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News of Prog

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29.V+ Eloy
29.V+ Marillion
29.V+ The Mission
29.V+ Billy Sherwood
29.V+ David Cross Band
29.V+ King Records
29.V+ Altrock Records
29.V+ Moonjune Records
29.V+ Cuneiform Records
29.V+ Prog Promo Records


BANDS & PERFORMERS:

Eloy
(Germany) / May 29, 2016

Latest News:

Eloy bandleader Frank Bornemann has a desire to record a new album. Titled “The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre”, this is a 2-CD concept album – a story of Jeanne d'Arc. Here’s what Frank says on the topic: “I am aware of what I am letting myself in for but, motivated by the experience of the tour, I wanted a lofty goal and have set the bar very high. I have chosen a topic that I have had in mind for many years and originally intended to use for a solo project and stage work: namely the equally unique, touching and fantastic story of Joan of Arc, for which I have found the highly appropriate and distinctive title, “The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre”. With my deep knowledge of the story, I had no shortage of musical vision for this ambitious work. I envisaged a musical melange combining diverse tonal and stylistic elements that merge by the end to a coherent whole. An emotional musical firework with powerful choirs and symphonic orchestral arrangements, but also forceful guitars, pulsating rhythms and atmospheric waves from the keyboards. Since those are indeed all essential aspects represented by Eloy, I quickly came upon the idea of producing the work not only as a musical spectacle for the stage, but to invite my fellow musicians from the band for a creative role in creating a two-CD concept album.”

Related Links:
Eloy

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Marillion
(UK) / May 29, 2016

Forthcoming release:

The new Marillion album, titled “FEAR” (Fool Everyone and Run), will be released in the beginning of September 2016. As regards the outing as such, there is no other information on the band’s website, which is the most commercial art-related site I’ve ever seen.

Related Links:
Marillion

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The Mission
(UK) / May 29, 2016

Latest News:

The Mission has confirmed that they are working with producer Tim Palmer again. Palmer was behind the desk for the band's debut album “God's Own Medicine” in 1986 and 1990's “Carved In Sand”. And he's retuned to oversee work on Wayne Hussey and Co's follow-up to 2013's “The Brightest Light”, which is expected to launch later this year.

Related Links:
The Mission

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Billy Sherwood
(USA) / May 29, 2016

Forthcoming release:

Yes bassist Billy Sherwood will release his new solo album “Citizen” on November 6. It features a who's-who of names from the world of prog, including Steve Morse, Alan Parsons, Steve Hackett, John Wetton, Tony Kaye, Partrick Moraz, Steve Hillage, Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Steve Morse, Geoff Downes, Rick Wakeman, Jordan Rudess, Jon Davison and the late Chris Squire. Sherwood says: "It's a concept album about a lost soul reincarnated in various historical settings. At one point, the character is reincarnated during The Great Depression and is dealing with the loss of everything and is forced to take drastic measures. Another time, the citizen is a World War One trench-runner for a song called ‘No Man's Land’, where he's running through the fields watching his comrades die." Sherwood confirms that the album's protagonist also appears as an astronaut, a Roman Legionnaire, a factory worker during the industrial age and the assistant to 16th century astronomer Galileo. Label: Frontiers Records.

Related Links:
Billy Sherwood

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David Cross Band
(UK) / May 29, 2016

Forthcoming release:

“Sign of the Crow”, the new album by the David Cross Band, will be released in the beginning of August 2016. This is a hard-hitting CD, which shows the David Cross Band at peak performance. The core writing trio of David Cross, Mick Paul and Paul Clark has carved out a set of powerful rock songs offset by stunning metal-edged instrumental passages. Cross describes the work as “fantastic but horribly complicated,” adding: “It’s all down to Paul Clark on guitar, who comes up with very twisted idea s”. As with the band’s previous studio album, “Closer than Skin”, King Crimson lyricist Richard Palmer James has created high impact lyrics, which on this album are both dark and beautiful. The titles of the tracks evoke big events and big feelings – Starfall, Sign of the Crow, The Pool, Spiderboy – this is a great album!

Related Links:
David Cross Band

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RECORDING COMPANIES:

King Records
(Japan) / May 29, 2016

New release:

  • Yngwie Malmsteen – "World on Fire"

    King Records presents: legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and his new studio album, "World On Fire", released on June 1, 2016. Yngwie tells about the CD: "I spent two years working on it, touring, recording, touring, recording… And that's much, much better, actually, in a way. Back in the day I would write the songs then rehearse them with some musicians, then go and do a backing track and we'd record it, mix it, learn the songs to go play them on tour, then do it all again. That way isn't necessarily conducive to making the best music, y'know what I mean? So in a very, very backhanded way, this weird twist of fate in the music industry has actually made it a more inspiring environment, at least for me. I can write anytime and record anytime. My recording studio is always open, 24 hours. I can just record when I want and it's a beautiful thing." Asked what the new record sounds like, Malmsteen said: "It's a Malmsteen record. But I would say it's a little different. First of all, I do all the lead vocals on it. Any time I did lead vocals in the past, I was singing blues stuff. This time I decided to do lead vocals in my style of songwriting, so it's different in that way. It's a very hard-hitting album and some parts are very advanced, very complicated. But it's a broad record." Yngwie also confirmed that he laid down the bass tracks on his new album: "I play all the bass and most of the keyboards," he said. "And there's a string section and a choir. It's very neoclassical!" Tracklisting: 01. World on Fire, 02. Sorcery, 03. Abandon, 04. Top down Foot Down, 05. Lost in the Machine, 06. Largo-EBM, 07. No Rest for the Wicked, 08. Soldier, 09. Duf 1220, 10. Abandon, 11. Nacht Musik. Line-up: Yngwie J. Malmsteen – el., ac. & bass guitars, lead & backing vocals, keyboards, cello, sitar; Mark Ellis – drums; Nick Marinovic – additional keyboards.

    Related Links:
    King Records

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    Altrock Records
    (Italy) / May 29, 2016

    New release:

  • Syndone – “Eros & Thanatos”

    Altrock / Fading Records presents: “Eros & Thanatos” (CD: 11 tracks, 50 min), the new album by the Italian progressive rock band Syndone . Line-up: Nik Comoglio –keyboards, pipe organ, orchestration; Riccardo Ruggeri –lead & backing vocals, ac. guitar, lyrics; Marta Caldara – vibraphone, mellotron, piano; Gigi Rivetti – el. & ac. piano, vintage keyboards; Maurino Dellacqua – bass; Martino Malacrida – drums; with: Ray Thomas – flute; Steve Hackett – el. guitar; Tony De Gruttola – ac. guitars; Pino Russo – classical guitar, oud and the Puntorec String Orchestra.

    Related Links:
    Altrock Records

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    MoonJune Records
    (USA) / May 29, 2016

    New release:

  • Zhongyu – “Zhongyu”

    MoonJune Records presents: Zhongyu, an American band from Seattle with a Chinese name and an attitude that encompasses the full spectrum of musical sounds and sources. Composer Jon Davis teams up with three members of Moraine and an experienced jazz drummer to create a sound that blends influences from Rock in Opposition (Univers Zero), progressive rock (King Crimson), jazz (‘electric’ Miles Davis) and Asian music. Whether it involves plugging a traditional Chinese instrument into a modular synthesizer or running a bass clarinet through a wah-wah pedal, pushing boundaries (or denying their existence) is the core of the band’s identity. "Zhongyu" means "finally" in Mandarin Chinese, and Jon chose it for the project’s name because he “finally has a band”. He has been making music since the '70's, in everything from classic-rock cover bands (before it was classic) to punk rock to electronic experiments. Living in Beijing for three years provided the inspiration for assembling a crew to realize his singular dream of a music that combined all these elements. This is a group that aims to balance the opposites of music: composition and improvisation, serenity and chaos, harmony and dissonance, complexity and simplicity, acoustic and electric. With guitarist Dennis Rea on board as co-producer and legendary engineer Steve Fisk at the controls, ”Zhongyu” is a powerful and strikingly original debut album that has been years in the making.

    Related Links:
    MoonJune Records

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    Cuneiform Records
    (USA) / May 29, 2016

    New release:

  • Bent Knee – "Say So"

    Cuneiform Records presents: "Say So", the new album by the American progressive rock band Bent Knee. Tracklist: 1. Black Tar Water, 2. Leak Water, 3. Counselor, 4. EVE, 5. Interlude, 6. The Things You Love, 7. Nakami, 8. Commercial, 9. Hands Up, 10. Good Girl. Line-up: Ben Levin – guitar; Chris Baum – violin; Courtney Swain – vocals & keyboards; Jessica Kion – bass & vocals; Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth – drums; with: Ben Swartz – cello; Rebecca Hallowell – viola; Andy Bergman – sax & clarinet; Geni Skendo - flute & shakuhachi; Bryan Murphy – trumpet; Geoff Nielsen – trombone; &: several more musicians. Format: CD, digital. Release date: May 20, 2016.

    Related Links:
    Cuneiform Records

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    Progressive Promotion Records
    (Germany) / May 29, 2016

    New releases:

  • Cyril – “Paralyzed”
  • Cromwell – "Black Chapter Red"

    Progressive Promotion Records presents: “Paralyzed” (CD), the new album by the German melodic progressive rock band Cyril. Tracklist: 1. Scarlet Walking (7:58), 2. Paralyzed (4:57), 3. Remember Me (10:35), 4. Rainbow (6:19), 5. Faded Snapshots (8:34), 6. Peal of Thunder (3:24), 7. Secret Place-1 (18:34). Line-up: Marek Arnold (Toxic Smile) – keyboards, sax, clarinet; Larry Brodel (Toxic Smile) – vocals; Manuel Schmid – vocals; Ralf Dietsch – guitars, mandolin; Denis Strassburg – bass, programming; Clemens Litschko – drums; with: Guy Manning – lyrics. Release date: May 27, 2016.

    Progressive Promotion Records presents: “Black Chapter Red" (CD), the new album by the German progressive rock band Cromwell. Tracklist: 1. Starlit Sands (8:20), 2. Black Confetti (6:12), 3. Roots (6:49), 4. The Lights (3:24), 5. November Sky (6:00), 6. Black Chapter Red (8:16), 7. Kissing Dynamite (4:04), 8. Deep Down (6:11), 9. End Of Life (6:43). Line-up: Holger Weckbach – vocals; Eric Trauzettel – drums, recording, mixing; Frank Nowack – guitars, bass; Wolfgang Taffner – keyboards. Release date: May 27, 2016.

    Related Links:
    Progressive Promotion Records

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    Selected, edited & published by Vitaly "Progressor" Menshikov

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