Infinien-S/T

I first was exposed to Infinien about 8 days ago when I caught them as the first band on the bill opening for Cynic. Right away I was impressed by their far out jazzy sound with its dynamic changes and twists and turns. Infinien certainly know where it's at. They have a sense of jazz-rock mastery to their sound that allows them to soar beyond what many of their peers. In the topsy turvy soundscape that define the music on Infinien it's just about possible to find a sense of inner peace. As you climb aboard this rolling ship, take heed, things may not end up as you predict them too.

The virtuosic element of this band is incredible. The bass lines are rollicking, going all over the fretboard with ease. The guitar parts use a lot of really cool chord structures and often leave you begging for more from the melodic content. The same goes for the keys which seem to provide a sort of aural padding to the very spread out attack of this band. I think the thing that impresses me the most is the vocals. The bands frontwoman (Who is also the keyboardist) is a talented jazz singer and her voice runs up and down scales and arpeggios leaving you grasping desperately for a sense of where we fit in. Infinien get it and their unique take on this brand of jazz fusion is a blast to hear come together.

I find it really comforting that these guys are starting to get some breaks. They have the kind of sound that will leave you struggling to understand, yet also strangely content. The majestic caresses of the vocal lines and the startling melodic lines leave you in awe, proving the eternal might of a band who seem destined to succeed. Sure their sound is pretty 'out there' and hard for non jazz guys to grasp, but there is something very human about Infinien. So I sit here and type, happy with the fact that this young Pennsylvania group has given me a chance to glimpse something more.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/infinien

The Low Frequency In Stereo-Live at Molde Jazz (feat. Kjetil Møster)

Now here's a record that's weird even by my standards. Recorded all the way back in good old 2009, The Low Frequency Stereo, a lauded experimental act from Norway had a legendary jam with the mighty Kjetil Moster, a gifted young saxophonist. Now I sit here reviewing their hour plus long jam, the sort of anarchist and destructive record that leaves us all reveling in the almighty glory of the power of the saxophone as an instrument to guide a group of virtuoso musicians through strange soundscapes and bizarre worlds. Psychotic reactions and carburetor dung define this type of music and by god is it glorious.

The thing is, Live at Molde Jazz is very much a saxophone driven record. From the first track The Money Shot, which is a Kjetil Moster solo, you see this is largely his show. With unholy squeals emanating from a saxophone that seems able to cover an incredible range and variety of sounds, Kjetil has crafted something that leaves you feeling strange. When the rest of the band comes in on later tracks you get a sense for the raw chaos that embodies the music. Every once in a while a voice layers in, coming in on top of the many strange sounds going on at once. It creates an almost Hawkwind type vibe at times. There is some basic structure, but a lot of the record (Especially towards the end) goes into full on jam mode. These guys are unafraid of making music that twists and turns every which way, in fact, in large part this makes their simply psychotic sounds all the better.

Normally at this point I'd tell you some hippy dippy shit about 'feeling the vibes', yet, with Live at Molde Jazz that might not be the right thing to do. If you were to really try to 'feel the vibes' on Live at Molde Jazz you might just go insane. The Low Frequency In Stereo and Kjetil Moster feel no need to follow your rules, and in fact, probably just revel in breaking them. Instead just open your mind and try to grasp the sort of raw unadulterated chaos that defines their music. Their is no true understanding of this record, you only come to a greater peace with it, so try to do that, otherwise it might just drive you mad.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/lowfrequencyinstereo

Monsterworks-Overhaul

Charles Dingus of Witch Mountain and Blackwitch Pudding once said to me "I just want metal bands to do something different." Today's review focuses on a group who are nothing, if not totally different. Monsterworks are a band who seem to base their sound on paradigm shifts, the transitions from loud to soft, dark to light. This is a band who can gently ease themselves from Cynic-like jazz-metal madness to much heavier and darker death metal and make it sound natural. There are a lot of strange twists and turns in Overhaul, and making head or tail of them poses an interesting challenge.

Perhaps the best way to communicate how weird, Monsterworks can be, we must first look at how they bill themselves. Their Facebook page claims that the band is "Progressive thrash supermetal" and in this world of psychotropic trips and carburetor dung perhaps that is the only way to refer to this band. There are influences from all over the board on Overhaul and that makes it into a fully immersive listening experience. Monsterworks have crafted a strange world for themselves, one that can use mystical chants and crazed growls, often in the context of the same song. The end result is a record that forces you to think and to try to find where you belong in this crazy old mixed up universe of ours.

Channeling the mysterious might of Overhaul is no mean task. There are twisted riffs reminiscent of Pantera alongside jazzy passages that suggest an impressive musical education. The melodic lines are tight and memorable, forcing you into the strange heap of broken images that represents Monsterworks music. These guys are definitely pretty far 'out there' yet for me that only adds to the beauty. If you can dig Monsterworks you can dig just about anything, simply because they don't feel the need to follow any of the rules or bullshit that dominate so much of the metal world. Overhaul is the sound of freedom, and that is what makes it ultimately great.

Find Monsterworks on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/monsterworks

Peculate-The Chain Industry

It's getting on midnight in the sleepy town of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, people tell me I live here, I tell them to shove it. I guess though that any place that I can listen to Peculate in peace is a place worth calling home. You see, Peculate are the music of controlled chaos, they might not make sense on the first, second, or even third listen, but there is definitely something special going on here. This solo project is not the sort of thing to be taken lightly, and if you listen to it in the wrong state it can be a heavy trip. Yet, Ben Norton, the genius behind The Chain Industry has proved he has what it takes to create a genre spanning prog record.

Part of what makes The Chain Industry so fascinating is the way that Norton fuses genres. Simply put, at times it feels like there are two songs going on, or that, as one idea started to fade he just tacked on another, completely unrelated one. Yet somehow, despite it all, it works. Norton has used a few binding elements like off kilter beats, vocal effects and a contrast of light and dark to get a record that is incredibly engaging. The way that Norton puts inhuman screams on top of strange Brian Eno-esque soundscapes shows us a world where your mind is the key. The only way you can latch on too the mysteries of Peculate is through grim determination to understand the mind of a sort of musical genius.

Digestible or not, I'll tell you one thing, Peculate is damn good. Sure, there are a lot of other prog solo projects out there, but I challenge you to find one as mindblowing and unique as this one. Norton has a clearly defined sound and it's easy to fall in love with a man who clearly has great things set in his future. While it may be hard to feel the groove, you can certainly find your way into the great vibes that define this record. Spiralling and powerful The Chain Industry will melt your mind, but perhaps we are better off because of it.

Find Peculate on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Peculate

Lazer/Wulf-The Beast of Left and Right

Groovy and poignant, Lazer/Wulf are not a band to be messed with, in fact, they will mess with you first, smoke your weed and smash in your face. These guys are a pretty much entirely instrumental trio, but they have been known to on occasion bring in a few interesting vocal lines to spice things up. So where does this leave us? Simply with a band who seem set to take over the world with chunky grooves and incredible skill. These guys bring everything together on The Beast of Left and Right with a wonderful 'jam band' type feel, true ascension for all you rock and rollers.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Beast of Left and Right is that it is written palindromically, which means that, for example, the first track on the record uses the same progressions and rhythms as on the last, but they are in different keys. This helps to make something really interesting and exciting, it feels very much like a whole. As if you are finding some sort of glorious heavy metal redemption in the vaguely jazzy, strangely thrashy approach of a band who seem dedicated to busting every possible genre barrier. These guys craft very weird and intricate soundscapes that are surprisingly addictive. Once you spin this record you're going to want to listen again and again.

Lazer/Wulf are exciting and intricate, possibly the most exciting and intricate band to come up in years. These guys don't follow rules, in fact, they seem to be taking rules apart, and then piecing them back together however they see fit. These guys are insanely talented musicians and their skill is almost unmatched by anyone else on the scene today. So open up your heart and let Lazer/Wulf open up your skull, this is instrumental metal madness that could appeal to the masses, driving people insane with walls of sound and earth shattering wails.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/lazerwulves

Wild Lettuce

I first covered Wild Lettuce a LONG time ago back in the good old days of this blog, now they've asked me to write about them again, and by Thor have they developed. I always new Wild Lettuce had some truly stellar musicians in its ranks, but now the bands unique brand of world music inspired jazz fusion is just getting ridiculous. When you hear the band jam through some of their new tracks in live recordings you realize that Wild Lettuce are onto something bigger and better than mere jazz fusion. These are musical geniuses who are crafting a brave new world, with epic and diverse soundscapes that are easy to fall in love with. Technical but not obnoxious, I could see Wild Lettuce getting huge, simply because they are the kidn of band who can wow you from a stage or merely set up in the corned of a crowded cafe. Brilliant without being overwhelming Wild Lettuce are one of the most exciting things happening in jazz today. To finish let me just say, anyone who plays an Iron Maiden medley as cool as theirs deserves respect in my book, and if nothing else, they could become the worlds coolest jazz fusion metal band.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Wildlettucemusic/app_178091127385

Interview with Guthrie Govan of The Aristocrats!

So last night I had the tremendous honor of interviewing one of my favorite guitarists of all time, Guthrie Govan. In our twenty minute interview we talked about his life, his band, music and more. If you're not already familiar with the magic of Govan and The Aristocrats be sure to find them on Facebook!

Guthrie Govan's Facebook

The Aristocrats Facebook!

Enjoy the interview, I'd love to read your comments!

So how has the tour been going so far?

It's been going really well. It's been tiring, perhaps particularly for me. I spent most of December in Indonesia and then flew back to the UK for a few days and then flew to the US and did the first leg of this Aristocrat tour over there and then flew back to Europe. I'm still trying to figure out what time zone I'm in. In every other respect it's been going great. The turn out has been really encouraging.

What kind of beer have you been drinking?

Whatever they've been giving me. I had a scare a couple of nights ago when I saw Bud in the fridge and I thought they were going to try to make me drink that. I refuse on principle to drink Budweiser, or Michelob, or Miller, or Coors, or anything that ends with the word 'Light'. But I've generally found something acceptable.

So what's the best tour beer?

It depends where you are. I think the trick is to go with whatever is local. Certainly in Germany you don't ask any questions. You just say, 'What do you brew here? Give me that' and it works. In the US you ask for an IPA I think that's the thing they do well.

So what does the setlist look like for tonight?

Quite a lot of the new album and some old favorites from the first album. We've pretty much eliminated the need use stuff from our individual back catalogs. There might be one at the end of the set if everyone shouts loud enough. It feels like progress that we have enough Aristocratic material that we have to choose what to play.

Now that you've been together for a couple of years, how do you think you're developing as a live act?

Natural and organically I guess. We knew from the first time we played together and were flung together in a very hectic jam like situation. We all knew that we had something, an unusual chemistry and communicated very naturally. We knew we wanted to be a band because we had experienced something onstage that normally you would need to rehearse a lot more than we did. Fine tuning that... we know we have this chemistry, but what can we do with it. We're seeing more what we can do as writers. For the second album I certainly had a more specific idea of what kind of musicians I was writing for and what kind of music they would enjoy playing. What kind of scenarios would allow them to have fun and do their thing.

So The Aristocrats as a band are getting a more distinct sound?

I think so, we're just feeding each other. The helpful thing is that as a starting point we're all pretty much the same age and grew up listening to the same stuff. It's sort of like we went to school together.

There's a lot of elements on Culture Clash that come across very differently from the first record. What kind of new influences did you have?

There was nothing intentional in terms of influences. We all wanted to keep things varied and make sure we didn't repeat ourselves. The biggest changes would be, in Marco's case deciding he would have fewer crazy time signatures and less of the brain punishing stuff. He was more concerned with just finding a good solid groove and finding something that felt right. It's almost simpler and more focused on the nuances of groove. We also suspended our rule from the first album that their should be no overdubs. There are a few tracks on there where if we thought it needed some spicing up we would do it. The only thing we had to check was 'Does this sound complete as a trio'. Whatever we do it has to translate well live and so we make sure the arrangement is solid as a trio, and make it prettier if need be. The bass solo section in I Don't Know is the most expensive part of the album, there are a lot of overdubs in that part.

Since the bands inception in 2011, you've put out some sort of major release every year, will there be another major release this year and will that trend continue?

We want to keep as close to that as possible. We're all pretty busy doing a lot of other things. We have to make allowances for what our calendars will allow. We definitely have a determination to keep this going. From the start we knew this was not going to be one of those fusion projects where you have a bunch of surnames and you do one album and that's it. This has to be a band, we want it to grow, we want it to have an identity. We want to have a band name (Laughs). All these little things make us feel like our strange little version of Zeppelin or something. Hopefully people can see this thing grow.

You played on the new Steven Wilson record, did the ideas on that album and Culture Clash intertwine ever?

I would say no. Certainly from my part they are completely opposite aspects of me as a musician. In this band I can play anything I want fairly safe in the knowledge that it's not going to offend the other guys in the band because we're so very much on the same page. We're all playing for exactly the same reasons. In Steven's band there's a boss, there's this genius who writes music and has a specific idea of what he wants to hear. Though I have some freedom in that band to an extent I have to keep the session player hat on. It's not all about me blinding people with guitar pyrotechnics. It's about listening to Steven's vision and seeing if I could do that. It's nice to make someone happy. If someone can hear something in their head by can't do it themselves it's nice to make that a reality, that's rewarding. It's great to be a part of the Raven album because I would have bought it even if I hadn't played on it.

It almost feels like after years of obscurity, you're starting to get a very real recognition. How does it feel to be a rising star halfway through your career?

It's nice that more people are listening. I don't want to pinpoint certain events that helped me to reach more people. Probably the biggest thing would be Youtube. I think people cared more about that than they did about me playing with Asia and Asia is a band that sold 12 million albums! But I think touring the world and playing those songs didn't really have any impact on the guitar community for me personally. Then I made my solo album and it was this kind of best kept secret that a lot of people knew about it but the guitar community at large didn't really talk about. Then Youtube happened and it was probably those JamTrack type solos, maybe because it was free or maybe because people like to watch stuff as well as listen to it. Something weird happened there and suddenly there was footage of me playing blues too fast over a MIDI backing track and it would get 2 million hits, I don't know why, I'm not questioning it, whatever works!

I have this kind of love hate relationship with Youtube. I respect it as a marketing tool and know it can do ridiculously effective things. On the other hand it makes me uneasy when I'm trying to play something live and all I see in the front row is a sea of camera phones. What I want to say to those guys is “If you stop filming and just enjoy the moment the music will change. It will sound better because the people on stage won't be uptight and can relax more and do what feels right in the moment”.

A lot of people see a contradiction there. “Why do you hate bootleggers so much when Youtube helped to propel your career”. It's because I respect Youtube so much that I want the best stuff on there.

Talking about your solo record, I've heard rumors that there will be a sequel, so are those rumors true, and if so can we get an update?

The rumors are true, but any rumor you hear that has a specific date is a pack of lies. When it's ready it will come out. I'm not rushing it. I don't feel the pressure to release a solo album ever x number of years. When I have time to invest making music in the same spirit as the first one I will. But it has to better and it has to be different in some way and when I'm happy with it I'll unleash it and hope that other people are happy with it. Right now with the stuff I'm doing with Steven Wilson and with this band there is just no time in the year. This is coupled with the fact that I love being a guy in a band it's nice to be in this trio. Everyone brings their own following, it's not just guitar players with binoculars in the front row. I like the idea that everyone in this band is an equal member and has something to say. Sometimes that feels more like the reason music was invented rather than being on a big podium and saying “Hey, check me out, by the way here's the little band behind me.” I'm more comfortable being a team player.

I remember on the first record there were 9 tracks with each member writing three, was it the same deal with this one?

Yes. Everything is completely democratic in this band.

How many hours a day were you practicing in high school?

I never counted them. I never called it practice. I was a stubborn kind of youngster, if you told me what I was doing was practicing, that makes it sound like work and that would have made me not want to do it. I just played all the time. I never really had a routine with a metronome. I would just put on records and jam along or just try and play whatever I heard in my head. I really don't remember when I started. They tell me I was three. To me it's like speaking English. I hope that doesn't sound smug it's not meant to. It's just that's what happened with my life. I still don't know the rules of football and I can't ride a bike, but I've always found it natural to pick up a guitar and kind of speak with it. When you have that relationship with the instrument it just feels good to spend time with the thing. In high school I certainly fell asleep with the guitar and woke up and went “Woah, I'm still playing”

What do you think would define your guitar playing?

I wouldn't know what to say. I'm probably the wrong person to ask. I've had this in Japanese interviews and really I believe that there are two kinds of music. Good music and bad music. I believe that when a player writes or improvises is a product of everything they've ever heard. You are what you eat musically. I've always listened to a lot of different music from different decades and different genres and instruments because I like all of it. Whatever I do now is some weird blend of all that and I don't feel any pressure to give it a name and say this is 'neo-something'. It's just stuff I want to hear. All I'm really trying to do is reach out to people who want to hear the same things and if we can connect on that level I'll hopefully never have to find a name for it.

If I can just add some of my favorite guitar players have elements of that as well. People like Eric Johnson obviously didn't spend their whole lives working on one thing. With Eric Johnson you hear so many interviews from Clapton to Mlcaughlin to Hendrix. It's all in their and he still sounds like Eric. Even Stevie Ray Vaughn who made a huge impact and shocked a lot of people, you can still hear his musical ancestry. You've got Albert King and Jimi Hendrix but you've also got Kenny Burrel, so he would play Hammond organ licks and stuff like that. So I guess he never really cared about what style it was he would just steal whatever heliked and reform it and deliver it with his personal tone.

What would be your advice to young musicians?

Ask yourself why you're doing this and what you expect to get in return for all the time you spend in music. I think if you know that all the other questions will disappear. I can't tell people how many hours to practice because everyone has different goals. Some people enjoy the computer game aspect of 'I've learned this scale, let's see how fast I can play it' as a kind of hobby or sport and there's nothing wrong with that. There's some people who just wanted to learn a Clapton or Slash lick and be able to play iti in their amp on the weekend in their bedroom and if it sounds a bit like the record they're happy. Then there are people who completely driven. Of the completely driven people you have guys who want to be session players and guys where all they've ever done is write their own music and play that. Guys like Mathias Ecklundh. As far as I know his whole relationship with music has always been; write a song then learn how to play it. There is no correct road to enlightenment.

Finish this sentence for me “I've never told this story before and probably shouldn't but...”

A man and his family walk into a talent agency, and now I should stop.

What do you love so much about music?

I've never questioned it, the same stuff that I love about reading or breathing air. Once you've tasted the experience you can't live without it. I can't imagine ever having a life without music.

Final words of wisdom?

If you seek wisdom you have come to the wrong place. (Laughs) To borrow a Socrates quote from the Bill and Ted film, the only true knowledge is that you know nothing. 

The Aristocrats at Le Zèbre de Belleville

So tonight after a long day filming Enorme TV with Unscarred (Where I met Gus G briefly) I left and went to see The Aristocrats rock the house at a venue I had never visited before. Le Zébre de Belleville is  fun and unique place to see a show. I especially liked the gigantic eponymous zebra that hung behind the performers After a decent length interview with Guthrie Govan and a short talk with Bryan Beller about the latest release from Ephel Duath, it was time for the show to start, after a brief, but excellent opening act, The Aristocrats came on ready to rock the house.

Now, I've been to see The Aristocrats before, but that was pretty shortly after they had formed. They mostly kept to the song structures, and while there was jamming it was mostly kept within the confines of the song. Furthermore, the band played a lot of stuff from their members solo records. All of this was cast aside, The Aristocrats have come together and are now more than just some dudes who play technical music. These are jamming lords who are crafting top notch songs that touch the hearts of people. Tonight the band brought forward a new power I had not thought they had.

Throughout their 12 song set their were all manner of fun and games, showing the incredible skill of the band. Be it in their performances of songs using squeeze toys ( I kid you not), or their charming stories that on one occasion resulted in an impromptu Slayer cover. There is an indomitable might to this band that shows that no matter what they can not be stopped. With a set filled with high powered songs and all sorts of wonderful flourishes, these guys are easily among the best in the world at their respective instruments. Seeing The Aristocrats play is a spectacle and a wonderful treat.

Tonight, I witness something incredible, a testament to the fabulous and beautiful power of music. These three gentlemen are musical lords, crafting legendary jams of the sort that will be spoken about for generations. The Aristocrats are more than just a weird and fun jazz fusion band with a twisted sense of humor, they are masters who are finding new paths in the strange and magnificent world of heavy music. Music that could appeal to the masses as well as the jazz enthusiast, this is more than just rock and roll, this is pure and undiluted aural triumph.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/aristocratsband?fref=ts

Levi Clay's Easy Blues Fusion Guitar

I'll admit, it's been a while since I seriously watched an instructional DVD. I have dark and nebulous melodies as a beginner guitarist, trying to figured out how to play, and becoming frustrated by, 'Easy guitar' DVD's. Four years and thousands of practice hours later, I have to say I think Levi Clay's new DVD Easy Blues Fusion Guitar has won me back to the world of guitar DVD's. From the stellar company that is Lick Library (Producers of iGuitar magazine and countless instructional videos) Clay is coming at you with a DVD that could very well revolutionize your blues playing.

One of the things that makes this DVD especially appealing for me is the easy going way in which Clay presents the material. It is clear that he is an experienced guitar teacher. As he goes through each example he provides a lot of good ideas on how to handle the material and suggests different fingerings. I especially like how every lick is played at at least two different speeds, sometimes more depending on the difficulty of the phrase in question. The overall presentation of each lick is also rather uniform, making it easy to watch and master just one lick.

A key aspect of this whole video is the little gems of theoretical knowledge that will definitely help a beginner blues guitarist. In the introduction of the video Clay does an especially good job of explaining how to mix the Mixolydian mode, arpeggio, and minor pentatonic scale to maximum effect. Furthermore, he does a great job of explaining how guide tones work and how to target them. In fact, there is an especially large focus on reaching the third in licks, and for good reason. This kind of well explained and wonderfully placed theoretical tidbit helps to make this DVD even more useful than it already is.

So how do you best use Easy Blues Fusion Guitar anyway? Well, frankly there are months worth of ideas to practice in here. Not only are some of the licks very tricky, but many present ideas that could easily be fused into new licks. While the main focus is on jazz/blues fusion, blues is also fused here with country and occasionally rock. This gives you ideas that are applicable in a variety of genres, making for even more work. A detailed study of this DVD would entail not just multiple viewings of each lick, but a careful annotation of the (very well presented) tab book. I get the sense, it would be very, very rewarding.

If you want a DVD that will give you all sorts of new ideas for you blues playing and help you bring your understanding of theory to a new level, this may very well be perfect for you. Designed with practicality in mind, there is not a wasted minute. Clay knows how to teach and has created something that is easy to understand and very practical. From the excellent and clear tab booklet found on the disc to the thorough and easy to understand explanations I have no real complaints. If you want to revolutionize, or merely advance your approach to blues music, then get this DVD as soon as you can!

Buy it here: https://www.licklibrary.com/store/levi-clay/54945/easy-blues-fusion-guitar-dvd

The Plum Magnetic

The Plum Magnetic are the kind of free and loose band who defy genres with a sound that borrows a bit of everything. Their soft and laid back tones take elements of jazz, reggae and modern rock to get something that is fresh and unique. These guys aren't following the rules set down by their predecessors, no they are crafting new and powerful music that still could be treated as easy listening. This unique blend of world music features all sorts of instruments that hoary old metal blokes like me aren't normally exposed to like the tabla and banjo. All of these elements come together to emphasize the unique flavor of The Plum Magnetic, these guys are set apart because no other band in the world can really mimic their sounds. These lads are clearly top notch musicians and their compositions are a joy to listen too. if you like music that combines a diaspora of influences into a fresh and innovative whole then this is the record for you. It's frighteningly easy to get lost in The Plum Magnetics music and I'm excited to hear what they do next!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Plum-Magnetic/298885173545409

Ephel Duath-Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness

Ephel Duath, now here is a band who we will be talking about in fifty years. Their new record Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness is avante garde metal at its finest, showcasing the band at the top of their game. These guys have long known what they want to do and they pull it off with even greater aplomb on this record. The jazz influences are clear and the strange approach to their music just keeps things exciting. The long form songs make the listener guess as to what is going to happen next, there is no respite from the unending madness this band provokes.

What you have to appreciate about this record is that it exists as an ends unto itself. It is shaped by its own sheer willpower, this is not an album that is always easy to listen too, but the end result of many spins is very very rewarding. Ephel Duath exist in their own kind of universe, no other band in the world can really do what they do, they are simply too 'out there' ethereal and magical. This is what makes Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness so great. It goes out and gives us a new and majestic record from one of the bands who have been shaping the future of metal for a decade and a half. Adding on to this, we hear, stellar performances from all musicians involved, especially from Bryan Beller and Marco Minneman, the jazz fusion madness is really allowed to prosper with them.

In conclusion, Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness is an album that will blow your mind time and time again. No one in the world has a hope of approaching music like this and pulling it off as well as these four guys. Ephel Duath have done it again, and the future only seems to be getting brighter. This is their best record yet, but I get the distinct impression they could take it to an even crazier level. I sincerely hope they prove me right, and even if they don't this record will stand the test of time as a release that shows all of the undying power that heavy metal has now and forever.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/EphelDuathOfficial

Aeris-Temple

Jazzy instrumental sludge, did someone like, design a record for me to love? Aeris is an incredible French metal band who with their debut release Temple have created something powerful and poignant reflecting the inner magic that instrumetal can have. Not a band to be taken lightly Aeris's new release is something of an incredible debut. The way these guys shape their songs and craft the music into soundscapes of a sort that I genuinely think have never existed before is incredible. Aeris are pioneering a new genre of metal and it sounds like it will be great.

One of the cool things about this record is that it is split into three chapters, Flame, Richard Horizon Robot, and Captain Blood. Each segment has its own separate feel and allows the band to mix in some unique ideas in a logical way. Note though, the segments blend together well and allow for an album that is engaging and thought provoking. Their is a sort of incredible momentum to this record that drives the band forward, even when you think that the album is losing momentum (like in the doomier parts of Hidden Sun) their is a sort of implacable power that will never give up, something that showcases the true might of the band. This very might is what will take Aeris to the top.

In finishing, Temple is a potent release, and leaves the listener begging for more. This is an album that will hold you in thrall, victim to the incredible jazz sludge fusion that Aeris provides. This is the sort of release that will capture the hearts of thousands, not just metalheads, but also fans of jazz, and groovy heavy music in general. In other words, this is an album that is pretty unlike anything I've ever heard before, but it works. And not many bands can really say that about their music. I see Aeris going far and their unpredictable brand jazzy metal will be their key to metal godhood.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/AERISTEMPLE

Caligula-Greastest Hits

Originally I wasn't expecting much from a band whose second album seemed to be a typo prone Greatest Hits collection, I mean, the idea of the album being titled Greastest Hits raises at least a few red flags with any listener. And then I actually listened to the music and was thoroughly impressed by Caligula's fascinating mix of jazz, metal and everything in between for an end result that is rather unique and keeps the listener occupied for hours on end. Their Faith no More inspired tunes have me constantly trying to identify new layers hidden within Caligula's trademark fusion sound.

I love the way the songs flow on this record, they are all simply so unique and just plain different. It reminds me a lot of Mr. Bungle. The strange melodies that dominate the tracks helps to give the music a bit of a theatrical air, adding a touch of the whimsical to an intense musical attack. This furthers the unique appeal of Caligula, their sound is a bit of hodgepodge but it works, because you expect it to be a hodgepodge. Eventually you wind up with a record you can both mosh too and swing dance too, occasionally within the span of the same song, something few bands can claim to do. While some of the songs could be tightened up a bit as a whole the music works very well.

So, if you're looking for a unique breed of metal that will give you a fresh start to your day then Caligula is the band for you. Different from anything I've ever heard before and still very good I'm excited to see where this band brings their sound in the future. Suffice to say Greastest Hits has overcome my initial prejudice against it. Heavy and fun, fast and furious, jazzy and melodic this is a truly bizarre record that shows a potential filled band who seem ready to take their music to a global stage. Signed to my friends on Dooweet these guys can go far. Here's to hoping that 2013 becomes the year Caligula breaks through!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/caligulabelgium

Wild Lettuce

Wild Lettuce are a fresh and innovative world fusion duo who understand how to make interesting and jazzy compositions that appeal to the common man. The sheer skill and innovative nature of this band is perhaps best seen in their excellent cover of The Rolling Stones Paint It Black which simply takes the song to a whole new world of acoustic jazz fusion. They have a vaguelh hypnotic wah inspired soudn at times that really gives the band a strange and ethereal quality. It makes them unique to say the least, and definitely unique in a good way. I also love the dreamy jazzy solos found on many of their songs. It gives the music an otherworldly quality and allows the listener to get absorbed into their layers of sound. Clearly talented musicians, Wild Lettuce are a lot of fun to listen too and they have a very accessible sound that suggests they could become huge in the near future.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Wildlettucemusic

Corbeaux/Volte Face The Meeting Point

The world of post-rock is one that I rarely delve in to. Yet every time I go I become engrossed in beautiful songs that have a abstract ambient quality to them. It is music that is hard to define as it encompasses so many sounds. The Meeting Point furthers this notion with both The Who like anthemic parts and much more laid back bits that drive into your brain and fill you with a beautiful sense of peace. The songwriting is key here and the bands merge together perfectly on this comp, creating a beautiful and memorable piece of art.

For me, the best part of this album is the way it flows. Despite their being two groups they compliment  each other nicely and together craft an album that shows a lot of forethought. Musically this album is not flashy but definitely technical. The key difference between the two bands seems to be that Volte Face is much more ambient, they seem to use a lot more keys, whereas Corbeaux is a lot more accessible, they tend to use some more standard rock parts to add flavor to their compositions. It is a meeting of rock and electro and it actually goes over very well!

In conclusion, The Meeting Point truly is a meeting point of two subgenres of post-music. Rockers and DJs unite on this record for a wonderful transcendent experience that often defies words. The end result is something that seemingly everyone can enjoy. From metalheads too electro lovers this is an intelligent record with a widespread appeal. In conclusion, this is a record you need to pick up if you have love at all for instrumental music that combines rock, jazz, electro and more!

Check out Corbeaux and Volte Face on facebook!

Joan Torres

Joan Torres is a powerful jazz fusion artist whose music can best be described as beautifully dynamic yet ambient jazz that will appeal to both the prog fans and the jazz guys. The melodies are beautiful and there are tons of great solos. His new record All is Fused is a fusion epic showing off 4 stellar musicians flashing their best abilities. The songwriting is wonderful and features a generally prog feel to it. I've always enjoyed this genre of more dynamic and flashy jazz. Metalheads could view this band as an acoustic version of T.R.A.M or something to listen to after having heard Mestis's debut record too many times. Their is just a lot of solid musicianship going on here that grooves nicely and will appeal to most fans of jazz, fusion and prog. With beautiful interwoven harmonies, striking rhythms and fabulous song structures Joan Torres' music will appeal to many and I could easily see these guys getting big within a few years!

https://www.facebook.com/joantorresmusic

Welcome to Limerick

 

Welcome to Limerick is a very interesting and bizarre prog band that is hard to fully describe. Their music is complex and features a lot of really cool arrangements that are very tastefully put together. They take a lot of mathcore and experimental elements to create a distinctly unique sound. The guitar work is often jazzy but filled with a vicious punk energy. There are some really cool solos but they all hearken back to the mathcore gods. The bass work is solid and features some cool almost djenty rhythms. There is a lot of power added to the music too during the heavier bits. Also the bass vs guitar duel at the intro of My Skin Feels Tired is entirely too much fun. The drumming is solid and rather hectic, in the true mathcore style. It has a nice place in the mix and adds a lot of aggression to the songs. Meanwhile the clean vocals seem to be rather metalcore-like. They have a pretty straightforward feel to them. Meanwhile the growls are vicious and sound very hardcore. In conclusion Welcome to Limerick is a very cool and fun band that I think you'll really like!

https://www.facebook.com/WelcometoLimerick

Interview with Bryan Beller of the Aristocrats!

So I recently had the HUGE honor of Bryan Beller answering some questions for me. Some of you might remember his band the Aristocrats from the Review I wrote back in February. Aside from that, you might now Bryan as the bassist in Dethklok.

In this interview Bryan talks about the band and more. In particular he talks about some pretty cool upcoming stuff and we find out a lot about him. So check it out!

Can you introduce the Aristocrats?

The Aristocrats are a rock/fusion power trio consisting of Guthrie Govan on guitar, Marco Minnemann and drums, and myself on bass. We're all songwriters and we all contribute equally to the material we play. We do play a lot of notes but we really appreciatesongs, and we have a lot of fun playing together, especially live.

Who are the big influences on the Aristocrats, and also on your personally?
We all have so many different influences it's hard to summarize them. I love everything from John Scofield to Pink Floyd to Rage Against The Machine. Marco digs The Police, Frank Zappa, and a lot of '80s pop, actually. Guthrie has studied a lot of amazing guitarists, but also has some really obscure influences I'm not sure I even know. We all dig Frank Zappa a lot, which helps the humor aspect of what we do, as well as the improvisational aspect as well.

How do you feel about your first tour?
Our first tour was actually in Japan and Korea, last summer. We discovered right away that we travel easily together as well as play easily together. That matters a lot when you travel as much as we do! We're fortunate that we have the right chemistry for these things.

How do you feel about the upcoming one?
We're all really looking forward to playing as a group for the first time in a variety of European countries. We are a multinational band, with Guthrie from the UK, Marco from Germany, and me from the USA, and we've all traveled a lot, so it's a great experience for us to go to these new places together.

Looking back how do you feel about the debut album?
It's kind of a miracle, really. We're all very proud of it, of course, and the reaction was great and we're grateful for that, bt when we were doing it we didn't know what to expect, especially from each other! We just wrote these songs and exchanged demos via e-mail, and then the next thing you know we're in the studio in Chicago making an album. It was the first time we'd been together since our very first gig, at NAMM in 2011. It could have all gone horribly wrong! I'm glad it didn't. :-)

Can we expect new Aristocrats material in the future? My friends at Petrucci Forum thought that a live album would be awesome!
We are indeed working on a live CD/DVD right now! The shows are already taped and I think they sound and look great. We hope to have it out this December. Meanwhile we are all writing material for a second Aristocrats studio album for 2013. Marco is a songwriting machine and has 3 songs written already. I have one that I just finished.

How do you feel about the future of the band?
Good! We're all much closer friends now than we were when this started, and we've been through a lot together in just 18 months. I think we'll make a lot more good music together in the future.

What is it that made you want to be in a band like the Aristocrats?
Honestly, it wasn't something I'd thought about until after the very first gig we played, which went incredibly well considering we had only one rehearsal. The response from the crowd was so overwhelming that I knew we had to do something. It wasn't like I was thinking about starting an instrumental power trio or anything. So this is just one of life's pleasant surprises. :-)

What do you love so much about music?
I like how it can move people in lots of different ways, depending on the particular listener. If you write a great piece of music, lots of people will see something in it they like, even if it's not the same thing. There is a great Walter Pater quote that says "All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music." I think that's both accurate and profound. 

Elmo Karjalainen

Elmo Karjalainen is a killer prog guitarist from Finland. His playing is at once Petruccie-esque but also its own thing. He has a masterful control over his instrument and his playing is truly something to hear. He is a true virtuoso and will blow your mind to shreds. Needless to say the guitar playing on his work is simply stellar. Its a joy to listen too and very technical. The bass work is pretty heavy and the rhythms remind me quite a bit of those found in some heavier Dream Theater tracks. However it should be noted that the solos take a bit more of a fusion aspect. The drum work is pretty excellent too with some fun rhythms that keep the music going. While I would like to hear some more varied drum parts there is definitely some good stuff to be had here. Some of the older stuff that he plats shows better drum work and is very interesting to listen too. In conclusion, the instrumental guitar wizardry of Elmo Karjalainen is inspiring and his playing is something that you will not soon forget!

http://elmojk.com/listen

Star Monarchy

Star Monarchy is a prog super project featuring members from some of the biggest and most important groups in modern progressive music. This album features members from Periphery, Soilwork, Protest the Hero, Tesseract and more. Our friend Francesco Artusato of All Shall Perish actually recorded most of the guitars! He once again proves his excellence on this record. In addition the bassist, Ray Riendeau, the mastermind behind this project proves his own technical virtuosity. The drum work, which is shared between 4 guys from great bands is also stellar. Finally, the vocals (Performed by no less than 7 singers) are brilliant, but also coherent. They make sure that the album makes sense in context. In other words, Star Monarchy Vol 1 might just be the prog album of the year!

The guitar work on this album is stellar, with something of a djent influence this album still pays homage to the original gods of prog like Queensryche and Dream Theater. The rhythm parts are very solid and could be compared to some of Mr. Petrucci's more interesting rhythm work. I particularly like the rhythm on the first track Biosfear. The lead work here is a lot more fascinating. While there are some pretty crazy solos, which prove the true guitar mastery of Francesco Artusato, there are also some Art By Numbers style leads going on under the vocals. In other words, the guitar playing is extremely interesting and gives a good summary of what the best modern prog is about, weird rhythms, awesome solos, and a lot of emotion. The guitar playing on this album is some of the best technical stuff that you might ever hear and it will never, ever, leave you bored, but you'll certainly be wanting more.

Ray Riendeau's bass playing is one of the biggest highlights of this record. He shows a John Myung-like level of technical genius and he gets to have his own moments of bass madness. His work proves that the bass can be a dominant aspect of a progressive music album. The fills are brilliant and show a true verve and capability. They add so much raw flavor to the music it offers a brand new vista in prog. The drum work (shared by a handful of drummers) is also fairly cool and it varies from the standard prog-rock feel of Pink Floyd to the mastery of Portnoy, with some jazz and djent thrown in. Again all of the playing is masterful and shows some great musicians at their finest. With an intensity and a vibe that can not be beat (heheh) the drumming on this album is just magic.

Finally we have the vocals. 10 songs knocked out by 7 guys. Normally you would think there would be problems with continuity, that the album might feel disjointed and pasted together. Fortunately, that is not the case. Instead the tracks are ordered as such so that the songs seem to naturally go together and the vocals are never too deeply in contrast. This album has really gotten me into some new singers, in particular, Ben Dixon and Mike Semesky. It's really cool to hear all of these guys collaborating and creating something new and fantastic. Lyrically this album is rather philosophical with some very hard hitting intelligent lines. One of my favorites is “You held the image of a wonderful world/And a twice forgotten portrait/Of the loneliness you threw away”. This basically gives you an idea of how these songs are built, epic and beautiful. Overall, the vocals are brilliant and inspiring and really worth checking out.

In conclusion, Star Monarchy Volume 1 is probably my prog album of the year. With a sound that is unique and varied this is not an album that you will soon forget. The guitar work is brilliant and Artusato once more proves his genius. Ray Riendeau shows that he is quite possibly the best bassists in the world with fills that will rock your brain. The drum work is stellar and all 4 drummers bring the kit to a new level with a plethora rhythms and stylings that will never leave you bored. Finally the vocals fit together perfectly and communicate some truly interesting messages in the lyrics. They show the mind behind these wonderful songs. To finish, Star Monarchy is quite brillliant and anyone who likes prog will love these guys! So go buy the album, NOW!