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What do you think of the band Mastermind?

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Poll Question: What do you think of the band Mastermind?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
4 [11.11%]
6 [16.67%]
1 [2.78%]
3 [8.33%]
2 [5.56%]
20 [55.56%]
0 [0.00%]
0 [0.00%]
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AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 03 2019 at 14:47
I've mentioned this band on here before and being that someone referred to them as obscure on another prog site recently I thought I would start a poll on them. I feel they were one of the best 90's prog bands but one of the more under rated ones these days. They played a bunch of shows then including some high profile festivals. I will even go so far as to say that at one point they were as important a band in the prog scene as echolyn or Discipline. Unfortunately they kind of faded away and I think they quietly broke up at some point(last album was 2010) and are sadly almost completely forgotten or unheard of by most these days. Some of you younger fans who came in later but like the idea of Dream Theater meets ELP(for lack of a better description)really need to check them out. I believe they are listed on here as heavy prog but they do have one album that is pretty much pure prog metal(angels of the apocalypse). 




Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 04 2019 at 15:06
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Enchant X Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2019 at 17:27
I like them but they changed fairly dramatically and added two females and lost the prog in the process they went down the same LOST road the band ICE AGE did ... around the same time 

Edited by Enchant X - March 03 2019 at 17:29
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2019 at 18:15
^Two females? Not at the same time though. They had Lisa Bouchelle who apparently went on to bigger things and really made a name for herself and I guess they had at least one female singer after her. When I saw them in a bar near where I used to live they had a woman singer who I think was pretty good(this was after Lisa left). I remember running into a guy I knew from the prog scene there(festivals and shows etc)and talking to another guy who found out about them(and ultimately the show)just by googling "bands who sound like ELP." LOL Bill and Rich were actually cool and very approachable. I even bought some cds and a t shirt from Bill. I remember him telling me that Mastermind opened up for Rush(don't remember which tour though but sometime in the 90's I think). Also, Mastermind were one of the bands to play at the very first Nearfest. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Manuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2019 at 19:30
Since I'm not into prog-metal, I don't know much about them. I'll probably check them out, since I like heavy prog, and are listed as such.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2019 at 19:37
Originally posted by Manuel Manuel wrote:

Since I'm not into prog-metal, I don't know much about them. I'll probably check them out, since I like heavy prog, and are listed as such.

Over all about as much of a prog metal band as Porcupine Tree so don't take that description too seriously. However, the one album "Angels of the Apocalypse" is squarely in the prog metal vein(so probably don't start with that one) but the others a bit less so. Lot's of stuff you youtube to sample. 


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 04 2019 at 08:57
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2019 at 19:40
Originally posted by Manuel Manuel wrote:

Since I'm not into prog-metal, I don't know much about them. I'll probably check them out, since I like heavy prog, and are listed as such.

Actually I was wrong. They are listed on this site as eclectic prog. I personally think heavy prog is more accurate but I was not(and am not)an administrator on here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't agree with some of the subgenres of bands on here. Wink


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 03 2019 at 19:40
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Enchant X Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2019 at 20:22
Excelsior is excellent and a good place to start its all instrumental with no vocals and shows the bands capabilities had they stuck to this course. The next album after that was good too with Lisa Bouchelle, they do an excellent version of The Endless Enigma on Angels Of The Apocalypse, after that they changed into something very different that was no longer prog influenced, well I didn't think it was. I never came across a copy of the first four projects they did just the two CD's I have to base an opinion, both excellent.        

Edited by Enchant X - March 04 2019 at 05:21
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jamesbaldwin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 02:32
Who's that guys?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote b_olariu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 05:12
Yes, I know them for years, own 5 out of 7 from them, they were pretty great , specially in the '90s, Until Eternity I think is their best work, from 1996.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Manuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 05:43
Than you. I’ll check them out.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote progaardvark Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 07:52
I have three albums by them. My favorite was their Excelsior album from 1998. I should seek out the others I haven't heard.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote digdug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 07:55
I have one album.  It's OK.  Not really fond of the mix between heavy music and the female singer. Would be better with no lyrics at all.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 09:03
GREAT band. I loved everything they did up through Angels of the Apocalypse. For whatever reason, the band never quite hit those creative heights again. I own everything by them, except for Live in Tokyo, because the recording isn't good, IMO. I would so love a proper live document of the Berends-Berends-Antolino trio.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 09:06
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by Manuel Manuel wrote:

Since I'm not into prog-metal, I don't know much about them. I'll probably check them out, since I like heavy prog, and are listed as such.

Actually I was wrong. They are listed on this site as eclectic prog. I personally think heavy prog is more accurate but I was not(and am not)an administrator on here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't agree with some of the subgenres of bands on here. Wink
 

Heavy Prog is accurate enough. Angels of the Apocalypse is crunchy enough to be prog-metal, and that's fine, too. It's a killer album (naysayers begone!). 

Lisa Bouchelle was/is a country singer. How they got her to sing across an entire album is beyond me, but I was disappointed she didn't stick around for another. She sounded amazing. Then the band was rounded out by keyboard wiz Jens Johansson, who I'd followed for years before, and what you had was a unique group that, for my money, outdid Dream Theater at their own game with better vocals and better songs.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 20:23
Originally posted by Enchant X Enchant X wrote:

I like them but they changed fairly dramatically and added two females and lost the prog in the process they went down the same LOST road the band ICE AGE did ... around the same time 

Yeah, I heard they ditched the prog a bit way later on but not sure when exactly since I kind of lost track of them after "angels." Ice Age actually performed at the very first Nearfest also but because it wasn't really a metal(or even prog metal)crowd they received a polite yet lukewarm response. I think Ice Age broke up eventually but not sure. I guess you could say Pure Reason Revolution also ditched the prog and became an alternative electronic band or something. Not sure. It happens though. Maybe sometimes they want to keep playing music but see prog as a dead end. I don't really know for sure. I think in Mastermind's case they jsut became more pure hard rock maybe. I'm not sure what Ice Age wound up sounding like.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 04 2019 at 20:24
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2019 at 20:38
Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by Manuel Manuel wrote:

Since I'm not into prog-metal, I don't know much about them. I'll probably check them out, since I like heavy prog, and are listed as such.

Actually I was wrong. They are listed on this site as eclectic prog. I personally think heavy prog is more accurate but I was not(and am not)an administrator on here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't agree with some of the subgenres of bands on here. Wink
 

Heavy Prog is accurate enough. Angels of the Apocalypse is crunchy enough to be prog-metal, and that's fine, too. It's a killer album (naysayers begone!). 

Lisa Bouchelle was/is a country singer. How they got her to sing across an entire album is beyond me, but I was disappointed she didn't stick around for another. She sounded amazing. Then the band was rounded out by keyboard wiz Jens Johansson, who I'd followed for years before, and what you had was a unique group that, for my money, outdid Dream Theater at their own game with better vocals and better songs.

Lisa Bouchelle pretty much hit the big time(well, compared to most anyway and especially for someone who once played in a prog band). She's not just country though she is pretty diverse(read the wikipedia page where they mention her other styles). Also, she hosts a show on tv called "rock star kitchen" and has done a lot of other stuff including a pretty solid career in the music business over all. I wonder if she has stayed in contact with the Berends brothers. Who knows. How did they get her to sing on that album? Well, she sang on one of the Magna Carta compilations so at one point was obviously involved with prog to some degree. It was ultimately probably just one chapter in her musical evolution. I won't go so far as to say she saw it as starting on the bottom plus she probably did other stuff before that but maybe it wasn't the best fit for her in the long run? Who can say. That is a good album though and I think they did a good job on the ELP cover tune. I was just playing that a couple of months ago or so in my car actually. I agree about them outdoing Dream Theater. Some of the Mastermind material would blow falling into infinity(which isn't that good to begin with)out of the water not to mention most of DT's later stuff. The biggest tragedy of Mastermind is that they haven't sustained their popularity over the years(of course a band breaking up doesn't help)and have been swept under the prog carpet by time and been buried by tons of other bands some of which have come and gone themselves. 

I wonder how old most of these people are who said they never heard of them though. Were they in diapers in the 90's(grade school maybe). I get it though. The prog scene was still rather tenuous at that point and it was still mostly older fans rediscovering prog who happened to discover some newer stuff along the way. I could have asked about After Crying, Solaris, Isildur's Bane and Par Lindh Project and received very similar responses(ie most not knowing who they are)despite all being really great bands. I guess the whole point of prog is discovering new stuff(new to you and not necessarily brand new)and so we all know that if something isn't super well known it only means just that and does not mean the music is not worth hearing. 

Here's Lisa's wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Bouchelle


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 05 2019 at 06:59
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CristauxFeur Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2019 at 10:28
You should add ''I HATE modern prog"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2019 at 11:54
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Lisa Bouchelle pretty much hit the big time(well, compared to most anyway and especially for someone who once played in a prog band). She's not just country though she is pretty diverse(read the wikipedia page where they mention her other styles). Also, she hosts a show on tv called "rock star kitchen" and has done a lot of other stuff including a pretty solid career in the music business over all. I wonder if she has stayed in contact with the Berends brothers. Who knows. How did they get her to sing on that album? Well, she sang on one of the Magna Carta compilations so at one point was obviously involved with prog to some degree. It was ultimately probably just one chapter in her musical evolution. I won't go so far as to say she saw it as starting on the bottom plus she probably did other stuff before that but maybe it wasn't the best fit for her in the long run? Who can say. That is a good album though and I think they did a good job on the ELP cover tune. I was just playing that a couple of months ago or so in my car actually. I agree about them outdoing Dream Theater. Some of the Mastermind material would blow falling into infinity(which isn't that good to begin with)out of the water not to mention most of DT's later stuff. The biggest tragedy of Mastermind is that they haven't sustained their popularity over the years(of course a band breaking up doesn't help)and have been swept under the prog carpet by time and been buried by tons of other bands some of which have come and gone themselves. 

I wonder how old most of these people are who said they never heard of them though. Were they in diapers in the 90's(grade school maybe). I get it though. The prog scene was still rather tenuous at that point and it was still mostly older fans rediscovering prog who happened to discover some newer stuff along the way. I could have asked about After Crying, Solaris, Isildur's Bane and Par Lindh Project and received very similar responses(ie most not knowing who they are)despite all being really great bands. I guess the whole point of prog is discovering new stuff(new to you and not necessarily brand new)and so we all know that if something isn't super well known it only means just that and does not mean the music is not worth hearing. 

Here's Lisa's wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Bouchelle
 

That really glosses over Angels of the Apocalypse (not even referred to by name). Wow. 

I'll have to check out Rock Star Kitchen. I enjoy Live from Daryl's House, so more of that is always good.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Logan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2019 at 12:10
I only know about mastermind because of my long involvement with Prog Archives, where I have discovered and heard about a huge many bands and artists (probably heard a track or two). In the 90s I was in my twenties, but wasn't really into Prog then (I had been when younger). I was more into classical, jazz, folk, world music, and types of electronic music than rock, progressive or otherwise, back then. It wasn't until the 2000s that I deeply explored the Progressive Rock umbrella. I now recall having heard music off Tragic Symphony.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2019 at 13:51
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