Dream Theater Will Finally Release Live at Luna Park

News from the Dream Theater front. It seems they have now put a firm date of November 5 2013 for the release of the Live at Luna Park DVD. Here's the press release:

Dream Theater began their mammoth “A Dramatic Tour Of Events” world trekin July 2011 with the final leg in South America taking place in August 2012. It was here at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina that they decided to film the two nights. Those two shows will encompass Live At Luna Park, a very special DVD to be released this fall via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Due to extenuating circumstances, the release date for Live At Luna Park has been pushed back from its originally scheduled Spring release. In an effort to make this project as special as possible, and deliver the ultimate live experience for Dream Theater fans, these delays proved necessary. It will be abundantly clear why the extra time was needed come November.

Live At Luna Park contains the 160-minute main show accompanied by a wealth of bonus material. All tracks from their A Dramatic Turn Of Events album are included, in either the main show or the bonus features. This title features many of Dream Theater’s classic tracks including: “Metropolis Pt. 1”, “The Silent Man”, “Pull Me Under”, “The Root Of All Evil”, “The Test That Stumped Them All”, “The Spirit Carries On” and the recent “On The Backs Of Angels”.

 

Live At Luna Park is available in North America November 5th as Blu-Ray, 2DVD, 2DVD + 3CD, Blu-Ray + 3CD, Deluxe Edition with 40 page Book, Blu-Ray + 2DVD + 3CD, Digital Video via I-Tunes.

IQ Recordng New Album

IQ are back in the studio recording album number 11. From their website:

This weekend IQ have been 'hard at it' at Aubitt Studios working on the new album. We'll have more updates on progress throughout the year.

Go to their news page to see photos of the chaps in the studio.

Sun Domingo Preparing New CD

US band Sun Domingo, who opened for Marillion at their first Marillion weekend in Montreal, are preparing to record their third studio CD.

 

 



Magenta Releases Expanded Metamorphosis

After the news about Glass Hammer's re-release and expansion of The Inconsolable Secret comes news from the Magenta front.

The Metamorphosis Special Edition CD/DVD contains the original album plus 5 other tracks (remixes and one new song), add to that a DVD with the whole album remixed in 5.1 surround and 2 hours of video content including interviews and promo videos.

Metamorphosis Special Edition:
CD
001.The Ballad Of Samuel Layne
002.Prekestolen
003.Metamorphosis
004.Blind Faith

Bonus Tracks
005.A War Bride's Prayer (Orchestral Version)
006.Metamorphosis (Missing Section)
007.Prekestolen (Orchestral Version)
008.Samuel Layne (Excerpt) (Orchestral Version)
009.Metamorphosis (Single Remix)

DVD (NTSC/Region 0)
Complete Dolby 5.1 Surround Mix (53.35)
Making of Metamorphosis Documentary (47.49)
Inside the Mix with Rob Reed (54.57)
Interview with Rob and Steve Reed (19.27)
Interview with Steve Reed (8.28)
Prekestolen (Promo Video) (3.27)
Blind Faith (Promo Video) (6.01)
A War Bride's Prayer (Promo Video) (4.19)

Order now through the Magenta website and enjoy the video of the new song A War Bride's Prayer.

Glass Hammer to Release Deluxe Inconsolable Secret

 

Glass Hammer have just announced that they will release a Deluxe 3 CD version of their 2005 CD The Inconsolable Secret.

The 3 CD set will include the original double album and the third CD will be a remixed version adding Jon Davison on vocals, Alan Shikoh on guitars, and much more. Which songs are the remixed ones will be announced soon. The 3CD set is $29.99 US.

But there is more!

UPDATED:
If you pre-order the Deluxe Edition you can also order the bundle containing a Roger Dean Inconsolable Secret Limited Edition T-Shirt and an Audio Book CD of The Lay Of Lirazel. All of this for $59.99 US.

UPDATED:
You can pre-order here!

Wedding Bells for Mostly Autumn

... And you are all cordially invited!

From the Mostly Autumn website:

There is indeed a wedding celebration concert in York on June 22nd and we are delighted to announce that it will be held to celebrate the marriage of Olivia Sparnenn to Bryan Josh.  The actual marriage will take place on June 21st and both Bryan and Olivia felt it would be very appropriate on the day after, to open up the festivities to whoever can make it – and what better way to do it than to perform a Mostly Autumn concert in a room full of friends. We are also pleased to say that Anne-Marie will be performing with us at this event.

Come along and raise a glass, it will be a very special evening – see live dates section for details.

This special concert will be held at The Duchess, in York, on June 22.

Mostly Autumn on tour in 2013:
June 2: The Met, in Bury
June 28: Dru Cultuurfabriek, in Ulft, The Netherlands
June 29: De Boerderij, in Zoetemeer, The Netherlands
July 25: SUB89, in Reading
July 26: The Globe, in Cardiff
Aug 4: Cambridge Rock Festival, in Cambridge
Aug 23:Galtres Parklands Festival, in Helmsley
Aug 24: King George Hall, in Blackburn
Aug 25: Cusworth Music Festival, in Doncaster
Aug 26: Cleethorpes Rocks, in Cleethopres
Sept 26: Renfrew Ferry, in Glasgow
Sept 27: The Sage, in Gateshead Quays
Oct 4: Picturedrome, in Holmfirth
Oct 5: O2 Academy, in Islington
Oct 25: Leicester Y, in Leicester
Dec 4: The Stables, in Milton Keynes
Dec 5: The Waterfront, in Norwich
Dec 6: Fibbers, in York
Dec 7: Grand Opera House, in York
Dec 8: Robin 2, in Bilston
Dec 9: The Brook, in Southampton.

Matt Stevens Signs Deal with Esoteric Antenna

London-based prog guitarist Matt Stevens has signed a solo deal the Esoteric Antenna label.

The news comes swift on the back of Stevens’ other band, The Fierce And The Dead signing to the Bad Elephant label (also home to Simon Godfrey’s Shineback project) and the London-based multi instrumentalist will release Lucid, his fourth album, in February next year.

Stevens has often been compared to the likes of Radiohead and Robert Fripp. He has played live with Jon Gomm, Mike Keneally, Colin Edwin, Barclay James Harvest, Fish, Touchstone and The Reasoning and will appear with label-mates Tin Spirits and Sanguine Hum at London’s Borderline on Friday 7 June and Manchester’s Band On The Wall on Friday 21 June.

Stevens’ 2010 album Ghost, his second release, was described in Prog as ‘ a phenomenal piece of work that has already garnered countless frothing plaudits within the online prog and post-rock firmament. Wholly instrumental and insanely inventive…an internet phenomena in the making’.

Mostly Autumn Band Shuffle

From their website, an annoucement from Bryan:

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much to everybody who came to see us last weekend, it was great to get back on the road. Your appreciation was superb and it seems we have discovered a wonderful new venue – The Citadel in St. Helens – what a great place – I think we’ll be back there! As you will have noticed if you came to any of the gigs, there was a different drummer – in order for Mostly Autumn to progress and move forward freely I have had to take the decision to choose the line-up on a tour by tour basis, as members sometimes, quite rightly, have their own commitments. For the rest of the year, barring 3 concerts, Alex Cromerty from the Heather Findlay Band, will be drumming with us in place of Gavin.

Hannah Hird (most recently seen harmonising with Ellie Golding on her recent tour) will be fulfilling the rest of the year on harmony vocals and keys in place of Anne-Marie. We sincerely wish Anne- Marie and Gavin the best of luck with anything they do and look forward to embracing the many talents of Hannah and Alex. The rest of the band will be as normal.

Can’t wait to see you all again.

Bryan Josh

Mostly Autumn forthcoming gigs:
Friday 28 June – Dru Cultuurfabriek Ulft (NL)
Saturday 29 June – De Boerderij Zoetermeer (NL)

Sound of Contact's First Video: Not Coming Down

Sound of Contact, whose first CD Dimensionaut is due out on May 28th, have just released their first video. The track is called Not Coming Down and follows the storyline of the CD.



Sound of Contact made their first appearance on stage during Montreal's Marillion Weekend  on March 24th. they are currently on their last days of touring Europe with Spock's Beard and Beardfish as part of an Inside/Out Records promotion. They will also be at Loreley's Night of the Prog Festival in July.

Tour dates:
May 3, 2013 Corporation – Sheffield, UK
May 4, 2013 The Arches – Glasgow, UK
May 5, 2013 Academy 2 – Newcastle, UK
May 6, 2013 Robin 2 – Bilston, UK
May 7, 2013 The Garage – London, UK
May 8, 2013 La Scene Bastille – Paris, France
May 9, 2013 Z7 – Pratteln, Switzerland
May 10, 2013 Hirsch – Nürnberg, Germany
May 11, 2013 Majestic – Bratislava, Slovakia
May 12, 2013 A38 – Budapest, Hungary
May 14, 2013 Szene – Vienna, Austria
May 15, 2013 Colos-Saal – Aschaffenburg, Germany
May 16, 2013 Das Rind – Rüsselsheim, Germany
May 17, 2013 Zeche – Bochum, Germany
May 18, 2013 De Boerderij – Zoetermeer, Netherlands
May 19, 2013 Markthalle – Hamburg, Germany

July 13, 2013 “Night of the Prog” Festival – Loreley, Germany

1970 Holland Pop Fest Now on DVD

One of the most historic concert events of the early '70s, the Dutch Woodstock, also called the Holland Pop Festival, has now been released on a double CD/DVD set by UK's Gonzo MultiMedia.

Featuring rare and exciting performances by Pink Floyd, Santana, T.Rex, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Soft Machine, It's A Beautiful Day, Family, Country Joe, Dr. John & The Night Trippers, Flock and Al Stewart, makes this extraordinary release a must for fans of music everywhere! The three-day festival was held in August 1970 at the Kralingse Bos (Kralingse Forest) in Rotterdam, and despite the rain, an estimated 100,000 people attended the astounding event!

Live performances of:

Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, A Saucerful of Secrets
Santana – Gumbo, Savor, Jingo 
The Byrds - Old Blue
Canned Heat - Human Condition, So Sad
T-Rex - Pavillions of Sun
Jefferson Airplane - Saturday Afternoon, White Rabbit, Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil plus interviews with Paul Kanter & Grace Slick
Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job
It’s A Beautiful Day - Wasted Union Blues, Open Up Your Hearts
Family - Drowned in Wine
Country Joe - Freedom Is a Constant
Dr. John & The Night Trippers - Mardi Gras Day
Flock - Big Bird
Al Stewart - Zero She Flies

The Dutch Woodstock double CD/DVD set is available through GONZO MultiMedia UK

To Purchase The Dutch Woodstock double CD/DVD set: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15545

Flash Featuring Ray Bennett & Colin Carter To Release New CD!

British progressive rock legends Flash, featuring founding members Ray Bennett & Colin Carter, will be releasing their highly anticipated new CD on Purple Pyramid Records on May 21, 2013. Titled Flash featuring Ray Bennett & Colin Carter, it's the first album by the group in 40 years, taking the band to a new level of creativity and virtuosity with this current set of progressive melodic rock tunes.

Founded by lead vocalist Colin Carter, original YES member, guitar legend Peter Banks, bassist Ray Bennett and drummer Mike Hough, Flash released three critically acclaimed albums in the 1970's and undertook several successful tours of the US and Europe. In the USA, the single “Small Beginnings” reached #29 in the Billboard charts, and the first album 'Flash' made the top 50, propelling the band into major venues on their first tour. In the US, Flash went from intimate venues like the Whisky A Go Go, to large concert halls like New York's Avery Fisher Hall, to the wild crowd of 300,000 music fans at the Soda Pop Festival in Indiana. Flash also made high profile performances on TV shows in Europe and the US, including 'The Midnight Special' and the Wolfman Jack hosted 'Superstars Of Rock'.

The band's new CD was recorded over a period of three years and it delivers a mixture of classic and modern progressive rock sure to please die-hard Flash fans and new listeners alike! Says Ray Bennett, “First and foremost, I think the new album turned out really well. No, that's being somewhat modest... I think it's brilliant. I wouldn't be happy with anything less. The goal for me, and I think Colin would agree, is to put an album together that's always a turn on. Not just in the beginning when you are all excited about the newness of it, but always. I realized somewhere back in time that it is possible to have that. It's really just as the old saying goes... 'a thing of beauty is a joy forever'. I think this CD is always going to shine.” Colin Carter adds, “It's left brain / right brain rock. Enough skill, detail and finesse to tease the intellect, mixed with enough raw power to send you skidding out of control across the stage on your knees and crashing into amps. Watch out for the splinters!”

Along with Ray, now on lead guitar, and Colin, on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, keyboardist Rick Daugherty has been added to the line-up giving the band's sound more warmth and depth. Mark Pardy on drums and Wayne Carver on bass make up the new rhythm section. The album includes five new songs penned by Ray and Colin, two new instrumental pieces, and a cover of NIN's 'Hurt', which the band has performed in concert. There is also a new version of the classic Flash song “Manhattan Morning” from the band's third studio album 'Out Of Our Hands'.

Ray explains, “Colin and I did write a large chunk of the old Flash material, and our sensibilities as writers haven't changed a huge amount. We still write all the time. But obviously we've developed, we're more sophisticated, and we have a few more tricks up our sleeves. I think that all shows up on the new CD. I saw a lot of magic happen on this new album. As it grew into a finished thing, all kinds of excellent stuff popped up as we let it develop. A lot to be said for giving it time.”

In closing Ray has this to impart, “I think that with the years passing you can get new growth and new inspiration if you are willing to try new things. Colin and I are up for that. However, in our case, oddly enough, trying new things led back to Flash.”

To pre-order Flash 'Featuring Ray Bennett & Colin Carter' CD: http://www.amazon.com/Featuring-Ray-Bennett-Colin-Carter/dp/B00BY8DLF8/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1367112562&sr=1-1&keywords=flash+featuring+ray+bennett

Flash Psychosync website: http://www.psychosync.info/
Flash information: http://www.myspace.com/flashbennettcarter
Flash ReverbNation:  http://www.reverbnation.com/flashbennettcarter

Antoine Fafard To Release 'Occultus Tramitis'

 

Much to the excitent of music aficionados across the globe, the second solo album by composer and bass player Antoine Fafard, Occultus Tramitis, will be released digitally today, May 15, and on CD June 1, 2013. Featuring the contributions of a number of jazz-rock legends including Terry Bozzio (Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Gavin Harrison (King Crimson, Porcupine Tree), Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech), Simon Phillips (Jeff Beck, Toto), Chad Wackerman (Allan Holdsworth, Frank Zappa) and Dave Weckl (Chick Corea, Mike Stern), 'Occultus Tramitis' encompasses 11 tracks presenting almost an hour of exciting new music.

Says Antoine, “I started to work on this CD in September 2011, right after the release of the 'Solus Operandi' album, and was still working on it in April 2013. I began to compose music with specific players in mind, hoping that they would eventually agree to participate. I guess that the players themselves were a great source of inspiration during the composition process. Interestingly, I wasn't present during the recording sessions of any of the collaborators on this CD (all 15 of them). Each player on this album recorded their tracks in their home studios and all the songs were mixed in my home studio.”

Drum legend Terry Bozzio comments on the track he performs on: “This is a really challenging piece. It was very subtle – it's in eleven and it's very sneaky... It is deceptively simple because it has an open, very flowing feel to the piece.”

Antoine Fafard's recording career began with his band Spaced Out, who released their first album in 2000. By 2008 Spaced Out had recorded five studio albums, one live album and two DVDs, and had performed on international stages including Nearfest, USA in 2002 and Crescendo, France in 2006.

In 2010, Antoine decided to begin recording under his own name, without the limitations of the band format. His first solo album, Solus Operandi, released in August 2011, features more than an hour of original instrumental music by Antoine, working with a total of 13 collaborators, including world-class performers such as Dave Weckl (Chick Corea, Mike Stern), guitarist Jerry De Villiers Jr and drummer Magella Cormier. Solus Operandi was composed on electric fretless bass and classical guitar, after Antoine reacquainted himself with the guitar following many years focusing on the bass.

Which brings us to 2013 and the release of Antoine's highly anticipated new solo album, Occultus Tramitis. The music on Occultus Tramitis differs between the tracks, and the fusion of influences that characterizes Antoine's music means it doesn't fall easily into a single style or genre. However, the album was composed as a complete work. Melodic aspects are beautifully realized by Jerry Goodman, who is featured on more than half of the tracks among odd time signatures, multiple modulations and rhythmical illusions. There are exceptional performances from all Antoine's collaborators, including spectacular solos.

Occultus Tramitis is an independent release presenting exciting and powerful new music for any fan of instrumental jazz-rock, progressive and fusion music.

To listen to audio excerpts and pre-order a signed copy of the CD, go to www.antoinefafard.com

To Pre-order 'Occultus Tramitis' CD via Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Occultus-Tramitis-Antoine-Fafard/dp/B00CMDPTEA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367604370&sr=8-1&keywords=occultus+tramitis

Digital release: May 15, 2013
CD release: June 1, 2013

Antoine’s website: www.antoinefafard.com
Unicorn Digital’s website: www.unicorndigital.com

Anathema Release Limited Edition Vinyl Live Recording

Anathema are releasing Untouchable, a limited edition 2LP 180gm gatefold vinyl, featuring the stunning recent performance at the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra.

In May 2012 Anathema released Weather Systems, the most acclaimed and successful album of a career that has spanned over two decades. The album scored high in numerous critics end of year polls around the world and cemented the band's reputation as one of the most exciting and progressive band around.

Following the release of the album the band embarked on a lengthy world tour. The European part of this tour opened with a special one-off gig at the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra.

Untouchable captures the magic of the evening on double heavyweight vinyl packaged in a gatefold sleeve with printed inners.

Side A
1. Untouchable, Part 1
2. Untouchable, Part 2
3. Thin Air

Side B
1. Dreaming Light
2. Everything
3. The Storm Before the Calm

Side C
1. A Simple Mistake
2. The Beginning and the End
3. Universal

Side D
1. Closer
2. A Natural Disaster
3. Flying

Order your copy through Kscope: https://www.burningshed.com/store/kscope/product/272/4729/

Summer's End Line-up Finalized

The Summer's End Festival organisers have now published a prospective running order for all three days, and full festival tickets are now on sale, costing £70. Hero and Sponsor tickets remain available at £100 and £85 respectively. Day tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks.

Summer's End lineup

October 4
DeeExpus (United Kingdom)
Sylvan (Germany)
October 5
Silhouette (Netherlands)
Jump (United Kingdom)
Overhead (Finland)
Lazuli (France)
Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeman (United Kingdom)
October 6
Sean Filkins (United Kingdom)
Thumpermonkey (United Kingdom)
Landmarq (United Kingdom)
Fragile featuring Claire Hamill (United Kingdom)
Focus (Netherlands)

Get your Summer's End tickets here.

Martin Barre to Tour UK and Europe

Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre will embark on a solo band tour of England and the rest of Europe at the end of September.

He’s concentrating on Martin Barre’s New Day while his Tull colleague Ian Anderson focuses on his Thick As A Brick 2 project. The guitarist recently said: “Since Ian and I have been playing together for many years, we have a mutual respect for one another – both as people and as musicians.

“It’s a marriage of understanding and giving the other person space, and knowing that the history and catalog of Jethro Tull’s music was of our making.”

Barre heads out on tour after appearing at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention on August 9. He recently completed work on his fifth solo album and is negotiating over a release in the near future.

Meanwhile, Tull will release a four-DVD set entitled Around The World Live on June 3 via Eagle Rock. It comes packaged in a 32-page hardback book containing photos from Ian Anderson’s personal archive and explanatory text on each live show.

Martin Barre’s New Day tour
Sep. 28: United Kingdom, Tavistock, Wharf
Oct. 3: United Kingdom, Brighton, Komedia
Oct. 4: United Kingdom, London, Borderline
Oct. 5: United Kingdom, Banbury, Mill
Oct. 6: United Kingdom, Hebden, Bridge Trades Club
Oct. 8: United Kingdom, Sheffield, Greystokes
Oct. 10: United Kingdom, Bilston, Robin 2
Oct. 11: United Kingdom, Bristol, Tunnels
Oct. 12: United Kingdom, Falmouth, Blues In The Bay Festival
Oct. 14: United Kingdom, Milton Keynes, Stables
Oct. 17: Beglium, Verviers, Spirit of 66
Oct. 18: Netherlands, Ulft, Dru Cultuurfabriek
Oct. 19: Netherlands, Zoetermeer, De Boerderij
Oct. 20: Germany, Münster, HotJazzClub
Oct. 22: Germany, Bamberg, Live Club
Oct. 23: Germany, Fulda, Kreuz
Oct. 24: Germany, Isernhagen, Blues Garage
Oct. 25: Germany, Buchholz, Empore
Oct. 26: Germany, Siegburg, Kubana
Oct. 28: Germany, Aschaffenburg, Colossaal
Oct. 29: Germany, Augsburg, Spectrum
Nov. 1: Germany, Bruchsal, Fabrik
Nov. 2: Germany, Fischbach, Bahnhof Fischbach
Nov. 3: Switzerland, Pratteln, Gallery
Nov. 5: Germany, Stuttgart, LKA Longhorn

The Tangent's "Work" Out in June

From InsideOut/Century Media
 
On the 24th June 2013, InsideOut Music is set to release the seventh studio album by The Tangent entitled Le Sacre Du Travail (The Rite Of Work). The album is the group's first fully blown "concept album" but band-leader Andy Tillison is keen to point out that this concept is something that involves all of us now rather than a rambling fiction.
Formed from a single hour long piece of music in 5 movements and referred to by the band as "An Electric Sinfonia" based around a working day of a typical Western-world citizen, the album has a very personal feel. It's highly orchestral and 20th century classical in tone, very much inspired by Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring. Described by INSIDEOUT CEO Thomas Waber as "A very mature album" with "Stellar Musicianship" - this album sees the lineup of The Tangent revert to an earlier formation, Andy Tillison (composer/keyboards/singer) again bringing on board Jonas Reingold on bass (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic), Jakko M Jakszyk on guitar & vocals (King Crimson, Level 42), Theo Travis on wind instruments (Soft Machine, Steve Wilson Band) with the new additions of Gavin Harrison on drums (Porcupine Tree) & David Longdon on vocal harmonies (Big Big Train). In addition there are cameo appearances by Rikard Sjoblom (Beardfish) and Guy Manning amongst others.
The Tangent add to the statement:

The artwork for the outside cover you see here, is by a remarkable gentleman named Martin Stephen. The interior artwork will be announced & featured extensively later.
Much more info on the Tangent Website updated today (please allow for bizarreness) www.thetangent.org
And of course regular Pre-Ordering begins today!

Look out for more information on the album in the coming weeks!
We are delighted with the early response to the art work Francois, you can see more stunning work from Martin Stephen at www.martinstephenarts.com/ he is a musician too, the art work compliments the album really well.

Magma Release EPOK 5 on DVD

After  the success of the DVDs EPOK 1-2-3-4, published in 2006 and 2007, the jazz club Le Triton again welcomed Magma in June 2011. This was for a  nine concerts cycle to complete the DVD series "Mythes et Légendes ".

EPOK 5 not only includes pieces from 1971, 1977 and 1978, but also Félicité Thösz, the latest Magma release, heard here in a version prior to the recording of the album. There are, in addition, 20 minutes of unpublished music.
 A dynamic and extremely musical edit enables the listener to enjoy the band at the height of its powers, showcasing the intensity of each composition and the technical prowess of the musicians. The exceptional sound quality was captured as usual by Francis Linon who knows, better than anyone, how to record the power and musicality of Magma.

Magma was founded in Paris in 1969 by drummer Christian Vander, who derived his inspiration from a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. Vander was a self-taught musician, who received some tips from drum legend Elvin Jones. In the course of Magma's first album, the band tells the story of a group of people fleeing a doomed Earth to settle on the planet Kobaïa. Later, conflict arises when the Kobaïans, who are descendants of the original colonists, encounter other Earth refugees.

A distinguished aspect of Magma's music is that Vander actually invented a constucted language, Kobaïan, in which most lyrics are sung. Later albums told different stories set in more ancient times; however the Kobaïan language remained an integral part of the music. Reportedly, Christian Vander is also highly influenced by the work of jazz legend John Coltrane. "For my work, it is still Coltrane who actually gives me the real material to work on, to be able to move on," says Vander.
To purchase Magma's EPOK 5 DVD (playable in all regions): http://v2.seventhrecords.com/en/video-dvd-38/magma-epok-5-1127.html
For more information: http://v2.seventhrecords.com/en/
www.myspace.com/magmaofficial
seventh@seventhrecords.com
www.youtube.com/user/MagmaOfficialTV

Jon Anderson Comes to Quebec!

Legendary vocalist Jon Anderson, Yes's singer/songwriter for 35 years along with his successful work with Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento, will be performing at the 9th Festival Des Guitares Du Monde in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada on May 25, 2013. The show promises to deliver anexciting mixture of material from Jon Anderson's prolific solo career, collaborations with Vangelis and classic Yes songs, along with new compositions, highlighted by humorous and enlightening stories told by Jon.

Says Jon, “I'm very excited to bring my show to Quebec. I enjoy the show that I do, and people really seem to have a great time.”

Where: the 9th Festival Des Guitares Du Monde - 41, 6e rue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada -
PH: 819 797-8288
When: May 25, 2013
Ticket information: https://www.fgmat.com/en/program/venues/5/25/scene-agnico-eagle-du-centre-de-congres-de-rouyn-noranda-2

In other news, Jon has made some recent guest appearances on several new CD releases: Acoustic guitarist Jeff Pevar's debut album 'From The Core'; French keyboardist/composer Jean Philippe Rykiel's new CD 'Inner Spaces'; and guitarist Dennis Haklar's debut CD release 'Lizard Tale'.

Says Jon, “With the internet my musical world has evolved to an amazing degree, one day I'm singing with a Brazilian dude, the next day with peeps in Liverpool, the next creating a Symphonic work with a mate in India...then singing with Steve Layton 'down under' – it's an endless musical world!”

Jon is currently recording new material, including the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 21-minute opus “OPEN” from 2011 titled “EVER”.

For more information: www.jonanderson.com, www.facebook.com/thejonanderson, https://www.facebook.com/JonAndersonLiveOfficial

"Brasilian Music Sound" single can be purchased at www.amazon.com/Brasilian-Music-Sound/dp/B008S3CYO6/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345046162&sr=301-1
Jon Anderson 'OPEN' digital download available: http://www.amazon.com/Open-Single/dp/B005XT5Z8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336499182&sr=1-1
Jon Anderson 'Survival & Other Stories' available through Gonzo MultiMedia: www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk

Nektar to Tour the US Summer 2013

One of the summer’s most highly anticipated tours, “Legends of U.K. Classic Rock”, will feature progressive rock legends Nektar, beginning in June 2013. After a bit of an absence from U.S. Stages, Nektar is sure to be a treat for concert-goers who will be fortunate enough to catch one of the shows!

Nektar founding member Roye Albrighton (guitars/lead vocals) says, “We can promise you high quality performances wherever we play. I know I speak on behalf of the band when I say we are all looking forward to it.”

Nektar, featuring Albrighton, founding drummer Ron Howden, keyboardist Klaus Hentasch and bassist Lux Vibratus, is British, but was formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1970. Their early albums featured a heady, exhilarating mix of progressive, experimental rock sounds that soon caught on worldwide at the height of the international prog-rock boom. Touring the world behind numerous album releases throughout the‘70s & ‘80s helped to cement the band’s reputation as an influential prog-rock legend. Having undergone a variety of personnel changes over the past decade or so, the band now boasts its strongest lineup in years and is ready to prove so yet again to its many fans throughout North America. In celebration of the 40thanniversary of the original release date of the band’s classic album, Remember the Future, Nektar is looking to perform in its entirety this most heralded release from its vast catalog, a rarity in that the band has not performed the entire album live in years.

Nektar’s new album, Time Machine, featuring the band’s first album of new original material in several years, will be released on Cleopatra Records on June 18.

Nektar Tour Dates:

June 20 – Chantilly, WV – Sully's
June 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar
June 22 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre
June 23 – New York City – B.B. King’s
June 26 – Cleveland, OH – The Winchester Music Hall
June 28 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
June 29 – Lincolnshire, IL – Viper Alley
June 30 –Minneapolis, MN – Famous Dave’s Blues Club

Nektar facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nektar/198355536955655
Nektar website: http://nektarsmusic.com/nn/home/home_new.asp

 

 

Jethro Tull to Release Live Archived Concerts

Jethro Tull will soon release a 4-CD box containing live material never released before. Title Around the World Live, this new compilation will showcase concert from 1970 up to 2005. It will comes packaged in a 32-page hardback book containing photos from Ian Anderson’s personal archive and explanatory text on each live show.

Track listing

Disc 1
1. My Sunday Feeling (Isle Of Wight, England, 1970)
2. My God (Isle Of Wight, England, 1970)Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976:
3. Quartet (intro) (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
4. Thick as a Brick (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
5. Wond’ring Aloud (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
6. Crazed Institution (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
7. Barre (instrumental) / Drum Solo (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
8. Medley: To Cry You a Song / A New Day Yesterday / Bourée / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
9. Living in the Past / Thick as a Brick (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
10. A New Day Yesterday (reprise) (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
11. Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
12. Minstrel in the Gallery (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)
13. Extract from Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 (Molto Vivace) (Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976)Munich, Germany, 1980:
14. Aqualung (Munich, Germany, 1980)
15. Dark Ages (Munich, Germany, 1980)
16. Home (Munich, Germany, 1980)
17. Orion (Munich, Germany, 1980)
18. Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die (Munich, Germany, 1980)
19. Cross-Eyed Mary (Munich, Germany, 1980)
20. Minstrel in the Gallery (Munich, Germany, 1980)
21. Locomotive Breath (Munich, Germany, 1980)
22. Dambusters March (Munich, Germany, 1980)

Disc 2
1. Pussy Willow (Dortmund, Germany, 1982)
2. Heavy Horses (Dortmund, Germany, 1982)
3. Black Sunday (Loreley, Germany, 1986)
4. Roots to Branches (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
5. Rare and Precious Chain (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
6. Thick as a Brick (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
7. In the Grip of Stronger Stuff (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
8. Dangerous Veils (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
9. Aqualung / Aquadiddly (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
10. Nothing Is Easy (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
11. Bourée (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
12. In the Moneylenders’ Temple (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
13. My God (Santiago, Chile, 1996)
14. Locomotive Breath (Santiago, Chile, 1996)

Disc 3
1. Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine for You (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
2. Thick as a Break (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
3. Locomotive Breath (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
4. The Secret Language of Birds (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
5. Dot Com (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
6. Fat Man (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
7. Bourée (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
8. In the Grip of Stronger Stuff (Hilversum, Holland, 1999)
9. Cross-Eyed Mary (London, England, 2001)
10. Hunt by Numbers (London, England, 2001)
11. My Sunday Feeling (London, England, 2001)
12. Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine for You (Montreux, Switzerland, 2003)
13. Life Is a Long Song (Montreux, Switzerland, 2003)
14. Living in the Past (Montreux, Switzerland, 2003)

Disc 4 (Lugano, Switzerland, 2005)
1. Aqualung Intro
2. For a Thousand Mothers
3. Nothing Is Easy
4. Jack in the Green
5. Serenade to a Cuckoo
6. Beggar’s Farm
7. Boris Dancing
8. Weathercock
9. We Five Kings
10. Up to Me
11. Bourée
12. Mother Goose
13. Empty Café
14. Farm on the Freeway
15. Hymn 43
16. A New Day Yesterday
17. Budapest
18. Aqualung
19. Locomotive Breath
20. Protect and Survive
21. Cheerio

Mr Averell Features Members of Van der Graaf Generator and Others

Mr Averell is the name under which visual sound artist Rene van Commenee releases his song-based work. He first worked with Jackson a decade ago in a duo, and they released the album Batteries Included together.

Gridlock is the second Mr Averell album and features guest performances by Mike Garson (David Bowie), David Jackson, Hugh Banton and Judge Smith (Van der Graaf Generator), John Ellis (Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill, The Stranglers), Lene Lovich, along with Stuart Gordon (Peter Hammill, Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack), Dyane Donck (Daisy Bell), Martijn Alsters, Willem Tanke, Ninca Leece, Tammo Heikens and Lisa Weiss.

“Mr Averell is a one-off and hard to classify. Is he a sensitive singer-songwriter, a rock music wildman, and avant garde performance artist or a musical clown? Maybe he's a little of each, and his music is always surprising and full of interest.” - Judge Smith

“René is a wonderfully creative artist who is always pushing the boundaries of music!” - Mike Garson

The album is an adventurous journey through very different kind of songs and instrumentals, but all with the typical, quite theatrical Van Commenée signature. 'Gridlock' should be listened from beginning to end and isn't just a collection of songs. Literally 'Gridlock' stands for the famous Dutch traffic jams, but also tells about the 'Gridlocks' in our lives and heads. The wonderfully produced album may take a bit of time to sink in but once it does, it becomes timeless and unique.

In support of the release of Gridlock plans for Mr Averell to perform in Europe are currently in the works.

Available on GONZO MultiMedia, UK – May 6, 2013

Available in the US and Canada - May 14, 2013

 

To purchase Mr Averell – Gridlock CD: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15550

IOEarth Confims New Singer

News came from the IOEarth Facebook page on Wednesday that they have a replacement singer following the departure of Claire Malin as announced here. The new addition is Linda Odinsen, 25.

Linda Odinsen jumped into the breach when we thought that our 'Cruise To The Edge' concert was going to have to be cancelled, and performed with IOEarth on the biggest stage in Progressive Rock. With only a 4 hour rehearsal...Linda showed us her dedication, devotion and guts at such at young age to step up to this huge commitment she fitted into IOEarth straight away. Therefore we are so proud to announce that Linda Odinsen will be IOEarth's new vocalist from NOW!!!

Said Linda: "I'm happy and proud to be joining such a talented and professional band as IOEarth ... not only are they great musicians, they are wonderful people too. The support from the band and fans all around the world has been unreal ... and I want to thank you all for welcoming me into the IOEarth family. I hope to see you soon at one of our shows."

 

New Nemo CD Due in September

Are we being manipulated?
 
Who benefits from us following, like sheep, preestablished rules unguardedly?

Political parties, religious organisations? Commercial companies, TV networks?

And for what purpose?

These are the questions that will be addressed in Nemo's new CD. After R€volu$ion and Barbares, French band Nemo will release "Le ver dans le fruit" (The Worm in the Fruit) at the end of September 2013. Planned as a double CD album, this will be their 8th studio album in 13 years.

Prolific band members Guillaume Fontaine (keys & vocals), Lionel Guichard (bass & vocals), Jean-Baptiste Itiers (drums & vocals), and Jean-Pierre Louveton (guitar and lead vocals) promise this CD will be varied but coherent, filled with music but not indigestible, daring but staying, faithful to
their personal sound, and at the same time experimental and beautiful.

The album goes on pre-sale on Monday June 3rd, and audio extracts will be available on the band's website at that time. Meanwhile, the band are preparing a video for one of the tracks, "Un pied dans la tombe (A Foot in the Grave)", which will be unvailed when the album comes out.

The cover will be designed by Stan-W. Decker, an artist with a growing fame whose work can be seen here.

External links:
Nemo - http://www.nemo-world.com/home
Quadrifonic Records - http://www.quadrifonic.com/en/

Frost* Go Off On A Tangent

Less than 2 weeks before their Celebr8.2 appearance, Frost* keyboard player and vocalist Jem Godfrey was involved in a bizarre incident involving a concrete garden trough and the index finger on his right hand. Hospital consultants informed him that to avoid lifelong damage to said digit he would have to wear a cast and was told that under no circumstances was he to attempt to use it.

At this point, Frost*, who are to be a major Celebr8.2 crowd pleaser, looked like they would have to pull out of the festival, which was due to be their  only show anywhere in the world in 2013.

Within minutes  of receiving the news, phones were buzzing to find a replacement keyboard player worthy of the herculean task of learning the complete Frost* set in less than a week. the Celebr8.2 promoters unanimously agreed that there was only one man who could fill such enormous Prog shoes. Parties were put in touch with each other and within hours Andy Tillison of The Tangent had nailed the Milliontown epic "Hyperventilate" and it was all systems go.

Jem Godfrey had this to say about the situation:

"I can't thank Andy enough for agreeing to lend a hand... quite literally in this case!"

Celebr8.2 promoter Jon Patrick added:

"This is a perfect exemple pf exactly what the Prog family can achieve when its backs are to the wall. Both Jem and Andy are two of the loveliest people that I have ever had the pleasure of working with and the fact that at the 11th hour they have come together, not only for us, but to not disappoint all the Frost* fans and the Celebr8 audience is a truly humbling experience."

If the Celebr8.2 lineup was not already a smorgasbord of European and transatlantic prog talent, this one set is going to be a once in a lifetime event that no true prog fan will want to miss.

Celebr8.2 tickets are still available, and the festival kicks off on Saturday May 11th at 2 PM with Birminghgam's finest, IOEarth!

Sanguine Hum Release Eagerly Awaited New Studio Album

Esoteric Antenna is pleased to announce the release of the eagerly awaited new studio album by modern progressive rock ensemble Sanguine Hum. 'The Weight of the World' sees Oxford, UK’s Sanguine Hum expand their musical horizons on all fronts with a seven-track collection of diverse compositions -technically challenging and exciting yet always melodic and direct. Songs such as “From the Ground Up”, “Cognoscenti” and “System for Solution” pursue the Porcupine Tree meets Radiohead approach of their debut record 'Diving Bell' with powerful yet intricate riffs propelling the songwriting that continues to make ever more inventive use of surprising twists and turns in the arrangement.

“Best prog rock album so far this century. The kind of record that prog rock bands 40 years from now will try to copy...” - Michael Bjorn, Strange Days (Japan)

 

Surprises are to be found as well in the instrumentation as the band open up the sound and more explicitly reference a love of electronica and the music of artists such as Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin, best heard in the song “Day of Release” as synthetic percussion and rumbling synths give way to chiming acoustic guitar and a soaring vocal melody. As a counterpoint, the album also features the highly atmospheric “Phosphor”, which sees Sanguine Hum break new creative ground. Perhaps even more exciting for a band that perhaps held some of their progressive influences in check on their debut album, is the 15-minute title track that manages the task of combining effective and emotional songwriting with thrilling musical developments that push the band to the limit. 'The Weight of the World' breaks new ground for a band at the forefront of truly “progressive” music.

 

Recorded at Oxford's Evolution studios, Joff Winks(vocals, guitars, programming), Matt Baber (keyboards, percussion, programming), Brad Waissman (bass) and Andrew Booker (drums, percussion) have pushed the creative boundaries of Sanguine Hum to produce one of THE truly progressive and landmark albums of 2013.

 

In support of the release of 'The Weight of the World', Sanguine Hum will be performing at The Borderline in London on Friday June 7^th with TIN SPIRITS and MATT STEVENS. The band will also be playing at Band on the Wall in Manchester on June 21st - same line-up as at the Borderline.

 

SANGUINE HUM - 'The Weight of the World' CD can be purchased at http://www.cherryred.co.uk/esoteric-exd.asp?id=4017

 

SANGUINE HUM - 'The Weight of the World' Limited Digipack 2 disc deluxe edition with Bonus DVD (NTSC Region Free): The Making of 'The Weight of the World' home movie.

 

For more information: www.troopersforsound.com