Muziekrecensies
New melodic prog-metal band Temic consists of known members: Fredrik Bergersen, Eric Gillette, Simen Sandnes, and Diego Tejeida. Their debut album is called: ‘Terror Management Theory’. Apart from a few musical rests, there are plenty of twists, details and change of styles in the music. Not all twists and outros are sublime. The contrasts between … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Singer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Kerzner plays in several prog rock bands. He also releases solo albums. His new album ‘Heart Land Mines Vol. 1′ is autobiographical. After and bad relationship, Dave drove away, without a plan; but with suitcase and guitar. He doesn’t only speak about her behaviour, and its consequences, but also about self-reflection. Not everything … Read more, available in English and Dutch
‘T.A.P.’ is an international, instrumental studio band. ‘Paradigms’ is their debut album. They mix fusion, prog and ambient rock with jazz, ethnic influences and soundscapes, among others. There are changes in styles, atmospheres and tempo. The differences in volume between the subdued/mysterious pieces and the rocking parts, for instance, are quite small. Occasionally, there are … Read more, available in English and Dutch
‘Virgin Grounds’ is the new CD by composer/keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel. On this, there are only two new songs: ‘Departure’ and ‘Arrival’. The rest comes from ‘Orion’ (1991), some of the tracks rearranged. You can hear the “synth atmosphere” of the late ’80s early ’90s as early as ‘Departure’, and it persists throughout. Overall, the sound … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Tony Romero’s second album from Vortex is called ‘Zen’. The 9 instrumental tracks are mostly made for relaxation and meditation. Yet the pace in ‘Africa’ is a bit faster than expected. It contains a mix of instrumental (slightly classical) atmospheric elements and electronic sounds. In the restful epic ‘Ocean’, you won’t hear waves rustling, but … Read more, available in English and Dutch
‘The Lightmaker’ is the new concept album by prog band ‘Nine Skies’.A man (Rudy) is living his 1001st and therefore his last life. He describes thevarious characters of the incarnations. The various guest vocalists (including Kristoffer Gildenlöw), clarify these characters. Certain parts of the text narrated, or whispered. There are nice changes in tempo and/or … Read more, available in English and Dutch
‘Nova Cascade’ plays ambient art and prog rock. Electronic sounds play an important role, rhythm is secondary. The start of ‘Sleeping Dogs’ is beautiful. Vocals and music form an ultimate balance. Especially the details of the violin are intriguing. The title track (with flute playing) is exceptionally constructed, but the “percussion” lacks warmth. Real drums … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Guitarist Brian Setzer keeps rockabilly and swing alive. In his long career, he sold millions of records and won several awards. ‘The Devil Always Collects’ is his new album, which features 11 songs. These invite you to sing along, but the high (rousing) tempo makes this far from easy. The backing vocals are sometimes predictable, … Read more, available in English and Dutch
‘Strings From The Edge of Sound’ is the new album of Karmamoi (Italy). The CD contains four new and five tracks from “old” albums. In the calm, new tracks, there are sometimes a lot of layers. The (stacked) vocals are balanced with the music. You can hear emotion in both vocals and music. Most turns … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Starlite & Campbell is a prog.band formed by married couple and multi-instrumentalists Suzy Starlite and Simon Campbell. Because they play so many instruments together and are both vocalists, there is only one guest musician. ‘Starlite one’ is their third album. There is a lot of variation in the music: ‘Saving Me’ has a fairly catchy … Read more, available in English and Dutch