Arjen Lucassen’s whimsical solo album “Lost in the New Real” can now be streamed for free at progstreaming.com. The site features quite a few full albums. The quality is hit and miss, but there are some other well-known acts such as IZZ, Galahad, and Quidam.
This is a popular prog metal album featuring the late Mike Baker on vocals.
Shadow Gallery – Tyrany (1998) ***** out of *****
Reviewed on Prog-Net by Steve Fulham
“If you like extremely melodic music with a heavy edge, you´ve gotit here! This is one of the best albums i´ve ever heard along with Queensrÿche´s “”Operation Mindcrime”". This is music to the service of melody, great vocal harmonies, you´ll find smooth parts mixed with heavier ones with crunchy guitars in others. Some guests are feeding the beauty of it all. James Labrie sings a tiny part in one song and the great voice of D.C. Cooper from “”Royal Hunt”" can be heard on the wonderful “”New WorldOrder”". And if that wasn´t enough, this album ends with the splendid ballad that is “”Christmas day”". The music will remind you of Queensrÿche, Kansas at times and even Styx. People, you owe it to yourself to checkthis one out. This is the kind of album that won´t push you to the limit with complexity but it certainly will leave you floating somewhere in heaven.”
Shadow Gallery – Tyrany (1998) **** out of *****
Reviewed on Prog-Net by Hogarth
If there was ever a band that COMPLETELY ripped off the sound of other artists, it´s Shadow Gallery. Tyranny sounds like the love child of Queensryche and Dream Theater. Regardless, in this vein, it´s excellent. Sounding like an “Operation: Mindcrime” told from the view of a Weapons Engineer (with AOL references and more), it´s an acceptable “they´re all outto get you” conspiracy album with a very important message: “The Best Things In Life are Free.” Well, not always, boys, as this CD cost me $11.99. But if you´re a fan of melodic prog metal, I think you´ll find moments on Tyranny that are mostly memorable, even if sounding like someone else´s material. A tight, tight band that will continue to please ears for years.
One of my favorite live memories was Solaris playing at NEARFest in 1999. I’d never heard them before, but was blown away by their pure energy and dynamic sound. They were so enthusiastic that they played well past their allotted time. The promoters kept coming out to give them the hook and they’d say, “want another?” Unfortunately, that show wasn’t recorded (that I know of), but here is one from Mexico. It takes a while to get going, so stick with it.
I discovered Little Atlas back in 2005 on MySpace. I’m not generally a fan of social networks, but I figured out that friending a bunch of bands lead to some interesting music discovery scenarios when I got messages suggesting other bands. This one was a keeper!
Balloon Astronomy – Balloon Astronomy (2012) – ***** out of *****
Review by Chris Dixon
Every once in a while, a debut album storms on to the scene like a force of nature, demanding the listener to take notice of its daring uniqueness and unrivaled chops. Balloon Astronomy is not that album. It arrives more like a summer afternoon, where the hustle of life is forgotten just for a while. The self-titled debut from San Diego’s Balloon Astronomy is a rare treasure that needs to be heard, but could easily get lost in the shuffle amid the short attention span of the Internet age.
Balloon Astronomy is a collaboration of long-time friends Jim Ledger (Vocals, bass, and guitars) and Glenn Little (Keyboards, flutes) with an impressive list of guests including Nick D’Virgilio, Jason Smith, Mike Keneally, and Max Werner. A wide variety of influences are on display, including mid-era Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Kevin Gilbert. It also brings to mind elements of Big Big Train, echolyn, and It Bites. Comparisons only begin to tell the story, though. What sets Balloon Astronomy apart is the sincerity, heart, and maturity present in the songwriting. The band describes the broad theme as Home: as a place; a state of mind; a community; a source of comfort, strength, pain, and motivation. Somehow, they manage to capture wistful reflection without cynical bitterness, and positivity without overwrought sentimentality.
The band’s surprising maturity is also present in the arrangements and the sublime instrumentation. The brief opener sets the tone with a gentle piano intro. Prog songs often rush for the next note, but “Crows in the Field” and a few other short instrumentals aren’t afraid to breathe, and use the space to great effect. “Even Odds” picks up the pace, and would be right at home on a 1990s Tony Banks album like Still or Strictly Inc. A decent track, but the album gets stronger as it wanders into the more subtle territory that follows. In fact, the best material comes from the second half, like the powerful “Eagle”, irresistibly quirky “Sigmoid Fletcher”, and “One Summer”, which captures the feel of the whole album in one song.
It is very difficult to pinpoint the elements that make Balloon Astronomy’s debut so brilliant. A review on Amazon describes it as “strength with gentleness”. Though melancholy at times, it is ultimately uplifting in a way that is too rare in progressive rock today. Like those lazy summer afternoons, Balloon Astronomy’s debut should be slowly savored.
The player above comes from the band’s Bandcamp page.
More info can be found at: http://balloonastronomy.com/
