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Portugal’s Forgotten Suns, after a game of musical chairs to determine their current line-up, have returned to fans of inventive prog-metal with their third release, Innergy. The record’s loose concept deals with questions of the definition of “life” – whether that relates to the actual physical state of living versus dying, or as it relates to the quality of life. The lyrics are written by band leader/guitarist Ricardo Falcao and sung by new vocalist Nio. Falcao’s main musical foil, keyboardist Miguel Valadares, returns to the fold and they’re joined by the spectacular rhythm section of drummer J.C. Samora and bassist Nuno Correla. Despite the chaotic journey the band experienced prior to its release, Innergy is easily one of the best recordings the prog-metal scene has heard in recent years.
Posts Tagged ‘marillion’
Forgotten Suns – Innergy
Posted in CD and Record Reviews 
Tags: don airey, Dream Theater, falcao, incubus brandon boyd, marillion, mike patton, prog metal, rushDead Heroes Club – A Time Of Shadow
For whatever reason progressive rock has never established a foothold in Ireland. Just across the Irish Sea, in neighboring England, progressive rock flourished in the 1970s so much that entire “schools” of prog were born. Maybe it was the political climate of the land that kept the often fantasy-themed explorations of prog from finding roots in Ireland. While English bands such as Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were traversing imagined landscapes and worlds, Ireland’s Rory Gallagher’s feet were planted firmly on the ground, playing meat-and-potatoes blues-rock for his country men and women. But there was a void… until now.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: acoustic guitar, blues rock, caravan, carmen, emerson lake palmer, Fish, flower kings, focus, Genesis, glass hammer, Kansas, king crimson, lake, le orme, liam campbell, marillion, michael gallagher, moody blues, nektar, peter gabriel, porcupine tree, progressive rock, Rory Gallagher, spock's beard, triumvirat, yesMarillion – Less Is More
Marillion continue on their merry musical adventure, revisiting an album’s-worth of songs and stamping them anew in a leaner, focused light. The aptly titled Less Is More isn’t a watered-down album of hard rock “unplugged,” changed only by the use of acoustic instruments; rather, Marillion take a set of songs and treat each like molten glass, carefully reshaping by twists, turns and swirls. And it is a fan delight. Less Is More avoids obvious retelling of tracks such as “Script For A Jester’s Tear,” “Sugar Mice” or “Easter” and instead digs up lesser-known tunes, often from lesser-lauded albums including This Strange Engine, marillion.com and Anoraknophobia, and reinvents them. The sound is intimate and spectacular, and the highlights are many.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: alice in wonderland, brave, interior lulu, marillion, mark kelly, pete trawavas, steve hogarth, strange engine, sugar miceKnight Area – Realm Of Shadows
Knight Area are a five-piece progressive rock band hailing from Holland. Realm Of Shadows is the band’s latest release and one of my favorite music finds of the year. Musically, Knight Area remind me of Spock’s Beard, Genesis and Marillion, with a strong emphasis on melody. Though Knight Area sometimes veer toward progressive metal, it’s not with the vengeance of Dream Theater or the pyrotechnics of Symphony X. Knight tout themselves as “symphonic rock,” and are worth investigating if your tastes run toward classic prog. Chief songwriter and keyboardist Gerben Klazinga is a skilled arranger with a talented surrounding cast surrounding: Mark Smit (vocals), Mark Vermeule (guitars), Gijs Koopman (bass) and Pieter van Hoorn (drums). Staying with the Spock’s Beard comparison, Smit’s voice has a smooth – almost friendly – quality that characterizes Neal Morse’s pipes. And that’s just what this music needs – it has an air of grace and sparkle that would suffer in the presence of a screamer.
Progressive Rock Music Quiz with Steven Wilson & Mikael Akerfeldt
Think you know your prog rock? Do you remember the details of every Pink Floyd, Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Marillion, ELP album? Well, play along with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, as they do battle in this prog trivia shootout, and see how you fare.
Posted in Music Notes Tags: elp, Genesis, jethro tull, king crimson, marillion, mikael akerfeldt, music quiz, opeth, pink floyd, porcupine, porcupine tree, prog rock, progressive rock music, steven wilson, triviaMarillion’s Steve Rothery on “Happiness Is The Road”
Do you remember your first math class? After being introduced to the wide world of numbers, you began learning that 1+1 = 2; 2+2 = 4; 2+3 = 5; 6 +3 = 9 and so on. As well, it didn’t matter if you wrote 2+3 or 3+2, the answer is still five. This is known as the commutative property of addition. But for some entities, 1+1+1+1+1 doesn’t equal 5 no matter how it’s written!
Posted in Interviews Tags: commutative property of addition, double cd, marillion, mark kelly, prog rock, steve hogarth, steve rothery
