Ghost Cult’s Album of the Year Countdown 2023: Part 1 (75-41)


 

2013 saw Ghost Cult crown Surgical Steel (Carcass) as our inaugural Album of the Year in a democratic aggregated vote process, untouched by editorial hands (other than the sliding of the abacus balls from one side to the other – or rather the logging of votes and the use of a rather rudimentary spreadsheet), a format we continue to utilise as the years pass, and the seasons grey. Our dedicated team of writers, editors, photographers make their submissions on demand following a month of much wringing-of-hands and profanities being aimed into the editorial mailbox.Continue reading


PODCAST: EPISODE 352 – Weslie Negron Interviews Pomegranate Tiger


Ghost Cult scribe Weslie Negron Pagan interviews Progressive metal artist Pomegranate Tiger, all about his new album – the first in 7 years, All Input Is Error! They discussed the new album, his career up until now, the concept of the album – Artificial Intelligence (AI), creating instrumental music, and much more!

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ALBUM REVIEW: Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex


 

After last year’s triumphant and sad return for the final lap with Porcupine Tree, Prog music’s King, Steve Wilson was already planning his new solo album. After releasing an astounding album and a brief world tour to say goodbye, he is back to assert his dominance as a solo artist. While his signature sound is all over The Harmony Codex (Virgin Music Group), he has enlisted a bevy of conspirators to create his next epic musical adventure.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Pomegranate Tiger – All Input Is Error


 

On All Input Is Error (Self-Released), Canada’s Pomegranate Tiger (aka prog multi-instrumentalist and accomplished composer Martin Andres) takes a topical AI concept and runs with it. Does he win the race? Yes, in the end – even if the final fate of humankind is ultimately unknown (there are no lyrics, you see, so you can make up your own mind, all you creatives out there).

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Trans-Siberian Orchestra Books 2023 Tour – “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve – The Best Of TSO & More”


 

Charity-driven, platinum-selling, Progressive Rock and Christmas Music group Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) today announced its highly-anticipated 2023 winter tour, “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve: The Best Of TSO And More”. This year TSO brings a completely updated presentation of the unforgettable, multi-generational holiday tradition, which will hit 62 cities and deliver 104 performances in both matinee and evening sets. A product of the imagination of late Trans-Siberian Orchestra mastermind Paul O’Neill and his wife Desi, and based on TSO’s 1999 multi-platinum CD and TV special “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve” rock opera and holiday album. Tickets for the 2023 holiday tour will go on sale on Friday, September 15 at 10 a.m. local time. Watch a trailer for the tour now! Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Neal Morse – The Dreamer – Joseph: Part One


 

This latest release from Neal Morse certainly doesn’t lack ambition – a prog rock opera, the sixteen tracks run for an hour plus, and this is only the first part of his musical version of the Biblical tale of Joseph, the coat of many colours, dude.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Jason Bieler and The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra – Postcards from The Asylum


 

It’s only been two years since the release of the first album from Saigon Kick’s guitarist, Jason Bieler. Containing an eccentric mix of music accompanied by a star-studded cast of other musicians, Bieler created an experimental medley of rock and progressive sounds. Now Bieler is back with the rest of The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra to do it again and delve even further into the peculiar sounds previously explored. While the debut dipped its toes into the eccentricity, it seems the band are looking to fully submerge. The main question lingers, whether it is odd for art’s sake or just odd for odd’s sake.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Kansas – 50 Years Of Kansas Live at The Keswick Theater


Kansas has been touring in support of their 50th year as a band and the release of a retrospective compilation Another Fork In The Road – 50 Years Of Kansas (InsideOut Music). The album contains songs from every album the band has released and after 50 years it takes three full CDs to accomplish that. It should be noted that CDs did not exist when the band started playing music. They also predate the Sony Walkman, the internet, Apple Corporation, MTV, and the MP3. Kansas’ music has a sound that includes hints of Bad Company, The Tubes, Foreigner, and even Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. The question is who influenced who?

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REVIEWS ROUND-UP: ft. Luke Elliot – The Intersphere – Oceanlord – Godsticks


 

There’s something romantic and cinematic about adopted New Jersey (via Norway) songwriter Luke Elliot’s third album, Let ‘em All Talk (Icons Creating Evil Art) over and above the wistful storytelling. ‘I (Who Have Nothing)’, all film-noir meets spaghetti western vibes with its orchestral flecks, feels torn from an as-yet-unwritten Tarrantino follow-up to Django Unchained, or perhaps the lead single to the debuting next James Bond, while ‘William Tell’ could have been one of the musical interludes from Black Mariah’s club in Luke Cage (Netflix version).

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ALBUM REVIEW: Saint Karloff – Paleolithic War Crimes


 

Norwegians Saint Karloff formed in 2015 and their debut full-length All Heed the Black God followed in 2018. The latest album Paleolithic War Crimes (Majestic Mountain Records) comes as something of a bittersweet release following the sad loss of bassist and founding member Ole ‘Karloff’ Sletner in 2021 (RIP). The writing for this record had started in 2019 with Ole very much on board and to quote the band ultimately, “reflects a band in transition and exploring new paths, but at the same time it retains that proper heavy Karloff-vibe.”

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