Oh, if only this had come out last week.
I am referring, of course, to Opeth’s career-spanning monolithic boxed set that goes by the title In Live Concert At the Royal Albert Hall. Subtitled Evolution XX – An Opeth Anthology, the 3 CDs and 2 DVDs collected inside the Deep Purple-esque packaging (the entire package is a tender and loving homage to Deep Purple’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra) commemorate 20 years of Opeth music performed live at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.
Now, I want you to take that image in a bit. While the RAH has been used for rock concerts in the past, imagine those hallowed halls of British music…the red velvet, the gold leaf on woodwork…and a Swedish melodic death metal band blast beating their way through a nearly 3-hour set of material, including an opening set of their epochal Blackwater Park in its entirety…5 thousand plus people sitting and standing in rapt attention as Mikael Akerfeldt and company work their way through a 16-track set list that possibly ranks among their most inclusive ever.
The DVDs are where we’ll start.
In this day and age, I know it’s easy to complain that there are no BluRay versions of this coming out. I understand the frustration…BluRay is the current state of the art. That said, the DVDs still look very good. There are occasional bits of over-saturation or darker images, but they don’t overly detract from the performance. The show is split across 2 separate DVDs, so bit rates seem reasonably high (they are dual layer DVDs as well, so the band and label are using as much space as possible). My quibble, as always, will be over the use of excessive fast intercuts. I know why this technique is used, I know it’s supposed to help build tension and excitement and the illusion of being there, but all I know is that when I go to a concert I am not flicking my focus from one thing to another every second and a half. Sometimes longer shots do just as good a job evoking tension and building suspense. There are moments where shots are allowed to develop, and they’re some of my favourite ones on this DVD.
Sound quality on the DVDs also seems very good…I’m only listening in stereo on any of my setups, but the sound is crisp and clear, with plenty of definition on both top and bottom ends, with a full midrange as well. It’s an enjoyable and easy listen…it may sound weird to describe it as relaxing, but I don’t have to work to listen to the performance, and in an era where everything is louder than everything else (there’s another Deep Purple reference for this review), it’s a refreshing thing.
On to the performance itself.
Mikael Akerfeldt is, for my money, one of the top extreme metal vocalists out there today. Hell, for my money, he is one of the most evocative and impressive vocalists in metal today, period. His clean vocals are gorgeous, smoky and fit smoothly between a high baritone and tenor range that is just breathtaking. His death growls are oddly melodic as well…not only is he clear and easy to understand, but he can actually add tone to the growls, allowing him to handle melodic lines in his guttural growl. To my ears, 20 years of doing this have done very little to weaken this voice…it may lack a touch of the strength he showed off back when Blackwater Park was new (and even there I'm not really convinced), but that was nearly 10 years ago. Show me any singer who sounds exactly like they did ten years previous…especially one doing what he does. His guitar playing is as potent as ever as well…heavy handed, crushing riffs, incisive, cutting leads, and tranquil acoustic playing abound throughout.
His foil on guitar is new boy Fredrik Akesson, who replaced founder member Peter Lindgren much to the chagrin of long time fans. Akesson does a great job on both older an dnewer material, and yet I get the odd sensation as I watch him play that I’m seeing a reincarnated Rob Tyner (of MC5 fame) wailing away. No, the resemblance isn’t that strong, but it’s what struck me, and I can’t get it out of my head now. Per Wiberg handles keyboards, having joined the band officially in 2005 (though he does appear on the band’s Lamentations DVD from 2003 as well as a guest musician). His organ and tron parts add so much depth to the band’s sound, transforming them from just another prog/death band to one of the most symphonic. Bassist Martin Mendez partners with newest drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot, creating the fluid and shifting heart that powers the band through their lengthy and complex metal compositions. Again, I know people bemoaned the loss of drummer Martin Lopez, but Axenrot has shown himself to be the powerhouse that the band needed…while Lopez is missed, Axenrot has more than adequately replaced him.
There are a plethora of highlights throughout the concert…the first DVD, which contains the entire Blackwater Park album, is almost one whole highlight reel. ‘Harvest,’ ‘The Drapery Falls,’ ‘Dirge for November,’ ‘Bleak’…every song is played with intensity and power. If you read my top 10 favourite extreme prog metal albums list last week, you saw me mention this album among my faves, and this concert’s performance only cemented that for me. And I only wish I didn’t live in a ground floor apartment with people around me, because I want to crank the volume up until my walls shake….especially at the end of the title track, where I simply cannot restrain myself enough from screaming along to the closing words. Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark indeed. And if this performance is anything to go by, it’ll be a long time before the sun sets forever over Blackwater Park.
The second disc in this set takes us through a chronological journey through the rest of the band’s CV. Starting with ‘Forest of October’ off Opeth’s Orchid release from 1995, each succeeding track advances one release…
Orchid: Forest of October
Morningrise: Advent
My Arms, Your Hearse: April Ethereal
Still Life: The Moor
Deliverance: Wreath
Damnation: Hope Leaves
Ghost Reveries: Harlequin Forest
Watershed: The Lotus Eater
Can I quibble with track choices? Of course I could. I’d have loved ‘The Night and the Silent Water’ off Morningrise. I wish there was ‘Demon of the Fall’ off My Arms, Your Hearse (and really, 'Demon of the Fall' is a concert closer). ‘The Baying of the Hounds’ might have been cool from Ghost Reveries…but they are quibbles. I cannot and will not say that I don’t like these songs, because let’s face it, I love them. There’s not a bad song in the batch…and watching Mikael Akerfeldt singing solo the opening vocal lines to ‘The Lotus Eater’ is something amazing in and of itself. Thankfully there’s also little editing done here…you get all of his between song banter, including his playful insults to his band mates, the hilarious banter back and forth between him and the audience (especially check out the Michael Jackson bit preceding ‘Wreath’!), and his increased comfort with handling the audience. Akerfeldt’s a hilarious guy, and I’d almost pay to see him just stand on stage and talk.
2 extras fill out the DVDs. On the first disc we get a 40 minute interview with the band, while DVD 2 is concluded by a 45 minute documentary of the band on tour leading up to, and including this performance at the RAH. Both are enjoyable for a viewing or so, but neither are essential. Honestly, you’re buying this for the biggest, fullest, most impressive concert Opeth has committed to DVD and CD to date, and anything will be a bit of a letdown after that.
The 3 CD audio set contains just the concert performance. Again, the first CD covers the Blackwater Park album in its entirety, while CD 2 and 3 split the remaining 8 tracks across them. Sound quality remains very good throughout…but these discs proved that I do need to replace speakers in my car, as I was hearing some crackles that seemed overly concerning until I got home and popped the discs in my CD player. I love the disc design as well…I am betting they are printed to exactly (as possible) replicate the LP labels from the old Deep Purple album Concerto for Group and Orchestra as well…maybe someone out there who has both this release and the Deep Purple album can verify this for me. Frustratingly however, the audio is only available as part of the 5 disc boxed set (very similar to how Roadrunner released Dream Theater’s Chaos in Motion DVD set…there was a special edition of 2 DVDs and 3 CDs that was likely packaged just like this)…so if you just want the music, you still have to buy the DVDs. I can see this being very frustrating, but at least the set is reasonably priced for a 5 disc boxed set, so hopefully it’s not too much of a consternation for people.
(Having said that, I’ll add that the Dream Theater special edition of Chaos in Motion…the 2 DVD, 3 CD version that is…was limited to only 5,000 copies. Thankfully, it seems the special edition for Opeth is an unlimited release, with a special vinyl/DVD set as the true limited edition)
Is this the Opeth album to buy if you’re not at all familiar with the band? I’m not sure…I think I’d lean toward the safe Damnation (which won’t at all prepare you for what the band really does) or the not as safe but pretty damned diverse Watershed (represented on In Live Concert by the magnificent ‘The Lotus Eater’). With that said…live a little. Take the risk. Free your mind, and pick up In Live Concert. I promise it won’t bite…much.
DVD Observation One
1. "The Leper Affinity"
2. "Bleak"
3. "Harvest"
4. "The Drapery Falls"
5. "Dirge for November"
6. "The Funeral Portrait"
7. "Patterns in the Ivy"
8. "Blackwater Park"
9. Interview
DVD Observation Two
1. "Forest of October" (Orchid)
2. "Advent" (Morningrise)
3. "April Ethereal" (My Arms, Your Hearse)
4. "The Moor" (Still Life)
5. "Wreath" (Deliverance)
6. "Hope Leaves" (Damnation)
7. "Harlequin Forest" (Ghost Reveries)
8. "The Lotus Eater" (Watershed)
9. Documentary: On Tour With Opeth
CD Tracklist Disc 1
1. "The Leper Affinity" - 10:07
2. "Bleak" - 8:53
3. "Harvest" - 6:10
4. "The Drapery Falls" - 10:07
5. "Dirge for November" - 8:28
6. "The Funeral Portrait" - 8:21
7. "Patterns in the Ivy" - 2:24
8. "Blackwater Park" - 12:32
CD Tracklist Disc 2
1. "Forest of October" - 17:12
2. "Advent" - 15:03
3. "April Ethereal" - 10:22
4. "The Moor" - 12:12
CD Tracklist Disc 3
1. "Wreath" - 12:24
2. "Hope Leaves" - 6:48
3. "Harlequin Forest" - 13:11
4. "The Lotus Eater" - 11:09
Band members
Mikael Åkerfeldt − guitar, vocals, mixing, direction
Fredrik Åkesson — guitars, backing vocals
Martín Mendez − bass guitar
Per Wiberg − keyboards, backing vocals
Martin "Axe" Axenrot – drums
Find out more:
http://opeth.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/Opeth?ref=search
I thought it might be interesting to offer up a small list of my favourite extreme/progressive metal albums.
Please note that just because something’s a favourite, it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a band’s best album, or even indicative of what the band does as a general rule. These are just albums that have connected with me on some level a bit more deeply than superficially, and that I find myself returning to time and time again. There’s even a good chance that some of these don’t necessarily qualify as extreme metal to some people (and in one case, there’s a very good chance people would argue that the album isn’t even metal…at least, not all of it). But this is my blog, and on my blog my rules basically, you know, rule.
There are in no particular order.
I’ll have a little write up on each as well so you’ll get to know my thoughts a bit.
Here we go.
Moonsorrow – Viides Luku – Hävitetty. 56 minutes. 2 songs. Sounds like a Yes album, doesn’t it? Only Yes never featured blast beats, tremelo picking, and harsh vocals in Suomi/Finnish dealing with elements of traditional mythology and legend (maybe we just need to give them time, hmm?). A little lighter on the folk elements that typified their earlier albums, this is still an amazingly dense, complex, and progressive slab of metal that should impress even the most jaded of prog listeners. Usually when I play Viides Luku – Hävitetty, it’s in a playlist that either immediately precedes or follows another album I’ll be including on this list. In fact, maybe this is a good time to echo my playlist choices and tell you about…
Green Carnation – Light of Day, Day of Darkness. One, single, 60 minute song. Light of Day, Day of Darkness is one of the crowning moments in metal music as a whole, and the band never did anything like this again. There’s a little bit of everything here, from ambient sections, pastoral, ballad like movements, and full on metal riffing. Choral vocals, clean vocals, spoken word, a bit of death metal growl, there are very few albums that have offered the diversity of sound and mood that this one did. Sadly, it’s out of print. This means that if you find a copy, it’ll either be used or more expensive than perhaps is warranted (I’m looking at Amazon and there’s 3 new copies for sale, with 2 of them priced over $60.00 US). It is worth seeking out, even if you’re not necessarily a fan of metal, because there’s way too much good stuff on here to simply ignore. Not only a favourite, I think it truly is one of the hallmarks of progressive metal.
Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. Yes, Emperor would release more progressive albums. Future releases would be far more symphonic, far more grandiose. And those albums would in many ways be more like Ihsahn solo releases than Emperor albums (not that any of that is a bad thing, of course). But for me, this is where it all begins for them. With expansive tracks like the 8-minute ‘With Strength I Burn’ next to massively heavy tracks like ‘The Loss and Curse of Reverence,’ this album was proof positive that black metal had every right to stand shoulder to shoulder with any other style of metal…that it wasn’t just about the stuff that got publicised in newspapers. This was intelligent metal that never lost sight of the purpose of the best metal…to rock the **** out as hard as possible.
Agalloch – Ashes Against the Grain. Sadly, you’ll see very few American bands in this list. I don’t know why it seems to me that American metal bands with a prog leaning seem to look toward Dream Theater for stylistic influence and so many European bands look to the more extreme side of things. Obviously this isn’t always the case, but it rings true more often than not from my experience. Agalloch hails from Washington state, and theirs is a pretty interesting sound. Equal parts pastoral and brutal, both musically and vocally, there’s times I see them as the metal equivalent of a post-rock band. It’s hard, again, to pick a single album from them, but I think I’ve listened to this one more than any other Agalloch release save for The Mantle (and maybe The White EP, but that’s another story). I discovered this band via Youtube, and their video for the song ‘Not Unlike the Waves.’ Check that song out…it may not be 100% typical of them, but it gives you a good taste of what the band has to offer. I love the 3-part, 19-minute epic that closes out the album too (and there’s another 19 minute epic on the limit edition version of the release). Like the Green Carnation album above, this one’s on The End Records, but still in print.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Of Natural History. Here’s another band on The End Records. It may be a theme. This album was not released by that label, however, so I feel less odd listing it. This was the California band’s second full length studio album, and it did an amazing job of distilling their sound, crafting an album with diversity in sounds and tightly written songs. It’s hard to pick favourite tracks from this one…‘A Hymn to the Morning Star’ and ‘The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion’ are key for me because they were the first two SGM songs I ever heard at their concert at NEARfest in 2003. Nils Frykdahl’s voice ranges from the sublimely operatic baritone to wails and screams that seem impossible to have come from the same throat. Violinist and vocalist Carla Kihlstedt shines on ‘Gunday’s Child.’ ‘Babydoctor’ is 14 minutes of extremely disturbing music. Every sing brings something different to the table. I think it’s currently their finest moment.
Therion – Vovin. By this point Therion had well and totally left their death metal roots behind. I had a hard time picking one of their releases to add here, but in the end, I stuck with my favourite. Other Therion albums may have been a bit more ‘progressive’ or genre-bending (I’m thinking of Theli or Lepaca Kliffoth), but Vovin is where everything came together for the first time. Hugely symphonic, with amazing vocals, memorable songs, and hooks big enough to catch a whale, this album is a perfect slab of metal. ‘Draconian Trilogy’ (Vovin means Dragon in Enochian), ‘Clavicula Nox,’ ‘Raven of Dispersion,’ ‘Birth of Venus Illegitima’ (which was the subject of a great performance video), there are so many highlights on this release that I wonder if the band felt that they could never live up to it…
Opeth – Blackwater Park. Picking an Opeth album is hard, because there’s so many great ones. It’d be easy to pick something like Watershed, which is perhaps their most diverse single album. And while Damnation was my gateway album for the more extreme side of metal (and let’s face it, there’s very little extreme about Damnation!), when all is said and done I’ve listened to Blackwater Park more than any other Opeth album. The beginning of their collaborations with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, it really was their coming of age release. Amazing songs on here, amazing moods throughout. Mikael Akerfeldt shows breadth and range with his singing…I think he’s one of the most impressive vocalists out there today no matter what genre. His clean singing is smoky and gorgeous, his growls menacing and above all clear and easy to understand. The album’s title track is one of the great prog epics ever with no questions. I dare you not to want to scream along to the ending lines after you’ve heard it. There’s not a down moment on this album, and it really paved the way for the releases to follow.
Enslaved – Eld. What Opeth is to death metal, perhaps Enslaved is to black metal? There are times I think this, and the fact that the two bands toured together recently doesn’t exactly dissuade me of this notion. There is a difference between death and black metal (and it’s not something I’ll go into here and now), but even at the beginning Enslaved wasn’t exactly a typical black metal band. Some of that has to do with the fact that the two main members of the group (Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson) have a deep and abiding love of bands like Rush and Genesis. While later albums developed their progressive metal side much more, it began here, with 1997’s Eld. While the production values are somewhat typical black metal (i.e., not necessarily that great), the songs are pretty expansive, with the 16-minute ‘793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)’ as the keystone.
Primordial – To The Nameless Dead. Here’s one where we’re blurring the lines somewhat, but the songs are so damned good, and the singer so amazing, that I had to add it on. Primordial is from Ireland, and is one of the biggest names in Celtic/Pagan metal. Much like Therion above, I had a hard time picking a single album, but this, their most recent studio effort, really distills everything the band is capable of. The songs are tight, powerful, very heavy yet played with a light touch…there’s some turn on a dime changes that really impress. And as much as I rave (and rightly so) over the vocal capabilities of Mikael Akerfeldt, Ihsahn, and Thomas Gabriel Fischer, Nemtheanga (Alan Averill) may well be my favourite extreme metal vocalist of all time. Key songs include the brilliant opener ‘Empire Falls,’ ‘Gallows Hymn,’ ‘Heathen Tribes,’ ‘No Nation on This Earth.’
Ulver – Themes From William Blake’s The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell. Here’s the one I think people will argue even being metal. And I really can’t complain too much…by this point Ulver had pretty much left behind their black metal roots and crafted a 2-CD set of genre bending, style defying music. One could guess based on the title that the album was inspired by William Blake’s illuminated opus The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell, but few could guess the amazing breadth of the music held within. Drum and bass, prog rock, industrial, black metal…every track was something different. Every song or spoken word piece took the band and album in a different direction, and if the description makes things seem nebulous and not well connected, well…you really have to hear it to understand it. Oh, and the CD booklet contains reproductions of Blake’s plates as well…it’s a gorgeous looking release, as well as one of the most progressive things I have ever heard.
(NB: the BPB review of this release can now be found HERE. Check it out!)
As part of the ongoing celebration of their 20th anniversary, Sweden’s Opeth is releasing live footage and audio from the band’s recent performance at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall. In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, due out September 21st, is a fierce testament to Opeth’s continued success in the progressive metal community.
Twenty years and nine records into their legendary career, Opeth’s “progressively creative spirit” (ARTISTdirect) remains unwavering, propelling the band through the “Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology” tour, which brought the Swedish titans to six of the world’s most unique venues, and now, with the release of In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, into the homes of their fans.
The performance at the Royal Albert Hall (recorded on the 5th of April, 2010) includes two sets, the first consisting of the band performing 2000’s now-classic, breakthrough epic, Blackwater Park in its entirety, and the second, a chronologically arranged selection of material from the rest of Opeth’s extensive catalogue, totaling almost three hours of music. It is, like the rest of Opeth’s greatest work, “purposefully warped in all the right places” (Decibel). The front cover artwork concept pays tribute to Deep Purple´s Concerto for Group and Orchestra, underlining the band’s longstanding love for their prog-rock roots.
Thinking back to the concert, frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt says "Opeth had a magical night playing the Royal Albert Hall. It was a dream come true, and now afterwards, it still feels like a dream. We got it all on film, and this, our third live recording and DVD might be my personal favorite. One couldn't help to think of all the fantastic artists that played there over the years. Looking back at this night of celebration brings me fond memories of our 20th anniversary—this package is the delayed birthday present. Enjoy!"
The release will be available as three very special configurations:
1. Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set, which includes:
-Double-DVD set of Opeth’s performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall, in its entirety, including bonus features.
-A set of four 180-gram LP’s of the concert’s live audio in its entirety. The vinyl is housed in black poly lined inner sleeves which are packaged as 2 double gatefold set with exclusive artwork. Vinyl only available in this box set.
-Exclusive, numbered lithograph with artwork designed by Mikael Åkerfeldt and longtime Opeth designer, Travis Smith.
-20-page, LP sized booklet printed on coated paper stock that chronicles the night’s events in photos.
-Expanded, exclusive artwork and more.
2. A 5-disc set that consists of 2-DVD and 3 CD’s. The set not only includes the legendary evening captured on video, but the concert’s live audio in its entirety as well.
3. Double-DVD set of Opeth’s performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall, in its entirety, including bonus features.
Track listing is as follows:
Set 1
THE LEPER AFFINITY
BLEAK
HARVEST
THE DRAPERY FALLS
DIRGE FOR NOVEMBER
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT
PATTERNS IN THE IVY
BLACKWATER PARK
Set 2
FOREST OF OCTOBER
ADVENT
APRIL ETHEREAL
THE MOOR
WREATH
HOPE LEAVES
HARLEQUIN FOREST
THE LOTUS EATER
The Roundhouse Tapes, the long awaited new DVD from Opeth is released on Peaceville Records on October 27th (UK – November 10th, USA – November 11th).The DVD will be premiered on November 4th with a special screening at the Prince Charles Cinema in London. The screening will be introduced by the band, who will also be available to sign copies of the DVD following the screening. In addition to the DVD, exclusive merchandise will also be on sale at the cinema.A limited number of tickets for this special evening are available to purchase from the cinema (www.princecharlescinema.com / 0870 811 2559) for only £10 (plus 50p booking fee).The Roundhouse Tapes contains a critically acclaimed Opeth performance recorded at The Roundhouse, London in 2006. Described by Rocksound as ‘a show of spectacular greatness in this legendary venue … an amazing performance by one of Europe’s premier epic metal bands’ the DVD perfectly captures the band in scintillating form playing a selection of classics from throughout their career. A mini-site featuring a trailer for the DVD, info on the release, downloads and more is now online at www.peaceville.com/opeth/theroundhousetapes. The site also offers a free mp3 download of the track ‘Bleak’ to anyone who signs up to the mailing list.The special edition of the DVD, packaged in a deluxe rigid digibook inside a hard slipcase, with postcards of each band member, an exclusive art booklet featuring the work of Travis Smith (renowned Opeth Sleeve designer) and The Roundhouse Tapes booklet, is also available to pre-order from the mini-site.
OPETH have announced their Fall 2008 UK tour dates:
Nov 17 - ABC, Glasgow
Nov 18 - St Vicars, Dublin, Ireland
Nov 19 - Academy, Birmingham
Nov 20 - Shepards Bush Empire, London
Nov 21 - Academy, Bristol
Nov 22 - Rock City, Nottingham
Nov 23 - Academy, Manchester
NEAL MORSE has announced the release of his new DVD, Sola Scriptura & Beyond, to be released on 15 July on the InsideOut label. The concert covers the ? and Sola Scriptura albums, along with selected tracks from One, Testimony, Spock's Beard and Transatlantic. Tracklisting is as follows:
DISC ONE:
1 The Creation
2 The Good Don't Last/Open Wide The Flood Gates
3 The Door
4 The Conflict/The Conclusion
5 Question Mark Medley
6 Testimedley
7 We All Need Some Light
8 Wind At My Back
DISC TWO:
1 Behind The Scenes
2 Bridge Across Forever (acoustic)
3 Question Mark Live at Columbia Park, Berlin 2006 (Full concert)
Finally, the new Spock's Beard DVD release, SB Live, is imminent. My promo copy has arrived, so you should expect some thoughts and a review soon. Many thanks and bouquets of Martian Fire Flowers to Jon Freeman at SPV for getting this blogger/reviewer taken care of...
The only time you will see music downloads advertised here is if a) they are free, b) officially sanctioned by the band or label in question, and c) posed on the band or label's website.
Having said all of this, here's a few free official downloads that have been (proverbially) rocking my socks the past week or so. And they are tangentially prog too!
OPETH:
Two free official downloads through the Roadrunner Records (the band's label) website. The first link takes you to a page where you can download the song "The Lotus Eaters," the second takes you to a page where you can download the video for their new song "Porcelain Heart." Both songs are from Opeth's album Watershed, due to be released in June 2008.
The Lotus Eaters
Porcelain Heart
Please note the video may not necessarily be 100% safe for work, so keep that in mind. I find it to be very evocative, spooky, and well shot.
JUDAS PRIEST
The first chance to listen to the title track from their forthcoming 2-CD concept album Nostradamus, also due June 2008. Orchestral, with classic Rob Halford screams. Considering how important early JP albums (Sad Wings of Destiny, et al) were to the creation of progressive metal, this may be a must listen. The Epic Records website is a bit touchier to navigate through than Roadrunner's, which pretty much pots stuff right out in front, but it's worth the effort (in my opinion).
Nostradamus
Just a quick post this balmy (well, soon to be balmy) Saturday morning to list a few things that have caught my ears of late...
Beardfish - Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two. The sequel to 2007's highly regarded album, SiT2 sees the band more vividly showcasing some of the Zappa-isms that have endeared them to their fans. It is by and large a heavier, somewhat darker side of the band, and one that I look forward to digging deeper into over time. In depth review to follow in all the usual places...you know where to look!
Caamora - She. Clive Nolan's latest rock opera...no, call it a rock Broadway musical. Alan Reed, Christina Booth, John Jowitt and Mark Westwood all guest or play throughout this 2-CD/1 DVD release. The studio album is enjoyable, the DVD more so. Good staging, great performances...I could see this show successfully mounted on Broadway. Based on the classic novel by H. Rider Haggard, this work bodes well for future full-scale projects from Caamora. If you like your prog with a healthy dose of drama and theatrics, check it out. Who said big stage shows can't work in prog?
Opeth - "The Lotus Eaters." Yes, tracks are starting to leak from the band's forthcoming ninth studio album Watershed. This is about as far from what I'd expect from Opeth, and that's maybe a good thing. Baroque elements battle with blast beats, layered, harmonized clean vocals with classic Akerfeldt death grunt. Add in a trippy psych/jazz vamp in the middle and you have one of the most atypical, technical Opeth songs ever. Looking forward to the rest of the album. (BTW, there will be an official track download available at Classic Rock's website on Monday. Click here for details.)
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising. Yeah, it's not prog, but Danny Federici (long time organ/accordion/glockenspeil player) died this week, he's from Flemington (just up the road from where I live), and being a life-long Jersey boy, Springsteen holds a special place in my musical upbringing. I think I prefer Springsteen's newest (Magic) to this release, but Danny's got some great playing on this one (his organ coda on "You're Missing," for one). He'll be missed. Rest well, Phantom Dan...
It is with great pleasure that we can announce that none other than OPETH will headline the second edition of Symforce. With a ninth studio album in the pipeline our Swedish friends are playing a one-off at Symforce II and they'll deliver their full show ! With a ninth studio album under their belt for sure this will a memorable concert!
Second band in the main hall will be none other than PAIN of SALVATION. Known the world over for their diversity and quality PoS is also playing a one-off at Symforce II and they will also play their entire show.
Opening in the main hall will be a six piece from Tilburg called TEXTURES. These young guys will release their third studio offering in March/April. Known for their technical metal approach the band has promissed us to play a special progressive set exclusively for Symforce II.
Due to the length of the Opeth and Pain of Salvation shows there will only be three bands in the main hall!
Main attraction in the small venue will be Dutch classic proggers ALQUIN. The band has been around since 1971 and are one of Mikael Akerfeldt's all-time favourite bands. The last time the band played at the 013 they sold out the small venue. In 2008 the band will also record a brand new album, songs from which will most certainly be played during Symforce II.
These are the first four bands for you. Six more acts will be added as time evolves and we'll be informing you as soon as we can.
Tickets go on sale this coming Saturday 23rd February priced 47,50 euros.
May the Symforce be with you!
more info at www.013web.nl
North American Tour Dates
Tues April 29th - Mexico City, Mexico - National Auditorium*
Fri May 2nd - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
Sat May 3rd - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater
Mon May 5th - Seattle, WA - Wamu Theater
Tues May 6th - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum
Fri & Sat May 9th & 10th - Calgary, ALB - Macewan Hall
Mon May 12th - Minneapolis, MN - Myth
Tues May 13th - Chicago, IL - Rosemont Theater
Wed May 14th - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
Fri May 16th - Columbus, OH - LC Amphitheater
Sat May 17th - Cleveland, OH - Time Warner Amphitheater @ Tower City
Sun May 18th - Albany, NY - The Armory
Tues May 20th - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater
Wed & Thurs May 21st & 22nd - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Mon May 26th - Washington DC - DAR Constitution Hall
Tues May 27th - Richmond, VA - The National
Wed May 28th - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
Fri May 30th - Miami, FL - The Fillmore
Sat May 31st - Orlando, FL - Hard RockSun June 1st - Tampa, FL - Ruth Eckerd HallWed June 4th - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Coliseo of Puerto Rico ** the Mexico and Puerto Rico dates will be Dream Theater with special guests Between The Buried And Me (Opeth and 3 will NOT be appearing on these 2 dates)
New York progressive metal pioneers DREAM THEATER are set to unveil the maiden voyage of “PROGRESSIVE NATION”. A package tour they will headline that will also feature the talents of OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and 3.The tour is the brainchild of DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy who explains: “I’ve been wanting to assemble a package tour like this for many years now. With all of the festivals and package tours that go through America, I’ve been talking with our manager and agent for over 10 years now about doing something that focuses on the more progressive, musician-oriented side of hard rock and metal. I decided it was time to stop talking the talk, lace up and finally walk the walk”While DREAM THEATER co-headlined 2005’s GIGANTOUR along side MEGADETH, as well as embarking on previous co-headlining runs with both QUEENSRYCHE and JOE SATRIANI and opening slots for YES, DEEP PURPLE and IRON MAIDEN, they have primarily built their 22 year career on the road playing solely to their own audience. Portnoy comments: “I’ve always prided myself on personally hand picking new and exciting opening acts to open for DREAM THEATER in the past. Bands such as PORCUPINE TREE, SYMPHONY X, SPOCK’S BEARD, FATES WARNING, PAIN OF SALVATION and KING’S X. In all of these cases, it was important for me to pick bands that I respect and admire but also ones that I know our fans will enjoy. And I think playing with DT has helped expand all of those band’s fanbases as a direct result. I am hoping PROGRESSIVE NATION will continue to do the same thing in offering an audience for more daring and experimental acts that otherwise may not get the mainstream exposure they so rightly deserve.”
Joining the bill for this inaugural run is Sweden’s legendary OPETH who have been enjoying an ever-growing and expanding audience of their own for many years now. DT’s Roadrunner Records label-mates will be ready to unleash their new album "Watershed" next spring and PROGRESSIVE NATION should be a great launching pad for their next World Tour cycle. Guitarist/Vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt adds: "We're very excited about this upcoming tour with DREAM THEATER. It will be the first tour that we're doing in support of our upcoming record, and also somewhat of a dream come true personally as I've been a fan of theirs for a long time. It's quite intimidating to be on the bill with such amazing musicians but obviously we'll try and give them a run for their money and pull out a few nice licks of our own. I guess we'll need to practice a little bit for this....how boring! Yet, I can't wait for this tour to start and I'm sure we'll have a blast with the DT guys as well as together with the other bands on the bill!"
North Carolina’s BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME are enjoying rave reviews and critical acclaim for their latest CD “Colors” and are looking forward to sharing the stage each night with both DREAM THEATER and OPETH. Vocalist/Keyboardist Tommy Rogers comments: "We are very excited to be touring with two bands that have been such an integral part of our musical upbringing. It is a wonderful opportunity to have our music heard by new ears."
Also on the bill with their unique blend of pop, funk and hard rock is upstate New York’s 3 who issued the following statement: "3 is very pleased to announce its participation in the PROGRESSIVE NATION tour. For well over a decade DREAM THEATER has been the vanguard of progressive rock and we are completely psyched to flex with these heavyweights, playing much of our new record "The End is Begun". This package will rock and awe fans everywhere as one of the most important tours of the year. It's a progressive way of music, a progressive way of life....welcome to the PROGRESSIVE NATION tour.”
DREAM THEATER are currently in the middle of their “Chaos In Motion” World Tour which has already traveled extensively throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia in support of their latest Roadrunner Records CD “Systematic Chaos”. The World Tour will continue through March in South America before concluding with PROGRESSIVE NATION in North America.
Portnoy hopes that this first venture of PROGRESSIVE NATION will prove to be a success that can enable himself and DREAM THEATER to continue the package into future years and begin a tradition that musicians and fans alike can count on for quality musicianship and artistic integrity on future tours.
ONE NATION, UNDER PROG...
www.progressivenation2008.com (coming soon!)
