Threshold / Dividing Lines Nuclear Blast 2022

Threshold its been around for a while now, since their debut Wounded Land and consecutively changin singers they have managed to keep it fresh and with every new effort they have known how to survive. Dividing Lines finds the Band at their peak in to creativity, RIchard West on the hambient Keyboards, Karl Groom on those electric passages and great atmospheric soloing,

The band's debut album, Wounded Land, was released in 1993, taking its name and some thematic elements from Stephen R. Donaldson's novel of the same name. Wilson was unavailable to join the band for the follow-up tour, and so Glynn Morgan was recruited to replace him. He sang on the band's 1994 second recording, Psychedelicatessen, Threshold left their longtime label, InsideOut Music, in 2006 to join Nuclear Blast Records. Guitarist Nick Midson left the band in early 2007 for unknown reasons. The band released Dead Reckoning Glynn Morgan has come to rplace Daamian Wilson in two opportunities after Wounded Land, their debut from 1993 and for Legends of the Shires in 2017 So we are in front of this 2022 release which bring us back to a more melodic Threshold yet the heavy riffing and the great drumming effort from the Band stays the same since Hypothetical from 2001, Johanne James on Drums and in 2003, bassist Jon Jeary left and was replaced by Steve Anderson. It has taken me quite some time to relate to some of the more intricate themes like on The track the Domino effect, which is over 10 minutes long. there is nothing unfamiliar on the record, solid guitar riffing great druming and bass playing, the recording is very bright in sound. theres the more heavier songs like Complex and King of Nothing, where we can hear the heavier side of Glynn's voice. Rodrigo Trupp for Música en Progreso

Secret Sphere Blackened Heartbeat

Towards the end of the nineties and beginning of the two thousands, Italy gave birth to a renowed Power Metal style Bands: Rhapsody, Labyrinth, Secret Sphere and Vision Divine. The style was re animated by this four bands releasin albums around the same time, Rhapsody released Legendary Tales in 1997 Labyrinth, Return to Heaven Denied in 1998, Secret Sphere, Mistress of the Shwadowlight in 1999 and Vision Divine self titled in 1999. I guess we could say this are the Big Four of Italian Power Metal.

Secret Sphere have released their second album since the return of Vocal Virtuoso; Ramon Messina in 2020, since then they edited Lifeblood in 2021. and now we have Blackened Heartbeat. Its no surprise to find all great ingredients to make this album a good listen, the speed the heavyness the Power and the Symphonies are all present to me a bold effort during times in which such genere is a bit redundant. But whats important is that this new effort is a great example of craftmanship among the peers, Roberto, Aldo and Andy are joined with the Powerful Drumming by Marco Lazzarini since 2013 to present and Gabriele Ciaccia − keyboards since 2009. Secret Sphere is one of the best Power/Symphonic Metal Bands and they still have the Power on turning each of their albums into Masterpieces, my wish now is that they record a Live Album but this time with Ramon on Vocals, would be the coolest thing to see since they are touring right now. Im not going to review each song cause thats your Job to get the Album, Im going to say that in general the album keeps building up from good to Intense and to some Extreme Metal is also featured towards the end of the Record, which also comes with a very nice Cover Graphic Art. Rodrigo Trupp for Música en Progreso (The Progress in Music Pages)

Progressive-Rock-Metal Part two

Legacy-Roots and Resurgence

North American Bands like; Ice Age, Shadow Gallery and Magellan, (mostly under the Magna Carta Record label),  appeared around the same year as the now almost “Cult” Classic, When Dream and Day Unite, Dream Theater’s first record released in 1988. On this my second part of reviewing Progressive Metal I'm also focusing on its other coming, which has produced new ensembles, offering a variety and new fusion in styles, here are some examples.

                  Fear Factory, USA, coming from a different and probably Heavier style fear factory was Metal before Prog, and the usage of Growling came handy yet only secondary to their sampling,Electronic and at times rapped Songs, since 1989 the band has released nine full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of styles, Fear Factory are contemporaries and probable precursors of the genre’s and subsequent resulting Bands like Anacrusis. 

    Strapping Young Lad, Canada, Before the Name "Devin Townsend", appeared resonating to a broader audiences, the "Man" had have been part of crossover Band SYL. Taking things to the extreme, yet combining experimental; Electronics, Choirs, Growling, and sometimes Maximum Speed, Gene Hoglan also from Testament and Former of Thrash precursors, the still nowadays powerful Sounding "Dark Angel"(the Band), formed part of the group towards its latter works, the Album "Chaos Years" tells their story from 1994 until its dissolution up to 2006.

          Evergrey, 1995, Gothenburg,  Sweden, they've released 11 albums between 1998 and 2016, their most recent one its The Atlantic, Singer took the role of fronting American band Redemption since 2017.

           Evergrey has explored the more accessible aspects of the Art and the darker with Hymns of the Broken released 2014. 

               Porcupine Tree, UK, dates back to 1987 formed by Steven Wilson along with Opeth , have cultivated a taste for exploring both worlds of "Prog", sometimes Pink Floyd, Sometimes Beatles and the Heavier, not my favorite mix, but the Band seems to have a huge following and is or was very prolific. I recommend their conceptual double record The Incident from 2009, which is their 10th studio album and  their last to date.   

                 Gogira, France, Active since 1996, another exception to the rule, Gogira mixes Godflesh, Tool and Metallica, the result sometimes is Extreme Death, due to Growling and maximum speed, but the progressive moments are memorable,also their themes deal with green Peace, sort of Ideals.

                   Leprous, Norway,    since 2001  has released 5 albums since 2009, been their most recent Malina 2017, which continues the tradition of redefining and re inventing, The Prodigy and Massive attack’s reminders are there yet strictly hidden, in contrast with some more somber influences or hints from bands like Saga and Jeff Buckley.  Leprous started as a Black Metal Band.

                  Opeth, Sweden, started in 1989, and has released 13 full lengths between 1995 and 2016. Another gem from Sweden have received acclaimed support from other Musicians like; Mike Portnoy, Kamelot, and Fates Warning.

They Mix Folk, Prog and also Death Metal.

                Spheric Universe Experience, France,1999 they've released 4 Discs, the latest in 2012 Entitled “The New Eve” which deviates from their more structured earlier works, into different and more abstract territories, always with a good twist of well blended Heaviness, their sound Live is impressive, they released a Live In London, featuring only 5 songs, three songs ranging the 5-7 minute format two the 9-10 minute length, worth the check out, the singer uses a variety of tones, overall abstract at some times.

             Myrath, from Tunisia pays homage to heir faith in their Arabic and North African Roots and follow a folklore-oriented style in Music, which dates back within the early 2000’s, their mixture of percussion, oriental and pentatonic scales makes their Music more Classical than any other before them, their most representative work I believe is 2011’s Tales of the Sands, which is less commercial than their 2016’s Legacy.

       
        Thought Chamber, USA formed in 2006 and with two impressive albums released 2007 and 2013, they represent the American Influence from Bands like Boston, Kansas and Styx, cultivated or followed by Bands Like Dream Theater, to my surprise, fronted by Enchant’s singer Ted Leonard, who to me, does a much better Job here, the Music flows into uplifting instrumental pieces touching a variety of territories memorably.

                  Haken, was formed in 2007 in London UK, they have released 6 albums between 2010 and 2020, In 2017 Mike Portnoy joined the band on tour.

Also incorporating some "Monster" vocals or Growls, Syncopation and some expressionism in their Music Haken its an interesting but not easy to assimilate  type of Music, still very original and at times reminiscent of similar bands like Periphery and Plini. 

           Redemption, USA, 2001 to Present has included several members from other bands in it like Symphony X and Fates Warning and Armored Saint, with solid influences on all the aforementioned bands, Redemption inclines also to a more symphonic, yet darker arranging to suit Ray Alder’s voicing or for Evergrey's Tom Englund who is now singing for the Band, the result is both Progressive and Malmsteenian, (due to Ingwie's Orchestrated approach of the instrument), it has its very interesting movements of music, guitarist virtuoso Vernie Versalles, formerly with both Armored saint and Fates Warning it's also part of the Band.

                   Riverside, 2001, Poland 

An excellent and well blended bunch of great executioners at each of their instruments, Dark and Melancholic and Heavy, but no extreme.

They have that distinctive sound that was made popular by Deep Purple mixed with some Marillion, Great guitar work too, they also remind me of Roger Waters.

          Headspace, UK, active since 2006  The Band features Keyboard Player Adam Wakeman, and to me one of the best singers in the genre  Damian Wilson who had work with Father Rick Wakeman, The band follows the British Progressive in the lineage towards what Band mates Threshold had previously done, yet Headspace include some Darker arrangements extended instrumental parts, still giving enough space in their songs for acoustic melodies and quiet ambient, Album recommended is "All That You Fear is Gone" 2016 released on the Inside Out Label.

                 Symphony X  USA, 1994 Another exception to the rule this time, due to Symphony X tendency to go power metal, yet and nevertheless inclined to Expressionism, and interesting blend of Speed and also Symphonic arrangements accompanied by the amazing singing of Russell Allen, on of the best singers Ive heard.

Along the years Russell Allen and other members of the Band have contributed withe several other Bands from the Genre. 

               

       Caligula's Horse, Australia,

2011 their Music has changed from Bloom 2014 to In Contact 2017.(both released on Inside Out Label)

A new and Fresh Progressive Metal approach in which each musician shines without the need of extended tracks

Up to date they've putted 5 records as of 2020.

Rodrigo Trupp for Música en Progreso April 2020 (Quarantine)

Testament. Thrash Kings

After Metallica broadcasted their famous "One" Music Video Clip, an Avalanche of good Visual Material dropped in front of our eyes as, every week the MTV, Infamous Head Bangers Ball, Bombed us with great shorts of all sorts, it was the time in which I would go and seat and watch the TV show which broadcasted all the best good Music happening at that moment, the year was 1989.

Thrash Metal, a combination between Punk in terms of the lyric's thematic content, the speed and raw sound of the earlier Motorhead and the Speed Metal created by no other than Metallica, is a prolific Music Style and as such it has created its own Form of Art.

Testament is one of the Bands that came from the Bay Area, along others ; Like Forbidden, Death Angel or Exodus, some of these outfits are still proficient, touring and making Records.

Therefore; Dark Angel, Forbidden (both Bands experienced a short but good come back in 2012-2014), Death Angel, Exodus and Testament are considered or they should be recognized as the Big 5.

These last three have experienced a re success, due to this resurgence of Thrash, Metallica and the Big four are still around. 

Testament in my opinion have bonded back better than never and had produced four of the most wonderful albums on recent years and since the reunion of the original line up, (minus their Drummer) and with a few line up changes the Band has released: The Formation of Damnation 2008 Dark Roots of Earth 2012 The Brotherhood of the Snake 2016 and Titans of Creation 2020.

I had the chance of finally seeing them in my Native Chile at the Santiago Metal Fest in 2013, along Anthrax and Forbidden.     Unfortunately I was not there a year later when the Forefathers of Thrash 'Dark Angel" performed, at that same Metal Fest I believe in 2014. The group had never played live since its dissolution after their Time Does Not Heal Classic album from 1991.

Thrash Metal had its peak in the mid-towards late 80's, most bands coming from San Francisco in California, "The Bay Area", the movement had a new Start during a festival to fund raise money for Chuck Billy singer of Testament, who had  Cancer at that time, the Thrash of Titans tour 2001, was the benefit concert which gathered: Heathen, Death Angel, Exodus and Vio-lence among several others.

 

Since this faithful event, Death Angel, Testament, Forbidden and also Dark Angel have remained active some on and off and Thrash Metal is still raging on; Kreator, Sacred Reich, Overkill, Whiplash, Sodom, Nuclear Assault, Metal Church are a few examples of how this Underground movement reaches still popularity around the Globe, probably thanks to its rich Musical content and achievement.

Testament are: Chuck Billy Singer, Eric Peterson Guitars and Vocals, Steve Di Giorgio Bass (formerly with Death), Gene Hoglan Drums (former Dark Angel Drummer) and Alex Skolnick Guitars.                                 

Check their Latest  Titans of Creation album from 2020 on Nuclear Blast Records, its full of great songs, the full speed thrash-death metal; Curse of Osiris, the memorable opener Children of the Next Level, the more Intricate-Progressive Ishtar's Gate, every political lyric and against corrupt society themes are all explored, there is even space for a very Dark Choir, Instrumental-Orchestrated song at the end of the record titled Catacombs. 

Without a doubt Testament have become one of the most important and interesting Bands in this pure, Re developed, re Invigorated and more Technical New Wave of Thrash Metal Music Scene.

Rodrigo Trupp for Música en Progreso. April 2020

Arch / Matheos Winter Ethereal Metal Blade Records 2019

Yes Winter Ethereal is better than Sympathetic Resonance, the Band now with the inclusion of Steve Di Giorgio and Frank Aresti, original Fates Warning bassist Joe Dibiase, Sean Malone Joe Vera and a bunch of other luminaries complete the guest musicians involved this time on the Project , my suggestion is buy the record and you'll get the full picture on who plays where!

Jon Arch is an underrated Artist, he was Fates Warning original singer and was featured on Night on Broken 84, Spectre Within 85 and Awaken the Guardian 86.

Since No exit, Ray Alder took the Job and apparently Jon disappear until resurfacing for a two track Arch Matheos's first collaboration in the mid 90's.

The longest tracks on this record; the opener Vermilion Moons, Wrath of the Universe and the closing Kindred Spirits are as intricate and as complex in the Vocal department as in the old Fates Warning days with a modern approach in recording and each guest Musician contributing brilliantly to the final product, in a way similar to Guardian Knot another Ensemble putted together by Jim.


A worth the Listen Album, Jon Arch's vocal register hasn't age a bit, or maybe as aged well, Matheos's emotive soloing and arrangement is relevant to the extend of no use of keyboard, which have been a feature in both Fates Warning and O.S.I. the Electronic Progressive Metal project that as we all know includes Kevin Moore, the Keyboard Player.

In Short Words and exceptional come back from two of the most gifted and tight Musicians in Prog Metal, no Keyboards here!

Rodrigo Trupp  for Música en Progreso Quarantine March 2020

A Few Words About John Wetton

 

 A year ago, one of my heroes Died, when it happened, I was in Chile, I live in the USA, but this time, I was there staying for a year, after an absence of 12.

It was a Hot Summer in the South of Chile, my Native Country, where I spent most of my Schooling and Formation years.

I Had live in Spain for over 7 years, early in my youth, My dad, would help me record Music straight from the TV set, to a one Mono-Cassette device, I was 9, when I landed back, in my home land, and I brought a bunch whole of cassette tapes along, and I was glad I did, everything was different, the TV series I use to watch in Spain, where way different from the ones, the Chilean TV would broadcast.

Although Music was always happening around me, as far as I can remember I was introduced to Music through my Older Sister, she played guitar and sang, and would listen to The Beatles, Queen and E.L.O. cassette tapes, among the many others, there was always American Folk Musicians from the seventies involved within the menu of the day too; Peter Paul and Mary, Cat Stevens, Elvis and from Argentina Sui Generis, were a big part during my growing days.

It was in Talca, this beautiful and, still Spiritual and captivating City, about 150 miles south of Santiago the Capital of Chile, where I met some neighbors and learned about their many other preferences and devotion for bands like: Genesis and Yes, it was then when I first heard of Asia, through a Friend’s, cassette Tape, in which he had recorded a song, from the Radio in Santiago, a song that had been played heavily on radio stations around the globe, It was the single/tune; Only Time Will Tell.

I had been listening and absorbing all kinds of Music since I was a Kid: Mexican, Spanish - Italian Pop Singers from the seventies, Flamenco, TV Series Scores, etc, my Father used to listen to German Marching Band’s Music, so I always wanted to explore and pick up as many different styles of Music as it was possible at that time, when there wasn't many sources, like it is right now.

My father would travel due to working reasons, to The Capital City, Santiago, at least once a month, and he would bring me different imported cassettes, some of them where really bad recordings, but some of them where Original Epic, or CBS, Columbia record’s cassette tapes straight made and imported from the USA.

On one opportunity, I had the chance to go to Santiago, it was the summer of 1982, in December, Asia’s eponymous record had been released a little before, I went to a record store, and made sure that this particular song, Only Time Will Tell was in it, the rest didn’t really mattered.

Credited as a sell out, Corporate top market oriented super group, since: John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe, the musicians involved on the Band, were all previously members of other well known British bands.

Truthfully; Asia’s self titled first album-record, released by Geffen Records, the company responsible for putting their Music and group together and out to the public, Changed the Music Business and inspired other music outlets, happening in the market during the early 80’s.

 Asia, bound two known Styles, shaped back in the seventies, by bands like Deep Purple en Genesis, and putted them together.

The band’s musicians Despite the bad Press given, were 4 of the finest talented musicians at the time, who also fused the more majestic sounds from Eloy, plus hints of Kansas and another Asia, the American band who were their contemporaries and had the same name.

Apart from any speculations or criticism, their music had much to say and it did, it landed number one in the USA, staying there for numerous weeks.

Asia was not only about the hit singles Only Time Will Tell, which had that uplifting keyboard intro, or Heat of The moment, the album cover had the amazing famous oriental Dragon, chasing a pearl, drawing made by Roger Dean well known by his previous work with Yes and Uriah Heep.

The record also features Wildest Dreams, which has no resemblance at all, with the work of any other band, from that period, often compared with Boston or Journey, bands which music Style is awfully often known as AOR (Adult Oriented Rock).

The aforementioned bands composed mostly songs, within the ABBA structure, while Asia’s Wildest Dreams, holds a powerful and bombastic Instrumental intro, with a metric pattern that reflects the more experimental styles of progressive rock, while Sole Survivor and Time Again, portray that heavier approach, and sound quality,  explored only by the bands, each member had been with before, consequently, giving, the group a whole different and fresher identity, therefore, that influence was passed straight to groups like; Europe and influenced the Progressive Metal style which emerged towards the mid 80’s with bands like Helloween.

The revival of the Band happened in 2006, their former members hadn’t played together since the release of Astra, in 1985, it’s been said, that Steve Howe, was able to rehearse songs for that record, but he left shortly after and was never featured on the recording, instead they hired Mandy Meyer, from Switzerland.

For their 25 anniversary of the release of that eponymous album from 1982 the members gathered secretly, rehearsed and toured, surprising every follower of the band, to add gratefulness to it they recorded three albums between 2006 and 2010, year where they putted out their last record with Steve Howe and John Wetton, the first leaving to continue, with Yes, and Wetton’s untimely passing in January 2017.

But Wetton’s Music is not only Asia, yet how he said it once; "...if you have to put food on the table you have to work any how", and he did, he was a session player for Uriah Heep, Roxy Music, among many other side projects he collaborated with, he was a solo artist as well, and was a pivotal acquisition to Robert Fripps’ King Crimson, with whom he was the front man and bass player, through three of their most seminal records, between1973 and 1974.

As a solo artist he worked with numerous musicians from all kinds of backgrounds including the recently deceased American pop star David Cassidy.

His work is prolific, before Asia’s reunion he meet with his twin composer musician keyboardist Geoffrey Downes creating ICON.

When John Wetton Died, it marked the end of an era, the analog era, in which we grew up, with hopes for the future, dreaming of a life full of uplifting moments, an ideal resembled on that keyboard opening of the song, Only Time Will Tell,  a very similar intro-beginning to that of  Europe’s Final Countdown and Van Halen’s Jump, although the idea, might have been taken from, “In the Dead of Night” Wetton’s earlier band, UK, a group that at one point was going to include Rick Wakeman in it.

The days of good inspiring and well constructed and executed music are gone, and along with it, some of the best musicians in that genre, Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Chris Squire, Bowie, Wetton.

Life is short and when someone even much closer to us dies, it makes us reflect even more, yet thank God, we have plenty of good Music immortalized, to be played for ever, to be shared with friends and to be passed to new generations, who are not keen to grow listening to lame new pop trends, back in the day, even commercial music was much more elaborated.

......."the brightest ring around the moon, will darken when I die"......
John Wetton12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017
                                  

Rodrigo Trupp (dedicated to my sister in life Loreto Masot Aguirre ….we will meet again one day)

Circus Maximus Havoc 2016 Frontiers Italy 2CD Digipak

CIRCUS MAXIMUS HAVOC 2016 (Frontiers Italy)

Contemporary Progressive Metal Band Circus Maximus has three strong albums in their career putted out since 2005. In which the group's work gains credibility due to their constant search crossing and using; Symphonic, Power and Progressive Metal. As soon as this album is out, we see people already criticizing the orientation of the music in it and how certain song sounds reminiscent to a Marylin Manson tune. Well I can't care less if it sounds or not like a Marilyn Manson song, cause I never cared about Marilyn Manson, and if a Circus Maximus song gets to sound like a Marylin Manson song, so what? nobody has invented anything here then? I don't normally write long reviews on records and if I do, I also won't analyze song by song,  unless it's a Musical technical analysis of it, which I also stopped doing a while ago, because people usually are not familiarized with the terms and because its time consuming.

Nevertheless Havoc (released in Italy 3/18/16 on frontiers) which I found about just a few weeks away from it's release, caught my attention because I really enjoyed their previous album "Nine" from 2012.

Well Havoc's Cover was kind of intriguing, by just being a 3d mathematical graphic in the shape of a Prism and a Pyramid, so the package itself it's nicely putted as well and has a second CD with the Japan Live Gig in it.

Havoc goes back to Nine, yet evolves differently away from it too and it sounds good, I enjoyed the long songs and mixture between noise and more structured sonic passages, the keyboard is used as an electronic induced sound device more than a polyphonic Instrument, and when using string and horn arrangements, the sound evokes Neo-progressive pioneers; Marillion and Asia. The Album is more than Nine and not more of the same and as I said before, long.

A couple of nights ago I was reading and Listening to Dream Theater's Octavarium, released around 2004. It's believed that they wrote about a concept based on the Octave note and it concentrated on developing from the major chords and stuff, well coincidentally or at purpose, but for good, Havoc has several songs, as it was Nine written on Standard tuned guitars and Major chords, or first position neck Chords, C, Am, Em, making the album's quieter moments very accessible and memorable.

I'm still far from having the songs echoing in my head, so In the end, a follow up to their previous? I say maybe part II which is not bad, the band's instrumentalists shine solo or together and you have the sense that they are doing what they also enjoy best, consistent metrically and a bit innovative on its more commercial song aspects, yet still sounding heavy, just get the record enjoy the Digi Pack, put earplugs on, lights out! and go away with your mind for a moment.

Don't forget that the final stop is the "Loud park Live in Japan" 2012 extra CD. Rodrigo Trupp(03/27/16)