Tag Archives: InsideOut

Beardfish – +4626Comfortzone

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Well now, here’s a bit of a surprise. The last time that I spent a significant time with Swedish progressive outfit Beardfish was with their charming and almost too nice for its own good album, the cheery Mammoth (InsideOut). Beardfish are one of those bands that you can quite easily let slip under your own personal radar, such is their charm and inoffensiveness. That probably sounds like damning with faint praise and I don’t mean that – really, I don’t – but it is certainly the case that you can end up overlooking this most idiosyncratic of bands. Well I did, anyway. My bad.

Well, let’s raise a glass to being wrong. The latest album from the band, the quixotic +4626Comfortzone (InsideOut) is the most interesting and most direct of the band’s releases to date and will have you racking your brains over how you could have ever doubted them, or your own judgement, about what a superlative and hugely inventive progressive band Beardfish are.

As with many progressive artists, Beardfish are unafraid to build diverse and diverting song structures. So far, so very rudimentary but what impresses most on +4626 is not the diversity of the music which covers some very notable and comfortable territory that fans of Yes or Genesis or Marillion would find very welcome. To these ears it’s the intelligent lyricism melded to the musicality that truly impresses. +4626 is an angry record, not that you would guess from your initial listens. Beneath the lovely harmonies and melodious interludes there’s a black self-deprecating humour that pokes right into the heart of small town small mindedness (most notably on the languorous and immersive title track) and a reflective but caustic poke in the eye to the narrow minded attitudes that can infect some of the most tribal of music fans (the jaunty ‘Ode to the Rock n’ Roller’).

The musical, lyrical and emotional heart of this album can be found mid-way through. The fifteen minute plus of ‘If We Must Be Apart’ is where everything comes together. Ostensibly a tale of a broken relationship, what you are actually treated to is an extraordinary psychological journey set to music. It ebbs and flows, builds and drops. It even has a bit of Beelzebub thrown in for good measure. It’s epic and exhausting but in a very satisfactory way.

Comfortzone is a record that fits into that classic mould of revealing more and more with each listen. At one level you could be cynical and accuse the band of covering all their bases, hoping some of their ideas stick. I can’t share that view. Comfortzone is, at its heart, an ambitious and optimistic record and, whilst they (quite rightly) rail against small mindedness, outdated attitudes and misogyny, this is not a downbeat affair. On the contrary, Beardfish leave you feeling optimistic, elated and happy that they are back in your life. This is a handsome, intelligent and beguiling album: hats, off, gentlemen, hats off.

 

8.0/10

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MAT DAVIES


Nightingale – Retribution

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Swedish multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö has had a long and strange career. On the one hand, he’s known for ambitious melodic death metal with Edge of Sanity on the other, he’s been a stalwart of the progressive rock scene with the likes of Nightingale, who are back after a seven-year hiatus. Their new album, Retribution (InsideOut), it’s all about the melody.

This is the seventh album from the band – made up of Swanö on guitar, keyboards & vocals, his brother Dag on guitars and keyboard, Erik Oskarsson on bass and Tom Björn on drums. In their early days, Nightingale was a goth rock outfit unafraid to embrace their experimental progressive sides. Today, they’re more of a poppy, radio-friendly outfit with hints of 80s goth, 70s style synth and AOR.

From the upbeat opening of ‘On Stolen Wings’ to the gentle rock of ’27 (Curse Or Coincidence?)’ it’s clear Nightingale are sticking to the lighter side of the rock spectrum. Whether it’s the synth heavy ‘Chasing the Storm Away’ or the slow gallop of ‘The Voyage Of Endurance’, every track is essentially a catchy, hook laden pop songs and it’s not to get caught up in the moment.

Swanö’s vocals have always been a strong point, no matter which band he’s playing in. And while there are no death growls, his powerful, soaring voice suits the AOR style of Nightingale’s music perfectly. But despite being easy on the ears, there’s little on offer for anyone who doesn’t like their rock dad or radio friendly. Pretty much every song is either a mid-paced stomper or some kind of power or acoustic ballad. The song writing is all to a high standard, there’s little filler, but there’s nothing to get the blood pumping or the head banging.

It might lack any adventure or experimentation, but Retribution is an enjoyable and perfectly listenable album. Edge of Sanity fans may find little to enjoy, but anyone who enjoyed the melodic aspect of Witherscape‘s debut or any of Swanö’s prog-orientated releases will be pleased to find the man back on good form.

 

7.0/10

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DAN SWINHOE


Pain Of Salvation – Falling Home

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It has been a number of years since Pain Of Salvation last graced us with their brand of melancholic metallic prog. Not quite a Tool or Chinese Democracy dynasty of nothingness of course, but still a significant period without one of prog and metal’s most overlooked gems. Such a shame that their return is with a self-indulgent stop-gap.

Falling Home (InsideOut) comprises of mostly stripped down takes on songs throughout their history, a brand new song of a similar ilk and two covers reworked to fit stylistically. The reworked efforts encompass their vast history including album opener ‘Stress’ which takes from 1999’s Entropia (InsideOut) and renders it into a lounge jazz number. In some cases these reimaginings both make sense and work exceptionally well; take the heavy blues of Road Salt One (InsideOut) via ‘Linoleum’ which becomes a much softer, near-ballad which still maintains subtle, up tempo mellotron. ‘Mrs Modern Mother Mary’ similarly sees is metallic air removed entirely, showing a much more delicate side and really showcasing Daniel Gildenlow’s diverse vocal delivery.

Sadly for all its well-realized moments there are also plenty that don’t hit the mark, and even ventures towards simple novelty and becomes very hard to take seriously. The aforementioned ‘Stress’ for example sadly brings to mind comedy acts like Richard Cheese, whilst the most notable of the two covers, their lounge take on Dio’s iconic “Holy Diver” holds absolutely no musical worth and is surely included purely as a joke.

With such a rewarding catalogue at their disposal, its more than well documented at how special a group these Swedes can be, capable of absolute magic; which makes this release all the more disappointing and near aggravating. A collection that ranges from sumptuous takes on already high caliber songs to those that prove either unspectacular or even simply pointless, and a release that will only appeal to a select few uber fans, and the creators themselves.

 

4.0/10

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CHRIS TIPPELL


United Progressive Fraternity – Fall In Love With The World

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Sometimes bands like to choose their name via the “does what it says on the tin” approach; a sentiment that certainly rings true with United Progressive Fraternity, even if it does clumsily sound like some kind of University society which really should have existed. A band formed from the ashes of Australian act Unitopia, with Mark Trueack at the helm; this also holds the additional talents of Guy Manning of The Tangent and Dan Mash of The Tangent and Maschine fame, oh and contributions from some guys called Steve Hackett and Jon Anderson.

The name even holds little surprise about their sound, and Fall In Love With The World (InsideOut) is expectedly warm sounding. The overall message of the album is one of ecological and preserving significance; spelt clearly in the title this is about our world and the importance of maintaining and saving it; but presented in a more joyous manner than say, a politically charged hardcore act.

Sonically there is quite an array of styles at play, interlinking from jazz interludes, woodwind, traditional Eastern effects and instrumentation, combined with changing paces and flows plus numerous nods to the greats of Prog. Oddly this project took the mantra of an open door policy without a true creative head but with contributions of various people coming in and out; yet it does feel a cohesive effort throughout.

Returning to messrs Hackett and Anderson, although it is clear where Anderson appears (‘Water’ on backing vocals), Hackett’s contributions seem oddly illusive despite his memorable style, which begs the question, could these huge presences have not been more prominent? Otherwise FILWTW is a pleasing, if not spectacular release; proving a decent showcase of a dictionary definition of a ‘typical’ sounding Prog album, but not a great deal else.

 

6.0/10

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CHRIS TIPPELL


Ghost Cult Magazine Albums Of The Year 2014 Countdown! #10 to #6

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In amongst the big boys now, with the Official Ghost Cult Top 10 Albums of 2014. Kicking off with albums 10 to 6, these were the attention and headline grabbing albums that provided the soundtrack to the year…

 

10. DEVIN TOWNSEND – Z2 (HevyDevy/InsideOut)

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Not one but two aural explosions from everyone’s favourite Canadian ADD sufferer. Disk 1 showcases the epic pop-Metal melodies expounded on Epicloud, in a vibrant collection of melodies, twists and simply great tunes, while Disk 2 is the long awaited Ziltoid sequel, a more symphonic and aggressive take on the original. Devin has shown, once again, that no matter what project fills his head, he is a pure musical genius, with 3 albums (technically) in our Top 50.

“Double albums are notoriously difficult beasts to grapple with. If there’s a suspicion of ‘all filler, no killer’, that’s perhaps understandable given some of rock music’s recent inglorious past when it comes to musical heft. The common consensus on this sort of exercise ranges from how to edit Use Your Illusion (Geffen) into one digestible chunk; realising that, yes, Fleetwood Mac really did do ALL of the drugs when  recording Tusk (Warner Bros) and, frankly, even Corey Taylor must think that there is way too much padding on House of Gold and Bones (Roadrunner). Breathe easier, then, as this is not a sprawling, indulgent mess. Z2 is indulgent and there is a LOT to get through but Z2 is two records being issued simultaneously rather than some attempt at a single, 23 song epic.”

Read MAT DAVIES’ 9/10 review here

 

9. AT THE GATES – At War With Reality (Century Media)

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After a gap of 19 (NINETEEN!) years the Fathers of the Gothenburg sound released the follow up to one of the greatest extreme albums of time, the genuine legend that was Slaughter of the Soul (Earache). That they didn’t embarrass themselves is one thing, that they were able to ignite the flame of excitement in older fans and pick up newer ones, whose favourite bands swore by the altar of ATG is testament to their quality.

“At War With Reality is a genuinely worthwhile listen and worth the 19 year wait. It still sounds like At The Gates, not the razor-focused Slayer-worship of Slaughter of the Soul, although those moments are still present, but an all-encompassing At The Gates that draws from the band’s entire back catalogue. At The Gates have shown the world that they’re still the most powerful force in melodic death metal. At War With Reality does more than just prop up the band’s legacy, it enhances it.”

Read DAN SWINHOE’s 9/10 review here

 

8. PALLBEARER – Foundations of Burden (Profound Lore)

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Doooooooooooooom, beautiful doooooooooooom! Melancholy, poignant, mournful and emotive, the second album from Arkansas’ Pallbearer set new standards in textured 70’s styled doom, twining haunting, reflective leads, heart-felt impassioned lyrics and vocals, and down-tuned crashes.

“Superlatives and panegyrics are thrown around like confetti these days, and mostly for albums that just don’t deserve them. Here is an entity beyond words. The blend of crushing weight and sadness that twines with an almost paradoxical ascension to light throughout this quite magnificent set is sublime and inspirational. This willingness to puncture doom’s boundaries and travel outside them surely hails Pallbearer as the most important band of their genre right now.”

Read PAUL QUINN’s 10/10 review here

 

7. TRIPTYKON – Melana Chasmata (Century Media / Prowling Death)

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The sound of decomposition in thick, gloopy, stained riffage, the darkest end of despair in musical format, the sound of utter personal devastation hammered relentlessly into your ears as Tom G Warrior continues the styling first unveiled on Celtic Frost’s swansong, Monotheist. Beyond the gloom, beyond the end of the universe, lurks Triptykon’s second opus magnificum.

“Still gloriously innovative at 50, the enigmatic and death-obsessed Thomas Gabriel Fischer returns with his latest and possibly most enigmatic incarnation. The darkly expansive Eparistera Daimones, the first Triptykon album, displayed a panoply of musical styles. Remarkably, sophomore suite Melana Chasmata sees a deeper mining of that creativity, reaffirming the band’s reluctance to be confined by any musical barrier and confirming the triumphant second coming of Gabriel’s most inventive, diverse and impressive guise.”

Read PAUL QUINN’s 8.5/10 review here

 

6. DECAPITATED – Blood Mantra (Nuclear Blast)

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Perhaps the most hotly anticipated “pure” Death Metal release of the second half of the year, this Polish hate machine did not disappoint, with a career and genre defining masterpiece, adding to their impressive canon with an absolute killer of cemtex-infused vocal growls, blistering drumming, colossal grooves and excessive riffs. But this was no old school rehash, the Krosno krew enhance their wares with industrial touches, and an insinuation of Slipknot showing this is a thoroughly modern and quite exceptional Death Metal band.

“With this much skill at their disposal, looking back it almost seems embarrassing that they were ever doubted. To use a lazy comparison, Decapitated are like (Marvel Comics anti-hero) Blade; they possess all of the strengths of Death Metal and none of its weaknesses. And it’s increasingly evident they cannot be killed. Quite simply Blood Mantra is one of the finest Death Metal albums to be released now or ever and it’s difficult to see how it can be topped. One thing is for sure; Vitek would be proud.”

Read JAMES CONWAY’s 9.5/10 review here

 

 

Compiled and additional words by Steve Tovey

 

 


Lunatic Soul – Walking On A Flashlight Beam

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How Mariusz Duda finds any spare time is a complete mystery. Not only the vocalist for Polish prog behemoths Riverside, Duda simultaneously has steered his own solo outings under the moniker of Lunatic Soul through alternate sonic landscapes. Despite most assuredly earning some downtime after the former’s most successful year, Lunatic Soul now return on yet another direction.

In stark contrast to Riverside’s previous album Shrine Of New Generation Slaves (InsideOut) and its more overt signs of 70’s rock worship, Walking On A Flashlight Beam (KScope) virtually eschews all remnants of guitars from its palette, relying instead of ambient electronica and synths, with drums and bass. Both bands may still be tied in their sense of mood and melancholy, and of course the shared talents of Duda’s distinctive and delicate tones, but otherwise they veer to different paths.

Opener ‘Shutting Out The Sun’ begins in an unassuming manner, with the sounds of light, crashing waves before it builds upon layers of effects and synths, shaping to an altogether more crowded form. WOAFB sees Duda really open up in creativity, from the almost tribal drum beats on ‘Gutter’ to the Eastern tinged melodies within ‘Pygmalion’s Ladder’, all still maintaining the album’s wispy atmosphere. Of course the star is without doubt Duda’s voice which conveys an almost unmatched sense of fragility and emotion in modern prog.

Whereas Riverside’s last venture saw the influence of the likes of Deep Purple, WOAFB draws a lot more from the likes of Tangerine Dream, both in its synth based structure and also in its ambience and inventiveness. Showcasing in its beauty a plethora of ideas which may be in some ways far removed from the more famous of Duda’s bands yet not alienating to its fans, WOAFB is evidence enough of Duda’s claim as one of modern prog’s great minds.

 

8.0/10

 

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CHRIS TIPPELL


Enchant – The Great Divide

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If it’s true that a week is a long time in politics, a decade in the music industry must surely be the equivalent of a myriad lifetimes. Consider the amount of change; whether in terms of styles, tribes, technological advances, listening modes, business models, there is little doubt that life in the music industry has moved on significantly even in the last few years. Throw in life changes, marriages, kids, divorces and you can begin to see why it has taken Californian Prog band Enchant just over a decade to get a new record together.

The Great Divide (InsideOut) is a return to the musical fray for a band who, having been prolific during the 1990s, faded at the turn of the century and now find themselves betwixt and between being “underground prog legends” and “mates of Steve Rothery”.  Having lived with their eighth studio release for a few weeks I suspect that this record will delight and infuriate in equal measure. Those of you familiar with their particular brand of progressive rock (for this is rock, albeit a keyboard drenched version of it) will be pretty happy, all things being told; for new listeners, I suspect that it’s going to sound, well, a bit dated, really.

This is a clean sounding and deeply polite record and in actual fact, it’s not that proggy. More, it’s not dissimilar to some of the late 80s melodic rock that the likes of Mr Mister used to put out. There are some nice harmonies, particularly on the title track and ‘All Mixed Up’ but the lyrics are, in the nicest possible way, straight out of “101 Good Uses for a Cliché” and anyone who pens “Round and round and round it goes, and where it stops, no one knows” needs, metaphorically, a good kicking. Oh, gentlemen, this is lyric writing for second-graders.

Part of me feels somewhat guilty for not liking this record more than I do – it’s got all the leitmotifs that I generally warm to; riffs, keyboard solos, big harmonies, (you know the drill) – but I can’t get excited by any of this at all. Part of the problem is I can see the joins. The Great Divide is really well put together and nicely produced; it feels immediately warm and comfortable. It’s not unassuming or apologetic. There are plenty of proggy flourishes but it is the sum of its parts and nothing more and you can more or less see the joins and the musical narrative is fairly well telegraphed. This doesn’t mean that The Great Divide is indulgent, but it fails to rise above the merely adequate or the pleasant enough to be truly memorable and, after nearly a decade out of the limelight that can only count as a disappointing return.

File under close, but, definitely, no cigar.

5.0/10

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MAT DAVIES


Knifeworld – The Unravelling

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Having formerly been in the ranks of the much missed, oddball maestro’s Cardiacs, any band featuring Kavus Torabi was never going to be a dull or simple affair. Suitably so Kavus’ latest venture, Knifeworld, have been a leading light (along with the likes of The Fierce & The Dead) in a new generation of British Prog of a most eccentric variety.

Knifeworld’s previous record work has shown the band and Kavus’ vision and ability to combine the most unorthodox musical styles with a pop aesthetic, but latest album The Unravelling (InsideOut) is their most ambitious and impressive work to date.

The sheer plethora of ideas at play is quite staggering yet everything flows with precision and urgency, leading from one unexpected twist to another. From the short and sharp assault of ‘The Orphanage’ to the twisted, cartoon-like ‘Send Him Seaworthy’ and the nightmarish eeriness of ‘The Skulls We Buried Have Regrown Their Eyes’, this is a bizarre journey through multiple sonic landscapes, yet it remains completely cohesive.

Kavus’ vocals offer a complimenting addition with his unique tone and the splendid interplay with the additional and contrasting voice of Melanie Wood adds an extra dimension to the album’s almost demented manner.

Very few people can match Kavus Torabi when it comes to writing quirky yet brilliant music and The Unravelling is the perfect representation for this. An album built up on both the kookiest and left-field influences and poppy hooks, this is a masterclass in challenging yet still really accessible music. It is certainly not for everyone, but for those with a keen ear to left-field music will find one of the year’s most rewarding listens, and benchmark for modern British Prog.

 

9.0/10.0

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CHRIS TIPPELL


Fates Warning – Darkness In A Different Light

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Fates WarningAt the dawn of progressive metal Hartford, Connecticut’s Fates Warning were among the first guard. Along with Dream Theater and Queensrÿche they forged ahead with a new style of progressive music that made superstars out of John Petrucci and Geoff Tate. But when it came to back-slapping and, importantly, record sales, Fates Warning were often left wanting. Eleven albums in and on the basis of latest work Darkness In A Different Light (Inside Out Music) it is perhaps evidence of why they have been left behind.Continue reading →


A Career Retrospective – An Interview With Devin Townsend

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Devin Townsend Retinal CircusArguably the most productive musician in metal is everyone’s favourite Canadian Devin Townsend. His current project is the Retinal Circus DVD package, which can best be described as a career retrospective packaged as a high school musical. Ghost Cult chatted to the maestro himself about his latest project, the logistics and challenges surrounding it and his incredible productivity.Continue reading →