I’m not quite sure if this was Blackfield’s last show or last show with this lineup, it remains unclear to me. Tonight’s show had a feeling of closure and finality. Having newly discovered this group I can say I was regretting not finding them sooner. The night started off with fellow Porcupine Tree alumni John Wesley. Not at all what I was expecting when I heard who was in his band. Wesley and his solo band put on a massively mellow and grooving set. Fellow guitarist and vocalist Ian Medhurst won me over very quickly. I was even more impressed with his rhythm section: former Iced Earth drummer Mark Prator and Sean Malone of Cynic. Their musicianship was uncanny. They powered through eight songs of new and old tunes with little or no effort.Continue reading
Re-recording albums are generally hit and miss and often acoustic reworking of songs can be a little off the mark. What’s quite puzzling about Katatonia’s Dethroned And Uncrowned is that they have entirely re-recorded their latest album, Dead End Kings from 2012, in mostly acoustic form.
The Custodian is a new side project by Xerath vocalist Richard Thompson. Originally started as a bedroom project it has taken the shape of a genuine band ready to hit the road. Let’s see whether The Custodian has any staying power.
Guitarist extraordinaire Guthrie Govan may not be the most prolific musician around, but he’s one of the most respected and in demand players around. He recently toured with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) in support of The Raven Who Refused To Sing album and he is also about to release a new album with The Aristocrats, his other musical project with fellow musical mavericks Bryan Beller (Dethklok, James LaBrie) and Marco Minnemann (Adrian Belew Power Trio, Kreator). Ghost Cult caught up with Guthrie as he returns from a clinic tour in Brazil..
Steven Wilson rightfully deserves the title of the dean of the modern progressive rock and metal world. In addition to his own groundbreaking work with his own bands such Porcupine Tree, No Man, Bass Communion, as a producer of albums by giants such as Opeth, and remastering the works of King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Caravan among other projects. Steven is out on the road supporting his third solo album The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) on Kscope Records. Chatting at length with Ghost Cult, Steven talked about the making of the new album, his creative process, production work, lyrical inspirations and his favorite Pink Floyd albums among many other topics.