KURGAN'S BANE

Two brothers from Burlington, drummer Jeff Laramee and guitarist Pete Laramee, moved to Baltimore in 1994 in search for some good musicians around their project.There they met Luis Nasser, who was spending time with Radio Silence (the future Sonus Umbra), and joined them on bass and keyboards.After the first album ''Search from sea to sea'' with Alan Jantz on vocals, Kurgan's Bane were again in search for a new lead singer.15 days of audition during the summer of 99' were enough to hire female vocalist Lisa Francis.In January 2000 the new line-up was back in the studio to record the second album ''The future lies broken''.The album was released the same year on the Swedish Record Heaven label.

Francis' impressive vocal tones matched nicely with Kurgan's Bane heavy instrumental moves and the second album of the group was a good effort on RUSH-influenced Progressive Rock with emphasis on Pete Laramee's guitar exercises, although there are also some light KING CRIMSON and QUEENSRYCHE touches, especially in the harder moves.The tracks are characterized by fiery solos, ALEX LIFESON-like rhythmic anomalies and shifting tempo changes and a powerful rhythm section with Francis' providing excellent vocals in all of them.The music is particularly easy-listening and the pieces have few surprises structurally speaking, although the high level of technique is evident in most of them.Keyboards and piano are only used sporadically in a number of pieces to add some depth, but ''The future lies broken'' is largely a guitar-based Heavy Prog album with evident RUSH references.Closer moden comparison woul be compatriots TILES in terms of energy and style.The album contains also plenty of atmospheric parts with an extreme vocal depth due to Francis' unique voice, while a couple of tracks are all instrumental with a fairly complex sound.

From the school of RUSH-inspired lyrical, guitar-based Prog Rock comes this interesting US band.The combination of guitar-driven challenging runs and passionate female vocals is more than interesting, making the album a warmly recommended release.

3.5 stars really

Kurgan's Bane is one of the forgotten and totaly unknown prog bands from USA with 3 albums under their belt so far. I don't know if they are still active today. Formed in mid 90 by brothers Jeff and Pete Laramee, the drumer and guitarist Kurgan's Bane didn't make any ripples around them with their first album Search from sea to sea, only from the second offer who came 3 years later in 2000 named The future lies broken the media become more intrested in their music. I like what I've heared here, the brothers are quite good, specially Pete is great on guitar and the bass is very proeminent on some pieces + they have a very strong female singer Lisa Francis, who really shine here, she has some very smooth and great vocal lines on every pieces, but specially on opening track and on Just Look At Me Now a beautiful pieces with marvelous vocal parts. Instrumental speaking the band is something between Rush here and there, some even neo elements thrown in and some almost prog metal ingredients appear on some pieces, but in the end they don't sound at all like a prog metal band, they are very similar in aproach with Leger de Main for example.The musicianship is more then ok, I like the guitar parts and aswell some intresting keyboards, what I don't really like is the sound, is to flat and unpolished, for this kind of music and I mean progressive rock where each instrument needs space and crystal sound to be really appreciated, here is not the case, the sound and how was mixed the album is like from a third rate band from Venezuela. All in all the music is good, despite the flat empty sound. 3.5 stars for sure. Also more then half of the band plays in Sonus Umbra, the bass player, the drumer and Lisa Francis aswell, Pete Laramee optaining for a solo career and is quite a great guitarist.

THE FUTURE LIES BROKEN was an excellent album,definitelly a great and pleasant surprise for me many years ago,whe I've discovered this prog power metal band,with an excellent female vocalist-LISA FRANCIS,a true wonderful voice!We had to wait quite many years until KURGAN'S BANE come back with a new album - in the same musical vein,but superior under all aspects to the previous one!Especially the production is excellent on this album,all the instruments give an edgy sound,and Lisa's voice is more elaborated and skilled than on the precedent album!The very talented Laramee brothers are once agan helped by the faithful LUIS NASSER on bass,a true exceptional musician too.Musically speaking,on CAMOUFLAGED IN STATIC,we have here a little flavor of the '80 American metal,with some progressive arrangements a la FATES WARNING,some elements of CHASTAIN-because the female voice ,but obviously in a more progressive direction!Inspired songs ,especially the midtempo ones are putting in evidence LISA's wide range of vocal capacities!The opening track I'M ALIVE says everything about the wish for revenge that KURGAN'S BANE has on this album,and the too long wait worth plenty when we make a first audition-we realise the maturity and creative inspiration that is on this album-a true inspired one!Pete Laramee has a very rich and agressive sound,sometimes really punchy and the drums sound is sensational,evidencing a very good instrumentist,with a solid technical class!!I repeat,excellent production and definitelly the conclusion that KURGAN'S BANE's music is focused on composition!An hour of excellent music,made by true giftted musicians and a very good and atrractive album for those who like female vocals in a more agressive prog metal direction!!Check also the solo albums of PETE LARAMEE,how technical aspects are better evidenced in that direction! 4 STARS and our respect for a very inspired album!

The album title says "The Future Lies Broken". Well, I don't think that KURGAN'S BANE's future will lie broken. This US band might as well have a bright future because this album is very good. Their music is melodic yet complex progressive rock with heavy guitar riffs. They have similarities to Heart, 80's RUSH & SAGA. My favorite songs are the opening "Through The Camera", "Just Look At Me Now", "Warm Winter Nights", "Feudal Torniquet", the short instrumental "Nap In E Minor", "The Curtain And The Rose" and the closing "Regina". The musicianship is flawless. The female vocalist Lisa Francis has a strong voice, Pete Laramee are an amazing guitarist, Jeff Laremee are a highly technical drummer and Luis Nasser delivers a steady bass playing. My only criticism would be the flat "garage rock sound" of the recording. KURGAN'S BANE is not as good as RUSH, but with a better production their next album might be a real killer!