Muziekrecensies
‘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 … lees verder
Whoever says Focus, says Thijs van Leer. The band has been around for over 50 years, fans of all ages visit their concerts. So too on Sunday afternoon 29 October in De Bosuil in Weert. The youngest fan was still in primary school age. Before the concert started, visitors were welcomed by Peter Verkennis of … lees verder
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 … lees verder
Poor Genetic Material is a prog band. For the album ‘Elsewhere’, they worked with a smaller line-up. As a result, there are some differences, but also definitely similarities with the earlier albums. ‘The Colour Of Happiness’ has a pleasant mid-paced start. The rhythm section has an important part which is nicely complemented by higher notes. … lees verder
‘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 … lees verder
‘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 … lees verder
‘Foxtrot’ is perhaps Genesis’ most beloved album. In honour of the fiftieth anniversary of this album, guitar virtuoso Steve Hackett planned a tour. He was joined by Rob Townsend, Nad Sylvan and Amanda Lehmann, among others. On ‘Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton’ you will not only hear tracks from the album … lees verder
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, … lees verder
Multi-instrumentalist Duncan Parsons’ previous album ‘On Earth, As It Is’ (2022), received rave reviews. In the past ten years, he released six official solo albums. The new album is called ‘I’m Here, All Weak’, which is a throwback to the past. Because 15 of the 17 songs were on one of those 6 albums. There … lees verder
Fortunately, the second day of Bruis Festival in Maastricht was sunny. Pendejo was allowed to open on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. On this occasion, they were on stage with an XL formation. That means there were two extra horns with them, namely: Joost Verbraak (sousaphone, trombone and trumpet) and stand-in Isaac McCluskey (trombone). VolcánPendejo opened … lees verder