Galeote: Neo-Prog

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jueves, 10 de septiembre de 2009

IZZ - 2004 - Ampersand Volume 1

1	Ancient Memory	6:41
2	Afraid to Be Different	4:02
3	The Wait of It All	5:49
4	One Slice to Go	1:54
5	Confusion	5:47
6	The Bar Song	4:09
7	My Best Defenses	4:18
8	Molly's Jig	2:35
9	Razor	6:59
10	Another Door	4:44
11	Star Evil Gnoma Su	8:51

¡Aquí!

viernes, 21 de agosto de 2009

Office Of Strategic Influence - 2006 - Free

Prog metal supergroup O.S.I. return with their second album, which finds the duo of singer and keyboardist Kevin Moore and guitarist Jim Matheos moving away from the fairly standard-issue epic metal of 2003's Office of Strategic Influence into something that sounds more like Evanescence's gothy metal-pop crossed with late-era Radiohead's fondness for electronic interference. Moore, formerly of Dream Theater (his ex-bandmate Mike Portnoy plays the album's few non-electronic drums), and Fates Warning leader Matheos are venturing into relatively new territory here: Free is downright commercial in a way that none of the duo's previous projects have been. Moore sings with a new, less aggressive voice that's unfortunately reminiscent of any number of faceless alternative rock singers, and Matheos' guitar is downplayed in favor of keyboards and sequencers. Even on "All Gone Now," which has the most overtly metallic riffs on the album, the guitar is overpowered by layers of twitchy electronic cut-up rhythms and twinkling keyboards. The songs are catchy enough that it's not unthinkable that unadventurous rock radio programmers could take a shine to the title track or "Go," but Fates Warning and Dream Theater fans might be less impressed. [There is a special edition featuring a bonus CD with six otherwise unavailable tracks.]

1	Sure You Will	Matheos, Moore	3:46
2	Free	Matheos, Moore	3:22
3	Go	Matheos, Moore	4:16
4	All Gone Now	Matheos, Moore	5:15
5	Home Was Good	Matheos, Moore	5:03
6	Bigger Wave	Matheos, Moore	4:32
7	Kicking	Matheos, Moore	3:53
8	Better	Matheos, Moore	4:06
9	Simple Life	Matheos, Moore	4:00
10	Once	Matheos, Moore	6:38
11	Our Town	Matheos, Moore	3:20

¡Aquí!

lunes, 6 de julio de 2009

Dream Theater

The technically proficient guitar playing of John Petrucci elevated Dream Theater to the upper echelons of contemporary heavy metal. While its lineup has continuously evolved, the Long Island-based quintet has consistently delivered sharp-edged music. Dream Theater is known for its high-energy concert performances. While they've released several live albums -- Live at the Marquee, recorded at the London club; Live in Japan, recorded during the Music in Progress tour in 1993; and a triple CD and DVD, Live Scenes from New York -- they remain one of heavy metal's most bootlegged bands.

Originally named Majesty by Berklee College of Music students Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and drummer Mike Portnoy, the band soon expanded with the addition of keyboard player Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. Releasing an eight-tune demo, Majesty Demo, as Majesty, the group sold 1,000 copies within six months. The departure of Collins in late 1986 left Majesty without a vocalist, and after a long period of auditioning possible replacements, the group settled on Charlie Dominici in November 1987. Changing its name, the group agreed on "Dream Theater," inspired by a now-demolished California movie theater. Signing with Mechanic Records, the group began working on its first full-length album. Delays caused by label mismanagement limited the group to performing at small clubs and bars. Frustrated by its experiences with the label, Dream Theater finally severed its ties with Mechanic.

This was only one drastic change in the band's course of action. Firing Dominici, the group spent the next couple years searching for a vocalist. The search ended in late 1991 when a demo tape from Canadian vocalist James LaBrie, formerly of Winter Rose, arrived. After flying to New York to audition, LaBrie was invited to join the band. Signing with Atco Atlantic (which came to be known as East West), Dream Theater released its second album, Images & Words, in 1992. One of three videos based on songs from the album, "Pull Me Under," became an MTV hit. Although Theater showed considerable growth with their third studio album, Awake, recorded between May and July 1994, the group continued to be hampered by personnel changes. Before the album was mixed, keyboardist Moore left the group to focus on his solo career. Hired as a temporary replacement for the band's Waking Up the World tour, Derek Sherinian later became a permanent member. His first recording with Dream Theater was a 23-minute epic, "A Change of Seasons," written in 1989 and released in September 1995 on the album of the same name.

Following a mini tour, Fix for '96, the members of Dream Theater separated for several months and became involved with a variety of outside projects. Petrucci was the busiest. In addition to joining Portnoy and keyboard player Jordan Rudess in the Liquid Tension Experiment -- a group that included influential bassist/stick player Tony Levin -- Petrucci played guitar with Trent Gardner's Explorers Club and made a guest appearance on Shadow Gallery's Tyranny album. Myung and Sherinian collaborated with King's X vocalist Ty Tabor in the band Platypus. LaBrie worked with Mull Muzzler, a group formed with Matt Guillory and Mike Mangini.

Dream Theater experienced yet another change when Rudess was tapped to replace Sherinian, who had been fired in 1999. The band released the progressive rock-heavy Scenes from a Memory that year, a conceptual piece that followed the story of a 1928 murder of a young woman and how a modern man is haunted by the crime. It was followed by Live Scenes from New York in 2001, which suffered from an unintentional bout with controversy when its original cover featuring the city of New York in flames was pulled due to the events of September 11. The group continued in the progressive metal vein in 2002 with Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, followed by the leaner Train of Thought in 2003 and Octavarium in 2005. The live album Score: XOX was released in 2006 and featured the band backed by a 29-piece orchestra. It was followed a year later by the new studio album Systematic Chaos, and in 2009 by Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

Sherinian went on to record as a soloist and to play with a prog and jazz fusion band, Planet X. Petrucci released an eponymously titled solo album in 2003, featuring accompaniment by Dave LaRue of the Dixie Dregs and Boston-based drummer Dave DeCenso.

2006 - 0119-Live At Olympic Fencing Gymnasium

Dream Theater - 2006 - 0119-Live At Olympic Fencing Gymnasium

!Aquí!

jueves, 2 de julio de 2009

Umphrey's McGee - 2006 - Safety In Numbers

When "jam bands" began to infiltrate the music scene in the '90s, it seemed like fans were content to hear bands jamming away for hours on end -- à la a Grateful Dead show. But later in the decade, these Dead offspring began to branch out into other musical styles -- even going so far as to streamline their compositions to start resembling actual songs. A good example of this is the third studio album overall by Umphrey's McGee, Safety in Numbers. With more than half of the album's compositions not exceeding the five-minute mark (something that was virtually unheard of "back in the good old days" of jam bands), Safety in Numbers covers an impressive amount of musical ground. And you've got to love a band that invites Huey Lewis to lend his harmonica skills to the tracks "End of the Road" and "Women, Wine and Song" (the latter of which sees Lewis lend a hand in the vocal department, as well). Additional standouts abound -- including the speedy album opener "Believe the Lie" and the tough riff rocker "Nemo." There is a new dawn for jam bands in the early 21st century, and Umphrey's McGee is definitely helping to usher it in.