Beardfish Releasing New Album In January 2015


Beardfish

Swedish progressive rockers Beardfish will be releasing their forthcoming eighth studio album +4626-COMFORTZONE on January 27, 2015 via Inside Out Music.

The band commented on the new album:

“The comfort zone is the invisible protective suit of negative thinking, almost like an entity of itself. It’s been with you since birth: your parents and your teachers and your friends and your neighbours all teaching you the way the world works – this is how it is and will be and there’s nothing you can do about it. The negative vibe is like a voice living inside of you, a companion through life. With time you start to like that voice and the place it takes you to: your comfort zone. I’m so sick and tired of it and I want to address it and maybe in that way start to work my way out of it”

The full track-listing for the album is as follows:

1. The One Inside Part 1 – Noise In The Background
2. Hold On
3. Comfort Zone
4. Can You See Me Now
5. King
6. The One Inside Part 2 – My Companion Throughout Life
7. Daughter Whore
8. Ode To The Rock ‘N’ Roller
9. If We Must Be Apart (A Love Story Continued)
10. The One Inside Part 3 – Relief

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John Wesley To Tour With Flying Colours And Living Color, Joins Big Elf For Unique Run Of Dates


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Progressive music guitar hero John Wesley is hitting the road touring with prog super-group Flying Colours, as well as Living Color this fall. In addition Wesley will join the ranks of another legendary prog band band, Big Elf, for a one-off tour starting with Progtoberfest in Chicago and continuing with European dates. Continuing to support his excellent solo album Disconnect (Inside Out Music) from earlier this year, Wesley continues thrill fans audiences in concert with his songcraft and musicianship.

 

 

From The Press Release:

Earlier this year John Wesley released his new studio album Disconnect, and now he has revealed that his band have been invited out on a European tour with Flying Colors (Neal Morse, Steve Morse, Casey McPherson, Dave LaRue, Mike Portnoy). Following this, they will also join Living Colour for a select few U.S. shows in December. John had this to say about the tour:
“I am really excited to finally be able to bring the band over to Europe for our first series of shows in support of “Disconnect”. I am looking forward to seeing and meeting all the fans and friends and getting back into some of my favorite cities. Hopefully this tour will open the door to many more shows in many more cities in the future.”

The full list of dates are as follows:

Flying Colours European dates:

Oct 7: Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz 2

Oct 8: Milan, Italy – Milan Live Club

Oct 9: Tilburg, Netherlands – 013

Oct 11: Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp

Oct 12: Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7

Oct 13: London, England – Islington Assembly Hall

Oct 14: Paris, France – Alhambra

Living Colour US dates:

Dec 10: Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle

Dec 12: Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room

Dec 13: St. Petersburg, FL – The State Theatre

Dec 14: Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade Atlanta


Not only that, but John will be joining Bigelf as a guest guitarist in October and November, starting with “Progtoberfest” in the US and continuing into Europe. Those dates can be found below:

Bigelf tour dates:

Oct 25: Chicago, IL – PROGTOBERFEST

Oct 29: Zoetermeer, Holland – Boerderij

Oct 30: Dortmund, Germany – Dortmund FZW

Nov 1: Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7

Nov 2: Frankfurt, Germany – Nachtleben

Nov 3: Munich, Germany – Strom

Nov 4: Milan, Italy – Legend Club

Nov 6: Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz 3

Nov 7: Madrid, Spain – Copernico

Nov 8: Bilbao, Spain – Sonora

Nov 14: Manchester, UK – The Deaf Institute

Nov 15: Gwynedd, North Wales, UK – Hard Rock Hell 7

Nov 17: Glasgow, UK – Cathouse

Nov 18: Wolverhampton, UK – Slade Rooms

Nov 19: London, UK – The Garage

John wesley album cover

John Wesley Featured in Guitar Player Magazine:

Renowned music journalist Anil Prasad interviewed John for a 5-page feature in the October 2014 issue of Guitar Player Magazine. Alex Lifeson of RUSH contributed to the article, discussing Wesley’s music and how he came to be involved with Disconnect.


What People Have Been Saying About Disconnect:

he’s been hiding away too long” – Prog Magazine

gloriously turbulent axework” – Classic Rock
“it’s time for John Wesley to receive the proper artistic recognition and praise he so rightly deserves.” – Powerplay

a feast of wonderful guitar sounds and breaks, plus stunningly expressive extended solos” – Total Guitar
An official video for the title track ‘Disconnect’ can be viewed here:
http://youtu.be/6XKB4TKYqoE

John Wesley on Facebook


Casualties of Cool- Messenger: Live at Union Chapel, Islington, London


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The quiet majesty of the small but perfectly formed Union Chapel in the London borough of Islington is the perfect backdrop for the quiet majesty of the latest venture from Devin Townsend, the enigmatically named Casualties of Cool.

This showcase set, one of a small number of European shows in support of a record that is both idiosyncratic and warmly inviting, is packed to the rafters with Devin adherents, Strapping Young Lad aficionados as well as broader, progressive music lovers from the locale.

 

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Opening act, the charming and awfully modest Messenger get a thoroughly deserved warm reception. Basing their set around tracks from their debut album, the hypnotic Illusory Blues, is entirely sensible. The record has rightly been lauded as one of the standout debuts of the musical year and there is plenty here to lend your support to. Their blend of progressive music might appear technical (there is some serious musical prowess on display here) but there is a warmth and languid generosity to their music that one cannot help but be intrigued and beguiled by. All in all, Messenger prove to be a hugely apposite aperitif for tonight’s main course.

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Some technical hitches means there is a slight delay to the arrival of the main event, which Devin makes light of in his inimitable fashion; to be honest, this man could, to paraphrase the old cliché, read the phone book and everyone would be utterly enthralled. There is a quiet sense of expectation around the chapel and a genuine rapport between audience and artists- what once started as a small idea that the Devin Townsend Project might have taken up has subsequently grown into something that is cared about deeply by both artistic protagonist and listener alike: in other words, there is a lot of love tonight for Casualties of Cool.

 

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Opening track ‘Daddy’ drifts seamlessly into ‘The Code’ and then ‘Mountaintop’; at times the unfailingly polite audience doesn’t seem to know when to show their appreciation between songs as Devin drops in vignette after vignette of guitar parts or melodies and everyone does their polite best to ensure that they get to hear every note from their hero. However, this isn’t just a Devin show; vocalist Che Aimee Dorval is absolutely exquisite tonight. Aided by some fantastic acoustics from the religious surroundings, her smooth vocal tones are able to soar effortlessly- on ‘Bones’ and ‘Gone is Gone’ she has that unerring ability to make the hairs on the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

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What strikes one though is how much this feels like a collective enterprise rather than an instance of Here’s-What- I-Did-Last-Summer project management. All of the members of the live band put in sterling performances and there is bonhomie and camaraderie in abundance; by the time we get to set closer ‘The Bridge’ and its epic soundscapes you’re left with that gnawing sense of regret that it has passed by all too quickly. A lovely, lovely evening.

 

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Casualties of Cool Set List

Daddy

The Code

Mountaintop

Flight

Ether

Moon

Bones

Forgive Me

Jam

The Field

Deathscope

Gone is Gone

The Bridge

 

Devin Townsend on Facebook

WORDS AND IMAGES BY MAT DAVIES


Bigelf- Into The Maelstrom


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Back over the years 2008 and 2009 prog oddballs Bigelf released the well received Cheat The Gallows (Custard Records) album, and subsequently became big news. High profile tours with the likes of Dream Theater and Opeth whilst being media darlings in the prog and metal worlds, Bigelf had their name on a rocket and were on course for the stars. Tragedy then struck and said rocket seemed to plummet as quickly as it ascended.

A massive gap of six years and Bigelf are back with a brand new album, boosted by the patronage (and studio presence) of prog’s Duracell bunny Mike Portnoy. Into The Maelstrom (Inside Out Music) thrusts you onto a journey space, alien frequencies and a sense of carnival splendour via a healthy dose of The Beatles, the more drug addled side of Black Sabbath and even the likes of Hawkwind. Damon Fox’s chilling, Ozzy like notes greet us on opener ‘Incredible Time Machine’ and its immediately clear that his twisted imagination is set on overdrive.

Simultaneously warped and catchy, this predominantly shows a Beatles influence with a ring leader like narrative which brings ELP’s Brain Salad Surgery to mind. Mike Portnoy’s performance is worthy of mention as well, providing a juggernaut of a display yet never overpowering or taking away from who is really the star of the show, Damon Fox.

It’s been a long wait, but finally Bigelf are back to recapture lost ground on the prog and metal realms. It’s clear that Damon has not lost his vivid and spectacular ideas; and that he is on something you definitely won’t get on the counter from your local pharmacy.

 

8.5/10

Bigelf on Facebook

CHRIS TIPPELL