Earthside
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Unsigned Bands
Forum Description: For new prog bands with no official releases
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=93718
Printed Date: February 22 2025 at 00:59
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Earthside
Posted By: Second Life Syndrome
Subject: Earthside
Date Posted: May 26 2013 at 23:00
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Hello all, I'm not sure of the rules here, so I'll write it anyways. There was once a US instrumental progressive rock band named Bushwhack: They are even in the archives http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6995" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6995 So, this band is now a different band. They have the same line-up, though, and their new name is Earthside. They are currently in the studio with some rather high profile mixers/producers, so I know you will hear of them sooner or later. Supposedly, the album is releasing in 2013, but we will see. They don't have a label and they don't have tons of money.
The music, in my opinion, is similar to that of Haken. In fact, when they were Bushwhack, they had a song called Mariachi Massacre ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wkoH0WVA8k" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wkoH0WVA8k ) that sounded a ton like Haken, only I don't think Haken was around just yet. Earthside, on the other hand, will feature guest vocals (not sure who yet), but they will still be rather like heavy prog. I believe that is the genre that could be identified here. If you are interested, they have released a demo on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EarthsideMusic?fref=ts" rel="nofollow - https://www.facebook.com/EarthsideMusic?fref=ts . It is rather nice, and be sure to check out their Bushwhack stuff, too. The debut album is especially good.
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Replies:
Posted By: alvanx
Date Posted: November 15 2015 at 13:48
Earthside have released their first album "A Dream in Static" under that name recently and it is shaping up to be one of the stronger prog albums of the year to me.
Given the quality, I was a little surprised to not find it listed
here yet, so I would like to humbly suggest that the band would be moved
to "suggested artists" as "Progressive Metal".
This is my first post here, so forgive me if I'm doing this wrong, but I will proceed according to the guidelines for band/album suggestions.
The album gets a http://theprogmind.com/2015/10/12/earthside-a-dream-in-static/" rel="nofollow - glowing review on "The Prog Mind" , which alerted me to this band. It has line-up and bio info as well as official images. Their website is http://earthsideband.com" rel="nofollow - earthsideband.com . If they had a press kit, I would post some images here, but I couldn't find one.
The entire album can be listened to on the band's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc" rel="nofollow - Youtube and http://earthside.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp pages. The following info comes from the Youtube page linked:
Track listing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 0:00 The Closest I've Come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 8:02 Mob Mentality (feat. Lajon Witherspoon and The Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 17:56 A Dream In Static (feat. Daniel Tompkins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 25:35 Entering The Light (feat. Max ZT and The Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 31:00 Skyline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 40:27 Crater (feat. Björn Strid)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 46:31 The Ungrounding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 52:06 Contemplation Of The Beautiful (feat. Eric Zirlinger)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu62Q1N64zc#" rel="nofollow - 1:03:57 Album Credits
Earthside is:
Ben Shanbrom – Drums, Backing vocals
Frank Sacramone – Keyboards, Programming, Additional Guitars, Additional Percussion
Ryan Griffin – Bass
Jamie van Dyck – Guitars, Backing vocals, Programming, Additional Keyboards
Earthside's musical style sounds fairly unique. Their sound is intricate, emotional, atmospherically tense and sometimes bombastic. I'm tempted to describe it as modern symphonic prog metal. Frequently I hear a spacey sound and rhythm, with down-tuned guitars, that is reminiscent of many djent bands, but the biggest difference to your typical djent offering would be the non-growling vocals, several calmer or longer instrumental sections, and their more varied and intricate style. In that mix, I occasionally hear some sonic similarities to Riverside's earlier days at times, to Dream Theater's at others, or to Haken. I sense some post metal influences as well. The final song almost sounds like a mix of Green Carnation with Muse. Another curious similarity that I at times hear in the sound, i.e. the vocals, the guitars and rhythm, is one to Nu Metal. By that I imagine a calmer, guitar-driven P.O.D. piece, except without the rap, and with decidedly progressive compositions. Call me crazy!
Their website has a nice bio:
"Earthside is a New England-based creative collective that plays an
absorbing style of modern progressive music they call “cinematic rock.”
Across their forthcoming debut work, A Dream In Static, the seasoned
group displays a wild stylistic diversity and creative hunger that jams
the mental machinery of comparison. Through organic layers of living,
breathing orchestra (courtesy of the Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra),
and an eclectic arsenal of world music-influenced instrumentation,
Earthside fashions an ever-changing sound that is equally engrossing
alongside a work of cinematic art as it is resonating throughout a
densely packed concert venue. A Dream In Static, the group’s conceptual
mission statement, is a story of purposeful sacrifice and existential
yearning told across sweeping instrumental movements, interwoven with
adventurous vocal compositions featuring guest performances from premier
voices across the rock and metal worlds. The inherently collaborative
cross-continental project was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden under the
watch of renowned producer and mix engineer David Castillo (Opeth,
Katatonia, Bloodbath) and additional mix and mastering engineer Jens
Bogren (Opeth, Soilwork, The Ocean, Devin Townsend)."
My conclusion: It is definitely prog, it is is definitely metal,
it's flirting with the Djent and Nu Metal sides of 21 century metal (again, call me crazy...), and it
is definitely closer to Progressive Metal than to Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, and probably to Experimental/Post Metal as well.
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Posted By: Second Life Syndrome
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 13:30
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Hey! I'm so glad to see that someone found this post! I actually run The PROG Mind, and this Earthside album is simply amazing. It's definitely a candidate for progressive metal, as they went a little heavier. I think the comparison to POD is just fine, as there is definitely an alternative rock/modern rock influence on their music.
Here's my review: http://theprogmind.com/2015/10/12/earthside-a-dream-in-static/
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theprogmind.com
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Posted By: alvanx
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 14:17
Glad we agree! I am indebted to you for introducing their album. After I posted this, I went back over your review and admired just how much better you described their sound. Yes, Alternative Metal might be a better description than Nu Metal.
How did you get the images for your post? Could they be used here?
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Posted By: Second Life Syndrome
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 08:15
I believe I took some from the press kit they sent, as well as from their Facebook page (always an excellent source of hi-res band photos). I've been in contact with the guys since 2008 or so, so they just send me whatever I need, really.
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theprogmind.com
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Posted By: alvanx
Date Posted: December 11 2015 at 19:06
So what do we have to do to get this ball rolling? Is there still anybody who could move the band/album as per the forum guidelines? Or would it make more sense to open a new thread in the proper forum?
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Posted By: Second Life Syndrome
Date Posted: December 12 2015 at 07:26
Yes, I can make the recommendation. I had hoped that they would do it themselves. Oh well.
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theprogmind.com
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