the-book noodling; this is far more twisted, fractured, soaring, dark, and brooding, using crushing, angular cadences and riffs, polyrhythms, and dynamics of tempo and volume. This is music for grown-ups! With a penchant and love for both music of greater complexity (anything from Borodin to Dream Theater) and eloquent songwriting (Rush, Steven Wilson, Riverside), Ken and David have combined their abilities to create words and music intended to stimulate both emotionally and intellectually. Heart-felt, brain-fed and gut-delivered; modern, electric, eclectic, layered, sensitive, subtle, searching, beautiful, and loud - PERFECT MACHINE has a destination, and is eager to get on towards it.

While the studio is the purest expression of the music, in-person performance is an integral part of the SPIRAL KEY experience. With expertise in electronics and electronica, in elements both tangible and virtual, Ken and David have built a system capable of delivering a powerful show on the road as a duo, reproducing in a live setting the full power of the album without losing the live dynamic, combining aural and visual delights that complement the instrumental pyrotechnics and vocal harmonies to complete the artist-audience connection.

A second album is already being conceived; and an EP of new songs is currently being put together and planned to be released either later this year or early next; but that's a whole other story...
Other links:
http://www.spiralkey.co.uk/
http://myspace.com/spiralkey (no music)
https://soundcloud.com/#spiralkey (track 2 - 'Colder than Heaven')
http://www.bandmix.co.uk/spiralkey/ (tracks 2 and 3 - 'Love Is')
http://www.reverbnation.com/spiralkey (tracks 1 - 'At Sixes and Sevens' and 2)

Perfect Machine:
http://www.spiralkey.co.uk/perfectmachine.html (with full lyrics of all songs)
Tracks:
1. At Sixes and Sevens (6:10)
2. Colder than Heaven (6:41)
3. Love Is (7:10)
4. I, Parts 1 and 2 (10:51)
5. Eyes Open Wide (4:30)
6. People are People (5:08)
7. Words are Never Enough (5:48)

Total Time 46:18

Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Dug Wolfsohn at Bentham Studio, Wiltshire.

The opening track on YouTube:

The closing track 'Words are Never Enough' can be heard on the archived podcast uploaded from last week's 'Friday Night Progressive' radio show hosted by Ronald Marquiss (FNP111). It can be streamed or downloaded from: http://aircheck.us/show/695, along with a good few other recent shows. Spiral Key are the second act played - other excellent music can be heard from Karda Estra - Russ Sargeant - Svarc Trio - Daniele Liverani - Astronomusic - BARAKA - Gregory Boyce Halls - Pierce Project with Tommy Stephenson & The Minstrel’s Ghost.

'Perfect Machine' can be bought in digital format from Amazon for £4.83
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Machine/dp/B00DMPF3X4/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376517838&sr=301-1
Also on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/perfect-machine/id650765955, 
and Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Spiral_Key_Perfect_Machine?id=Bzhbo43jhw5an5i6ctxohucyls4

The album can also be streamed in full on Spotify (for those with acess to it ): http://open.spotify.com/album/0NXjAmrVrMq6V9yRfxS2Ox. 

The physical CD is also still available for purchase direct from the band members at the time of writing this. Just drop a message to the band on facebook asking for info on where to purchase, and you will receive instructions on how to buy it using PayPal.

As an aside, the band are friends of the band 'Flicker', from Aylesbury not far down the road in England, who we recently added to Crosover Prog. Flicker were featured on the AiiRadio.net 'Late, Late Night, Early Morning Show' hosted by Nick Katona last night, with an interview and full airing of their excellent January 2013 album 'How Much Are You Willing To Forget?' The show is archived, and available for just over a week at: http://www.livestream.com/aiiradionet/video?clipId=pla_b00e79f4-4bc8-47f1-9033-43e15e3f8dac

Spiral Key sound fairly similar to Flicker, and also other excellent long-established UK bands such as Grace and Haze. Spiral Key too are planning to have a feature show on AiiRadio.net in the not-too-distant future, with a full play of the album, so let's hope we can maybe get them added to the site in time for that...  

And that's it...! 

Edited by yam yam - August 15 2013 at 10:48

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yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Offline Points: 5820	Topic: Spiral Key (UK): Crossover Prog Posted: August 15 2013 at 10:38
	SPIRAL KEY was formed in mid-2012 by David McCabe and Ken Wynne, two experienced performers and writers of rock music eager to express a common love of progressive music, and to write, record and perform progressive music influenced equally by the giants and the new blood of the progressive rock and metal scene, turning years of simmering ideas and songs into the coherent whole that is SPIRAL KEY - a fully independent progressive rock/progressive metal band with symphonic overtones. The band is based in Swindon UK, and in October of 2012 Spiral Key entered Bentham Studios in Wiltshire to record their first full-length album, 'Perfect Machine'. Seven tracks blending complex time signatures and musical form with clean vocals and modern production, it was released earlier this year. Ken Wynne / bass, vocals, keyboards, programming. David McCabe / vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming. The following is extracted from the band's facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/SpiralKey PERFECT MACHINE consists of seven thematically involved pieces of music that move in weird and wonderful ways, allowing both musicians to express themselves in their playing, writing, and arranging alike; it is an offering that has something to say and somewhere to be. No dance-pop, four chord, singer-songwriter 'can you hear my pain' ballads, or endless passages of tired by-the-book noodling; this is far more twisted, fractured, soaring, dark, and brooding, using crushing, angular cadences and riffs, polyrhythms, and dynamics of tempo and volume. This is music for grown-ups! With a penchant and love for both music of greater complexity (anything from Borodin to Dream Theater) and eloquent songwriting (Rush, Steven Wilson, Riverside), Ken and David have combined their abilities to create words and music intended to stimulate both emotionally and intellectually. Heart-felt, brain-fed and gut-delivered; modern, electric, eclectic, layered, sensitive, subtle, searching, beautiful, and loud - PERFECT MACHINE has a destination, and is eager to get on towards it. While the studio is the purest expression of the music, in-person performance is an integral part of the SPIRAL KEY experience. With expertise in electronics and electronica, in elements both tangible and virtual, Ken and David have built a system capable of delivering a powerful show on the road as a duo, reproducing in a live setting the full power of the album without losing the live dynamic, combining aural and visual delights that complement the instrumental pyrotechnics and vocal harmonies to complete the artist-audience connection. A second album is already being conceived; and an EP of new songs is currently being put together and planned to be released either later this year or early next; but that's a whole other story... Other links: http://www.spiralkey.co.uk/ http://myspace.com/spiralkey (no music) https://soundcloud.com/#spiralkey (track 2 - 'Colder than Heaven') http://www.bandmix.co.uk/spiralkey/ (tracks 2 and 3 - 'Love Is') http://www.reverbnation.com/spiralkey (tracks 1 - 'At Sixes and Sevens' and 2) Perfect Machine: http://www.spiralkey.co.uk/perfectmachine.html (with full lyrics of all songs) Tracks: 1. At Sixes and Sevens (6:10) 2. Colder than Heaven (6:41) 3. Love Is (7:10) 4. I, Parts 1 and 2 (10:51) 5. Eyes Open Wide (4:30) 6. People are People (5:08) 7. Words are Never Enough (5:48) Total Time 46:18 Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Dug Wolfsohn at Bentham Studio, Wiltshire. The opening track on YouTube: The closing track 'Words are Never Enough' can be heard on the archived podcast uploaded from last week's 'Friday Night Progressive' radio show hosted by Ronald Marquiss (FNP111). It can be streamed or downloaded from: http://aircheck.us/show/695, along with a good few other recent shows. Spiral Key are the second act played - other excellent music can be heard from Karda Estra - Russ Sargeant - Svarc Trio - Daniele Liverani - Astronomusic - BARAKA - Gregory Boyce Halls - Pierce Project with Tommy Stephenson & The Minstrel’s Ghost. 'Perfect Machine' can be bought in digital format from Amazon for £4.83 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Machine/dp/B00DMPF3X4/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376517838&sr=301-1 Also on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/perfect-machine/id650765955, and Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Spiral_Key_Perfect_Machine?id=Bzhbo43jhw5an5i6ctxohucyls4 The album can also be streamed in full on Spotify (for those with acess to it ): http://open.spotify.com/album/0NXjAmrVrMq6V9yRfxS2Ox. The physical CD is also still available for purchase direct from the band members at the time of writing this. Just drop a message to the band on facebook asking for info on where to purchase, and you will receive instructions on how to buy it using PayPal. As an aside, the band are friends of the band 'Flicker', from Aylesbury not far down the road in England, who we recently added to Crosover Prog. Flicker were featured on the AiiRadio.net 'Late, Late Night, Early Morning Show' hosted by Nick Katona last night, with an interview and full airing of their excellent January 2013 album 'How Much Are You Willing To Forget?' The show is archived, and available for just over a week at: http://www.livestream.com/aiiradionet/video?clipId=pla_b00e79f4-4bc8-47f1-9033-43e15e3f8dac Spiral Key sound fairly similar to Flicker, and also other excellent long-established UK bands such as Grace and Haze. Spiral Key too are planning to have a feature show on AiiRadio.net in the not-too-distant future, with a full play of the album, so let's hope we can maybe get them added to the site in time for that... And that's it...! Edited by yam yam - August 15 2013 at 10:48

seventhsojourn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: December 11 2009 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 4006	Posted: August 15 2013 at 17:12
	Many thanks! I see where you're coming from with the comparison to Flicker, but Spiral Key's overall sound is perhaps a bit heavier with some tinges of metal. I reckon Crossover should be okay though.

yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Offline Points: 5820	Posted: August 19 2013 at 04:34
	The Spiral Key feature on AiiRadio.net (http://aiiradio.net/) is confirmed for Friday the 30th August, on the DJ ANGEL (Angela Buchanan aka WickedAng) show. Here's the low down from Angel's page: "Headlining on AiiRadio.net on my show this coming Friday Night is this Excellent Progressive band - SPIRAL KEY and their album "Perfect Machine" (7pm EST US, 12am UK, 1am CET, 4pm PST US) Tune In & Join Us! - Angel " There will be a chatroom running concurrently (http://chat.aiiradio.net/), Angel will be playing the album tracks and talking with the band in between tracks.

Spiral Ken Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: August 23 2013 Location: Swindon Status: Offline Points: 3	Posted: August 23 2013 at 14:25
	Hi folks, Ken, bassist with SPIRAL KEY here, just dropping a line to say HELLO.... As well as the Spiral Key feature on AiiRadio.net (http://aiiradio.net/) as confirmed for Friday the 30th August, on the DJ ANGEL (Angela Buchanan aka WickedAng) show, we do have a gig lined up supporting the excellent MARILLION TRIBUTE 'STILLMARILLION' at THE VIC' in Swindon Old Town Nov' 9th. We play a quick 30minute set so if you do want to catch us, better get there early. Also, the STILLMARILLO' boys will be worth a jaunt anyway. Details on our FaceBook page (https://www.facebook.com/spiralkey) Cheers, Ken Edited by Spiral Ken - August 23 2013 at 14:26
	Don't be fooled, this isn't maturity A Greek 3 thousand years ago already told your tale The trail you're blazing, it's already ash 4 chords now tired and old With 5, 6 and 7 on your bill of sale

yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Offline Points: 5820	Posted: August 29 2013 at 11:35
	Well, it's now two weeks since this suggestion was posted, and the band are featured on the WickedAng show on AiiRadio.net at midnight tomorrow. I added the band to progfreak myself at the time the suggestion was posted, but as yet I still don't see any entry for them in the PA section of the site, so I'm guessing this has fallen down a crack somewhere. Maybe a gentle reminder wouldn't hurt...?

seventhsojourn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: December 11 2009 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 4006	Posted: August 29 2013 at 16:43
	^

yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Offline Points: 5820	Posted: September 01 2013 at 16:44
	Thanks Chris (and Scott in the Crossover team). Evaluation now underway, and it can be followed here: http://progfreak.com/Spiral-Key-157224.html?path=pa/recent.

yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Offline Points: 5820	Posted: September 09 2013 at 14:33
	'Perfect Machine' can now be streamed (and bought in virtually any digital format) at bandcamp.com: http://spiralkey.bandcamp.com/

Spiral Ken Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: August 23 2013 Location: Swindon Status: Offline Points: 3	Posted: October 12 2013 at 17:35
	We will be gigging at THE VIC' in Swindon Old Town, Wiltshire playing support to visiting Marillion Tribute Band STILLMARILLION. So if you fancy some early Marillion music, Swindon will be the place, and hopefully you'll like a bit of Spiral Key while you're there. Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/spiralkey and www.spiralkey.co.uk :)
	Don't be fooled, this isn't maturity A Greek 3 thousand years ago already told your tale The trail you're blazing, it's already ash 4 chords now tired and old With 5, 6 and 7 on your bill of sale

yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Offline Points: 5820	Posted: February 23 2014 at 15:38
	Added! Thanks Kev!