Sonic Perspectives

With 2020 being an absolutely devastating year for live concert shows, we’re happy to say the good folks over at ProgStock Festival are doing their best to keep the live music happening.

ProgStock Festival is American Northeast only progressive rock music festival, especially now that RosFest has moved down to Florida. They’ve been keeping the torch burning up there and have had three fantastic years thus far, each year growing bigger than the previous one, with the musical celebration happening every October in Rahway, New Jersey.  Prior year’s bands have been well-known names in the prog-rock world like IQ, Eddie Jobson, Brand X, Saga, Mystery and  many more, overall just wonderful weekend for progressive rock lovers

ProgStock Festival organizers had a great plans for 2020, but we know how those plans have gone. Therefore they are still endeavoring to do their best, to keep inspiration flowing through creative ways. We spoke to Thomas Palmieri, organizer of the festival to know in detail what they’ve got up their sleeves for the upcoming weekends, to keep bands performing and the fans enchanted. Listen below and also check out the event’s details in the following section!

Virtual ProgStock 2020 will be streamed LIVE on Saturday, October 10 from the Hamilton Stage Theater of the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) in Rahway, NJ, and on Sunday, October 11 from the Temple Stage at Tellus360 in Lancaster, PA. With the pandemic in mind, and the rules and regulations in place, these shows will not have an in-person audience, so this is the ONLY way you can see them! We will be taking every precaution to protect the health and safety of our bands and crew.

The Virtual ProgStock 2020 shows will all be full-band, full-production shows with theater sound and lighting! It will be just like you are actually here, but everyone gets a front-row seat!

Show times (all times are in US Eastern):

Saturday, October 10:

1:00PM: Total Mass Retain YES Tribute Band

Sunday, October 11:

1:00PM: Solar Federation – A Rush Tribute

Tickets are $10 per show for this event, which means you can watch the entire event for $60. The individual performances on StageIt are separate shows. Audience members will purchase a ticket to each performance individually, not the whole night as a block.

Since our live-streamed events will only provide a virtual audience for our venues, we are also holding a fundraiser to help support UCPAC and Tellus360 through this crisis.

The funds raised here will help offset the costs of operating the venues for our live-stream events and will be matched with in-kind support for the events by our friends at these venues: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/progstock-festival

Donations are being processed by Fractured Atlas on behalf of ProgStock Festival. ProgStock is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of ProgStock must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only. The value of each ticket received is $10. Any contribution above that amount is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Please help us support our home venue, UCPAC, and our new partner venue, Tellus360, so they can survive this crisis and return to staging live events when such things are allowed again!

Pricing: Virtual ProgStock 2020 shows will have a minimum ticket price of $10.00 (100 Notes), with prices in US Dollars. You can pay more, if you have the means, and you will also be able to tip during the show with your StageIt Notes. Tips show up on the screen as colored bars and many artists view them as the alternative to applause! We encourage you to support the artists and venues at this difficult time.

StageIt is all about experiencing music in the moment, duplicating the live music experience as closely as possible. You have to be there to see it, just like you would in a venue, so shows are only available on their site during the performance window.

The post TALKING PERSPECTIVES: PROGSTOCK 2020 Goes Virtual – Hear What’s in Store from Festival’s Mastermind THOMAS PALMIERI appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

There are few mainstays in the world of extreme metal who have been as consistent in their quantity and quality of releases, yet as varied in style, as Norwegian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ishahn. Though Ihsahn may be best known for his role in founding Emperor and for the legacy he built as a cornerstone to the 90’s Norwegian black metal scene, he also boasts an extensive discography as a solo artist. Beginning in 2006 with debut album “The Adversary,” Ihsahn has expanded his prowess to the far reaches of extremity in concept and execution, culminating in a complementary set of EPs released in 2020. Passing from extreme progressive metal through the avant-garde while never abandoning his black metal roots, Ihsahn’s work as a solo artist has proven his limitless inventiveness and musical dexterity beyond a shadow of a doubt. A true Renaissance man in his instrumental skills, Ihsahn contributes vocals, guitars, bass, and keys to his solo albums, but has worked with a number of other notable artists over the past fifteen years both within and outside his solo project. This score includes his brother-in-law Einar Solberg of Leprous, his wife Ihriel, and Jørgen Munkeby (Shining) among many others. 

In 2019, it was announced that rather than following the consistent pattern of releasing a full-length album every two years, Ihsahn would take 2020 as an opportunity to release two contrasting, yet complimentary EPs. With each EP meant to explore the more extreme ends of his music, both “Telemark” and “Pharos” provide even deeper insights into the driving forces of Ihsahn’s creative spirit, with the latter offering him perhaps the greatest opportunity in his catalogue to explore new sonic directions. Totalling ten songs across both EPs, each featuring two cover songs and three original works, Ihsahn has left fans a treasure trove of styles to experience over the course of the collection. With surprises including extensive use of clean vocals and swelling choruses throughout “Pharos,” the EP sees yet another collaboration with Einar Solberg (Leprous) for the cover of A-ha’s “Manhattan Skyline.” Ihsahn has previously cited the Norwegian pop band as one of his many inspirations, and “Pharos” sees the track awash in the light of an artist whose passion for his craft knows no bounds. The other three covers across the EPs are treated with just as much expressive care, transforming them while retaining much of their original spirit. The original tracks are complimentary to his cover choices, building effortlessly on one another for yet another dimension to an already diverse discography. 

Ihsahn spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman about the creative process that went into the making of the EPs, where he found inspiration for these latest works, and just some of the many meanings behind the imagery of “Pharos.” Listen to the full audio interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post IHSAHN Speaks To Style Contrast Between EPs “Telemark” and “Pharos”: “I Felt I Could Go Further In Each Musical Direction Than I Would Have In A Full-Length Album” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

In 2017 Ayreon released ‘The Source” which revisited the ‘Forever/Planet Y’ saga, and now three years later it is time for something completely different… “The year is 1884, these are dark, troubled times, fraught with greed, envy and prejudice…” begins our narrator and storyteller, Tom Baker…

The brand-new sprawling and epic studio album “Transitus” is built around an entirely new story, not connected to the Ayreon universe although as always it does have some subtle links. The sci-fi theme makes way for a gothic ghost story set (partly) in the 19th century with elements of horror and the supernatural. It’s on a dark thunderous night where our story of Abby and Daniel begins.

Mastermind of Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen explains: “Transitus” is inspired by supernatural movies such as The Others, The Changeling and Ghost along with the music of soundtrack composers John Carpenter (Halloween), Ennio Morricone (Once upon a Time in the West) and Jerry Goldsmith (Omen). And of course I revisited all my favorite rock operas such as JC Superstar, Tommy, War of the Worlds and the Wall,” 

“Transitus” is accompanied by an amazing graphic novel drawn by the renowned artist Felix Vega. “Because Ayreon’s music is so visual, I’ve always wanted to do an Ayreon graphic novel/comic book” says Lucassen. As with any Ayreon album, it is an explosive and expansive affair and features Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) as Daniel and Cammie Gilbert (Oceans of Slumber) as Abby. The all-star cast also features Simone Simons (Epica), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Johanne James (Threshold), Noa Gruman (Scardust), Marcela Bovio (MaYan), Caroline Westendorp (The Charm the Fury), Paul Manzi (Arena), Michael Mills (Toehider) and Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Trilium) among many others.

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Nick Andreas took the opportunity to speak once again with Lucassen about the forthcoming album,and Arjen‘s dive into the visual realm as the album is his first to feature a comic book companion. Listen or download the audio below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post ARJEN LUCASSEN Talks Concept Behind AYREON’s New Album “Transitus” and Picking Illustrator FELIX VEGA: “Every Panel is a Little Painting” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Music has become more important than ever in recent times. As a result, the triumphant return of AMARANTHE feels particularly timely. The Swedish six-piece have spent the last decade establishing themselves as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014’s “Massive Addictive” and its immaculate follow-up “Maximalism” (2016), AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle. Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Olof Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.

Widely acclaimed as a dazzling live act, the Swedes reached a new peak of creativity on 2018’s hugely successful “Helix”, an album that pushed the band’s vision to new heights, breadths and depths, while showcasing the brilliance of Elize and her co-vocalists, Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson and recent recruit Nils Molin. Devoted fans of this band will have no complaints when new album “Manifest” is finally released. Although the Swedes have made their eclectic, unpredictable approach to making heavy music a trademark, the huge melodies, incisive riffing and scintillating, multi-dimensional sonics that have typified their rise to glory are here in abundance. But as with every AMARANTHE record to date, “Manifest” is also a clear and purposeful leap forward, too.

Not just a glorious return but a wholesale upgrade for their exuberant sound, “Manifest” is simply the most daring, dynamic and unforgettable album that AMARANTHE have released to date. And to dig deeper into the album’s maturity and wide array of lyrical topics, contributor Alejandro Melgar spoke to front-woman Elize Ryd in a relaxed and informative interview which you can now listen to here. Download or stream it below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, so you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Amaranthe online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

The post AMARANTHE’s Frontwoman ELIZE RYD Talks New Album: “I Don’t Get Why Some Metal Fans Won’t Accept Our Music Because They Can’t Deal with Us Sounding Different” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

If you’re a prog metal fan and haven’t been living under a rock for the last few months, you know that Dream Theater’s John Petrucci has a new album out. Available on all digital platforms since August 28th, “Terminal Velocity” comes fifteen years after John’s first album, “Suspended Animation”, and consists of eight tracks which perfectly encapsulate his evolution as a guitar player and composer.

Recorded while the world was in “full on lockdown mode”, “Terminal Velocity” is not only an in-your-face display of guitar mastery, but also of drumming and bass excellence. John has enlisted his long-time collaborator Dave LaRue on bass, and after ten years, rekindled his musical partnership with formed Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. The excitement of the two of them working together has surely brought a lot of attention to the album, and the songs here more than deliver as promised. More than simply letting the guitar shine and take center stage, Dave and Mike add a lot to the table, and become protagonists of their own on many moments throughout the album.

While some of material in this release has hints of Petrucci’s work with Dream Theater (“The Oddfather”, “Temple of Circadia”), there’s a lot of new ground being covered, with new sides of his influence being in full display (“Out of the Blue,” “The Way Things Fall,” “Snake in My Boot”). It really is a feast for any prog metal fan’s ears, as mentioned in our review. Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to further expand his view of the album in a conversation with Petrucci, and they also spoke about what it was like to work with Mike Portnoy again, the current plans for Dream Theater, and much more. Find out their video chat in the link below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with John Petrucci online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

The post DREAM THEATER’s guitarist JOHN PETRUCCI talks working with MIKE PORTNOY on his recent solo Album: “We knew it was going to happen, it was really a great thing and there was a lot of positivity behind that decision” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

“Whoosh!” is Deep Purple’s twenty first solo album, and judging by the energy it exudes, there’s no end in sight for these British rockers. Their third collaboration with producer Bob Ezrin honors their lengthy history, and broadens their musical palette, with songs like “Man Alive”, “Throw My Bones” and “Nothing At All” being added to their pantheon of classic tunes. We recently published an extensive review of the record, which you can read at this location.

Steve Morse has been with the band since 1994, and brought with him not only his dexterity on the six strings, but a much needed dose of excitement, at a time when the rift between Richie Blackmore and the rest of the lineup seemed to suck the energy out of the members. Since then, the band has released seven albums, and apparently tapped an endless well of creativity. Morse is also involved in Flying Colors, and still tours with G3 from time to time.

Lifelong Deep Purple fan and Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf spoke with Morse at length to discuss the band’s approach to writing process during the inception of “Whoosh!”, the influence of Bob Ezrin during the creative process, details of how some songs came to be, what drives them to continue, how he feel about writing music with Flying Colors, why the Steve Morse Band hasn’t released any new music in some time, what he thinks about John Petrucci and Joe Satriani after touring together on G3 and much more. Find out all they discussed about in the dynamic audio interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Steve Morse online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

The post STEVE MORSE Talks DEEP PURPLE Recent Album and Band’s Longevity / Willingness to Carry On: “The British Guys in the Band Seem to Have a Life Span of 300 Years!” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The multi-talented Snowy Shaw has been called a “worldwide underground superstar.” After more than 30 years of touring the world, he has earned himself a rock-solid reputation as one of the most hard-working, multifaceted “art-ist” with loads of groundbreaking creativity and integrity. In 2018, his highly acclaimed solo debut “White Is The New Black” received critical acclaim worldwide, and was named Best Rock/Metal Album Of The Year in five countries.

With a career as diverse as his own persona, it was only a matter of time until Snowy sat down to tell his unique journey from his own perspective. From joining King Diamond to touring with Therion, Dream Evil and eventually establishing himself as a solo artist, his career went through ups and downs, highs and lows, with a generous dose of crazy. In true do-it-yourself style, “The Book Of Heavy Metal” has illustrations by the man himself, and was released independently by its main character. The foreword by his buddy Mikkey Dee is the cherry on the cake of this dramatic, hilarious and bittersweet memoir.

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf caught up with Snowy to discuss the whole writing process, the highs and lows of his career, and a vast myriad of other topics. Find out all they discussed about in the lengthy and informative audio interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Snowy Shaw online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

The post SNOWY SHAW Reflects on “The Book of Heavy Metal” Autobiography: “In Order To Get It Right, I Needed To Relive The Whole Thing: Dark Periods, Joyous Moments – It Was A Cathartic Experience” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

In 2013 a brand-new progressive rock band named Sound of Contact released the fastest selling debut album ever on the Inside Out Music label: “Dimensionaut”. Their lead singer and drummer, Simon Collins, had a familiar surname to fans of prog-rock and they soon came to discover that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. However, Collins has much more innovation up his sleeve as evidenced by new solo album “Becoming Human”, the fourth release under his own name in the past two decades. Filled with catchy hooks and a sleek, modern production, “Becoming Human” charts new territory as a cross between progressive and electronica. Check out our full album review here.

Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina took the opportunity to delve deeply into the lyrical content with Collins in a recent interview. In addition to the new album they also touch on his work with Sound of Contact, other projects he’s working on, and of course a few nods to his heritage. You can read the transcript below, download the audio as a podcast or stream the audio interview on YouTube.

For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

We are glad to welcome Simon Collins, whose fourth solo album was released this past September 4th. At the moment we’re located in Colorado, but Simon you just told me you’re all the way over in Ireland now, right?

That’s right. I’m out here in the rural area of Ireland. I moved out here a couple of years ago and it’s beautiful. I’m really happy out here.

And you’ve got a recording studio out there, too?

Yeah. I’ve got a recording studio. It’s pretty much where I spend most of my time. I’m actually writing my next album right now, in fact. So, keeping busy and really excited about the new album. It took me a couple of years to put it together actually. I’m just really proud of it. Robbie Bronnimann is the producer I worked with on the album and we collaborated a lot on the album and we co-produced it together. So it took us, I guess, on and off really the last couple of years.

I was wondering if it’s something that you finished up before the COVID era hit, or…

Yeah, actually we finished it up about eight months ago. It was supposed to be released in May, but because of the whole COVID thing, it’s now being released in September, September 4th. It had been delayed and they were gonna be pressing vinyl, but that wasn’t able to happen either. So yeah, the COVID thing really got in the way of a lot of things for everybody, obviously. My whole opinion on that is kind of controversial, so I’m not really going to go into it [laughs]. So I guess the album was kind of born out of somewhat tumultuous times for me. Before I started writing the album, I went through a pretty painful divorce and I was in and out of recovery. And Sound of Contact got together and then split up, then got back together and then split up. You know, it was just tumultuous and I guess it kind of forced me to grow a bit, naturally, on a personal note. So that’s one of the reasons I named the album “Becoming Human”. I’m not just writing songs about who I am, I’m writing songs about who I’m striving to be. It’s a very personal album. I think there is a kind of rigorous honesty throughout the album as well. There’s a lot of living in the songs and a lot of hope as well.

Let’s really get into the heart of the album. I was struck throughout with the strong lyrical focus. You’ve been saying just now that it’s a very personal album. You can really feel the struggle, but there also is a real spiritual element to it.

There is, yeah.

It almost sounds like you’ve had a degree of a spiritual rebirth or awakening here.

That’s awesome that you’re picking up on that. You know, I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a concept album, cause I didn’t set out to write a concept album, but it’s definitely got a very strong theme. There is a mixed bag, as far as like the content. There are a lot of personal songs on there, but there are also songs on there that are more of a universal kind of consciousness kind of level. There’s some existential kind of songs on there as well. Like “Becoming Human”, the title track is really about exploring states of consciousness. There’s a school of thought that we’re human beings becoming spiritual but I think we’re spiritual beings becoming human. There’s a quote from Carl Sagan – he’s my hero – he says that we are a way for the cosmos to know itself. I’ve actually got that tattooed on my arm, so I don’t forget it! But, I really wanted to touch on that. I really wanted to ask some big questions and put some big ideas out there about our existence and where we fit into the universe and where we belong as human beings, as humanity. It does definitely explore those different levels of consciousness.

Yeah, it does that right off the bat. With the title track “Becoming Human” and then the video that accompanies the song gives that sense of it. Even on the album cover, you’ve got an electrified Tree of Life there.

That’s exactly what it is! Yes. I wanted to put something just very simple and kind of striking and iconic looking there. And that’s exactly what it is. I’m glad that you figured that one out. Cause I wasn’t sure, you know!

And I love seeing it in the video, how you’re connecting the dots, just like the lyrics and it’s coming to life…

[excitedly] Yeah, yeah! There you go!

It’s like, wow, you’re going for it, man!

I know, hey! Yeah, absolutely! I mean, that song really does sum up the overall theme of the album, really. I think all my albums are somewhat spiritual. I had somewhat of a – I’m not going to go into detail here cause it would take too long – but I had a spiritual kind of transformation when I was like 17, 18 years old. The doors of perception just opened right up to me. I read a lot of books about it and I used to meditate a lot. You know, I’m not some kind of hippy dippy kind of… I just think it’s really important to have meaning in the music that you write. I’ve got a voice and I’m grateful for the fact that I do what I do for a living. And I want to put something out there that’s meaningful that people can take something from, you know? That’s important.

And then you go even deeper, I’d say, with the next track, “The Universe Inside of Me”, really embodying it.

Right. Yeah. To kind of sum that up, what we put out there – the signals that we put out there to the universe – then the universe just says, “Yes!”. Ha! You know what I mean? Life is what you make it. We need to take care of the inner space as much as the outer space. That’s really what that is. It’s kind of, you know, every one of us has that inner space that defines the outer space. So that’s where that one came from.

It sounds like you’re having to do a lot of cleaning up in that inner space. Cause I’m really feeling the push and pull in the journey. You’re breaking through, you’re letting go of anger. It sounds like you had a lot that you had to surrender to.

I would say so, yeah. I think there’s always that kind of that inner battle. Also with my struggle with addiction, I’ve had to learn how to kind of tame the beast and do some house cleaning and it’s personal growth really. It’s a personal journey really. And so it’s really about filling that existential vacuum with self-love and integrity, you know? Yeah.

So is that sort of summated in the track “40 Years” then?

I’d say so. Yeah, because I’ve just been through so much, man. I really have, as far as my battle. As I said before, it’s forced me to grow, but I’m very grateful. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in my life but now, really. I’ve come to a really great place of acceptance and embracing life as it comes. I think in life you need to accept things as they come. If you base your happiness on the outcome of expectations, which you have no control over, you’re going to be disappointed a lot of the time, you know? So, so it’s about having realistic expectations as well, you know?

Tell us a little bit about the band that you have working with you on the album here.

Yeah, Robbie and I did a lot of it between the two of us because I played drums, I played piano and I’m singing. And I do a bit of sound design here and there. Robbie is a killer producer and musician and songwriter. So me and him really were at the core of the whole album. There are some songs on the album that stem from material that I originally wrote for the second Sound of Contact album. So, there’s some collaboration leftover from me and Dave Kerzner and Kelly Nordstrom from Sound of Contact, songwriting-wise. But musicianship wise, Kelly Nordstrom and I have been working together for 15 years now. He’s basically my guitarist. He’s my go-to guy. He’s played on every album of mine, except my debut. He flew out to the UK and spent a month with us laying down some really awesome guitars. So he’s all over the album. Also, Gaz Williams, he plays with Charlotte Church, one artist to mention. Amazing bass player, amazing guy. And Robin Boult who plays with Fish and Howard Jones. He came in and did some guitars as well. So it’s not, you know, not a huge cast. But I didn’t really feel the need to have a ton of people come in and play on it. Um, so we just had a few people come in and do their thing…people that we really wanted to work with.

It’s got such a modern sound, the production that you went for, a lot of electronics. It seemed like with the U Catastrophe album and then the Sound of Contact album that you went in more of a rock instrumentation direction, and now you really turned heavily into the electronic world again.

Yeah, absolutely. That’s true. I guess all my albums are dynamic, that’s for sure. I like to keep it that way. I don’t like to really label the music that I make because it’s always evolving and maturing and changing. I mean, like my first album, my debut album was extremely electronic. I used to DJ back in my twenties, I used to DJ like psychedelic trance. It’s a big influence for me, electronic music. So I just felt the need after doing U Catastrophe and after doing the Sound of Contact album to revisit that. But add something new to it. Which of course is more the kind of progressive kind of nature of the album, that kind of progressive song craft, I guess you could say. Progressive and even progressive rock, you know, that kind of cross pollination of the two. Exploring some new sonic territory with that. So, yeah, between Robbie and I…cause Robbie he’s worked with BT and he’s worked with Howard Jones, specifically a lot with Howard Jones. So he is more of an electronic producer. So I mean, that’s one of the reasons I hired him. Because together as a co-production unit, we could really create a futuristic and current sounding album. But still kind of pay homage to my progressive influences as well. So yeah, it’s definitely kind of a new breed for me, an exciting kind of new venture.

Yeah, it’s got such a futuristic bent to it and yet you can still get the foundation of the strong melodies. tracks like “This is the Time” and “I Will be Waiting” and “So Real”. Those are really like catchy melodies that could become really successful singles.

Yeah! Hope so! Yeah, absolutely. And then there’s tracks like “Man-made Man”, which is really sinister. I think there’s certainly like a variety of different influences throughout the album, for sure. It’s not just electronic production with progressive song craft…I’m kind of generalizing there, but there’s some more kind of like straight ahead kind of rock pop kind of tunes as well.

And then it closes with this intense nine-minute piece “Dead Ends”. What can you say about that?

Ooh, well, it’s interesting this one because I was listening to it a couple months ago and I came to the realization of what I was writing about with that song…you know, I’m a little bit of a conspiracy theorist, I’ve got to admit. I like a good conspiracy theory. [laughs]

There’s that COVID thing!

Well…yeah, that’s one other thing. I mean…well…It is connected in my eyes. But I’m just going to say, there’s something about Agenda 21 that creeps the hell out of me. I’m not going to go into detail about the whole conspiracy, but that’s really what the song was about. About a Socialist political agenda and depopulation of the planet and stuff like that. And so I wrote a song about it and it’s very dark. It’s a dark way to end the album, I’ll admit! Usually I end my albums with something really kind of inspiring. And, um, maybe this is inspiring in a different way. but I listened to it a couple of months ago and I realized, well, I mean, what’s happening right now on the planet. It certainly seems quite similar to the Agenda 21 conspiracy that I was writing about two years ago. And it seems like that might actually even be happening. So it’s kind of a dark piece, really. I think it’s important to put those things out there, really. I think it’s important to kind of just say, Hey, what do you think about this? You know, I mean, has anyone noticed this happening? It’s important to kind of educate yourself on what’s going on with the world, isn’t it? But of course it’s important to give things its due diligence and make sure you don’t go too far down the rabbit hole in the wrong direction. [laughs]

Well, either way it makes for some intense songwriting. So while this is your fourth solo album, this past decade many fans have discovered you through the Sound of Contact band. That was a really successful album you guys put out that brought your singing and your drumming more into the limelight with that great band of musicians. Are there any remnants of that? I know you said you’re working with Kelly still on guitar. Are you still in contact with the other guys?

Oh, totally. I mean, we’re brothers, man. We’ll always be really close. I think that that whole experience of creating “Dimensionaut” really brought us to a really close place together. The chemistry between us is just like…I’ve been in a lot of bands, mostly when I was a teenager, I was in a ton of bands and I’ve never experienced the kind of chemistry before that we experienced in the studio making “Dimensionaut”. It was unbelievable. So yeah, we’re still in touch. Uh, we’re flirting with the idea of possibly doing another album. But you know, we’re not going to come out and say that yet because everyone’s doing a lot. I’m doing my thing and Dave‘s always working on a couple of different albums at the same time. And, um, yeah. So we’ll see how things go, but we’re all still in touch, so, you know, it’s possible.

Yeah, it seems like the sci-fi concept was a real love for all of you.

Absolutely, yeah. When we started hanging out and making music, we always take a break and we’d put on “Contact” [the movie] or one of our favorite sci-fi films. We’re all really sci-fi buffs. Before the band got together, Kelly and I were originally thinking about putting a band together and that’s kind of where it all stemmed from. We spent a couple months researching cosmology and astronomy and stuff like that. We came up with the “Dimensionaut” concept idea. Everyone just loved it, we just dove right into it. We just thought it was a really kind of original idea and a really exciting idea that we could really explore different topics and explore our interests. So it’s interesting how that came about.

Can you tell us a bit about your drumming upbringing? How involved was your dad personally, or were you more learning just by observation of him and Chester Thompson, for example?

Yeah. I’d say it was more that. Definitely, I grew up on tour, man, and grew up around those amazing musicians and watching them play every night. Yeah, I used to sit behind like right in between Chester and my dad at the back. So I’d watch them drum from behind and just dodging drumsticks [laughs]. It was awesome. I really took in more than I think my dad was really involved with. You know, at the odd gig after the show, I’d be like, Hey, can you show me how to play that drum fill that you did in the solo or what have you. But mostly I learned from playing to my favorite albums, really. Literally I’d have my kit set up and I’d have two wedges, big fat EV wedges cranked. I’d just play to my favorite album, including “Seconds Out”. I used to play to “Seconds Out” all the time. So yeah, I basically taught myself how to play, really. It’s not a judgement, but my dad was just too busy, I think, to really sit down with me and give me a proper drum lesson. But Chester Thompson took some time when he was doing his rudiments and stuff before the show. I’d come in and he’d give me a drum pad and he’d show me some stuff. But for the most part, I just evolved through playing with bands and stuff like that.

Do you remember what tours you were out with them on, for which albums?

Um, yeah. “Abacab” and…the shapes tour and the “I Can’t Dance” tour. There’s probably a couple there that I’m not mentioning, I was too young. I remember just being like, you know, a young firecracker and sitting up there and just being blown away. Like, What is this that I’m listening to? This is amazing! I want to do this for a living! You know? I knew what I wanted to do by the time I was 10. I was pretty sold on the idea of doing music for a living. I was like, This is awesome. This is so cool. And then my dad buying me my drum kit when I was eight. That was the game changer, obviously.

What other drummers were your top influences at a young age?

I was really big into Will Calhoun of Living Color. And Manu Katche, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stewart Copeland, some of the big session drummers that I played to a lot of their records. On Sting and Peter Gabriel albums and stuff like that. I’m a big fan of Gavin Harrison‘s drumming as well. I am a Porcupine Tree fan, of course.

With some very notable exceptions, there’s relatively few drummers who pull off being a lead singer as well. So at 10 years old, you knew what you wanted to do, but at that point, was it about being a drummer, or at what point did also the desire to become more than a drummer hit you and to start singing and writing?

Yeah, definitely when I was younger, it was all about drums, and that’s why I was in a lot of bands when I was in my teens. I really wanted to put a band together and stay together. I wanted to be in a great band. And I was completely satisfied and happy with being behind the kit for the whole time. I guess how the whole solo thing developed was really out of sheer disappointment that all these bands kept breaking up. That what bands do mostly is break up, for me at least. So I just felt like if I’m going to have a career in music, I think I might need to be self-sufficient. I started writing when I was 14 or 15, on the piano. So I was already kind of getting into writing my own songs, as I was writing the lyrics and the vocal melodies. But actually at one point I auditioned some singers to do that part for me. Eventually it was obvious that I wasn’t going to find anybody to do that. So I started just laying down the vocals myself as guide vocals. And I realized, Okay, well, my voice isn’t that bad. It needs some work. And it’s definitely evolved over the albums. You can hear that there’s more confidence, there’s more emotional conviction as well in my vocals. They’re much stronger than they used to be. So that’s been like an evolving thing for me. It definitely started out with drums and then eventually over to the songwriting and the singing.

Overall, would you say that having a dad like you do, has that been more of a blessing to you in opening doors, or is it more of a difficult thing to deal with, whether it’s expectations or being pigeonholed or anything like that?

I think there’s a little bit of everything in there. I think what you mentioned there, I think that you’re right on the money really. Yes, initially my last name got my foot in the door in certain instances, certain cases. Maybe, you know, it allowed for someone to give me 10 more minutes of their time, you know what I mean? But at the end of the day, it just comes down to me, my talent, what I can deliver, that’s going to keep me in the room, you know? Regarding expectations, if I kind of caved into, and got sucked into people’s expectations and then kind of let that get the better of me, I don’t think I’d be able to do what I do. You know what I mean? I just have to be confident in what I’m doing and know that I’m my own person, I’m an individual artist. It took me a while to get the right people around me as well. I’m working with some great people now with Frontiers that signed me for my artistic talent. That’s how it should be. Same with Inside Out, they were great. They signed us because of the album that we made. I had to chip away at it and work away at it and show people that I’m not going away. I’m not just looking for some random pop career. Like, Oh, let’s just try this out. This is what my dad does. You know, let’s do this for kicks. You know what I mean? This is like, this is what I do for a living. It’s just taken a while to kind of prove to people that I’ve deserved to be making records! It’s funny.

Well I’d say congratulations, because you did this already certainly with Sound of Contact, but definitely on this new album I’d say you’ve forged your own identity. Other than the vocal and the drum similarities, obviously, that are there, you’re certainly your own man and your own artist and musician, doing it in a way that your dad never did. This sound is totally unique and I would say totally you, so bravo for that.

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much for saying that, I really appreciate that.

For you, how much do you look to your dad or just look to see how he responds to your things? I know he played the drum duet with you on U-Catastrophe, but for The Sound of Contact and this album, is he surprised by what you come up with?

Yeah, probably a little bit. He’s supportive of what I do. But I think both of us have an understanding that it’s not necessary for him to promote my music. Like when we hang out together, we actually don’t really talk that much about music, if anything. It’s kind of what both of us “do”. So it’s kind of like, we more kind of connect on a more kind of personal level. Obviously with the record label, at one point with Warner brothers, they wanted to do single with me and my dad singing a vocal duet [laughs]. I just gave them the middle finger. I said, f**k off, no way I’m doing that. And my dad also said, yeah, there’s no way that’s happening either. So both of us have kind of an understanding for that kind of thing. But yeah, the drum duet that was…I always wanted to do something with him. I thought it’d be cool. Not to do something commercial as like a marketing gimmick or anything like that. But something that really kind of addresses our bond of drumming. So that’s why we did the drum battle. It was kind of inspired by the drum battle he and Chester Thompson used to do. That was a big influence for me. So I was like, Why don’t we do a drum battle? That’d be f**king amazing, you know? So we had a really great time doing that. So it’s cool just to say that we’ve done that and it was a great experience. But at this point he’s just letting me live my life, letting me do my thing and it’s cool. He’s very supportive.

So at this point, what are your hopes for the future, next solo albums or other collaborations and projects?

As I said at the beginning of the interview, I’m already writing my new album and I’m halfway through writing that. It’s going to be a much more progressive album, diving into my progressive rock influences and possibly a concept album. That’s kind of what I’m thinking actually. We’ve already got a lot of ideas for that. That’s what I’m writing right now. And I’ve also got another project with Kelly Nordstrom from Sound of Contact. We’ve got a project together, a very heavy kind of progressive rock project with flavors of metal and industrial and electronica. So that’s pretty cool. We’re going to be recording, writing and recording that this month, actually. He’s flying out a week from now to stay with me for a month and we’re going to write and record an EP for that. So that’s what I got on my plate right now. And the SOC thing is kind of in the background there as a possibility. We’ll see. I know Matt is also working on an album too. Everyone is doing their thing, it’s very cool.

And once live concerts can happen again, would you be hoping to tour this album?

Yeah. I really hope so because it would be a really great album to do live and it would also be great to do some of my other material live, to dig into the catalog there. I do have the band lined up, I’ve got the musicians ready to go. I just kinda need a green light from Frontiers to do it. And of course the whole COVID thing to kind of clean up. So, it’s a bummer I can’t say yes right now.

Well Simon, thanks so much for talking to us and giving some more depth and insight to this album, I’m really excited for you.

Thank you so much for your time as well. I really appreciate it. Yes. It’s fun to talk about it. And I’m glad you’re enjoying the album. Thanks so much, Scott. Take care! Thanks bro.

The post SIMON COLLINS Talks New Album “Becoming Human” and Inspiration Behind it: “I’m Writing Songs About Who I’m Striving to Be, Not Just Writing Songs About Who I Am” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The Ocean, the progressive and post-metal band, is set to release their new album “Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic” on September 25th through Metal Balde Records (CD / digital) and the band´s Pelagic Records (vinyl). Such album will conclude the Phanerozoic journey initiated by the band’s previous record, with a bolder, more experimental, darker, and more progressive musical direction. 

The result is a daring musical journey that explores the concept of time, brilliantly developed through the parallelisms between modern life and the extinction events that occurred during the Phanerozoic eon. “Phanerozoic II is more experimental, more eclectic in musical style and direction, and more varied in terms of tempos, beats, guitar work and the use of electronics,” notes Staps. “This was an intentional choice: we wanted Part I to feel rather streamlined and to have a strong cohesion between the individual songs. We wanted to create a certain vibe to linger from the first until the last note throughout the whole record. We kept the weirder, more daring and more progressive material for Part II. The outcome is a record that is a real journey. It starts in one place, and concludes in a totally different place. In a way, it relates to Pelagial, which was similar in that it was also a journey: but a more guided, focused and predictable one. Phanerozoic II on the other hand is closer to the experience of free fall.”

Sonic Perspectives contributor Brian Masso got the chance to talk with Robin Staps, guitarist, and mastermind of The Ocean. They discuss about how “Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic” turned out to be a more collaborative effort by the band, how musically this second installment of the Phanerozoic journey differs from “Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic”, the philosophical theme of eternal recurrence portrayed through the new album, the musical and conceptual differences between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sections, how they come with the unique deluxe edition box-set which includes authentic fossils, among other topics. 

Listen to the full interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post ROBIN STAPS of THE OCEAN discusses new album “Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic”: ‘Everybody Has to Find Relevance In Music, Art, Lyrics, Find Relevance To Their Own Lives.’ appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

From his beginning as part of the Shrapnel Records cast to his explorations into hard rock with “Howe II”, and playing with artists such as Enrique Iglesias, Michael Jackson and N’Sync, Greg Howe seems determined to challenge the norm and to take roads less traveled. His unique style separated him from the usual “endless shredding” approach of other guitar contemporaries, and he’s a pioneer in combining elements of fusion and jazz into heavier forms of music.

The mercurial guitarist is keeping as busy as always, even when the world seems eternally confined at home due to the Covid-19. Greg has been occupying his time with online classes, as well as collaborating with other artists and revisiting the material which was almost ready to be released as his new album. This will be the successor to 2017’s “Wheelhouse”, an album that marked the restart of his recording career as a solo artist. As the whole world shut down, he decided he should tweak the new material to make them more of a reflection of who he is as a player these days.

Collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to sit down with Greg and discuss his current projects. They also addressed many of Greg‘s past and present projects and collaborations, such as his work with Protocol. Find out all they discussed about in the lengthy and informative audio interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Greg Howe online at: Official website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

The post Legendary Guitarist GREG HOWE Reflects About His Career and Inspiration: “The Compositions Mean a Lot More to Me Than the Solos When I Write an Album” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.