Rick Ossian – Power Of Metal.dk

Koen Herfst – Leo

Rick Ossian — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 01:28:15 +0000

Dutch drummer Koen Herfst is back with his second solo album, Leo, following 2016’s Back to Balance. Koen’s CV reads like a progger’s dream; he’s worked with After Forever, Epica, Anneke van Giersbergen, I CHAOS, Dew-Scented, and his own blues-rock band The Cards, among others. He’s also been voted Best Hard Rock Drummer of Benelux 5 years running. He also runs his own drum festival, HERFSTFEST, and co-organized the biggest drum event ever in the Netherlands in 2000, Drummers on the Beach, with his friend Cesar Zuiderwijk of Golden Earring. In addition to playing the drums, Koen is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Leo is a project near and dear to his heart, as it is mainly a tribute to his father who passed away during the work. Some beautiful piano playing from Koen’s father is also included in the music on these recordings.

Leo begins with July 20, 1984, a track featuring a metal cacophony intro, with Cookie Monster vocals and dark, foreboding riffs. Angel vocals, plodding riffs and super metal riffs follow,m and of course the keys. Some serious bass work and overall jamming on this number.

Dream Away is next, and is a sweet jam with clean vocals and busy drumming. A good jam, but not quite as heavy as the first or the next tune. Realization of the Inevitable features a cool drum intro and some cool rocking riffs, almost metal machine riffs ala Rammstein. Coffin and Carriage features more HM riffs. Bereaved is a lovely piano piece. Saying Your Name Out Loud includes super HM riffs, and almost leans towards thrash here and there.

D(e)ad has a creepy piano intro, and like many of the tracks is obviously about Koen’s father. I See Myself also has HM riffs. Are You Out There Somewhere? almost made me cry. Simple Life is a short piano piece. The title track follows, and is a dramatic, sprawling prog epic. All We Have is Now is the closer for today, and it rounds things out rather nicely.

Bottom line is this, folks: if you are into prog metal, and particularly the drumming end of those types of proceedings, then Leo is for you.

Teramaze – Are We Soldiers

Rick Ossian — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 00:31:37 +0000

Blazing into our consciousness from down under come Australia’s Teramaze with a muscular, powerful new album, Are We Soldiers. These blokes have no less than a half dozen recordings under their belt already, and are confident in their metal skin. From what I’ve been able to ascertain thus far, Melbourne‘s metal men are into the longer numbers, which is good for us prog metal heads. There are also a few more ‘normal’ length tunes on board as well, perhaps as a bid for FM airplay? Let us hope there are radio stations that still play music of this magnitude.

Fight or Flight is up first, and it is a slice of AOR metal, if you will, with some very pretty piano work. The title track is up next, and it is a solid, chugging jam, again almost FM-friendly. There is an excellent guitar bit at about the four-minute mark.

Control Conquer Collide is an almost 8-minute beast. It is a very upbeat tune with keyboards playing a big role. From Saviour to Assassin features more of this distinct heaviness. Orwellian Times features solid HM riffs and good clean straight vocals, as do most of the tunes on board here. Some big keyboard things happening, and another wonderful guitar solo at about 4 1/2 minutes in.

Next up is Monsters, and it boasts a keyboard intro with some vocal FX. “I’ll never trust anybody again”, a voice tell us. Yikes! This is another possibly FM-friendly number, and features a duel between keys and guitars. Weight of Humanity includes a VERY busy drummer, and more heaviness. There are some very funky HM riffs going on here, and a beautiful piano interlude at about 3 1/2 minutes in.

Fact Resistant Human is not quite as heavy as the other tracks, but is still very good. It is mostly keyboard/drum heavy prog, if you will. The One Percent Disarm is a good heavy prog number, almost thrashy at times. It features big chugging HM riffs and clean vocals.

Our closer for today is the big one, Dispopulate. It is a 12-minute behemoth, and it is obvious from just one listen that these boys saved the best for last. This is a total JAM, folks. At about 8 1/2 minutes in we also get a wicked guitar solo. Excellent stuff, very solid material!

Bottom line is this; if you like your prog heavy, then check out Teramaze! Top marks!

Pattern-Seeking Animals – Pattern-Seeking Animals

Rick Ossian — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 00:54:09 +0000

Those of you who know of Spock’s Beard may have heard of P-SA. These fellows are ‘art rock/progressive based in Los Angeles’, and one listen to their debut should convince anyone of that. Opener No Burden to Carry starts things off in pretty proggy fashion, but then who would expect anything less from this outfit? According to John,’the 2nd album is already well under way‘. Evidently his original intention had just been a place to find for his ‘extra songs’. So, for those of you keeping track, P-SA began as an outlet for those. As things progressed, it became evident that they wanted to take the material out on the road and play it live. I just adore stories like that! By the way, do songwriters/musicians normally experience such a song surplus? Inquiring minds would love to know.

The Same Mistakes Again, while a bit shorter than its predecessor, is just as potent and muscular. It is more of a mellow number, almost a ballad. There is some wonderful guitar and piano work throughout. It has its rockier moments, as do the majority of the tracks. There is something grandiose, a bit stately, if you will, about this particular number. It has an urgency, but it also has a corner on timing that most melodic ballads may lack. These guys can rock your face off, but they can also tug at your heartstrings.

Orphans of the Universe is up next, and it is another behemoth prog number. A full ten-and-a-half minutes in length, dare we use the word epic here? There are, of course, two others of comparable length, No Burden to Carry and closer Stars Along the Way. I think we may learn something here, as John has told us that it doesn’t ‘matter really about song length – we wanted to instill chord changes and shake things up with the short ones as well’. Normally when we think of prog, we think of longer numbers. However, I think it can clearly be stated that sheer length for the purpose of length is a waste of time. If the tunes aren’t musically interesting, then why widdle away for 10 or 20 minutes?

No One Ever Died and Made Me King gets 5 cool points just for its title. This and the next four jams are all shorter numbers, which of course makes them eligible for ‘prog radio’, if there is indeed such a things anymore. Shout out to Asheville, North Carolina’s Asheville FM and their program ‘Closer to the Edge‘, who have already played the single! Bottom line is this, folks; whether you like your prog short or long, P-SA will definitely be prog perfection for your ears! Dig in!

TheNightTimeProject – Pale Season

Rick Ossian — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 08:38:59 +0000

If you go into this next listen with an open mind, then that is probably best. TheNightTimeProject is a prog metal collective of sorts, but their music is a bit frightening. Those who are feint of heart at best may want to steer clear of Pale Season in particular. I must confess, I was a bit freaked out by the entire recording. Readers should know that yours truly is on medication for depression, and THANK GOODNESS for that! When listening to these fellows, it is probably best that one NOT be depressed. This stuff can be positively suicidal – that is, until you begin to focus a bit on the lyrics.

Avid prog metal readers may know North from his work with Katatonia. TheNightTimeProject has been going since about 2010, for those of you keeping track. Pale Season is that notoriously difficult sophomore effort, having released their debut in 2016. A couple of personnel changes and world stages later, and here we are digging their latest. Let’s take a look at the tunes, then, shall we?

Opener Hound features some eerie piano and vocal FX. This is kind of a creepy one, and never really quite takes off in my opinion. Rotting Eden, by contrast, is more of a heavy metal dirge – plodding along like a Triceratops. It does feature some heavier guitars, and a nice chugging rhythm. Some good vocal work as well. Binary begins life with a nice guitar intro. There are some angst-ridden vocals, which seems entirely appropriate, given the nature and the attitude of the tunes. This one is kind of creepy again, but it does have some good vocal vibes.

Final Light is a longer, more ‘epic’ prog number, if you will. It also has some heavy metal barre chords, then some cool fuzzy vocal FX. It is another creepy tune, so i guess we can call this a pattern now. Embers has rock riffs and more power chords, plus some nice vocal work. This one is almost exultant, and is a melodic headbanger even, at times.

The title track has a spooky intro, some subdued keyboard work, and is an ominous number. Don’t be scared, reader – things will get better – or worse – mbwahahahaha! Anti Meridian is up next, and this one is very dark, with some extremely heavy riffs. It also features another FX intro, giving way to guitars and drums pounding in our faces. This is a somber, cool, chugging riffer – and its a long one – almost six-and-a-half minutes.

Signals in the Sky is the follow-up, and it’s even longer – almost 8 minutes. It is an upbeat rock number with heavy metal riffs, female vocals and a wicked cool atmosphere – couldn’t ask for more, right? Well, let’s hope so, for North’s sake! Meridian is a very somber, droning dirge, and is today’s closer. Those of you who have been reading may be concerned, but never fear – you may just dig thenighttimeproject – if that’s your thing. I’m not sure if this one is for everybody…

Nad Sylvan – The Regal Bastard

Rick Ossian — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 13:17:33 +0000

Those who know of Steve Hackett‘s solo work will know of Mssr. Sylvan. This particular release is part 3 of the Vampirate Trilogy, beginning with 2015’s Courting the Widow. This is Nad’s third LP for Inside Out, and 5th solo LP overall. I was particularly impressed with the line-up, but not quite so much with the tunes. Oh, they’re good, don’t get me wrong. I guess I was just expecting more, especially when one considers the muscle behind the proceedings.

I Am the Sea starts things off for us in fairly mellow fashion. Soothing keyboards and some pretty decent vocals, with a nice guitar solo thrown in about six minutes in for good measure. Oahu, by contrast, is a bizarre little ditty featuring some light drumming. Whoa (Always Been Without You), is the latest single to be launched from the record (#3), and it is filled with prog flights of fancy.

Meet Your Maker is a bit rockier, and features some beautiful piano runs, as do most of the other tracks. There are some nice female vocals backing here as well. The title track is a monster, almost 12 and 1/2 minutes in length. The sheer size alone is daunting, but upon listening we get much, much more. This is a ballad of sorts, with strings and orchestration. There is a nice spacey jam about 7.45, then a nifty little guitar solo about 9 minutes in.

Leave Me On These Waters is a mellower track again, with a bit of a bluesy shred solo at the four-minute mark. Honey I’m Home is a strumming affair with keys featured, and is instrumental save for an occasional angelic choir. Diva Time tells us to “All rise“, then proceeds to jam. This is sort of a soulful number, replete with lots of guitar work and bizarre vocal FX; “Who are you? Judge or jury?”, inquires Nad. The closer is actually a bit of poetic license, as Sylvan adapts The Lake Isle of Innisfree to a cool guitar and vocal showcase.

Bottom line here, folks, is that this one is for completists for the most part. Listen if you will, at your own discretion. Some very good work here, but consistency is a bit lacking.

Until Rain – Season V

Rick Ossian — Mon, 27 May 2019 20:41:56 +0000

If you are a fan of big production prog – massive tides of guitars, majestic, grandiose piano runs, big heavy chops from the engine room, and skyward-bound vocals – then you will most likely adore Until Rain. These chaps have been in business since 2008, and they hail from Greece. They already have some recordings under their belt, from 2009’s Reign of Dreams debut, 2011’s Pandemic EP, 2013’s Anthem to Creation and 2015’s Injure. Their latest, Season V, is fantastic stuff. Prog heads far and wide are going to rejoice when they get their hands on this one.

Season V veers from gorgeous piano ballads, such as opener Inner Season and In Times of Despair, to super-heavy jams like Ascending and Time Escape. There are moments of contemplative keyboard washes where we believe we are in Dreamland, then there are moments when they just rock your face off!

Running finds us delving off into a bit heavier territory, and Patti is a disturbingly deep, contemplative piece of heaviness with some very good vocal work. Qualia features a toy piano intro and some serious bass. It kicks in at about the 220 mark, with a nice lead solo at 245. Things get disturbingly heavier towards the close.

Miracle is heavier again, and Restart features another excellent solo at the 230 mark. Stay is a majestic piano jam with grandiose breaks. Another guitar solo at 315. Sort of a pattern developing there. The Long Break features some nice female vocal work. A Land of Nothingness is a bit scary, and with Time Escape we end on a heavy note – again! I must say I am a bit bigger fan of their heavier stuff, but the mellow piano dirges are okay – just a bit moody is all! As mentioned above, if piano production prog is your thing, then you definitely need to check out Until Rain!

SOTO – Origami

Rick Ossian — Mon, 27 May 2019 19:46:47 +0000

Vocalist extraordinaire Jeff Scott Soto, whose CV includes Sons of Apollo, W.E.T., Trans-Siberian Orchestra and a brief stint with California cheese rockers Journey, is here with the third release from this latest outlet for his recorded output. Simply entitled SOTO, this is a band away from the others, Jeff insists. Origami follows 2014’s Inside the Vertigo and 2016’s DIVAK. There is an incessant energy on these tracks, from beginning to end.

Starting with a bang, HyperMania leads the charge screaming and stomping all the way. Ditto the title track. BeLie, while slightly less heavy, still could be heavy AOR easy, which is kind of what is happening here. Though there are times, particularly those mentioned above, where the boys lean more towards the heavy. There are a couple of tracks that lean towards the ballad-esque; those are Torn and Give In to Me. Again, both have their heavy side. As a man once told me, you can have no light without the dark.

So when one listens to SOTO’s latest, what should they expect? Plenty of heavy rock, for one – those who are hungry for hair metal should go straight to Detonate and Dance With the Devil, the latter of which is supercharged with heavy hairiness! After Glow, Vanity Lane and World Gone Colder also have their charms. You should also expect moments of cheesy heavy metal balladry, though not many, thankfully! For the most part, these tracks as a whole will make you want to stand up proudly and stomp your feet whilst banging your head and drinking your drinks! If that sounds like something that you are into, then this is definitely your bag. If you are in it for the proggier side of things, then you may be somewhat disappointed. Choose wisely though, brothers and sisters. SOTO will rock your face off if you let them!

Whitesnake – Flesh and Blood

Rick Ossian — Wed, 15 May 2019 13:17:10 +0000

Some of you folks out there may not be as excited as I was when this one came across my desk (okay, my inbox). I can assure you, these fellows have not lost even a step, regardless of the fact that a few of them could be picking up retirement pension pay soon! Coverdale sounds comfortable in his own skin – it is an adulterous skin, no doubt. Oh, yes, the sexual innuendos are still there. The double entendre is still there, of course. If Coverdale didn’t sing about carnal knowledge, we might think that there is something seriously wrong with him! No worries, there. In fact, some of the titles may titillate just a bit!

I am going to give Trouble Is Your Middle Name the award for coolest title, closely followed by Shut Up and Kiss Me, Hey You (You Make Me Rock) and Well I Never. One can almost imagine Cov saying the latter to a finely dressed female model in a video…draped over a Jaguar…or any car, for that matter! While sizing up the line-up, I couldn’t help but notice long-time Snakemen Reb Beach (formerly of Winger) and Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, etc.) were still on board, and that makes me smile. I have no worries when it comes to the other members. They all sound like they can hold their own just fine.

Two tracks surpass the six-minute mark, which strikes me as ever-so-slightly different from the norm on this particular recording. They are Heart of Stone (almost 7 minutes!) and Sands of Time. With length, you know, comes solos, but I don’t mind. If you do, you may want to keep searching…Of course, Whitesnake has had their share of epic tunes – who can forget In the Still of the Night? When I Think of You (Color Me Blue) is the requisite power ballad. You pretty much can’t have a hair farmer album without a power ballad. Of course, that was back in 1987. Then again Whitesnake was huge in 1987! Jump on board and come check it out.

Arch / Matheos – Winter Ethereal

Rick Ossian — Fri, 10 May 2019 23:44:49 +0000

Those of you who are firmly ensconced in the Fates Warning camp will doubtless have heard of these fellows by now. Winter Ethereal is the more-than-worthy follow-up to Sympathetic Resonance. This slab is brought to us by the folks at Metal Blade, and normally I wouldn’t have served up a verdict so late in the day for these fellows, but I couldn’t STOP listening to it. In fact, I am listening to it as we speak! Even on a smart phone, or a stupid little PC with stupid little speakers, these guys really come through sounding incredibly powerful. Arch/Matheos are on a mission – they mean business, and are not mucking about. Listening to Winter Ethereal will melt your face off!

If you are not a fan of Fates Warning, then I suggest you get on board. Of course, the argument in most metal head camps when it comes to Fates is who is the best singer – Jon Arch or Ray Alder. In my opinion, they have been blessed with two beautifully capable vocalists. Nuff said. As I was saying, if you are not a Fates fan, then Queensryche, perhaps, or Savatage? Dream Theater also comes to mind – the focus, of course, is usually on the singer, who is normally somewhere up in the heavens. These prog metal stalwarts also employ plenty of heavy musicianship, including lots of solos and some incredibly powerful beats and rhythms. Check your heartbeat – if you’re not pumping a little extra, then maybe get up and bang your head or tap your toes a bit! You must get into this stuff, particularly if you are a prog metal head. Even if you are just a regular metal head!

As with all or most of these progressive metal outfits, there are shorter numbers and longer numbers. The shorter ones, believe it or not, are sometimes designed to fetch radio airplay. Of course, with many of your prog metallers, that simply does not work out. Ask Dream Theater or Iron Maiden sometime how much FM airplay they get. Of course, in your larger markets, you will most likely hear either of those bands on a regular basis. Not so with Arch/Matheos, or Fates Warning, for that matter. How ever, do not let that discourage you, dear reader! Dive right in, and enjoy the latest from what is clearly a band to be reckoned with!

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso – Transiberiana

Rick Ossian — Fri, 10 May 2019 14:02:33 +0000

Any of you who are up for the ride are in for some seriously classic prog here. First of all, you need to be aware of a couple of things; Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, if you couldn’t tell by the name, are an Italian rock band. There home is Rome. Therefore, it would be extremely helpful if a person – oh, say, a writer, a blogger, a critical, cynical old fart, like myself, would KNOW how to speak Italian!! Well, sad to say, I do not, but I do know a bit of Spanish, and I studied French in high school. Believe it or not, both of these languages have bearing on learning Italian. Needless to say, I WANT to learn Italian. Banco have been around forever (since 1968, if memory serves), and the only cohorts that I know of to speak of would be Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) and Le Orme.

Second, since we are dealing with an Italian band, there are Italian lyrics and vocals, natch. Don’t let that stop you from listening. Listening to the language is a thing of beauty, in my opinion, and we are stepping out of our comfort zone, so don’t be afraid. Also, the music is worth staying for. There is only one brief interlude (Lasciando alle spalle is only a minute and 45 seconds), but it is a lead piano interlude, if you will, and actually could develop into an entire song if allowed the opportunity.

Aside from the studio tracks, the two closers are definitely worth sticking around for, particularly Metamorfosi. That tune and Il ragno were both recorded at the Festival Prog di Veruno 2018. Sounds like a wonderful place to listen to some old school Italian prog! Any of you who are still questioning whether or not it would be worthwhile to check out an Italian prog act need only listen to Transiberiana for the answers!