The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventour – Live In BRNO 2019 (Inside Out Records) [Simon Black]
Neal Morse has been around the block a bit, and has well-established prog credentials as far as this old hack is concerned, although the glory days of Spock’s Beard do seem a long time ago. This album is a full rendition of last year’s The Great Adventure, recorded whilst on tour in the Czech Republic. I’ve not heard that opus, but like most of Morse’s output in recent years, his religious leanings are a massive influence – this one being a different take on their 2016 epic Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress concept-piece (The Similitude Of A Dream), with this one being told from the perspective of that character’s son. With us so far? Well, hey, if you are after concepts along the lines of ‘boy being meets girl being beneath a silvery moon (which then explodes for nor adequately explained reason)’ then prog rock’s probably not for you…
Neal Morse has been around the block a bit, and has well-established prog credentials as far as this old hack is concerned, although the glory days of Spock’s Beard do seem a long time ago. This album is a full rendition of last year’s The Great Adventure, recorded whilst on tour in the Czech Republic. I’ve not heard that opus, but like most of Morse’s output in recent years, his religious leanings are a massive influence – this one being a different take on their 2016 epic Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress concept-piece (The Similitude Of A Dream), with this one being told from the perspective of that character’s son. With us so far? Well, hey, if you are after concepts along the lines of ‘boy being meets girl being beneath a silvery moon (which then explodes for nor adequately explained reason)’ then prog rock’s probably not for you…
Ignoring the religious part, what we get is an absolutely solid performance from a bunch of musos at the top of their game, with a full 2 ¼ hour performance, with vocal duties being shared throughout, although fortunately someone seems to have persuaded former Dream Theater sticks-man Mike Portnoy to stay away from the mic (check out Dream Theater's Live Scenes From New York to find out why this is a good thing). The music is top notch, and the recording a good one, but where I struggle with this is the lack of variety in tone throughout. This is a bunch who can play their socks off, but many of the tones have the same tempo and pace - focussing on the story telling and missing the opportunity to display the virtuosity of its constituent contributors. The muted feel is not helped by the fact that the audience response is either not captured, or a bit muted, and so this vital part of any live album falls a little flat. 6/10
Ross The Boss: Born Of Fire (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]
The story of the solo band of Ross 'The Boss' Friedman basically has two chapters, the first coming in 2008 when Ross and his band mainly made up of German Manowar tribute act Men Of War (featuring Patrick Fuchs of Hammer King) they released two albums of Manowar inspired power metal music. Then there was a hiatus as Ross reformed his other band The Dictators as well as joining Death Dealer, he returned in 2018 with a completely new line up, recording By Blood Sworn, an album that wasn't that well reviewed by myself back when it was released. It was particularly lightweight offering but it seems the criticism (maybe not mine but from others) of that record has made Ross make sure that Born Of Fire is a lot heavier than it's predecessor, kicking off with The Dictators-like punk stomp of Glory To The Slain it goes for the jugular from the off, vocalist Marc Lopez's scratchy, snotty shout suiting the punkier tracks better than songs such as Fight The Fight. His voice is a little like Udo Dirkschneider's in that it is a little love it or hate it. Musically however this all the Friedman trademarks. A much rawer record than any of the previous offering, Ross' guitar sound cutting like a chainsaw at times, this is the stripped back style of Sign Of The Hammer and Manowar, little pomp but a lot of heavy metal posturing for sure. 7/10
Inno: The Rain Under (Time To Kill Records) [Matt Bladen]
Hailing from Rome, Italy Inno is a band featuring former and current members of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance and Novembre. Despite their musical heritages Inno is a band categorized as playing 'dark metal' which I would say makes them sound like an amalgamation of Lacuna Coil and The Gathering, doomy atmospheric music with melancholic lyrics. These are delivered by the bands' excellent vocalist Elisabetta Marchetti who drives much of the artistic and thematic style of Inno. The themes of the album are fear, nightmares, darkness and sleep paralysis, reflected in much of this albums dreamlike quality as piano flows through the heavy riffs.
The title track kicks off the record with a single acoustic leading into some crunching riffs with Elisabetta's ethereal vocals soaring as the music twists and changes between heavier doom and melodic metal. The Hangman adds more electronics bringing the Lacuna Coil sound, The Last Sun is Gothic and brooding, To Go Astray has modern metal technicality, they aren't afraid of a risk either closing the record out with a pretty faithful cover of High Hopes originally featured on Pink Floyd's Division Bell. The Rain Under is a record that will appeal to anyone familiar with the bands I've mentioned, no big risks taken but some emotive music. 7/10
Dystopian Future Movies: Inviolate (Lasairfhíona Records) [Matt Bladen]
Dystopian Future Movies are a noise/post/doom band whose music is primal, drawing from various styles that have seen them be compared to Swans and Emma Ruth Rundle, I'd throw in Sonic Youth, Deftones, My Bloody Valentine and even The Cranberries too. With these comparisons you'll be in the correct mindset to fully appreciate the dense musical offering that is the band's second album Inviolate, the follow up to 2017's Time this is a dense musical endeavour as once again vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Caroline Cawley has teamed up with drummer/producer Bill Fisher along with bassist Oisin O'Doherty and guitarist Rafe Dunn for yet more discordant/atmospheric music. Cawley's haunting, hypnotic voice and experimental guitar playing style are an integral part to why this band are just so mesmerizing to listen too.
Clean frantic fretting and thundering double kicks bring a wall of noise to tracks such as Rules and Countenance though it's songs such as All The Light that really show the talent of DFM due as it's a slow burning nature adding layers of lush atmospherics before the furious climax leads into the short sorrowful Kathleen a song inspired by the story of a young TB victim discovered during Caroline's research around an abandoned dilapidated TB hospital in Ireland, it's a number that evolves into Black-Cloaked which has a huge cavernous riff as Ten Years closes things out with yet more
Ross The Boss: Born Of Fire (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]
The story of the solo band of Ross 'The Boss' Friedman basically has two chapters, the first coming in 2008 when Ross and his band mainly made up of German Manowar tribute act Men Of War (featuring Patrick Fuchs of Hammer King) they released two albums of Manowar inspired power metal music. Then there was a hiatus as Ross reformed his other band The Dictators as well as joining Death Dealer, he returned in 2018 with a completely new line up, recording By Blood Sworn, an album that wasn't that well reviewed by myself back when it was released. It was particularly lightweight offering but it seems the criticism (maybe not mine but from others) of that record has made Ross make sure that Born Of Fire is a lot heavier than it's predecessor, kicking off with The Dictators-like punk stomp of Glory To The Slain it goes for the jugular from the off, vocalist Marc Lopez's scratchy, snotty shout suiting the punkier tracks better than songs such as Fight The Fight. His voice is a little like Udo Dirkschneider's in that it is a little love it or hate it. Musically however this all the Friedman trademarks. A much rawer record than any of the previous offering, Ross' guitar sound cutting like a chainsaw at times, this is the stripped back style of Sign Of The Hammer and Manowar, little pomp but a lot of heavy metal posturing for sure. 7/10
Inno: The Rain Under (Time To Kill Records) [Matt Bladen]
Hailing from Rome, Italy Inno is a band featuring former and current members of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance and Novembre. Despite their musical heritages Inno is a band categorized as playing 'dark metal' which I would say makes them sound like an amalgamation of Lacuna Coil and The Gathering, doomy atmospheric music with melancholic lyrics. These are delivered by the bands' excellent vocalist Elisabetta Marchetti who drives much of the artistic and thematic style of Inno. The themes of the album are fear, nightmares, darkness and sleep paralysis, reflected in much of this albums dreamlike quality as piano flows through the heavy riffs.
The title track kicks off the record with a single acoustic leading into some crunching riffs with Elisabetta's ethereal vocals soaring as the music twists and changes between heavier doom and melodic metal. The Hangman adds more electronics bringing the Lacuna Coil sound, The Last Sun is Gothic and brooding, To Go Astray has modern metal technicality, they aren't afraid of a risk either closing the record out with a pretty faithful cover of High Hopes originally featured on Pink Floyd's Division Bell. The Rain Under is a record that will appeal to anyone familiar with the bands I've mentioned, no big risks taken but some emotive music. 7/10
Dystopian Future Movies: Inviolate (Lasairfhíona Records) [Matt Bladen]
Dystopian Future Movies are a noise/post/doom band whose music is primal, drawing from various styles that have seen them be compared to Swans and Emma Ruth Rundle, I'd throw in Sonic Youth, Deftones, My Bloody Valentine and even The Cranberries too. With these comparisons you'll be in the correct mindset to fully appreciate the dense musical offering that is the band's second album Inviolate, the follow up to 2017's Time this is a dense musical endeavour as once again vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Caroline Cawley has teamed up with drummer/producer Bill Fisher along with bassist Oisin O'Doherty and guitarist Rafe Dunn for yet more discordant/atmospheric music. Cawley's haunting, hypnotic voice and experimental guitar playing style are an integral part to why this band are just so mesmerizing to listen too.
Clean frantic fretting and thundering double kicks bring a wall of noise to tracks such as Rules and Countenance though it's songs such as All The Light that really show the talent of DFM due as it's a slow burning nature adding layers of lush atmospherics before the furious climax leads into the short sorrowful Kathleen a song inspired by the story of a young TB victim discovered during Caroline's research around an abandoned dilapidated TB hospital in Ireland, it's a number that evolves into Black-Cloaked which has a huge cavernous riff as Ten Years closes things out with yet more