Music Blog

All the music-related posts gathered together in one place.

Today’s unsurprising discovery: finding new music through recommendations from trusted friends is a far more reliable method of filtering out the forgettable mediocrity than promos from record companies chosen on the basis of their overheated PR blurb.

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Tim Hall | 1 Comment

Threshold – For The Journey

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Tim Hall

Threshold - For the JourneyAfter a long gap between 2007′s “Dead Reckoning” and 2012′s “March of Progress”, Surrey-based prog-metallers Threshold are back with another new album, their second since the return of singer Damien Wilson for his third stint in the band.

You know what you’re getting with a Threshold album. Everything you’d expect to hear is here; razor-edged riffs, highly melodic twin guitar leads, huge anthemic choruses, and even the occasional widdly-woo synth solo. Damien Wilson remains a class act as a old-school rock vocalist, and as ever, production is slick and polished.

Highlights include “The Box”, a lengthy number building from a balladic introduction through an frenetic prog-metal wig-out to an majestic climax, and the symphonic-tinged “Siren Sky”, the one number penned by most recent recruit Pete Morton. But the whole album is characterised by strong songwriting and, by the standards of progressive metal at least, tight arrangements that don’t stray too far into self-indulgence. Only the bonus track “I Wish I Could” doesn’t quite convince; the reworking of drummer Johanne James’ song from Kyrbgrinder’s “Cold War Technology” lacks the fire and fury of the original.

It’s true that there is little on this record that’s not been heard before on previous albums. Threshold can be criticised for sticking too rigidly to the formula they established by the end of the 1990s, but that’s beside the point. They are still very good at what they do, and they do have a clearly identifiable sound and identity. Even if this record breaks no new ground, it’s an enjoyable listen and a worthwhile addition to their canon.

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The Pineapple Thief – Magnolia

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Tim Hall

Pineapple Thief - MagnoliaThe Pineapple Thief are one of those bands within the progressive rock scene who take a modern streamlined approach to their music, focusing on textures, atmospherics and strong melodies rather than complex instrumentation. Their last few albums have taken a zigzagging musical course, with the moments of dance/electronica on “Someone Here Is Missing” and the harder-edged guitar-driven sound of “All The Wars”.

“Magnolia” takes a slightly less experimental approach. Perhaps more consolidating than groundbreaking, it comes across as an amalgam of the best elements of their past few records. It’s very song-focussed, all shorter songs, mostly three or four minutes. The emphasis is on Bruce Soord’s vocals, with soaring minor-key melodies strongly recalling one of their best albums, 2008′s “Tightly Unwound”. Steve Kitch’s keys add tremendously to the atmospherics, including plenty of all-enveloping swirling Mellotron. Soord also impresses on guitar, going from Tom Morello-style abrasive blasts to evocative slide playing.

Highlights include the title track and the elegiac ballads “Seasons Past” and “From Me”, but this album is both consistent all the way through and contains plenty of variety; from epic balladry to full-on rock, from big walls of sound to stripped-down intimacy.

This is not only their best record since “Tightly Unwound”, but also one of the most accessible things they’ve done. Despite the tighter and more focussed approach to songwriting it’s still got all the depth of their earlier work. This is an essential album for fans of new-generation progressive rock, but fans of progressive-tinged mainstream rock acts like Muse or Elbow ought to find a lot to like about this album.

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Robert Plant – Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Tim Hall

Robert Plant Lullaby and the Ceaseless RoarThe one time Led Zeppelin frontman returns with the strongest album he’s recorded in several years. More eclectic than than the Americana of his previous record, 2010′s “Band of Joy”, it’s a blend of English rock and folk with African and Middle Eastern sounds, and even the occasional blast of hard rock guitar. While this is familiar sonic territory for Plant, this album has more fire than his last couple of albums.

Backed by a talented six-piece band The Sensational Shape Shifters, Plant is on fine form vocally. There’s also a brief but spellbinding guest vocal from Julie Murphy on album standout “Embrace Another Fall”. It’s all a long way from the swaggering blues-rock of his early career, but like much of his recent output it’s music that suits an artist in his 60s rather than his 20s. There are still a few reminders of days past, such as the electric piano on another album highlight, “Up on the Hollow Hill (Understanding Arthur)” recalling “No Quarter”. While other veteran major-league acts like U2 and The Rolling Stones have been on auto-pilot for years, at 66 years of age Robert Plant has still got something to say.

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Anna Phoebe – Mostar

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Tim Hall

“Mostar” by Anna Phoebe, taken from her forthcoming album “Between The Shadow And The Soul”

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I’m waiting for the BBC to commision an all-star cover of Meshuggah’s “Bleed” being murdered by 1001 fashionable but mediocre guitarists.

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

Haken – Restoration

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Tim Hall

Haken - RestorationHaken are in the vanguard of the latest generation of progressive rock bands. The six-piece came of age with their acclaimed third album, 2013′s “The Mountain”, on which they moved beyond the obvious influences on earlier records to develop a musical identity of their own.

A breakthrough album is always going to be difficult one to follow, and Haken have chosen not to make another full-length album but an EP. Although with a running time of 33 minutes it’s not far shorter in length than many a vinyl-era LP.

There are just three songs. Opener Darkest Light is dense and complex stuff, all spiky staccato metal riffs and off-kilter vocal harmonies. In complete contrast, Earthling is a thing of fragile beauty, mellow and atmospheric, a sweeping vocal melody atop shimmering interlocking guitar arpeggios, which breaks and changes gear at exactly the right moment. The record closes with Crystallised, a kaleidoscopic 19-minute epic with jazz-inflected instrumental workouts, a cappella vocal harmony sections, eventually building to a huge anthemic climax.

You can still hear some of their influences; the frenetic left-field jazz-rock of Zappa, the quirky harmonies of Gentle Giant, the technical riffery of Dream Theater, even a hint of the Canterbury Scene at one point. But ultimately there’s nothing derivative about this record, and they stand head and shoulders above most generic prog-metal bands; their undoubted instrumental prowess is always in service to the song rather than flashy showing-off. An important element of their distinctive sound is Ross Jennings’ vocals; neither the traditional rock or metal frontman, nor the whining style of much contemporary indie-rick. Add to that the fact that the whole band sing and you get the potential for interesting use of vocal harmonies.

“Restoration” is an impressive record. Haken have the instrumental virtuosity and musical scope of the best in progressive rock, but unlike some other bands they aren’t content to create reverential pastiches of 70s greats. Instead they create ambitious and complex music that actually sounds like something from the 21st Century.

This review also appears in Trebuchet Magazine.

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Luna Rossa Album and Tour

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Tim Hall

Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa are now taking pre-orders for their second album “Secrets and Lies“, following on from last year’s superb “Sleeping Pills and Lullabies”. As well as the all-round talents of Anne-Marie Helder and Jon Edwards it also features guest musicians including Tim Hamill on guitar, Sarah Dean on Celtic harp, Andy ‘Wal’ Coughlan on double bass and the Luna Rossa String Quartet.

The band are also embarking on a short tour at the beginning of November.

  • Cardiff The Gate, Saturday 1st Nov
  • London The Borderline, Sunday 2nd Nov
  • Bilston Robin 2, Sunday 9th Nov

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AlithiA – Thirteen Revelations

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Tim Hall

Interesting mix of progressive textures and post-rock guitars from Australia

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Northern Oak

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Tim Hall

Want some folk-metal with cookie-monsters, flutes and fiddle that comes from Yorkshire rather than Finland? Of course you do!

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