Tag Archives: progressive

Blumen/With a Smile – Banana Split EP

by Dæv Tremblay

a3764493273_10As the collaborative work of two great one-man projects on their own, namely Blumen and With a Smile, this Banana Split EP should be very nearing perfection! Blumen’s “Press 1 for Music” was released in 2015 and presented something fresh in the modern prog scenery. As for With a Smile, I didn’t have the chance to be acquainted with it prior to this collaboration, but I quickly realized my misfortune when I played their “Never Listen” EP, which is a welcome addition to my regular playlist.

The Banana Split is three songs long, the first of which is a … Read more

The Pitts Minnemann Project crowdfunds their upcoming album, “The Psychic Planetarium”

by Dæv Tremblay

Their last album, 2 L 8 2 B Normal was one hell of an album, perfect for fans crazy music and wicked musicianship! The Psychic Planetarium, which is due March 11th, will encompass many genres and styles with the usual over-the-top technicality of the members involved: Jimmy Pitts, Marco Minnemann, Tom Geldschläger, and Jerry Twyford, along with an array of guest musicians!

Click here if you want to support the project on indiegogo!… Read more

Sunless – Demo 2016

by Dæv Tremblay

a2583815969_16Sunless is a band from Minnesota created in 2014 and comprised of four members. With heavy influences from dissonant death metal acts such as Gorguts and Ulcerate, and a surprising audio quality considering it’s labeled a demo, Sunless will most certainly get people talking, and chances are that Demo 2016 is only the first of many great albums they put out. But why is it so good?

If you haven’t noticed already, it dwells on dissonance, and equipoises technicality with atmosphere. Indeed, the very first, lone arpeggiated and distorted chord from the song Born of Clay immediately screams “You’ve come … Read more

Steven Wilson – 4 ½

by Jeff Nixon

Steven-Wilson-Four-halfSteven Wilson surprised me last year with his album Hand. Cannot. Erase. which I absolutely loved. So when I heard that his new EP 4 ½ mostly contained unreleased material from the Hand. Cannot. Erase. sessions I got pretty excited.

And it didn’t disappoint! The lineup that’s been on Steven’s solo albums since The Raven That Refused to Sing has been really solid, and they continue to nail it with this half album.

4 ½ has a nice mix of soft proggy melodies, rocking riffs, and unique solos. The glitchy sounding solo on “Vermillioncore” sounds especially cool and actually has … Read more

Axon-Neuron premieres “Eyes”, from their upcoming album, Metamorphosis

by Dæv Tremblay

Announced some time last year, with a little bit of a line-up change, as a follow-up to their sophomore album, “Dreamstate”, Metamorphosis will come out January 28th! As a reminder, here’s the songs “Euclid”, “Shattered” and “Suspicion” that were also debuted, but in a live setting instead of a studio one!

Euclid

Shattered

Suspicion

… Read more