WINTERCOAST

I have lived with this CD since its release in may 2009 and it is one of those rare CDs that gets a listen to one a regular weekly basis

Whats so good about it?

For a start the production is brilliant, top class, every note is crystal clear, a band on top of their game and progressing in every department. The vocals are superb ranging from full blown rock to the sensitive. I like the fact that Elkie's and Rob's vocals compliment each other as in the vocal interchange during "Wintercoast".

"Prelude" is a nice link to the previous album and Jeremy Irons provides the mood setting before we blast into the quiet stunning "Wintercoast".

"Strange Days" the second song provides nice relief, after the intensity of the title track, a bouncing number revealing its pop sensibilities and a shout along chorus.

"Voices" follows a slower number with again a rocky chorus, nice rhythm to this song and again great vocals.

"Joker in the Pack" and "Original Sin" combine all that is excellent about Touchstone, the heavy guitar mixing with the keyboards, the slow, the fast, the bass and drums all in perfect unison.

The song "Solace" is the real surprise of the album, Elkie sounding so beautiful and heart wrenching (are you sure she is the youngest in the band?) I can't wait to hear this live (well can't wait to hear it all live) (post note I have since heard it live and it is wonderful),this is the sort of song Mostly Autumn keep trying to do but fail due to lack of production values and not having an excellent band,, Moo's bass is rather nice understated (that must have been hard Moo). The final "I'll Look after You" has a crack in Elkie's voice which betrays the emotion of the song (Gram Parsons knew how good this vocal effect was).

"Zinomorph" is just the right song to follow, Moo being funky! and some nice Adam heavy guitar which stops the song falling into pop, again Rob's vocals, which I feel are overlooked at times, are effective.

At this point I must say Al's drumming is spot on, and an enjoyment to hear, he and Moo form an effective rhythm section and of course I have yet to mention the maestro Lord Cotters who weaves his magic throughout, his piano and keyboards are, maybe, no , are the best in the business at this moment. Adam's guitar is so damn heavy at times and at others subtle and quiet and he does not try to overide the sound, a trap so many fall into.

"Line in the Sand" again classic Touchstone, a great keyboard line behind the guitar and then into Keith Emerson territory with a piano break followed by a proggy synth type line finishing off with a piano and vocal ending. Elkie really has come into her own on this album her vocals really take you on an emotional journey.

"The Witness" a dark number , shades of Marillion here I feel a'la "Invisible Man" at the start and the music conveys the panic and confusion of the lyrics, superb keyboards and drumming. Which leads us to "The Witness Pt 2", classic life story telling from Rob, building up where again the two voices of Rob and Elkie intertwine.

"Postlude" Jeremy is awake!

In a way i wish that the album had ended there, although "Zinomorph (Radio Mix" does seem like the theme tune over the closing credits.

All in all a brilliant album, sine the release i have seen the band three times live and am looking forward to seeing them again in December ... they really are a band who are progressing and developing and i would really recomend this CD to you. 5 stars I know but it is a 5 star album!

TOUCHSTONE have invited approriate support for their new concept album 'Wintercoast'. Wellknown actor Jeremy Irons contributes some narration for the opening spacey Prelude ... and the 'hidden' track Postlude - surprisingly missed (or probably with intent) when manufacturing the sleeve notes. Okay, both occasions might be controversial. Old-fashioned or ambitious? Never mind - no more no less nice wondrous gifts I would say - maybe symptomatic for the approach to offer some surprises.

Way more important though is the album's title song which holds a symphonic/neo prog touch supported by Rob Cottingham's lush keyboards. As for the contrary Adam Hodgson is partially playing a really sawing metal guitar. A song with many variants where additionally nice polyphonic female/male vocals are worked in - well done! Strange Days carries on in a more popular AOR outfit then - with a quite attractive arrangement nevertheless.

The following Voices appears as another album highlight - an interesting song arranged with two faces so to say. On one side we have a catchy grooving behaviour - apart from that they are also drifting into balladesque shallow water over and over headed by the charming voice of female singer Kim Sevior. Original Sin provided with a nice chorus and the dreamy Solace - this are more mainstream tinged songs again. Solid but can't really thrill me - additionally to name the commercially trimmed Zinomorph.

Both sections of Whitness are evolving back to obvious prog territories - just like a little epic if you like. As for the first part the band serves an impressing atmospheric mood initiated by a special synth and drum arrangement. Later they are changing to a classic neo prog outfit within the next part. A charming song showing many variations, even including a short piano interlude.

TOUCHSTONE are stylistically offering a little of each with their new album. My feelings are ambivalent a bit - too polished, radio-friendly here and there for my taste. No doubt - 'Wintercoast' is consisting of well produced catchy songs. Musicianship is top-notch as might be expected from this experienced fellows ... all the more if supported by John Mitchell. Fans of melodic rock music, partially provided with accentuated metal edges, will be pleased with this album I'm sure.

After the great first album Touchstone wanted more and comming with a second album issued this year and named Wintrcost. Another goody from the band but not as magical and inventiv as the first one. Another case when a band turns into a more metalized outfit but keeping the eclectic and crossover moments here and there. In places this album sounds like a real progressive metal release, some parts are very rough ony the warm parts of duo female/male save the album to bean usual one. The more mainstream elements are added here not far from AOR but are well incorporated with the rest, giving in the end a progressive rock band well structurated and with great musicians. Some great moments are on tracks like Zinomorph, the mellow Solace or Line In The Sand, the rest areok, nice produce album with good pieces but not as great as the debute. Still a good album who desearves 3 stars for sure, fans who enjoy progressive rock with a more harder edge in place will love this release and the first one aswell. Good band with a bright future ahead, but the only thing must do is keeping the atmosphere and brilliant ideas as on Discordant dreams, if the next one is like this second entry in prog rock realms, maybe I will not be so enthusiastic any more.3 stars , good but non essetal. On first track the spoken words are provided by famous british actor Jeremy Irons, great voice for this kind of aproach.

Wintercoast is one of those albums which took me a long time to appreciate, which is the case with most, but I eventually grew to love it.

The crunching guitar riffs bring an epic feel and the vocals of Kim Seviour are magnificent. I'm not usually a huge fan of the female vocalist, but Kim is something special. The notes she manages to hit so confidently as well as the way she sustains them with no sign of weakness is quite incredible. The use of keyboard is enticing in the quieter songs such as Original Sin and Solace and flows well throughout the album on the other tracks.

One particular highlight is 'Wintercoast', which for me is by far the best song on the album. It comes in after a superb Prelude. The impact of that first chord after the uttered word of 'Wintercoast' makes you jump out of your seat and straight away your gripped by the heavy riff. When the vocals of Seviour are introduced, you think it just cannot get any better. The background broken chords flow nicely behind the voice and thus begins this ultimate epic.

The rest of the album does not really match the start, but is still of good standard. Some will argue the heavy guitar is overused at points, and I would probably agree. Sometimes the harsh tones used in the solos is its own weakness and I find it loses feeling in some songs. However, when used in the right place, it is what gains the stars.

Definitely in the good, but non-essential section. There is much more to come from Touchstone and I believe they have the musicians to create something really special.

For several weeks following my purchase of this album, it dominated my listening, with each repeat adding new depth to my unserstanding and appreciation. Musically, the CD is excellent, with energetic interplay in the vocals, good and variable pacing throughout, and some real first- rate musicianship: progressive rock with a heavy edge and, I think, accessible both to the prog fan and the general listener of well-crafted rock music. The title track deserves special mention on this site as it has the feeling and complexity of a long prog song and is, I think, the strongest piece on the CD, with "Strange Days," "Zinomorph," and "The Witness" parts 1 and 2 not far behind. All in all, very good crossover prog. While I've read reviews suggesting that this album is not as progressive as its predecessor Discordant Dreams, I have to disagree. While Wintercoast is a heavier album, and may or may not be more radio-friendly (if that is relevant), the music has not lost in complexity or intelligence, at least to my ear. I do not think that this band will content itself with doing the same old thing, and am am already looking forward to their next release, whenever that may come.

It was very hard to rate this album. After all, Touchstone is not your average prog band of the day. Although their sound is hardly original, they do have a unique combination of elements that make their music stand out. It´s not common to see nowadays an english band working with such melodies and in the melodic/hard/heavy rock format. They have excellent hard edged guitar riffs placed together with very fine and subtle keyboards, both very good male and female singers and a strong and tight rhythm section. To top it all, this is a concept album of sorts.

Wintercoast is their second efford and shows quite some improvement when compared to the debut. All the tracks are good and I always hear this CD from start to finish without skipping a single track. Even if the album is long (72 minutes), Touchstone was able to produce a work that has no fillers. The songwriting is definitly one of their strong points together with the fine musicanship of all involved. Kim Seviour´s vocals are more on the forefront this time and this is a plus (although Rob Cuttingham´s pipes are good too). Of course the prog element is present here, but only in small doses so I guess this album will not be of interest for those looking for long suites, explicit displays of virtuosity and anything vaguely ´avant guard´. Still, they do very well what they do, And if you like great melodic songs, good and impassionate perfomances, tasteful arrangements and lots of conviction, you can jump right in!

If PA was a melodic rock or AOR site then Wintercoast would get a 4,5 or even 5 star rating. But for a prog site a 3,5 rating is more fitting.

Crossover prog meets culture!

Yes, the introduction to this fine LP, Prelude, is voiced by none other than revered English thespian, Jeremy Irons, and a recent interview in Classic Rock Presents Prog explains how they managed this.

Touchstone are one of a new wave of British female fronted prog bands, in this case Kim Seviour, whose vocals are, I'm glad to report, absolutely spot on and a joy to listen to. They had a spot at this years Power Voltage festival, and it is to be hoped that they won a few friends and fans, because they deserve it on the basis of this album.

The band have, rightly in my opinion, been placed within Crossover Prog for the purposes of this site, because this album could perhaps be better described as a mix of traditional classic rock, with pop/rock and prog tendencies. For no better example, listen to the title track itself, which weighs in at over 10 minutes in length, and has some mighty fine guitar, bass, and keyboard riffs interspersed within lighter, proggier moments. I wouldn't, by the way, describe it as overly AOR, just more classic rock.

On that basis, it works very well. Strange Days is a good example of this, with a pulsating guitar riff, and some very good singing by Seviour and Cuttingham. The latter's keyboard work is also very effective throughout.

Highlights of the album are: Solace, which relaxes down the heavy riffing for a superb vocal and dreamy song, and also allows Paul Morrghen to shine on his own with a very good, melodic, bass line, and the "epic" two parter The Witness, which is probably the proggiest on the album, and features some work very reminiscent of Marillion in their early days. It also features a lovely piano solo.

So, this is an album to enjoy, and is very good at what it does. Not essential by any means, but my opinion is that they will improve vastly with their next release if they could concentrate more on the prog than the riffy rock side.

Three stars, and a strong one at that.

This album won the top honor in my best albums that I discovered last year.

Touchstone's music is an awesome juxtaposition of symphonic progressive melodies and soundscapes featuring the angelic, sweet vocals of Kim Seviour with the aggression of guitars and drums that edge toward metal and the masculine vocals of keyboardist and composer Rob Cottingham. This creates a musical journey with twists and turns ? sweet melodies followed by heavy rocking, all in the same song.

What a fantastic album, for fans of Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation, but also for those who love Genesis, Yes, and Spock's Beard.

I am very glad to have discovered Touchstone, and Wintercoast is one of the best albums in my music collection. Download the title track ("Wintercoast"), "Zinomorph," and "Joker in the Pack."

I recently saw Touchstone at the Assembly in Leamington Spa, where they were supporting Arena. Having come back from there and bought this album almost straight away, it has featured heavily in my listening ever since. Standout tracks for me are the excellent title track, and" Witness" Parts 1&2, which have thundering guitar riffs, wonderfully layered keyboards, solid bass and outstanding vocals from both Kim and Rob. I wouldn't class this as a straight prog album - some of the other fare is a bit more radio/mainstream oriented, but with superb performances on "Original Sin" and "Zinomorph" in particular, you shouldn't let that put you off. Definitely highly recommended.

One of the leading modern progressive rock outfits, British group Touchstone have started to turn more than just a few heads recently thanks to their gutsy brand of metal-spiked neo-prog. The sleek and confident sound exhibited on their three studio albums is made all the more striking by the presence of female lead vocalist Kim Seviour, whose fractured vocals appeal to fans of both classic and metal prog, Touchstone are a unique beast indeed. Formed around keyboardist Rob Cottringham during 2001, the Hertfordshire-based group took a little while to get going, releasing the EP-length 'Mad Hatters' in 2006 before the following year saw their debut proper, the impressive 'Discordant Dreams', make a big splash in the prog community. However, whilst 'Discordant Dreams' featured some splendid moments, 2009's 'Wintercoast' would be the album in which Touchstone's genre-blending style fully matured into something rather special. With Seviour(vocals) and Cottringham(keyboards, vocals) now backed by Adam Hodgson(guitar), Al Melville(drums) and Paul Moorghen(bas), 'Wintercoast' charts a powerful course through a thoroughly contemporary progressive rock landscape whilst also encapsulating elements of folk, classic rock and power metal into their highly anthemic sound. The opening, ten-minute long title-track proves a perfect introduction to the group's multi-layered sound, Hodgson's quickfire riffing providing the rock-solid foundation for Seviour's angelic vocals to soar gracefully over as the track starts with bang before gently slowing down to allow Cottringham's nicely restrained synthesizers their turn to shine. It's a truly epic beginning, and one that skilfully ties disparate sonic ingredients together without crowding out the catchy melodies that form the very core of Touchstone's approach. Elsewhere, the excellent 'Strange Days' - a kind of shorter, sharper version of the album's opener - exudes chest-thumping classic rock power with Seviour's singing now underpinned by Cottringham's own surprisingly tender vocals, whilst both 'Zinomorph' and 'Line In The Sand' provide yet more helpings from the same sleek formula. Occasionally the power of Hodgson's razor-sharp guitars does overpower Seviour's folk-tinged style, yet for the most 'Wintercoast' provides stark evidence that the mixture works. The smart move was the group's decision to incorporate a classic rock veneer, thus balancing out the prog-and-metal elements in almost perfect harmony. As a result, Touchstone's second album proves a real anthemic winner stuffed with power- prog ballads, ballsy rockers and deceptively intricate instrumental flourishes, the whole topped of by Kim Seviour's dynamic-yet-gentle vocals. Wrapped in a slickly-wrought crystal clear production, 'Wintercoast' ranks as one of modern progressive rock's true originals. Very impressive indeed.