Welcome to Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week. Seven brand new and diverse slices of progressive music for you to enjoy.
Congratulations to Finnish trio Von Hertzen Brothers, whose live renditon of Frozen Butterfiles won last week's Tracks Of The Week. Chilean prog rockers Aisles were in second place with US fusion guitarist Jane Getter third.
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it?
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it?
The idea is to watch the videos (or listen if it's a stream), enjoy (or not) and also to vote for your favourite in the voting form at the bottom of this post. Couldn't be easier could it?
We'll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, as the title implies, each week. Next week we'll update you with this week's winner, and present a host of new prog music for you to enjoy.
If you're a band and you want to be featured in Prog's Tracks Of The Week, send your video (as a YouTube link) or track embed, band photo and biog to us here.
So get watching. And get voting at the bottom of the page.
JOHN CARPENTER - MY NAME IS DEATH
Ten years ago John Carpenter released his Lost Themes album, kickstarting a startling secind act for the renoened horror film director, as a serious musician, aided and abetted by son Cody, a solo progressive rock musician in his own right, and Daniel Davies, Carpenter's Godson and the son of Kinks guitarist Dave Davies. The trio release Lost Themes IV: Noir through Sacred Bones Recors on May 3.
The accompanying video for My Name Is Death, features Carpenter, Carpenter and Davies alongside Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood), Staz Lindes (The Paranoyds) and Misha Lindes (SadGirl) is a miniature noir movie in itself, directed by Ambar Navarro.
"Noir is a uniquely American genre born in post-war cinema," says Carpenter. "We grew up loving Noir and were influenced by it for this new album. The video celebrates this style and our new song, My Name is Death."
LAURI PORRA - REQUIEM MUNDI (MATTER IS NOT THE ONLY THING THAT EXISTS)
Finnish composer and musician Lauri Porra is a direct descendent of the composer Sibeliius and there's an assured composure to the music that he makes. Requiem Mundi (Matter Is Not The Only Thing That Exists), a hushed chorale scored for strings, which builds through a swelling orchestral climax to culminate in a state of deep love and gratitude. It's taken from his mind-bending new album Matter And Time, out April 19 via Platoon Records, a musical love letter to the universe, using the words of the celebrated astronomer and writer Esko Valtaoja, as spoken by the actor, author and broadcaster Stephen Fry. The music is performed by the Vantaa Orchestra, conducted by Dalia Stasevska, with vocals from Helsinki-based singer Ringa Manner, and lyrical contributions from Paula Vesala.
"I always think of music as a toolbox,” says Porra “People create sound to evoke a reaction – that is the basis of music. It doesn’t change because of its style or purpose, or because of where the music is made. For me, all music is the same."
EXIST - BLUE LIGHT INFINITE
US prog metal quartet Exist make a quite wonderful sound that often veers between sonic extremes, all encapsulated by their busy new single Blue Light Infinite. The band will release their fourth studio album Hijacking The Zeitgeist through Prosthetic Records on April 12.
"Lyrically the song is about the addictive and deceptive nature of our obsession with technology," explains vocalist and guitarist Max Phelps (formelrly of Cynic. "The music video is meant to illustrate this, showing the parallel stories of four characters becoming obsessed with different subjects and going further and further down their respective niche rabbit holes toward despair.
"Musically I think it represents a new era for the band with both a heavier sound and much more compact arrangements," he adds of the upcoming abum. "Maybe it’s fair to say that it’s akin to our Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures (for the Rush nerds, like us) in terms of the bands trajectory from the last few albums. We can’t wait for listeners to hear this album and are especially excited to perform these songs live. We’re also proud of the beautiful artwork painted for us by Sebastian Jerke."
TEIGER - SPLINTER
Teiger, which pronounced “tiger", are a young UK trio of singer and guitarist Talie Rose Eigeland, drummer Jon Steele and bassistPhillip Eldridge-Smith, whomake an otherwordly sound they describe as “juggling multiple time signatures and unconventional sounds. The lyrics are code for an explosive secret project, perhaps a well-intentioned mission to blow up the sun." The band recently released their self-titled debut album, from which comes Splinter.
“The Splinter project is the band’s biggest undertaking to date," the trio add. "As our most visual track, Splinter is a purposeful, almost standalone highlight in the album’s journey. The conceptual depth of the storytelling has always been a talking point, and the music video brings one of its interpretations to life.”
SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM - EL EVIL
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (SGM) proudly declare themselves "the most gloriously uncategorizable American band in existence", and listening to El Evil, it's not difficult to see why. Shades of Primus, Mr. Bungle and more melodic prog are all evident on the reunited band's brand new single, which is taken from the band's fourth studio album titled of the Last Human Being. The record finally arrives as the very first release on AVANT NIGHT – a new imprint headed by Nick Ohler and facilitated by Joyful Noise Recordings.
"The refrain of El Evil is borrowed from the Idiot Flesh song Let the Dog Sing (recorded in 1998 but soon to be released)," explains the band's Nils Frykdahl. "At a show in Fresno, Tony had joined us in his Bunny Man costume. A drunken bar patron kept yelling 'Hey, let the dog sing!' Only near the end of the show did we realize he thought Tony was a dog. Gracias to his family in Norwalk for years of hospitality. Nothing will outshine…"
IVANHOE - ONE TICKET TO PARADISE
We're getting slight Iron Maiden vibes from German prog metal quintet Ivanhoe's new single One Ticket To Paradise, which is taken from the band's ninth studio album Healed By The Sun, which will be released through Massacre Records on May 10. The new album introduces new band members Chris Lorey (guitars) and drummer Mathias Biehl who join vocalist Alex Koch, bassist Gio Soulas and keyboardist Richie Seibel.
"Lyrically, the song is about the growing drug problem in the US and Europe, the associated isolation of those affected, and living life from one shot to the next - from the shot at night to the low point (and hangover) of the day and the next trip," explains new guitarist Lorey. "Taking the next exit and taking the trip to paradise with the "drug ticket". Lyrically, the song is inspired by the old Miami Vice episodes, the dark night streets and the slight gloominess of early episodes."
DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW - YOUR SONG
US melodoic prog rock collective Days Before Tomorrow recently signed to US label Melodic Revolution Records and released Now And Then Part II: Stories And Dreams, their first new album for a decade. It saw many of the band's best known line-up from their early days reunite, including Scott Khan (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), who was instrumental in the writing of Your Song.
"Lyrically, Your Song was born out of a snarky comment made to Scott by a girlfriend many years ago: “Why don’t you write any songs for me?”," the band explain. "Thus, was born the idea to write her a love song, but since she enjoyed ribbing Scott about it, he decided to have some fun and turn it into a song for world peace as well. Why should she have the entire song to herself, after all?"
