Hominido - Alados

Since I was blown away by this band from Chile thanks to their 2014 debut album Estripe Litica, Hominido are back again with a follow up their debut with the release of their second album entitled, Alados which is self-released this year. The word Alados translated, means Wings. It is a concept album about Birds from Chile and how their personalities of the birds are related to the characteristics of the human race. It’s a diverse album from their debut and it shows at times, a classical side to Hominido.

There’s also a different line-up. Javier Briceno takes over Eliana’s role as vocals, Francisco Martin isn’t there on his bass as Natan Ide is taking the bass over with his Touch Guitar a-la Trey Gunn and Tony Levin style! But also Rodrigo’s drumming, gives it the driving beat and the heart, soul-like force of the sound of Hominido. With bits of keyboards flowing in, but in the album the band uses; Trumpets, Violins, Duduks, and French Horns.

Listening to Alados, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself being the landscapes of Chile and visiting the exotic birds and how they relate of what the humans go through. With Melodic, World Music, Metal, and a Progressive side to them, the lyrics are sung in Spanish and it sets the background and tempo through the atmosphere with 11 tracks throughout the entire album.

I can hear the styles between Steven Wilson, Syndone, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant and I can imagine the influences flow well into Hominido’s music. Now Javier’s vocals reaches higher peaks throughout his arrangements and while there are dramatic approaches with thundering moments, the birds fly to meet their flock to teach their little ones to fly.

Fanfare anthems, Spaghetti Westerns, and Salsa Grooves thrown into the blender from the horn sections, I always imagine Ennio Morricone conducting the band and letting them do whatever they want by using carte blanche and have creative control by letting the band do whatever they would like. This is my second listen of hearing Alados. As I’ve mentioned before, it is a diverse album, and while the new sound may find listeners interesting to see where the band will lead into next, it is a very good album.

The Muffins - Manna/Mirage

Formed in 1973 in their hometown in Washington D.C., The Muffins were this combination between the Canterbury scene and the Rock In Opposition movement. They were a cross between Gong, Hatfield and the North, Henry Cow, Frank Zappa, and the Soft Machine. In 1978, they released their debut album entitled Manna/Mirage which Cuneiform Records reissued 25 years ago.

The band considers Billy Swan on Bass, Piano Guitar, and Percussions, Paul Sears on Drums, Gong, Xylophone, Vibes, Percussions, Pots, Pans, and Pennywhistle, Tom Scott on Wind Instruments and Percussion and Dave Newhouse on Keyboards, Wind Instruments, and Percussions. There are four tracks two of which are 15 and 22-minutes.

Opener, Monkey with the Golden Eyes features flute, electric piano, oboe combining with Wyatt-sque backgrounds done in the style of the Northettes arrangements with beautiful textures before the alarming and rising Organs with xylophones in the reminiscent of Egg’s Dave Stewart. Then it becomes a nightmarish Free-Jazz Avant-Garde 12-tone harmonies in the style of David Bedford and Frank Zappa as if they conducted together of wind improvisations between Scott, Newhouse, and Sears swirling chaotic drums as Hobart Got Burned.

Amelia Earhart is 15-minutes of an adventure dedicated to the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean then suddenly disappearing in the Devil’s Triangle. It begins with the world music in a chilling background for 1 minute and 34 seconds before the odd signatures of Rhodes, Fuzztone sounds, Drums, and Bass before the intense section of the Wah-Wah Bass, Flutes echoing Didier Malherbe before Billy Swan’s fuzz bass comes in.

Then the wackiness and thumping percussions and delving into the essence of Gong’s The Isle of Everywhere with the Herbie Hancock flavor with a spacey scenario. The last track clocks in at 22-minutes is The Adventures of Captain Boomerang (For Mike Forrester). The Muffins themselves go into overdrive to make the jump for intense light speed. They are in full control. And featuring Cuneiform founder Steve Feigenbaum on Guitar creating the underwater section and appearing on the Amelia track, the band themselves go through these different levels with a “Holy Shit!” momentum.

Blaring saxes and music changing gears, it’s almost as if they had done a score for either an episode The Ren & Stimpy Show or one of the Fleischer cartoons and almost giving Disney and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a big gigantic middle finger. And at times they can also do the music set to the paintings between Salvador Dali and Jackson Pollock.

I love how that the band are in full control with free-rein with the sense of humor into their music and knowing that they are working together as a team to capture more of the Canterbury influences like a burst of thunder coming down at you in a quick second. They are in full control throughout the entire piece. Now, my introduction to the band’s music was in Romantic Warriors II and III. Not to mention Prog Rock Deep Cuts with Ian Beabout.

This is the real deal if you want to delve more into the musical boundaries of both the Rock In Opposition and Canterbury movement. If you love the genres then check into The Muffins Manna/Mirage. 

Curved Air - The Curved Air Rarities Series Volume 1: Tapestry of Propositions

Curved Air for me, are one of the most overlooked and underrated Progressive Rock bands to come out of the ‘70s. Among supporters including the great John Peel and Lee Dorrian, founder of Rise Above Records and founding member of Napalm Death and Cathedral, they have never done me wrong when it comes to taking music to higher levels. I first heard their music back 10 years ago when my Mom got me the 4-CD box set from Rhino entitled, Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive Rock Era. The box set has been out of print for a long time, but you can find some copies of it on eBay.

Since their formation in the ‘70s and lead by the amazing Sonja Kristina whose vocals just sends chills down the spine whenever I would put on either Air Conditioning, Phantasmagoria, or Second Album, they would take the dark side of music to a sinister background. This year they released the first volume of the Rarities and it’s titled, Tapestry of Propositions. The song was originally released on their debut album in 1970 released 46 years ago on the Warner Bros. label, and it still packs a punch both the studio and live version of the song.

Here, recorded live between 2013-14, it is a 64 minute and 34 second adventure of the different improvisations of the piece which was done by present keyboardist, Robert Norton. He painstakingly compiled the pieces into one of 15 movements of the song and made into a whole circle. You can close your eyes and imagine yourself at these gigs and watching the band giving the energy and power to delve into.

It is dark, haunting, spiritual, and raw. The variations is right in front of your eyes. Most of the time, it’s Jazz, Fusion, Spacey, Krautrock. Or should I say Space Rock with a Jazz-Krautrock Floydian twist thanks to the keyboard sections done by Norton himself. Guitarist Kirby Gregory is not just channeling the styles of former Curved Air/Sky guitarist Francis Monkman, but he’s going through the voyages between CAN’s Michael Karoli, Hawkwind's Dave Brock, and Ash Ra Tempel’s Manuel Gottsching.

I can imagine the band are in a tightrope after Sonja belts her scream that gives the audience the stamp of approval and then she gives the band the center stage and give them free rein. They want to make sure they don’t fall to the ground and they don’t throughout the entire improvisations. This is not your typical Dead show, this is Curved Air at their finest. Not to mention the dynamic and amazing drum work by Florian Pilkington-Miska and the intense violin work from Paul Sax.

Here they are giving the powers of a high-tech electrical power with thunderous sections that will have jaws drop at the same time. I always imagine Sonja not just as a singer, but I can imagine her as at times Leopold Stokowski. She is to me, like a conductor telling the band where she wants to go into the next section and the first volume of the rarities, I could tell I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out where they will go next.

For me, while this is a first volume of the Curved Air rarities, I hope they will do more and find some unearthed gems that didn’t make it into the final cut of their albums or live material also. But here with the Tapestry of Propositions, it’s an extended version or a director's cut of the song that you just want to put your headphones and turn this up to 11 and be in awe of the music of Curved Air. 

Nicolas Meier - Infinity

Since my introduction to the world of guitarist Nicolas Meier came to me last year with his collaboration with Pete Oxley on Chasing Tales, I always was fascinated by the teamwork that they did with the classical and flamenco influences that struck me of their virtuosity. Nicolas has been a busy man with The Jeff Beck Group and Dwiki Dharmawan to name a few. This year he’s released his new album entitled, Infinity on Steve Vai’s label Favored Nations Entertainment.

The origins of the album came when he was on tour with Jeff Beck ten years ago when wrote a composition entitled, Yemin which means “Pledge”. He wanted that Turkish vibe with a dosage of Fusion into the style. And with help from Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and Bassist Jimmy Haslip, and guests including Violinists Richard Jones, Sally Jo, and Lizzie Ball, and Gregor Carle on Guitar, you can expect something special is about to happen.

For Meier, to be on Steve Vai’s label, it’s for me like winning a scholarship. And with six centerpieces on here, you can imagine yourself being in the studio with Meier and his crew, work as a team. JB Top is dedicated to Billy Gibbons. It’s done in the style of the early ZZ Top sound while Nicolas was on tour with them in Texas and it has this Hard Rock approach thanks to Gregor Carle’s heavier sound.

Rose on Water is Lizzie Ball’s Bach influence in the style of the sections from Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. With these haunting beautiful melodies between Lizzie and Nicolas, you can imagine the two of them performing this at Carnegie Hall to a stunned and well-approved audience while Kismet takes you into these Greek melodies from the Mediterranean Sea.

With great tightness between him and Richard Jones’ playing, Vinnie’s drums in the midsection, sound almost like a clapping beat which is on the snare drums and following the speeding train section of Nicolas intense guitar run through the frets as if he’s Jackson Pollock painting like there’s no tomorrow. The gentle stream through the lakes on Riverside, sees Meier at the narrow sections through the rhythms and leading moments in the classical textures on the strings.

As for Legend, it’s his nod to Jeff Beck. It shows his admiration and accomplishments that he’s done while being on the road with him. And then there’s Tales. It starts and ends with a Flamenco-Folky Jazz atmosphere as Meier delves into the dance sections on his guitars. He is walking us through the various landscapes of the different paintings of an art museum as if they were moving forward quickly from one area to another.

I can imagine the influences of Jimmy Page, Robby Kreiger and Ottmar Liebert throughout the entire composition that he does to pay nod to. I had an amazing time listening to this album whilst I was going for my morning walks yesterday. It’s another accomplishment from the mind of Nicolas Meier. And I hope to hear more from him to see what he will think of next on another brainstorming ideas he will come up with.

Steve Hackett - Spectral Mornings (Deluxe Edition)

When Steve Hackett left Genesis in the summer of 1977 after an amazing three-night performance they did at Earls Court Arena at the time they were promoting their eighth album, Wind and Wuthering he knew he wanted to move on and see what he will do next as a solo artist. He always wanted to push forward with the release of his debut album, Voyage of the Acolyte released in 1975.

His next album in which was his third after the release of Please Don’t Touch was Spectral Mornings. It’s considered one of his best albums that he released in the late ‘70s. The album was recorded in the winter of discontent in the Netherlands in a studio called Phonogram Studios. He and his band mates worked day and night recording the album and you can imagine the intensity making this whilst not getting much sleep.

Even though the work was hard and difficult, Steve knew something special had happened with Spectral Mornings. Originally released on the Charisma label and reissued in a 2-CD/DVD release that features the new stereo mix done by Steven Wilson that gives it a clearer sound from the original mix, it was part of the 10-CD/4-DVD release of his years with the Charisma label from 1975 to 1983 entitled Premonitions released last year, it shows not just his playing, but it was the way that he knew where he wanted to go.

You can the sense of humor with the dosage of the Music Hall with a bluesy harmonica roar done by Hackett himself along with vocals and walking into the streets of Brazil with a bossa-nova and having a blast on his comedic timing throughout The Ballad of the Decomposing Man. Taking inspiration from the memoirs of Lord Dowding who was the commander in chief of the battle of Britain, goes into deep dark territories as Hackett channels his inner Crimson ideas as Nick Magnus uses the synths for the war background noises and turned into a mini-operatic feel about one day returning after the war is over one day with Tigermoth.

Not only it’s a progressive album, but it shows Steve’s opening to the doors of world music. On The Virgin and the Gypsy, it’s not only a beautiful track with folky melodies, but walking through the Asian landscape and you can close your eyes and visiting the country and witnessing historical landscapes thanks to his brother using the Chinese bamboo models of the Flute. Steve would use the Koto and with help from Nick of the Novotron bring an ambient atmosphere on The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere.

The ticking sounds from Hackett’s guitar and Nick’s keyboards as John Shearer’s drums comes bursting through where Genesis could have gone, is a walk through this clockwork-like mansion with a puzzling tunnel by knowing where the right location is to be free from this maze on Clocks – The Angel of Mons. The three bonus tracks on CD 1 contains single versions of Every Day which to me is Steve’s homage to Kansas, Clocks – The Angel of Mons, and The Caretaker was a humoristic joke from the mind of Peter Hicks.

In the bonus track, he is complaining along with some nasty coughs in the way, the loud noise and the mess that the band did while working on the album. It’s funny and again Steve has an amazing sense of humor when it comes to music. The 2-CD/DVD set contains a foreword note by Steve himself along with an interview with him about the making of the album from the 20-page booklet by Mark Powell. It contains photos of him, single releases, and in the package, promo tours, and posters for his tour promoting his third album.

If you love the original 5-piece era of Genesis, then this is something that needs to be in your shelf, big time of where the band could have gone to before going ‘80s pop. Spectral Mornings is for me in my opinion one of my favorite albums from Hackett himself and it’s a crowning gem.

Syd Arthur - Apricity

From the moment you hear the mid-tempo running sound of the drums, synths, and the vocals of “Nowhere to run/the world will find you/six degrees of separation from you/I’m not moving until the sun shines on me.” You get the feeling that someone is watching you and you are on the run from the wolves of prey and hiding from them until the sun is up to make sure that the coast is clear on the title track. It’s quite interesting and a new direction from the realm of Canterbury’s own Syd Arthur.

This is their fourth release on the Harvest Records label and while it is a diverse album, they still carry the progressive touch throughout their music. I’ve been a big champion of Syd Arthur’s music since 2012 when I read about them in an issue of Prog Magazine and bought their second album, On and On. And the rest is history. They have supported acts including Paul Weller of The Jam, Sean Lennon’s band The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger, and Yes.

They have been very busy lately during those few years to be the headlining act with such amazing bands/artists for those three including performing at SXSW (South By Southwest) and Coachella. You can’t deny these guys. There is absolutely no way in hell you can’t deny them. They are damn good. When I listened to their new album entitled, Apricity, I was nearly in tears from the moment I put the CD on.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s a diverse album and while they want to keep the Progressive and Psychedelic touch, it has an early 1980s vibe to their music and I absolutely love what I’m hearing. There’s also a different line-up in the band. Fred Rother left the band as the Magill’s brother, Josh takes over Fred’s duty on the drums. Syd Arthur for me, is not just a band, it’s more like a family unit that keeps the wheels going for the end of time.

Coal Mine starts with a fade-in awakening between keyboards and epic guitars. Enter in the acoustic/electric melodies and deep into the jazz-like rhythm with a dancing groove along with the violin. It’s a futuristic kicker and with melodic guitar lines/rhodes, you are the bird flying away into the sea and bringing some kind of treasure and knowing that what the world has become, is not what you think.

Plane Crash in Kansas is back into the mind of their second album. It feels as if it’s a continuation of First Difference. With some ‘60s organ, guitars, and incredible drum work by Josh as the rising beats get into some touches like something straight out of the John Hughes films in the 1980s from The Breakfast Club with No Peace. The afterlife can be an emotional turn as it tugs your heart with another rising rhythm from the drums, guitars, vocals, and synths as lyrical touches hit you inside to space and the sacrifices we make.

“I’ll meet you on the other side/said it’s gonna be alright/brother don’t you cry said it’s gonna be right/I’ll meet you on the other side said it’s gonna be alright/there is a trap door to my heart.” You can’t write amazing lyrics like that with a journey into the afterlife of outer space for the Sun Rays. The ominous yet eerie ambient noise grows into an alarming yet mourning tone as you head Into Eternity.

Keyboards and Guitar handle the melodic warmth as your life is looking forward as you are on the top of the mountain to see the sun in all of it’s glory and knowing the next chapter is ready for you. The music nails it down to know your future is ready for you looking out. Rebel Lands is another mid-tempo beat. Swarming guitar introduction and drums set to the tempo of another dystopian atmosphere of a young man who’s from a troubled time and witnessing what is happening right now in his country.

He wants to get away from it and start a new life by travelling and focusing on not making this mistake and knowing it’s going to be okay. Syd Arthur takes you into the militant drums, oceanic waltzes, and taking you into the distant places thanks to the acoustical folk-like rhythm before kicking into a driving beat for the Seraphim. It’s very classical thanks to the string-like keyboards setting this aqua adventure.

The thumping beats keep on growing and growing. Here on the instrumental, Portal, the synths reminisce at times of Devo’s late ‘70s/early ‘80s style of the Post-Rock and Psych approach to take you on another journey to where you never seen before in your lifetime while Evolution draws into a heartbeat bass drum effect and echoing reverb effects of the vocals. With eerie hopes for love and sorrow, it still grabs more and more for swirling guitars to come flying in.

Dark, somber, art, and psych, Syd Arthur show there is no sign of stopping and the sound is essential and emotional. This here is another follow-up that needs some more recognition and deserves my stamp of approval that they have come a long, long way. Get ready for another journey with the band and hold on tight for Apricity.

Opeth - Sorceress

This is Opeth’s 12^th studio album released this year entitled, Sorceress. It’s been many years since Opeth released their 2003 album Damnation and it was a radical departure from their Death Metal roots and moving forwards into the Progressive territory. Some people may not be happy with the moving away from their early days and into that sound. And it’s become a dividing line in the sand whether to accept their Death Metal or Progressive Rock sound.

Now for me, I love both of them (Death Metal and Progressive sounds). And Mikael Akerfeldt is moving forwards and he is not going back and not everyone has to like it and everybody has an entitled to their opinion. He is also a very busy man alongside with Opeth by working with Steven Wilson on the project they did with Storm Corrosion and working with Steve Hackett on Genesis Revisited II. With the release of their new album, it’s diverse and it flows very well.

It is folky, proggy, and metallic. It is all connected like a giant smoothie. You have Will O The Wisp which is a moving 3/4 time signature waltz in a beautiful yet dark sounding in the style of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s of Jethro Tull’s Folk-Rock era while Sorceress 2 features gentle acoustic melodies with a prog-folk background featuring the mellotron. Mikael’s vocals are double-tracked through a leslie speaker in the styles of Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan.

Chrysalis is heavy rock at its finest. I love how the duel between Fredrik’s guitar nad Joakim’s blaring organ followed by Mikael’s riffs are just like a match between who will in the race in the styles of a Deep Purple groove of the MKII-era while Era is a fast driven styles of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) with fast rumbling guitars and galloping drums delving into the night sky.

Strange Brew features solos between Mikael and Fredrik. It features an ominous opening with double-tracking vocals followed by an insane midsection as Opeth go into Interstellar Overdrive. Meaning Fusion meets Rock Progressivo Italiano (RPI) before ending in crying battle of the guitars. Taking inspiration of Family’s second album, Entertainment, The Seventh Sojourn which sounds very much like an Ingmar Bergman film, features middle-eastern rhythm and lead acoustic guitars.

And a string section also as you as a listener can imagine yourself walking through the Isles of the Egyptian Deserts and seeing the pyramids before ending into a Floyd-sque finale of the styles from The Narrow Way from the Ummagumma album. The Wilde Flowers is an homage to the archetype of the Canterbury scene of a group between Caravan and the Soft Machine. But this track isn’t Canterbury related.

More of spirited and vital approach of a harder rock sound turned into the finale twists of Radiohead’s OK Computer-era as the opening track gives Opeth an homage to Ennio Morricone in the styles of the spaghetti western scores of the late ‘60s vibe as if it’s a continuation of the final chapter of The Man with No Name who is now gravely old, is returning for one last battle on Persephone.

I also enjoyed how on the title track there’s this fuzztone sound probably either on the guitar and the organ. It’s this sonic harsh tone from the fuzzing pedal box and not just with the heavy riffs that goes with it, but the textures in the styles of Mike Ratledge as A Fleeting Glance features the harpsichord with whispering vocals along with a structure of the early Floyd and Medieval-Psych rock for the first few minutes.

Opeth know their influences very well. The closing track, Persephone (Slight Return) is a nod to Jimi Hendrix but it shows that the sorceress has calmed down as the haunting piano fades into the darkness. I enjoyed this album very much and while I’m not a big Opeth fan, this is another crowning achievement for them and it’s not just Mikael’s band, they work together as a team.