Now Playing Thread

[Teunis]

Shadow Gallery - Shadow Gallery (fine debut I would say  )

[Nicky007]

NP  Adagio:  Dominate

Great album, in the style of SyX, but with a darker edge and some moderate growl. Excellent English singing too by Gus Monsanto. Adagio have now carved their own special niche in progmetal 

With Adagio and Gojira, the French are now major players in the progmetal field. Gratz, Bups and Draco 

Nicky.

[Manatee]

Hi folks,

I haven't disappeared, just haven't been paying too much attention to music lately, but I don't intend to keep that up.  Some of the big new releases mentioned here weren't out in the U.S. yet, although Anathema's may be available now.  I think Demians isn't til sometime mid-August.  Other than that, I've just listened to CDs when in the car since I've been needing the sound on my computer for other things.  Notably, I've played:

Genesis - Selling England by the Pound

Anathema - Judgement

Looking forward to hearing some new things though.  Also, I plan to contribute to Nicky's "Great Albums and Why" thread, but I have to gear myself up for some deep thought first. 

[Teunis]

Gazpacho - Tick Tock
Moonrise - Soul's Inner Pendulum
Muse - Black Holes & Revelations

[Nicky007]

NP  To-Mera:  Earthbound  (on repeat)

Epic 

myspace.com/tomeraband

Nicky.

[funkster]

Aqualung by Jethro Tull
Pawn Hearts b VDGG
Tubular bells by Mike Oldfield

Bit of a 70's prog trip really 

[Nicky007]

NP  Ulver  on MySpace

http://www.myspace.com/ulver1

A Norwegian avantgarde group. Made up of some guys from the Norwegian black metal scene (Arcturus, Borknagar), but the Ulver stuff on MySpace is not black metal, more like spacy dreamy techno stuff, even some Bristol thrown in - worth an experience, guys if you'r not too lost in retro 

Nicky.

[maddox]

Frost* ~ Experiments in Mass Appeal

[funkster]

The flat earth by Thomas Dolby

[Manatee]

Last night:

IQ - The Wake
It Bites - The Tall Ships
Riverside - Out of Myself
Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement
Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
Riverside - Voices in My Head
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Today:

Jethro Tull - Bursting Out
Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery

NP: Jethro Tull - Songs From the Wood

[The Butterfly Man]

NP: Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Great album. Some emotional songs on this one. Not so strange though, considering what they've been through. MP's drumming is very classy and tasty. Highly recommended album.

Anyway, it saddens me to see the Room is even more deserted these days. Maybe that's down to the holidays but I really hope it will get a bit more crowded when Arena releases their new album, whenever that may be.

Tom

[Nicky007]

Highly recommended album.

Thanx for your comments, Tom. I'v upped Nightmare in my SL (+ several other A7 albums that I don't have) 

And thanx for your fine Budapest tale. I'm glad that you took pain(s) to find your salvation at Deák tér 

Anyway, it saddens me to see the Room is even more deserted these days.

Yeah, what I don't understand is that there are always several members and guests here. When I like a site (and I do like the Room despite the languor), I feel it natural to contribute.

Why don't Roomies contribute more ?  Is it cuz they think that their posts have to be perfect in all ways ?  Fiddlesticks !  Bups & Draco e.g. don't have that hangup. They write stuff as it comes, and we don't at all mind occasional mistakes. (It's definatly a different matter with Mad.) 

Is it cuz they think that we'll look down upon their taste ?  Well again, Bups listens to Stone Age rock ... and I don't mind an occasional Céline ... and Korn are in my pantheon - OK, guys, laugh yer heads off, but Korn are really very special - and progressive, I'l insist !  Before you harrumph, listen properly to a few Korn albums, you'l be surprised !


NP  Threshold:  Critical Mass

I'v had the entire Threshold studio catalog for a while now, and I'v enjoyed Critical Mass every time I listened to it ... but only now do I realise what a masterpiece this album is !!!

Probably cuz CM doesnt, and I guess Threshold in general don't, hit you in yer face like many other groups that I listen to 

Extraordinarily subtle and elegant, masses of fine melody and harmony, wonderful solos, lyrics highly evocative - simply fabulous 

I'm extremely embarrassed that I didnt place them in my pantheon earlier, but that's now been remedied 

Nicky.

[Bupie]

Hum, Stone Age rock ... I didn't understand at first look since I am not a fan of QOTSA and alikes but I catched the joke after a few seconds 

Yes, you're pretty right, Nicky. And no, I am not really ashamed or embarassed. I don't look further than the pleasure that the music gives me, whatever the year of its release.

NP IQ : Ever  Less than 20 years old, yes I know that I can do much better than that !

I am in a strong neo-prog mood those days, listening to a lot of 90's and 2K's IQ. Dark matter and The Lost Attic are still missing in my collection and so are the first two albums, Tales ... and The Wake. I also don't have Seven Stories .... So far, Subterranea is the album I struggle the most with. Others are pure blessing, especially AYSC, Ever and The Seventh House. A suggestion for my next purchase ?

[Iggy]

Hum, Stone Age rock ... I didn't understand at first look since I am not a fan of QOTSA and alikes but I catched the joke after a few seconds 

Yes, you're pretty right, Nicky. And no, I am not really ashamed or embarassed. I don't look further than the pleasure that the music gives me, whatever the year of its release.

NP IQ : Ever  Less than 20 years old, yes I know that I can do much better than that !

I am in a strong neo-prog mood those days, listening to a lot of 90's and 2K's IQ. Dark matter and The Lost Attic are still missing in my collection and so are the first two albums, Tales ... and The Wake. I also don't have Seven Stories .... So far, Subterranea is the album I struggle the most with. Others are pure blessing, especially AYSC, Ever and The Seventh House. A suggestion for my next purchase ?

Dark Matter is definitely one of my favourites. The Wake is excellent as well.

[The Butterfly Man]

And thanx for your fine Budapest tale. I'm glad that you took pain(s) to find your salvation at Deák tér 

You're so funny with words. I wish I could do that as well. I can do it in Dutch, but in English it's another story...

...Korn are in my pantheon - OK, guys, laugh yer heads off, but Korn are really very special - and progressive, I'l insist !  Before you harrumph, listen properly to a few Korn albums, you'l be surprised!

I remember listening to Korn when I was in highschool. It was around the time the so-called nu-metal  was made very popular by bands like Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and Korn and a whole host of others. I particularly remember Korn's great Freak On A Leash-video (The one with the bullet. Look for it on Youtube if you don't know what I'm talking about). I still listen to - and enjoy - Linkin Park occasionally but it's been years ago that I put on a Korn cd. Maybe I'll do that soon, see what I think of 'em nowadays.

NP  Threshold:  Critical Mass

I'v had the entire Threshold studio catalog for a while now, and I'v enjoyed Critical Mass every time I listened to it ... but only now do I realise what a masterpiece this album is !!!

Probably cuz CM doesnt, and I guess Threshold in general don't, hit you in yer face like many other groups that I listen to 

Extraordinarily subtle and elegant, masses of fine melody and harmony, wonderful solos, lyrics highly evocative - simply fabulous 

I'm extremely embarrassed that I didnt place them in my pantheon earlier, but that's now been remedied 

You know what..... I recently had that moment of enlightenment too. Critical Mass is a masterpiece!

I don't have Threshold's entire studio catalog (I can't stand Damian Wilson's voice, sorry) but I have every album of theirs that has Mac on vocals. He has such a powerful voice, I love it. It's really a shame he left Threshold after Dead Reckoning. What's worse (for me anyway ) is that Damian Wilson is back with them, so I'm not really anxiously awaiting a new album. But let's see, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. Anyway, you're absolutely right in saying that Threshold doesn't really hit you in the face like many other bands do. But when they do, they do it good!

NP: Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet

Fine example of an album that smacks you in the face instantly!

Tom

[Nicky007]

I can't stand Damian Wilson's voice, sorry

Tom, time's come when you really have to get Once And Future King. You'r missin so-so-so-so ... - hm, sorry, I always stammer when I get excited - much by not listening to Gary Hughes' stuff !  King is simply a must-have for any proggy true to his/her name, particularly an Arena fan. And getting to the point: Damian sings on the first track, Excalibur, as "prologue narrator". When ya hear him here ... whew 

+ there's soooooo much fine stuff on King. It's the best introduction to the Arthurian legends around. How in the world can one miss this one

Just like Priest's Nostradamus is the best introduction to contemporary Christianity !  Aint we proggies priviliged.

Maybe I'll do that soon, see what I think of 'em nowadays.

Get:  Take a Look In the Mirror (2003),  See You On The Other Side (2005),  and/or Untitled (2007).

I would go so far as to call these albums progressive - and even spiritual !  I mean, they really mean "The Other Side" 


NP  Them Crooked Vultures:  Self-titled

Super 

It's got Joshua Homme on guitar and vocals, Dave Grohl back on drums, and surprise: John Paul Jones - remember him ? - on bass; so who would expect anything else than a bomb here !

And yes, it does sound very much like QOTSA ... but: I do hear some Zep too    Now I don't know whether I'm strainin it too far, but I really do hear Zep, and I mean the melodic, lyrical part of Zep that JPJ stood for - yeah, for the first time in a looong time 

First run, let's see how this one grows .....

Nicky.

[Peter]

np> Marillion - [The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra) CD1 (1988) #01] Intro - La Gazza Ladra (2:46)

oh, the 80s Spinning some personal classics during the next days.

[funkster]

Proganda - a secret wish
Thomas Dolby - the flat earth
Van der graaf generator - still life

[Nicky007]

JP  Coldplay:  Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

Everybody's ravin about this album, so I guess I oughtta get into it ... 


JP  Threshold:  Critical Mass


NP  Threshold:  Hypothetical

Next in line. Seems quite different from CM.

I really enjoy this group these days 

Yes, Tom, Mac is a fabulous singer. Also Johanne James does some exciting things on his drums 


"Die Hoffnung stirbt letzt !" (nicht letzlich)) 

Good luck with your job search, Cap ... an with yer lady 

Nicky.

[The Butterfly Man]

JP  Coldplay:  Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

Everybody's ravin about this album, so I guess I oughtta get into it ... 

Well, what happened here? You're listening to Coldplay?

Yes, Tom, Mac is a fabulous singer. Also Johanne James does some exciting things on his drums 

Indeed, Johanne James is a fine drummer. He makes these complex rhythms look so easy...

NP: Threshold - Dead Reckoning

Yeah, you got me inspired...

Tom

[PH]

In my three weeks vacation in France, I listened to some great music.

Vangelis came by with the albums "Voices" (really nice album indeed, especially the marvelous track "Losing Sleep", which builts the song in a way that only Vangelis can) and also "Blade Runner" which counts as one of the best of Vangelis, in my opinion.

TransAtlantic was also a favourite. "Bridge Across Forever" and "The Whirlwind" are equally fantastic, with sometimes a win for the one, and sometimes for the other.
Anyway, the new album is really cool. I like it very much. Hopefully there will be a fourth album, but I guess we'll have to wait for it (a long time).

Of course I also gave Neal Morse a spin. "Lifeline" finally begins to grow on me, although I think it still distances itself from great albums like "One", "?" and "Sola Scriptura".
"Sola Scriptura" still knows how to stir my heart. I can't help it, but I still get emotional during songs like "All I Ask For", "Keep Silent", "Heaven In My Heart" and especially "Long Night's Journey". I think it has to do with the composition and in addition the lyrics, but also my own experiences.
It's a fantastic album and I consider it among the best of today's Progressive Rock.

"Deadwing" (in my opinion the best of Porcupine Tree to this date) was also one of the albums that got played. I still can't believe how they did it. There's so much on ONE album.

Kevin Gilbert's "Thud" and "The Toy Matinee" were also some of my new discoveries. Amazing what this man has done in the years that were given to him. To bad he has passed away far to soon.
I really like his music a lot. It's very catchy and still proggy or at least experimental in some way or another.

--Paco--

[Nicky007]

Well, what happened here? You're listening to Coldplay?

Yeah, off and on. In fact I'm even listenin to Oasis' Heathen Chemistry these days 

Up to recently I had too many excellent prog groups to deal with.

Since I'm specifically a proggie, but generally a rocker, guess I have to keep up with it all.

I'v also been watching BBC's excellent 7 Ages Of Rock, which is shown daily on Danish TV currently. Gets me curious about some of the groups that have formed rock history that I'm unfamiliar with.

Went so far as to add Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood to my SL, on a warm recom by Lars Ulrich. Lars (who by the way is Danish, and still has some of the Danish accent when he speaks English  ) said that he was blown away by the sound MC had on DrF, and that the Metallica guys wanted to get some of that on their black album 

Anyone here into MC ?

Kiss otoh don't seem to be all that interesting musically ... or ?


JP  Oasis:  Heathen Chemistry

Nice, but I start gettin bored after a few songs. Not so with:

NP  Threshold:  Hypothetical  (on repeat)

Super album 

Nicky.

[funkster]

First listen to Critical Mass by Threshold in fact my first listen to Threshold   

Damn fine so far  Cheers Nicky

[funkster]

Now listening to Hypothetical by Threshold and they are fast becoming my new favourite band 

What fantastic taste the Roomies have 

[Nicky007]

What fantastic taste the Roomies have 

Yup 

Threshold are one'o my faves too currently 


Also played

Black Flag:  My War

These guys were BIG in the 80's. They invented hardcore, sorta punk with some wild stuff. They were chief inspirers to a young lost kid called Kurt Cobain, and they paved the way for grunge. Far more seminal than most people are aware of today.

See, it's often useful to know such stuff. Then you can read a lot more into the music and appreciate it more 


Them Crooked Vultures

Yup, now I can simply enjoy'm 

Nicky.