Motoi Sakuraba – After All…
Motoi Sakuraba is an extremely prolific Japanese keyboardist. He started his career in ELP-style trio called “Deja-Vu”. However soon after releasing 1st album of the formation called “Baroque in the Future”, he began a very successful way of solo artist. Unfortunately as most of his works are computer game soundtracks, many progressive rock fans are afraid to check it. So I tell you: don’t be! Most of albums recorded by Sakuraba are really used as OST, but 90% of them are filled with pure, 70s-style inspired symphonic prog-rock! I’d especially recommend prog-lovers to listen to Motoi’s “arrange albums”, as they include special versions of his soundtrack disks. Compositions are much extended there, and he also uses more rock-oriented instruments.
Anyway Sakuraba managed to record some non-soundtrack CDs too. “After All…” is one of the most prog-rock sounding album of this fantastic keyboardist.
Let’s check those great instrumentals one by one:
1. “Sorrow” – album starts with a very gentle introduction. It’s just a short composition played on Grand piano but it’s surely beautiful. Nice start, but rather unrelated to the “real thing”…
2. “Megrim” – …and real thing is of course Sakuraba’s famous non-stop organ & synthesizers bashing! “Megrim” is a truly exciting instrumental filled with total keyboards extravaganza. I know that Motoi is using digital Korg CX-3 and CX-2 organs, but well, they really sound like a proper Hammond organ for me. And he really knows how to use this gear, man! I can also hear nice, fat-sounding bass lines and frenetic drum work. However I couldn’t find who’s playing those instruments here. They certainly seem to be real people, not digital machines…however I have to admit that nowadays it’s sometimes difficult to judge.
3. “Try Again” – after one bombast…comes another one! “Try Again” is a fully symphonic track driven by omnipresent synthesizers and traditionally maniacal organ work. Very similar to Toshio Egawa’s style (from band “Gerard”). Classic sound for me. And final organ solo is SPLENDID!
4. “Not Here” – finally Sakuraba lets us breath for a while with this short, piano-based interlude. Cute little thing. Nothing memorable but nice addition after all.
5. “Stand Still” – oh man, what a ride! Spectacular composition led by ultimately busy Grand piano lines, dazzling Korg organ and speedy bass guitar in the background. It’s not only technically perfect, it’s also filled with catchy jazzy melodies which will simply force you to tap your foot in euphoria. And there are also more peaceful fragments when we can fully enjoy Sakuraba’s phenomenal piano skills. I can clearly hear inspirations taken from Emerson’s “Karn Evil 9″ in “Stand Still”.
6. “Shade Inside Groping” – this track begins with more pompous, slow-moving motif played on mellotron (I suppose samples). It’s very atmospheric and symphonic-oriented. Weeping organ solo in the middle is worth to be noticed too. Monumental piece I think.
7. “Lie” – in “Lie” Sakuraba comes back to his favorite fast-tempo approach. I love the heavy bass guitar sounds here and ultra-cool old-school organ leads/ripping solos. However some of digital synths used here are slightly annoying to be honest (too loud maybe).
8. “After All…” – titled track is another muscular, jazz-rock bordering composition driven by crushing organ and rhythmic piano bits. But there are also few mellow mellotron sequences which are always welcome for me.
9. “The Way” – the longest instrumental on the album kicks off with digital synthesizers layers similar to some recent work of Rick Wakeman, but after few seconds we’re going back to well known territory of mean organ riffs and squeaking Moog lines. Highly recommend composition if you want to check “what Motoi Sakuraba is about”.
10. “Suffering Mind” – album finishes with soft Grand piano “epitaph”. A bit romantic, a bit sad but for sure highly artistic and definitely classical music inspired. Good ending overall.
To sum up: Motoi Sakuraba’s last solo effort is really worth your attention, especially if you’re interested in keyboards-driven prog in the vein of “ELP”, “Trace”, “Refugee”, “Gerard”, “Social Tension”, “Ars Nova” or Sakuraba’s original band – “Deja-Vu”. It’s so full of 70s superb style, that only modern production really betrays it’s age.
If you like this record, I’d also advise you to check following albums of this artist: “Live Concert: Star Ocean & Valkyrie Profile”, “Live 2006 – Valkyrie Profile 2 -”, “Gikyokuonsou”, “Shining the Holy Ark” and “Tales of Series Battle Arrange Tracks”. All of them are a must have for Hammond organ sound lovers (especially his 2 concert albums).
Best tracks: “Megrim”, “Stand Still” & “Lie”.
Track List:
1. Sorrow (1:27)
2. Megrim (5:08)
3. Try Again (4:50)
4. Not Here (1:39)
5. Stand Still (6:13)
6. Shade Inside Groping (4:08)
7. Lie (5:00)
8. After All… (5:50)
9. The Way (6:21)
10. Suffering Mind (2:45)
Line-up:
* Motoi Sakuraba / keyboards
Links:
http://www.sakuraba-motion.com/
http://www.team-e.co.jp/sakuraba/
http://sakuraba.snesmusic.org/
http://www.myspace.com/thebettersakuraba
Jaime Rosas – Flashback
Jaime Rosas is a very talented keyboardist from Chile who gained quite good reputation while playing in progressive metal band – Entrance. However not too many people know that he also recorded few solo albums (sometimes under Jaime Rosas Trio or Jaime Rosas Cuarteto moniker) where he showed completely different face – symphonic prog “wizard”. While first 2 albums of this artist – “Virgo” and “Extremos”, where a bit too modern, electronic sounding for me, Jaime turned into more retro-prog direction from his 3rd studio output – “Creciendo” and even more bombastic, concert recording – “Viajero Astral – Live in Brazil”. However those last two albums were more in the vain of Japanese bands like Gerard or Ars Nova which mix razor-sharp organ riffs with modern, digital synthesizers, the new born “child” of Rosas called “Flashback” sounds even more faithful to ELP style of prog thanks to similar approach to the music and devotion to good, old Hammond organ all the way through (compared with previous stuff Jaime rarely uses synthesizers on “Flashback”). And as an ELP – and in general Hammond-driven prog – fan I have to admit that I love this album!
So let’s check all 6 tracks included on this disk:
1. “Primera luz” – album begins with definitely the strongest composition – 20 minutes long suite called “Primera luz”. This track is a really orgy of mindblowing Hammond organ solos & other ultra-fast passages played in absolutely virtuosic manner. Overall style and those percussion organ effects makes it like XXI century version of ELP’s “Tarkus” but treating it like a simple copy would be very unjust for Rosas as he also managed to mix many other influences as in few slower fragments we can also hear some Rick Wakeman inspired synthesizer moments and in many ways “Primera luz” was also clearly influenced by another South American group – “Nexus”.
As I mentioned, hard-hitting organ is a dominant instrument here but synthesizers (often Moog-like sounding, but I think all gear of Rosas is in fact digital, I’m not sure) and piano surely aren’t absent too, so in general it’s a real prog heaven for such keyboards-driven music aficionados like me.
I’d like to add that just like “Tarkus”, this epic is mostly instrumental but in the middle there are also a brief vocal sections of Jaime Scalpello (in Spanish language) which are quite nice and touching. I want to stress that drums and bass work are competent too, but Jaime’s pyrotechnics are so astonishing that you hardly think about other things than his keyboards.
In the end I need to point one more thing: ultra memorable section which begins from 15:20 minute. This overwhelming, almost Gothic-like Hammond melody is simply fantastic. I have goose bumps everytime I hear this grandiose part. It’s this kind of stuff I always loved in Par Lind Project’s (contemporary Swedish symphonic-prog band) music! Seems that if Jaime will manage to record more of such albums, he have a chance to replace Par Lindh’s position of the most talented prog-rock keyboardist in XXI century. Brilliant!
2. “El principio del ritmo” – another track let as catch a breath after restless keyboards extravaganza of “”Primera luz”. This time we can enjoy very sober, delicate smooth-jazz composition with simple instrumentation: acoustic piano + relaxed sounding electric guitar. Nothing midblowing but it’s a good rest after first 20 minutes of “Flashback”. And surely it’s very original for this artist.
3. “Buenos momentos” – Jaime and his friends come back to bombastic style! This time Javier Sepulveda provides lots of heavy guitar riffs which blend perfectly with Rosas’ swirling organs. Electric guitar makes “Buenos momentos” sound a bit more like Entrance music, but thanks to dominating keyboards we’re still sure that it’s true symphonic style here (however mixed with heavy prog and prog-metal).
Once again I want to praise Jaime for his ear-shuttering Hammond sounds here, they truly cut the air like a hatchet! I think that he listened to Nexus music a lot before recording this composition, and Moti Sakuraba could be another strong influence here. By the way, Moog fragments are also amazing here!
4. “Lejos” – if I had to pick up the weakest track on “Flashback” it would be this one. It’s just a soft ballad with pre-dominant acoustic guitar, piano and discreet digital synthesizers in the background. Rodrigo Godoy’s voice is surely nice, but in general this song doesn’t bring me any emotions I’m afraid. Average.
5. “Memoria” – after slightly dull song called “Lejos”, comes much better instrumental “Memoria”. While first half sounds similar to Pink Floyd (Gilmour inspired guitar soloing of Ignacio Ruiz), in the middle we have a great Hammond solo in the vain of Rick Wakeman’s performance in “Close to the Edge”. After that guitar kick in again and smoothly lead as to the end of the song.
6. “Flashback” – the last composition seems to be an epic, but in fact it sounds more like a collage of different music ideas. Especially the beginning is quite mysterious and experimental in its nature. There are different famous melodies of 70s prog-rock giants played on Hammond organ (in one point you can even hear a brief part of Jon Lord’s organ solo from “Child in Time”!) which are buried under much louder soundscapes built by digital synthesizers. After that there is atmospheric, slow-tempo section with angelic-choir-like synth-background and “lazy” keyboard “plumping”. I’d say that it’s quite similar to J.M.Jarre’s or Vangelis’ progressive-electronic style. But from 5th minute composition picks up the tempo significantly and we enter grandiose fanfare-synthesizers created symphonic wall of sound, which is quickly followed by unbelievably dynamic organ soloing in the vain of the best moments of Keith Emerson! Track finishes with a couple of minutes of baroque-like symphonic prog a la Rick Wakeman, but in the end there is a very humorous oddity as we hear alarm clock and angry yell of suddenly awaken guy! Seems he just had a dream about good, old 70s prog-rock and some God-damned alarm woke him up 
.
In general, “Flashback” is a fantastic recording which is a must have for all fans of retro symphonic progressive rock music, rooted deeply in 70s. In fact, I have to admit that while this kind of style may be “an art just for art” for many people, for me it’s still a classic ‘cos I’m a big admirer of keyboards-led prog and nothing will change it! That’s why (so far…) 4th studio recording of Jaime Rosas immediately became by favorite album of this (2011) year. And I don’t care if elitists of modern music call it “regressive”…
There’s a long list of bands I can compare with Jaime Rosas, like: ELP, Trace, Triumvirat, Collegium Musicum, Sixty-Nine, The Nice, Duncan Mackay, Trikolon or Quill, and their modern “imitators” like Par Lindh Project, Nexus, Little Tragedies, Survival, Gerard, Ars Nova, Social Tension and early Combination Head.
Best tracks: “Primera luz” and “Buenos momentos”
Track List:
1. Primera luz (20:35)
2. El principio del ritmo (5:38)
3. Buenos momentos (6:08)
4. Lejos (5:01)
5. Memoria (6:31)
6. Flashback (10:31)
Line-up:
*Coke Cruz / drums
*Pato Martin / drums
*Jaime Scalpello / vocals
*Ricardo Henríquez / bass
*Javier Sepúlveda / guitars
*Nicolás Figueroa / guitars
*Ignacio Ruiz / guitars & bass
*Alejandro de la Cuadra / drums
*Rodrigo Godoy / vocals, guitars & bass
*Jaime Rosas / synthesizers, piano, Hammond & programming
Links:
Buy album from:
Hammers of Misfortune – 17th Street
So far I’ve listened to 2 albums recorded by this formation “The Locust Years” and “Fields / Church of Broken Glass “. Both of them were filled with interesting prog-metal with surprisingly important role of Hammond organ played by female keyboardist Sigrid Sheie.
Formation’s 5th CD called “17th Street” it’s a continuation of this trend. While I noticed that organ started to play a slightly smaller role in the music, my overall reception of this record is even better than previous stuff of Hammers of Misfortune. I just realized that after few listenings I already remember some of the melodies included here. Maybe for die-hard prog-metal aficionados it’s not so important, but for such symphonic prog-rock fan like me captivating melodies are as much important as technical proficiency of musicians.
Anyway the latest “child” of Hammers of Misfortune includes 9 entertaining songs bordering between prog-metal and heavy prog genres:
1. “317″ – album kick off with powerful guitar and organ riffing in this mysteriously named track. In fact I thought it will be an instrumental composition but near the end pompous, symphonic metal vocals appear. Overall it’s a real introducing punch in listener’s face.
2. “17th Street” – while previous track was more in Ayreon valley, this one has more in common with “traditional” progressive metal style, so lovers of Dream Theater and Symphony X should dig it (however vocals here are much lower than high-registered “shrieks” of James LaBrie). Anyway it’s a rather good, fast-paced and aggressive, but not groundbreaking song.
3. “The Grain” – it’s definitely the core of the album! Fantastic song, really. While it doesn’t have any spectacular solos or new ideas, it has one of the most catchy melodies I’ve heard in prog-metal world. It’s a simple and in the same time amazing composition.
4. “Staring (The 31st Floor)” – definitely the weakest song on the album. Very tiresome and bland. Lots of ultra heavy guitar layers and doom-like vocals. Almost no keyboards at all too. Waste of space on the disk…
5. “The Day the City Died” – and he’s my number two after “The Grain”. Another phenomenal song, very enjoyable in its simplicity. Very groovy rhythm, amazingly memorable refrain and splendid organ/acoustic piano layers. I also love that guitar here is much more in hard rock vain than metal style. To be honest “The Day the City Died” reminds me of Ozzy Osbourne’s material from 80s.
6. “Romance Valley” – speedy power-metal song with breathtaking electric guitar riffing and organ filling out the space. Not horribly memorable but good enough to be used as a “nice” headbanger 
. While listening to this song I think about Japanese band Sigh and their “Gallows Pole” album.
7. “Summer Tears” – surprisingly soft song driven by classical-influenced acoustic piano (yeah, Sigrid Sheie not only blasts our ears with organ but she also can play beautiful piano passages!) and melodic vocals. And those classic-rock sounding guitar solo, ehhh…You will be shocked if you expected another stomping metal, but for me it’s a great song.
8. “Grey Wednesday” – Doom metal organ blasts as from the beginning of the song, but after about 1 minute Hammers of Misfortune comes back to prog/power metal territory. Lots of crunching guitars and dirty Hammond chops make is another decent track.
9. “Going Somewhere” – and here comes an epic. It was inevitable that we will have some epics on progressive metal/rock album. Unfortunately it’s not so exciting as I wished it to be. A bit too repetitive and restless rhythm doesn’t let me enjoy this piece so much. However I don’t say it’s bad ‘cos there are still many good moments, especially some speedy guitar/organ marathons.
In general I’d recommend latest album of Hammers of Misfortune to people who like progressive metal but look for something more than 10+ minutes electric guitar solos where you can hear more dazzling sounds in one second than you can even comprehend… I would say that prog-metal style presented on this album is more sophisticated and casual listener friendly.
If you prefer your prog-metal more diverse and retro-prog rooted like this, I’d also recommend you to check such formations: Ayreon, Sigh, Death Organ, Solefald or Ansur. But I think that fanboys of Dream Theater and Symphony X may also find music on “17th Street” interesting.
Best tracks: “The Grain” & “The Day the City Died”
Track List:
1. 317 (3:39)
2. 17th Street (4:41)
3. The Grain (7:14)
4. Staring (The 31st Floor) (3:47)
5. The Day the City Died (4:30)
6. Romance Valley (5:19)
7. Summer Tears (6:37)
8. Grey Wednesday (3:58)
9. Going Somewhere (10:05)
Line-up:
*John Cobbett / guitar
*Chewy Marzolo / drums
*Sigrid Sheie / organ, piano, vocals, flute
*Leila Abdul-Rauf / guitar, vocals
*Joe Hutton / vocals
*Max Barnett / bass
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/hammersofmisfortune
http://www.hammersofmisfortune.com/
Buy album from:
Don Airey – All Out
Don Airey is a man who doesn’t have to be introduced, I think that everyone knows him as a keyboard-man playing in such famous bands as “Colosseum”, “Rainbow”, “Black Sabbath” and “Deep Purple”.
After fantastic “A Light in The Sky” I expected another masterpiece when I found out that he recorded new CD called “All Out”. Unfortunately it wasn’t so great as I wished. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s still a decent album full of mind-blowing organ play but somehow it’s flat compared with its predecessor. It seems that Don turned too much into headbanging hard rock tunes and slightly abandoned that specific, art-rock feel presented on “A Light in The Sky”. However I have to stress that you will find three totally superb compositions here: 2 highly energetic instrumentals and one mini-suite full of different ideas, believe me or not but they make “All Out” worth checking as fast as possible!
Let’s look into all 10 tracks prepared for us by this famous keyboardist:
1. “The Way I Feel Inside” – album kicks off with very fast-paced heavy metal track in the vain of “Deep Purple”. Not a bad start but could be much better. It’s too guitar-oriented for me as I expects more keyboards-driven stuff, it’s keyboardist’s CD after all… Airey seems to limit himself to simplistic organ riffs here and leaves lots of space for guitarist & vocalist.
2. “Estancia” – and here’s the point where “All Out” really begins for me! According to Internet sources “Estancia” is a first movement of Alberto Ginastera’s 1941 ballet. I never listened to that ballet, but Airey’s version is surely a very “unorthodox” version ‘cos it’s simply mad! Oh man, I haven’t heard such a monster-track from a long time, Airey’s Hammond organ is a true destroyer here, like a mammoth damaging your ears with an incredible power. As far as I’m concerned only Ray Vanderby from Australian band “Cosmic Nomads” loves such huge organ sound nowadays, but Don is much more technical player. One crazy composition filled with Hammond blasts, booming bass, crashing drum beat and one chilling Moog synthesizer solo. A winner!
3. “People In Your Head” – another metal song similar to album’s opener. This time Joe Bonamassa is guesting on electric guitar, but it doesn’t make much difference to me. It’s maybe a bit more AOR oriented than “The Way I Feel Inside” but in general it’s just a simple headbanger. No prog/art rock here. Airey stays in the background with his organ again. Sure letdown after fantastic “Estancia”.
4. “B’cos” – here we are with 2nd instrumental composition. Unfortunately it’s completely different than “Estancia”. In fact such tracks Don Airey used to place on “A Light in The Sky” as short, 1-minute interludes and it was OK than, but stretching it to 5 minutes wasn’t such a good idea. “B’cos” is just a slow-tempo electric guitar solo backed up by Don’s organ & poly-synths. More like a movie soundtrack or radio jingle to be honest. Not a total waste, but rather uninspiring.
5. “Running From The Shadows” – very mainstream sounding AOR song filled with repetitive melodies and pop-like singing. Seems to be inspired by 80s Rainbow stuff. From this point I started to seriously worry if I will come back to this album more often in the future…(BTW Bernie Marsden plays guitar here)
6. “Right Arm Overture” – …fortunately the very next track appeared to be breath taking instrumental which fully satisfied my needs. “Right Arm Overture” is a 7 minutes of pure pleasure for keyboard-prog maniacs. Airey masterfully switches between more complicated, jazz-rock parts and monumental symphonic fragments. I also love that middle-east inspired melody! Real orgy of memorable Hammond lines and crushing solos. In this place I can surely see inspiration taken directly from Keith Emerson, but to be honest Rick Van Der Linden (from “Ekseption” and “Trace”) seems to be even better comparison.
7. “Fire” – I’m not a fan of Jimi Hendrix’s original and I don’t like this cover even more. Simplistic & overlong track with rather annoying vocals. I just don’t like Carl Sentance’s wailing especially near the end of the song. However organ/guitar interludes in the middle are rather juicy, the rest is mediocre.
8. “Long Road” – almost a carbon copy of “B’cos”. Just another overlong guitar solo (this time played by Don’s brother – Keith Airey) placed on synth/organ sounds-capes. It’s not exactly the stuff I expected, that’s all I can say about it.
9. “Wrath Of Thor” – this one is much better! Stomping hard rocker with crunchy Hammond chops and heavy organ riffs. Surely it sounds very much like “Deep Purple” but I don’t blame Airey for this, DP is one of my favorite classic hard rock bands. I can also hear some similarities with American stoner rock band “Blood of The Sun”. Swirling organ solo is stunning here.
10. “Tobruk” – album finishes with a splendid epic recorded in a truly progressive rock style. In the beginning we can hear some strange wind-like sounds and mysterious Grand piano melody, but after a while Airey hits as with a pompous organ blast & Carl Sentance starts one of his best vocals performances on this CD. And what’s next? Everything you should expect from prog-rock suite: frequent tempo changes, furious Hammond and gentle piano solos, Moog flights & deep bass support. I don’t know why but when I listen to it I often think about such bands like “Refugee” and “Social Tension”, both of them used keyboards in equally elaborated fashion to create the best music out there.
Conclusion: while “All Out” includes more fillers than “A Light in The Sky” it’s still a worth having album especially if you’re a fan of keyboard-driven extravaganza and/or classic hard rock. Surely it’s not east to find such music in 2011! If you like such music I’d also recommend you Australian band “Cosmic Nomads” (yes, I mentioned them already), they also know how to mix heavy organ-based music with some more symphonic elements.
Best tracks: “Right Arm Overture”, “Estancia” & “Tobruk”
Tracklist:
1. The Way I Feel Inside (04:23)
2. Estancia (05:37)
3. People in Your Head (05:00)
4. B’cos (04:54)
5. Running From the Shadows (03:41)
6. Right Arm Overture (07:12)
7. Fire (05:12)
8. Lon Road (04:34)
9. Wrath of Thor (04:25)
10. Tobruk (10:29)
Line-up:
* Don Airey / Keyboards, Synths
*Carl Sentance / Vocals
*Rob Harris / Guitar
*Laurence Cottle / Bass
*Darrin Mooney / Drums
*Keith Airey / Guitar
*Joe Bonamassa / Guitar
*Bernie Marsden / Guitar
Links:
Massahara – Massahara
“Massahara” is a rather new Brazilian formation which released its debut, self-titled album in 2011. Music presented on this record is a mix of heavy prog and classic hard rock with some elements of psychedelia here & there. They mostly rely on heavy guitar riffs and non-stop organ blast, so I liked it from the first listening.
CD includes 8 highly-energetic songs:
1. “Contramão” – album begins with a fast-paced rocker filled with dazzling guitars and rather backgroundish organ layers. It sounds really hard (almost “Black Sabbath” alike) and keyboards aren’t so audible here (however one good Moog solo there) but it’s OK. Portuguese vocals are also suitable (I didn’t listen to too many Portuguese language rock records but they are really good here). All in all decent beginner but the best is still to come.
2. “Lugar Ao Sol” – another stomping heavy rocker full of busy guitar riffing and supportive electric piano. Allan Ribeiro’s bass work is also very remarkable, it’s not common to hear so loud bass lines these days… I also love when near the end Ronaldo Rodrigues switches to Hammond organ to play some Ken Hensley-inspired solo.
3. “Cabeça Boa” – rather good song but Fabio Gracia’s vocals are slightly annoying here, too much forced screaming I’d say. However instrumental solos & bridges are good as ever. It’s good that from this point keyboards becomes louder so I can enjoy the record more. Especially extended fragment of raw organ soloing is great. Definitely “Cabeça Boa” was inspired by classic “Atomic Rooster” work from 70s.
4. “Já Nem Ligo Mais” – the longest track (but I wouldn’t call it an epic tough) of this disk is an amazing organ-drenched piece of sheer heavy metal a la “Deep Purple”. Especially middle part with Hammond/guitar interludes reminds me of similar staff by Lord/Blackmore “partnership”. But the most suprising is a very long bass solo! Allan Ribeiro is a man!
“Já Nem Ligo Mais” without doubt is my favorite song on “Massahara”.
5. “Mandacarú” – very energetic song which sounds like early material of German band “Birth Control”. However middle part is a bit darker & almost sinister. Mellotron (samples, as Rodrigues informed me) waves (violin & flute sections) add special dimension to the music too. BTW one riff presented in this song is very similar to Atomic Rooster’s “Throw Your Life Away”, not sure whether it was intentional or not…
6. “Zóio d’ Cobra” – …but main theme from Yes “Heart of the Sunrise” was definitely used here intentionally. However they proceeded it so creativly that I really like this “rip-off” . Anyway Ronaldo rules in this track, his Hammond chops cut the air like a knife!
7. “Tudo o Que Eu Quero” – heavy as tank song with down-to-earth guitar riffs and screamin’ vocals. However beautiful mellotron eruptions slightly soften the atmosphere. In general a bit too noisy for me but not very offensive by any means.
8. “Massahara” – title track starts off with some cosmic sounds of guitar & Moog synthesizer along with hypnotic electric piano bits. Very psychedelic, almost “Pink Floyd” like. Later on it’s most conventional but it’s still satisfying instrumental track. Compared with other material on this disk, it’s much more Minimoog driven.
Good piece to end a good album.
To sum up: Massahara’s first album is a real treat for all fans of 70s sounding heavy prog in the vain of Uriah Heep, Atomic Rooster, Birth Control, Frumpy or Argentinian classic Ave Rock. I suppose it can be also an interesting staff for classic hard rock lovers (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Judas Priest etc.).
It’s a pity that there are not too many such kid of bands anymore and if they exist they’re usually very obscure and have no chance to really shine. Hopefully “Massahara” has a better future!
Best tracks: “Já Nem Ligo Mais” & “Zóio d’ Cobra”
P.S. I’d like to add that if you like such retro-sounding material recorded by newer bands, I can recommend you to check such bands as: Wicked Minds, Black Bonzo, Storm at Sunrise, Electric Swan, Cosmic Nomads, BigElf and Standarte. All of them will please your ears with organ/Moog/mellotron/piano-drenched music.
Tracklist:
1. Contramão (5:58)
2 . Lugar Ao Sol (5:14)
3. Cabeça Boa (6:20)
4. Já Nem Ligo Mais (8:45)
5. Mandacarú (6:31)
6. Zóio d’ Cobra (5:08)
7. Tudo o Que Eu Quero (5:30)
8. Massahara (6:59)
Line-up:
* Fabio Gracia / guitar, lead vocals
* Allan Ribeiro / bass, backing vocals
* Renato Amorim / drums
* Ronaldo Rodrigues / Hammond organ, Minimoog, electric piano, mellotron (samples)
Links:
Le Orme – La Via Della Seta
After quite a long break (7 years) from recording studio material, Le Orme is back! Although this band’s pinnacle took place in 1971-1974 period, last few records were quite promising so I had rather big expectations about “La Via Della Seta”. And I wasn’t disappointed at all! At first I have to take note of line-up changes compared with their previous album. Long time leader of Le Orme – Aldo Tagliapietra and second keyboardist/violinist Andrea Bassato left the band. Replacement for this loss is Fabio Trentini, who plays bass, acoustic guitar and sitar, while the lead vocal duties were taken over by Jimmy Spitaleri (from Metamorfosi fame). Additionally this trio + vocalist formation is supported by guitarist William Dotto and keyboardist Federico Gava. All in all drummer Michi Dei Rossi remains as the only original member of the band, but don’t worry, spirit of Le Orme is still here and surprisingly it’s even more evident than during last few years of this group’s existence! I’m especially fond of Michele Bon’s development who gradually becomes more and more prominent member and his highly symphonic organ/synthesizers/piano passages can be easily compared with Tony Pagliuca’s (original keyboardist) grandiose style.
Let’s proceed to description of 12 tracks included on the disk:
1. “L’alba di Eurasia” – album begins with a BOOM! Very pompous, but energetic keyboards intro which sadly lasts only 30 seconds. After that music suddenly slows down and we can listen to soft acoustic guitar melodies. Very melancholic.
2. “Il Romanzo di Alessandro ” – more dynamic instrumental with floating synthesizers, organ & surprisingly hard edged electric guitar leads/solos. William Dotto is only a guest here, but his guitar playin” is very elaborated and makes this track to sound slightly different than your usual Le Orme’s staff.
3. “Verso Sud” – first song featuring Jimmy Spitaleri is a beautiful ballad very much in the band’s 70s material. You can be easily confused whether it’s Jimmy’s or Aldo’s voice here, they are both quite similar. However Spitaleri seems to have slightly stronger singing style, especially compared with Tagliapietra’s last few offerings. Anyway good song with nice piano and electric guitar background.
4. “Mondi Che si Cercano” – sounds like instrumental continuation of the previous track. It’s a very melodic showcase of all musicians skills, but Bon’s organ and Dotto’s guitar work is the most significant. While highly symphonic piano-only ending (Bon or Gava?) shows the sheer beauty of this instrument.
5. “Verso Sud (Ripresa)” – reprise of “Verso Sud” song with melancholic Jimmy Spitaleri’s vocals.
6. “Una Donna” – my favorite part of the album! Up-beat song driven by rockin” guitar, piano & organ riffs. Spitaleri’s voice perfectly suits this kind of Metamorfosi-like material. The best fragment of “Una Donna” is of course flashy Hammond solo in the vain of Pagliuca’s work on “Collage” album from early 70s. Fantastic!
7. “29457, L’asteroide di Marco Polo” – continuation of previous track is an instrumental filled with more energetic guitar, organ and Moog synthesizer freak-outs. Sadly it’s very short and ends too abruptly.
8. “Serinde” – rather uneven instrumental dominated by too repetitive synthesizer flights. Sounds too modern and “non-leormish” for me.
9. “Incontro dei Popoli” – gorgeous ballad led by folky acoustic guitar, flute-like synthesizer & passionate Jimmy’s vocal. Truly analog Moog patterns are also superb here.
10. “La Prima Melodia” – decent symphonic prog song with nice melody, floating synthesizers, organ background and good vocal sections. Enjoyable guitar and piano solos near the end. Nothing outstanding or original but still OK.
11. “Xi’an – Venezia – Roma” – marvelous instrumental which presents us sheer beauty of vintage keyboards. Tons of classical influenced Grand piano, roaring Hammond organ runs and high-pitched Moog synthesizer solos. One of my my most beloved parts of “La Via Della Seta”.
12. “La via della seta” – the longest song of this album can be described as symphonic- prog power ballad driven by Spitaleri’s magnificent vocal, military-style drumming and (a bit too repetitive in fact) Hammond organ theme. All in all it’s a rather catchy and ear-pleasing closing number.
“La Via Della Seta” is a very solid come back record which should satisfy all new and old fans of the band. Lovers of RPI music deeply rooted in 70s are highly advised to check this out ”cause style presented on the latest Le Orme’s release clearly evokes such classic formations like Metamorfosi, Murple, PFM, Il Rovescio Della Medaglia or Il Paese Dei Balocchi and at most Le Orme’s own splendid past (especially such albums like “Uomo Di Pezza”, “Felona E Sorona” and the most guitar oriented “Smogmagica”). It’s good to know that Le Orme remains a top notch Italian prog-rock band, while other legends like Metamorfosi, Murple and Il Rovescio Della Medaglia so far where unable to pull off equally good material in XXI century.
Best tracks: “Una Donna” and “Xi’an – Venezia – Roma”
Tracklist:
1. L’alba di Eurasia (2:03)
2. Il romanzo di Alessandro (2:56)
3. Verso Sud (3:14)
4. Mondi che si Cercano (3:16)
5. Verso Sud (Ripresa) (1:21)
6. Una Donna (1:38)
7. 29457, l’asteroide di Marco Polo (1:08)
8. Serinde (4:25)
9. Incontro dei Popoli (4:55)
10. La Prima Melodia (5:33)
11. Xi’an – Venezia – Roma (4:36)
12. La Via Della Deta (6:05)
Line-up:
* Michi Dei Rossi / drums, tubular bells, Glockenspiel, cymbals, Bhayan
* Michele Bon / Hsammond C3 organ, piano, synthesizers, keboards, back vocals
* Fabio Trentini / bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitars, ducimer, electric sitar, back vocals
Featuring:
* Jimmy Spitaleri / lead vocals
* William Dotto / electric guitar
* Federico Gava / piano, synthesizers, keyboards
Links:
http://www.le-orme.com/
http://www.leorme-officialfanclub.com/
www.myspace.com/felonaesorona
Nuova Era – Nuova Era
Nuova Era is definitely my favorite band from so-called second wave of Italian symphonic rock scene. Compared with other formations included in this category, they started career pretty early and recorded first album in 1988 (“L’ultimo Viaggio”) when retro-prog was definitely still very unfashionable. Until 1995 Nuova Era released another 3 studio albums and then they called it a day in 1997. Thankfully in XXI century band’s leader Walter Pini (keyboardist) decided to resurrect Nuova Era moniker together with two new musicians: Guglielmo Mariotti & Davide Guidoni, who were previously playing’ in prog-rock trio Taproban.
In 2010 Nuova Era prepared self-titled compilation which includes 3 tracks recorded by this new line-up (and originally placed on Colossus Projects’ “The Divine Comedy” albums), 3 demos/remakes recorded by previous incarnations of the band and 3 live versions of Nuova Era’s early material (concert from 1989). Maybe this description doesn’t promise anything spectacular, but I can assure you that “Nuova Era” offers much more than it seems.
1. “Lasciate Ogni Speranza…Voi Ch’entrate” – albums kicks off from a high note! Opening composition (originally included on “Dante’s Inferno: The Divine Comedy Part I” box-set) is the heaviest thing I’ve ever heard being played by this band. Walter Pini’s blasting Hammond organ and Moog battles are truly magnificent, but I’d like to especially mention extremely catchy Grand piano passages which work very well above those thrilling mellotron eruptions. All in all of those keyboards instruments create unbelievable suspense & truly horrifying tension like from a horror movie (it was meant to describe hell after all!). Emerson inspired organ solo in the middle is also terrifying, but saxophone (played by guesting Alessandro Papotto) freak-outs near the end are too noisy and distractful for me (but it’s only small complaint).
2. “Canto VII” – similar in tone with the previous track, “Canto VII” (originally included on “Dante’s Purgatorio: The Divine Comedy Part II” box-set) is another highly enjoyable piece of music. Maybe even slightly darker and more sinister sounding. Extremely melodic, up-tempo piano and organ passages are the main entertaining factor here, but I also have to mention double electric guitar attack (Guglielmo Mariotti & guest Salvo Lazzara) which sounds truly crazy (some distorted, dis-harmonic effects but everything restrained, no heavy metal here . Anyway once again I have to praise Pini for his extraordinary, perfectly arranged organ solo here!
3. “Canto II” – last instrumental recorded by new line-up (originally placed on “Dante’s Paradiso: The Divine Comedy Part II” box-set) is the mellowest and probably the weakest one compared with preceding bombastic killers. But do not misunderstand me, “Canto II” is still great. This time except his usual organ, Moog, piano and mellotron, Walter adds also clavinet (harpsichord?) to the mix.
4. “Dopo L’infinito (Remake Version)” – 1997 remake version of Nuova Era’s suite (original placed on “Dopo L’infinito’, 1989) is surprisingly superior to its original! It’s a shame that this line-up wasn’t able to release any albums back in 90s ‘cos especially Riccardo Vello’s voice is truly remarkable. While Alex Camaiti sang very good in all first 3 LPs of the band, I have to admit that Vello’s vocal skills are even better. Anyway as I said this version of “Dopo L’infinito” sounds better than original (which I also love of course!) not only because of different singing style but mainly because of much more advanced equipment used in 90s by Walter Pini. While in 80s he still had to use digital keyboard emulating organ sounds (not so bad, but far from “real thing”), here he already owned real Hammond and it makes a difference! Organ runs sound really mean and gritty on remake version, and there are much more of them. Moog, mellotron and this incredibly catchy clavinet sound perfect too. While the whole structure of the epic isn’t so much different, vintage gear & more capable vocals helped a lot to enhance it. However lack of electric guitarist in this line-up maybe a mistake for lovers of original version. Anyway “Dopo L’infinito” remains a wonderful symphonic prog-rock suite equally influenced by RPI scene as well as British classics as ELP or Yes.
5. “Io E Il Tempo (Demo Version)” – demo of “Io E Il Tempo” suite (its final version was released in 1992 on “Io E Il Tempo” album) isn’t much different from album’s final version and I don’t see too much sense in including it on this compilation, but for newcomers it’s surely another highlight here. Tons of analog keyboards, fuzzed guitars in the background and often screamy vocals, all of it and much more is here for you!
6. “L’ultimo Viaggio (Swing Version)” – short excerpt from “L’ultimo Viaggio” mini epic (originally on “L’ultimo Viaggio”, 1988) re-recorded as some kind of swing/light-jazz instrumental. Sounds odd, but in fact it’s really entertaining. Walter’s piano is very joyful and up-tempo all the way through, but my favorite part is harmonium solo, not an usual instrument in prog-rock world.
7. “Cattivi Pensieri (Live Version)” – live recordings unfortunately don’t sound too good here. Most of the time mix is just too noisy, synthesizers too loud and high-pitched, while the guitar is too heavy and almost overshadows Pini’s keyboard work. But I suppose all of these flaws are caused by poor recording devices used on this particular concert. Anyway “Cattivi Pensieri” live sounds much more metallic than original placed on band’s debut. Sound quality is muddled, by you can clearly hear Alex Camaiti’s hard edged guitar riffing. It’s not that bad, but prefer original by far.
8. “La Tua Morte Parla (Live Version)” – I didn’t like original version included on Nuova Era’s debut and I don’t like it here even more. Such raw-sounding version of this over-experimental track is big tast of patience even for such long-time prog-rock lovers like me. 10-minutes of very noisy half-baked solos, sound effects, rough vocals and non-melodic synth passages. Was it unsuccessful attempt on Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso or King Crimson style of prog? I don’t know, but I’m sure that it’s just not the style of these guys, they should stick to mix of melodic RPI and ELPish keyboard-driven symphonic music as they usually do. BTW, why did they directly steal sound collage “E5150″ recorded by Black Sabbath and incorporate as intro to “La Tua Morte Parla”? It really sound almost the same!
9. “Epilogo (Live Version)” – my favorite live recording. Not as noisy as previous two. “Epilogo” is a well-written prog song, led by passionate vocals and atmospheric organ waves. Guitar/synthesizer interludes in the second part of the song sounds very interesting for me too.
“Nuova Era” compilation can be considered as a very good album for people who wish to start exploring this band’s music. I’m sure that it will give them quite clear presentation of Nuova Era’s style and convince them to check their studio releases as well. In general it’s recommended for Italian prog-rock fans and keyboard-drenched symphonic prog aficionados who also like such bands like ELP, Trace or Refugee. If you like this music you should also check another band from Italy called Taproban. There are many similarities between Nuova Era and Taproban.
Best tracks: “Lasciate Ogni Speranza…Voi Ch’entrate”, “Canto VII” & “Dopo L’infinito (Remake Version)”
Tracklisting:
1. Lasciate Ogni Speranza…Voi Ch’entrate (Inferno) (6:17)
2. Canto VII (Purgatorio) (6:41)
3. Canto II (Paradiso) (6:22)
4. Dopo L’infinito (Remake Version) (17:45)
5. Io E Il Tempo (Demo Version) (14:28)
6. L’ultimo Viaggio (Swing Version) (3:54)
7. Cattivi Pensieri (Live Version) (6:33)
8. La Tua Morte Parla (Live Version) (10:33)
9. Epilogo (Live Version) (3:04)
Line-up:
* Walter Pini / Hammond organ, piano & synthesizers (all tracks)
* Guglielmo Mariotti / bass (tracks 1-3), guitar (tracks 2-3)
* Davide Guidoni / drums (tracks 1-3)
* Riccardo Vello / vocals (track 4)
* Claudio Rovai / bass (track 4)
* Alex Camaiti / vocals & guitar (tracks 5 & 7-9)
* Enrico Giordani / bass (tracks 5 – 9)
* Gianluca Lavacchi / drums (tracks 4-9)
* Ivan Pini / words (tracks 4-5)
+ Alessandro Papotto / saxophone (track 1)
* Salvo Lazzara / electric guitar (track 2)
Links:
http://utenti.multimania.it/walterpini/
http://www.myspace.com/walterpini/
Uriah Heep – Into The Wild
Uriah Heep comes back with another studio album after extremely enjoyable “Wake The Sleeper”. While “Into The Wild” isn’t as great as I wished it to be, it’s still a very solid release which should satisfy all band’s fans. Just like preceding album it’s clearly rooted in Uriah Heep’s glorious past, so you can expect tons of Hammond organ riffs (no other keyboard here!), dazzling guitar solos and usual mix of energetic hard songs and more complex quasi-epic tracks. I’m glad that these heavy prog dinosaurs are still able to pull off such entertaining material, without selling off to modern trends.
“Into The Wild” consists of 11 new compositions:
1. “Nail on the Head” – unfortunately album begins with definitely the worst UH’s song I’ve heard from ages. Main guitar riff sounds like it was looped to playback again and again so Mick Box could go for lunch earlier! Also Bernie Shaw keeps repeating the refrain until you feel exhausted, so in general “Nail on the Head” is a very boring, repetitive experience. What a shame that they decided to promote this good album with such a turkey. Even their 80s new wave heavy metal was much better than this crap. The only redeeming factor is guitar solo in the middle which is classy as usual.
2. “I Can See You” – next track is so much better! It’s still a bit too mainstream for me, but at least it’s a memorable tune with neck-breaking tempo, heavy guitar licks and roaring organ backing. I can add that somehow it reminds me of “Devil’s Daughter” song. Anyway it’s a real start of the album for me. Let’s just forget about opening flop…
3. “Into The Wild” – my favorite track from this release. Essence of 70s style heavy prog with thundering organ/guitar delivery and dark, thrilling vocal. I love Lanzon’s Hammond B-3 solo, very energetic and very “hensleyish”. I hope it will become new UH’s concert favorite, it deserves to be placed on band’s live track-list for sure.
4. “Money Talk” – another ground-shaking number with even meaner organ riffs reminding me of Jon Lord’s work in Deep Purple. Especially last minute of the song is drenched in heavy organ spectacular madness. Only quasi-refrain “Down for the money” sounds too goofy and irrelevant here for me. The rest is splendid.
5. “I’m Ready” – Uriah Heep keep rockin’ like there’s no tomorrow in another song. Up-beat, frenetic rock’n'roller with flashy organ & fiery electric guitar tones. Brief B-3 solo part in the middle, preceded by guitar one is especially worth to be mentioned.
6. “Trail of Diamonds” – first mini-epic of this album is called “Trail of Diamonds”. First half of the song is very mellow and ballad style with Shaw’s melancholic vocal, melodic Hammond melodies and acoustic guitar licks. But at 2:20 minute Box suddenly kicks off with guitar riff…taken directly from “The Magician’s Birthday” epic! But it’s only couple of seconds and after that Uriah Heep proceeds to most energetic part of the song, which is equally good as the slow paced one. In the end musicians come back to melancholic mood with typical for them “AAAAA” chorus-like singing. In general it’s equally well-written song as “What Kind of God” from “Wake The Sleeper”, but of course it can’t be matched with such magnificent lengthy compositions from 70′ like “July Morning”, “Pilgrim” or “Paradise/The Spell”.
7. “Southern Star” – more radio-friendly mid-tempo rocker but not memorable for me at all. Standard track without anything distinguishable.
8. “Believe” – similar to previous song, typical Uriah Heep’s rocker with evident pop flavor. In general not bad but also not particularly good.
9. “Lost” – amazing heavy progressive rock track with thrilling vocal harmonies and slightly middle-east flavor melody lines. I don’t know who is the main singer on this composition but it’s definitely not Bernie (maybe it’s Lanzon?). Anyway “Lost” is a truly mean & dark-sounding song filled with gritty organ riffs. Last few seconds include spectacular, gloomy Hammond solo in the vain of Ken Hensley’s well-known performance on “Gypsy”.
10. “T-Bird Angel” – cock-rock rock’n'roller similar to band’s output from 80s period. Not my cup of tea, but not very offensive either. Some fine heavy metal guitar solos here anyway.
11. “Kiss of Freedom” – the second semi-epic of “Into The Wild” is another highlight. Atmosphere is closer to power-ballad than real prog-rock but it’s still beautiful composition. Passionate vocals, organ floods and heavenly guitar solos make it a worth-hearing experience. However the best is last 2 minutes filled with extended Hammond B-3 solo where Lanzon shows his phenomenal skills once again.
+ Bonus:
12. “Hard Way to Learn” – some editions of this CD also include additional, 12th song called “Hard Way to Learn”. In fact I’m surprised that it wasn’t included on the main album because it’s better than “Believe”, “T-Bird Angel” and especially dreadful “Nail on the Head”. Overall very nice mid-tempo rocker with stomping rhythm, catchy vocals and smokin’ organ solo.
Summarize: “Into The Wild” has bigger amount of fillers than spectacular “Wake The Sleeper” (released 3 years earlier) but it still manages to remain as a must-have album for Uriah Heep fans and general lovers of heavy prog & classic hard rock in the vain of Deep Purple, Birth Control, Jackal, Frumpy, Tyburn Tall, Amish etc.
But I have to warn you that Uriah Heep is one of my very favorite prog-rock bands (along with ELP and early Eloy) so I may slightly overrate this release.
Best tracks: “Into The Wild”, “Lost”, “Kiss of Freedom” & “Trail of Diamonds”
Tracklist:
1. Nail On the Head (4:16)
2. I Can See You (4:14)
3. Into the Wild (4:21)
4. Money Talk (4:44)
5. I’m Ready (4:15)
6. Trail of Diamonds (6:28)
7. Southern Star (4:26)
8. Believe (5:09)
9. Lost (4:51)
10. T-Bird Angel (4:01)
11. Kiss of Freedom (6:13)
Total Time 52:58
Line-up:
* Phil Lanzon / keyboards, vocals
* Russell Gilbrook / drums, vocals
* Bernie Shaw / lead vocals
* Mick Box / guitars, vocals
* Trevor Bolder / bass, vocals
Links:
Earthbound Papas – Octave Theory
Nobuo Uematsu is a well-known game soundtracks composer especially famous from creating music for “Final Fantasy” series. Few years ago he set his first rock ensemble called “The Black Mages” with whom he recorded 3 interesting albums filled with prog rock/metal versions of his compositions. However in 2011 Nobuo Uematsu decided to form new band called “Earthbound Papas” together with 2 friends from the previous group: Michio Okamiya & Arata Hanyuda, along with 2 new members: Tsutomu Narita & Yoshitaka Hirota.
Their first album “Octave Theory” shows many similarities with “The Black Mages” output. Music presented there is a mix of progressive metal (shredding guitar, powerful drumming), heavy prog (Hammond organ floods, sometimes singing style) and symphonic prog (operatic vocals, floating synthesizers, orchestral arrangements). Most of compositions are new versions of Nobuo’s solo material, but we can also find some absolutely new songs here.
Anyway I’m not a fan of computer games, so I’m not familiar with Nobuo’s soundtrack work. In this situation you can be sure that I’ll review this effort just like any prog-rock staff.
1. “Introduction ~Octopus Theory” – album begins with very lightweight classical music played by (synth-made?) orchestra. I wouldn’t call is symphonic prog, as I said it’s just pure classical here. After 2 minutes this introduction is over and the band “enters the stage” with energetic synths, sharp guitar & deep sounding organ runs. It’s only a pity that middle part is occupied by very annoying speaking part (everything in Japanese language of course, but it’s not a problem. This horrible voice is a problem!).
2. “Liberi Fatali (from FINAL FANTASY VIII)” – very dynamic, symphonic piece driven by extremely catchy Gothic-style choruses (in Latin language!) and powerful drums. Sounds really thrilling, goosebumps guaranteed! (OK, if you don’t like such things it will be probably very cheesy for you…) Heavy metal guitar solo and schizoid synthesizer rides are also great. It reminds me of Keith Emerson’s soundtrack for horror movie “Inferno” (“Mater Tenebrarum” part). Vocals and overall atmosphere are so similar!
3. “Advent- One-Winged Angel (from FINAL FANTASY VII Advent Children)” – another marvelous song with highly symphonic, operatic choruses, which surprisingly work very well with shredding guitar attacks, while Nobuo Uematsu fills space with virtuosic Hammond organ, church organ and synthesizer rides.
4. “Thread of Fate (from GUINSAGA)” – finally “Earthbound Papas” lets us take a deep breath after previous 3. thundering tracks. “Thread of Fate” is a slow-tempo instrumental which starts with flute, harp (?) & piano melody, but later on Michio Okamiya and his electric guitar takes control. In this track he really proves that he’s able to play very soft & melancholic, a bit like David Gilmour from Pink Floyd.
5. “Metal Hypnotized” – explosive instrumental led by spacey synthesizers, groovy bass work and crunching electric guitar. Near the end we Nobuo Uematsu plays blasting Hammond organ solo in the best tradition of Jon Lord or Vincent Crane.
6. “Eternity (from BLUE DRAGON)” – very enjoyable heavy prog song dominated by raging organ sound. I also like this slightly corny vocal, which reminds me of Hisakatsu Igarashi (from Japanese band Novela). In general “Eternity” seems to be inspired by Novela’s harder material. However middle part with fiery organ/guitar interluding solos sounds like Lord and Blackmore during their pinnacle.
7. “The Forest of a Thousand Years” – rather boring, soundtrackish instrumental with mellow pianos. violin (synth?) & guitar playin’. Nothing to remember or talking about, just relaxing filler.
8. “Bo-Kon-Ho-Ko (from LOST ODYSSEY)” – great, up-beat track with large bass sound, roaring organ runs & the most important – horror-like choruses, building threatening tension.
9. “Homecoming” – albums ends with total flop. Repetitive rhythm and annoying talking…and talking…and talking… Bleeh.
The latest project of Nobuo Uematsu and his friends, I can recommend to aficionados of progressive metal, but typical fans of Dream Theater or Symphony X can be rather disappointed, by large amount of space occupied by operatic vocals & symphonic keyboards. However people who like different kind of prog-metal, like for example Ayreon, should definitely dig it.
Symphonic style lovers can be also interested in this kind of staff, they will find many classical-inspired fragments and synth/organ work. The most similar artist I can think of would be Motoi Sakuraba. He also often plays very rockin’ soundtrack music filled with analog gear (those blistering organ solos!), but Sakuraba never used guitar so similarity isn’t so obvious here.
Anyway it’s a pity that this album will be probably discovered only by few Japanese game nerds… while it should be definitely appreciated by prog-rock nerds too .
Best tracks: “Liberi Fatali”, “Advent- One-Winged Angel” & “Metal Hypnotized”
Tracklist:
1.Introduction ~Octopus Theory (6:35)
2.Liberi Fatali (from FINAL FANTASY VIII) (4:49)
3.Advent- One-Winged Angel (from FINAL FANTASY VII Advent Children) (6:13)
4.Thread of Fate (from GUINSAGA) (5:46)
5.Metal Hypnotized (5:12)
6.Eternity (from BLUE DRAGON) (4:47)
7.The Forest of a Thousand Years (6:03)
8.Bo-Kon-Ho-Ko (from LOST ODYSSEY) (5:56)
9.Homecoming (3:35)
Line-up:
* Nobuo Uematsu – Hammond organ, keyboards
* Michio Okamiya – guitar
* Tsutomu Narita – keyboards, guitar
* Yoshitaka Hirota – bass
* Arata Hanyuda – drums
Links:
http://www.dogearrecords.com/Earthbound_Papas/index_eng.html
Scheherazade – All for One
“Scheherazade” is a Japanese heavy/symphonic prog band which started its career in 1977, but soon after they replaced drummer & bassist and changed name to “Novela” (under this moniker they became one of the most successful rock band in their country). However in early 90s “Scheherazade” was re-created and finally they managed to produce they first, self-titled album in 1992…only to disband again soon after.
They debut was a really fantastic effort which I truly enjoyed, so I was very happy when I found out that “Scheherazade” decided to give it one more try and band was resurrected again (with their classic line-up!) in 2010. These guys not only started new concert tour but also prepared completely new CD called “All for One”.
I have to say that this “new-born kid” of “Scheherazade” is a really spectacular effort, which can be easily compared with band’s debut. Toshio Egawa’s keyboards skills are astonishing as ever, Terutsugu Hirayama plays mind-blowing guitar riffs & solos, Jutaro Ohkubo’s bass sounds deep, Hideaki Indou’s drums are always there to provide great rhythm patterns and Hisakatsu Igarashi’s voice is even…goofier than before, but this is an important factor of their music’s charm so I don’t complaint at all!
I’m especially fond of Toshio Egawa, who also recorded another album (“Ring of Eternity”) with his own band “Gerard” the very same year, so he must be a real titan of work because he sounds really fresh & inspiring on both disks. It’s a good news that he still likes to use so much Hammond organ too, what makes “Scheherazade’s” music deeply rooted in 70s prog-rock and hard rock tradition.
Let’s check all 9 tracks included on this album one by one:
1. “Prologue” – short introduction filled with very symphonic-sounding floating synthesizers’ melodies. Egawa successfully emulates strings-like, orchestral arrangements. Very nice beginning.
2. “鏡” – it’s so good to hear these 5 musicians playin’ together again after 18 years break! “鏡” is a powerful, almost heavy-metal song led by thundering guitar riffs & crunchy organ rides. Igarashi manages to keep his voice in-key and in general I like his vocal performance in this song. Very aggressive & cocky, but not so much over-the-top. By the way, Egawa’s Hammond solo is devastating! Goddammit I love this fragment, really reminds me of Jon Lord’s or Vincent Crane’s style.
3. “Castrato” – as the name suggests we can expect some totally freaky vocals here…and Hisakatsu definitely won’t disappoint you! I’m sure that it has the most atrocious singin’ fragments I’ve ever heart in my life. Vocalist is just squeaking, screaming & squealing as a total madman! I can image how many people will be turned off while listening to this staff, but this is “Scheherazade” after all! Nobody can expect that Hisakatsu will suddenly start to sing like Andrea Bocelli 
. It’s just part of the fun. Anyway “Castrato” is a really good track, less guitar-oriented and slightly lighter in tone, but still pretty energetic & lively. Hammond organ soloing is even better than on “鏡”, Toshio really shines during this spectacular emersonian ride! He also delivers frenetic synthesizer solo and Hirayama has his metallic guitar moments.
4. “誘惑の街へ” – the most mainstream sounding track with catchy rhythm and pop-rock refrain. Indou’s drum work is a bit too monotonous here, but guitar/organ leads are decent. Not bad at all but I still think it’s the weakest song on “All for One”. Similar to more radio-friendly “Novela’s” material or 80s “Rainbow”.
5. “人形賛歌” – fantastic heavy-prog composition in the vain of “Deep Purple” and “Uriah Heep” (especially their latest material). Organ floods sound very deep & dark here and main guitar riff is extremely groovy. Igarashi’s crazy-ass vocals also suit perfectly here. Definitely recommended!
6. “悪魔が泳ぐ夢の国へ” – the only epic of the album lasts only for 10 and half minute, but musicians managed to create truly wonderful symphonic piece of art. Composition begins very sober & mellow with melancholic singin’ (yes, this vocalist sometimes can do it!) and soaring synthesizers “landscapes”. But the real fun starts off about 3rd minute when tempo significantly rises up and Egawa switches to his trusty organ to play some Ken Hensley-inspired passages. Another good moment is Hirayama’s fiery guitar solo, which would wake up even a dead man. In general his performance in this epic is rather spectacular, but maybe a bit too noisy for this kind of compositions. Anyway it’s another highlight on the album, but definitely can’t be even compared with beautiful “Suite ‘Lights Are Burning’ 77-92″ from their debut LP.
7. “明日の影” – very energetic rock’n'roller driven by speedy guitar & roaring organ leads. Vocalist’s voice is surprisingly restrained and he won’t bother even melodic-vocals purists. Song is quite short but Egawa still found a space to fill it with explosive Hammond & analog-sounding synthesizer solos.
8. “Rhapsody” – another very heavy & groovy track filled with crunchy riffs and odd vocal histrionics. While the second part of it is almost completely devoted to endless guitar/synthesizers/organ solos, which are always very speedy and fully entertaining.
9. “All For One” – title track is more in neo-prog vain. Egawa is mainly using modern keyboards here and guitarist prefers more restrained style. Quite similar to early “Gerard”, but somehow less enjoyable. But it also includes some more “brutal” fragments, I especially like that frenetic synthesizer madness in the middle.
Summarize: I’m almost fully satisfied with this album’s content and I can have only minor complaints (for example, it’s a pity that they didn’t include any really long suite and softer ballads which could give us a break between all those headbanging rockers). It’s a really good news for Japanese rock fans that those 5 guys met again. I hope they will keep up that way and record even more albums in the future.
I especially recommend this band to people who also dig such heavy-prog formations like “Novela”, “Deep Purple”, “Uriah Heep”, “Birth Control”, “Rainbow”, “Vienna” and even more neo-symph “Gerard”(early years).
BTW it was really refreshing to hear Toshio Egawa playing together with guitarist again. It seems that his last studio album recorded with guitar player was Gerard’s “Save Knight by the Night” CD from 1994!
Best tracks: “人形賛歌”, “鏡” & “悪魔が泳ぐ夢の国へ”
Track Listing:
1. Prologue (1:19)
2. 鏡 (4:27)
3. Castrato (5:19)
4. 誘惑の街へ (4:48)
5. 人形賛歌 (4:28)
6. 悪魔が泳ぐ夢の国へ (10:32)
7. 明日の影 (3:22)
8. Rhapsody (6:45)
9. All For One (7:03)
Line-up:
*Terutsugu Hirayama / guitars
*Hisakatsu Igarashi / vocals
*Jutaro Ohkubo / bass
*Toshio Egawa / keyboards
*Hideaki Indou / drums
Links:
http://www.angie-site.com/schehera_zade/
