Over all about as much of a prog metal band as Porcupine Tree so don't take that description too seriously. However, the one album "Angels of the Apocalypse" is squarely in the prog metal vein(so probably don't start with that one) but the others a bit less so. Lot's of stuff you youtube to sample. 

Actually I was wrong. They are listed on this site as eclectic prog. I personally think heavy prog is more accurate but I was not(and am not)an administrator on here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't agree with some of the subgenres of bands on here. 

Heavy Prog is accurate enough. Angels of the Apocalypse is crunchy enough to be prog-metal, and that's fine, too. It's a killer album (naysayers begone!). 

Lisa Bouchelle was/is a country singer. How they got her to sing across an entire album is beyond me, but I was disappointed she didn't stick around for another. She sounded amazing. Then the band was rounded out by keyboard wiz Jens Johansson, who I'd followed for years before, and what you had was a unique group that, for my money, outdid Dream Theater at their own game with better vocals and better songs.

Yeah, I heard they ditched the prog a bit way later on but not sure when exactly since I kind of lost track of them after "angels." Ice Age actually performed at the very first Nearfest also but because it wasn't really a metal(or even prog metal)crowd they received a polite yet lukewarm response. I think Ice Age broke up eventually but not sure. I guess you could say Pure Reason Revolution also ditched the prog and became an alternative electronic band or something. Not sure. It happens though. Maybe sometimes they want to keep playing music but see prog as a dead end. I don't really know for sure. I think in Mastermind's case they jsut became more pure hard rock maybe. I'm not sure what Ice Age wound up sounding like.

Lisa Bouchelle pretty much hit the big time(well, compared to most anyway and especially for someone who once played in a prog band). She's not just country though she is pretty diverse(read the wikipedia page where they mention her other styles). Also, she hosts a show on tv called "rock star kitchen" and has done a lot of other stuff including a pretty solid career in the music business over all. I wonder if she has stayed in contact with the Berends brothers. Who knows. How did they get her to sing on that album? Well, she sang on one of the Magna Carta compilations so at one point was obviously involved with prog to some degree. It was ultimately probably just one chapter in her musical evolution. I won't go so far as to say she saw it as starting on the bottom plus she probably did other stuff before that but maybe it wasn't the best fit for her in the long run? Who can say. That is a good album though and I think they did a good job on the ELP cover tune. I was just playing that a couple of months ago or so in my car actually. I agree about them outdoing Dream Theater. Some of the Mastermind material would blow falling into infinity(which isn't that good to begin with)out of the water not to mention most of DT's later stuff. The biggest tragedy of Mastermind is that they haven't sustained their popularity over the years(of course a band breaking up doesn't help)and have been swept under the prog carpet by time and been buried by tons of other bands some of which have come and gone themselves. 

I wonder how old most of these people are who said they never heard of them though. Were they in diapers in the 90's(grade school maybe). I get it though. The prog scene was still rather tenuous at that point and it was still mostly older fans rediscovering prog who happened to discover some newer stuff along the way. I could have asked about After Crying, Solaris, Isildur's Bane and Par Lindh Project and received very similar responses(ie most not knowing who they are)despite all being really great bands. I guess the whole point of prog is discovering new stuff(new to you and not necessarily brand new)and so we all know that if something isn't super well known it only means just that and does not mean the music is not worth hearing. 

Here's Lisa's wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Bouchelle

That really glosses over Angels of the Apocalypse (not even referred to by name). Wow. 

I'll have to check out Rock Star Kitchen. I enjoy Live from Daryl's House, so more of that is always good.

The 1990's is hardly modern these days though. 

I can't remember its name, but it has a brilliant cover version of The Endless Enigma on it (as a bonus track)

That would be the "Angels of Apocalypse" album but the Endless Enigma is not a bonus track on there. It's part of the proper album. 

I still remember very well.

 

I can remember some of their other albums covers and I'm sure I bought some

of them too, I just can't remember which ones...

Better than the debut maybe but you haven't heard their later stuff. Check out their next few albums. I agree that PLP were very good too. 

richardh wrote: I've got the debut. It's 'okay' , shades of ELP and Rush but there is tons of stuff that is better from the 90's and on. If you want something 'ELP inspired' then please check out Par Lindh Project - Gothic Impressions or Veni Vidi Vici.

 

Richard, check out III: Tragic Symphony and Excelsior! The latter is entirely instrumental and sounds nothing like the debut.

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: Heh, I actually like the debut but then again I like the first echolyn album too. I'll admit they were improved a bit later but I think the first one told the world what they were all about. I think they shed the ELP comparisons a bit more later on though while the first one very much has a very obvious ELP influence.

 

The debut rocks!