My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 13:40 |
Good news
from Italy:
CORAL CAVES — Mitopoiesi Review by erik neuteboom Special Collaborator New Progrock Bands Specialist Coral Caves is a new Italian five-piece formation that has delivered a wonderful, often compelling debut CD that scouts the borders between neo-prog and symphonic rock, the warm native vocals add a ‘healthy Italian Progrock factor’ to the music. The sound on the 9 compositions is very melodic and accessible, from dreamy with flute traverse and acoustic guitar to tight mid-tempo rhythms and bombastic eruptions with a tasteful keyboard colouring by the EMU Proteus sound module (Hammond, Mellotron and Moog ). But the focal point on this album is obviously the excellent duo-guitarwork: biting wah-wah drenched in Sorridi, Santana inspired in Cliff Of Moher, Gilmourian in Senza Di Me and Ricordi (exciting slide guitar) and lots of moving solos with often howling runs in most of the tracks, shivers down my spine! My highlights are Senza Di Me (great build-up, from mellow with twanging guitars to bombastic with a wonderful vintage keyboard sound, beautiful guitar and emotional vocals) and the long and alternating final composition Il Dolce Canto Della Terra: first a slow rhythm with organ and warm vocals, blended with dreamy parts featuring classical flute and guitar, halfway a moving electric guitar solo, culminating in a very compelling final part with fat synthesizer flights and a sensitive electric guitar solo, accompanied by a lush organ sound, goose bumps! I am sure this album will please both the symphomaniacs as the neo-progheads, what a very promising first effort by this unknown new Italian band! DORACOR — Lady Roma Review by erik neuteboom Special Collaborator New Progrock Bands Specialist — First review of this album —To my surprise I notice that this brandnew Doracor album is not reviewed, I presume my Italian PA friend Andrea Cortese has other priorities, haha! But seriously, I am familiar with the Doracor sound since I got their CD entitled Antiche Impressioni (1999) as a promo from the prolific Italian progrock label Mellow Records when I worked for the Dutch progrock magazine Io Pages. In my review I wrote that I was very pleased with the great keyboard sound but that Doracor had to mature in their writing. Almost 10 years and 4 albums later Doracor still deliver a wonderful keyboard sound and ... the band has matured in writing, this new CD contains more elaborate compositions, more dynamics and variety, from the long wah-wah drenched, often howling guitar solos and saxophone in Vento Dell’Est (Reprise) and Tramonto Sul Giardino Degli Aranci to the distinctive mandoline sound in Roma Dei Misteri and beautiful electric violinwork in Lungotevere Insonne. But the Doracor trademark is the lush keyboard sound by prime mover Corrado Sardella: fat synthesizers flights, sparkling piano, powerful Hammond waves, choir-Mellotron sound and majestic classical orchestrations, often in strong interplay with powerful guitar and a tight rhythm-section, simply beautiful! In my opinion this is one of the best Doracor efforts, I hope more progheads will discover the typical, very melodic and harmonic Doracor sound, layered with great keyboards, a solid 3,5 stars! |
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rushfan4
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 66256 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 13:48 |
Erik, Have you heard the new Presto Ballet album? I apologize if I missed it within this thread, but there isn't a review from you so I assume that you haven't heard it yet. Anyhow, if not, it is just oozing with the sounds of mellotron and hammond organ and I really think that you would enjoy it. I probably sound like a broken record because I keep posting similar things in all the threads I visit, but as I said in my review, I think the album is so good that I think all fans of 70's prog will definitely want to hear it.
Scott
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 13:54 |
What a coincidence Rushfan4, I read your Presto Ballet review yesterday in which you told that you have received a promo CD while this '1100+ PA reviews writer' still have to wait to listen to it .. so I decided to approach Prog Rock Records, a certain Shawn told me to contact the European department, I did and next week I will receive the promo, I hope ...
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 14:28 |
Hi Erik. I noticed your enthousiatic reviews of today. Very interesting items, I have no doubts, after having read what you wrote.
I also noticed my name in the Doracor one and have to admit I've other priorities in this period. Exams are planned for 16th september. I'm living on the books. Don't know whar sun is this summer but I hope all will go for the best.
Do you think Italy is at the top of the form in 2008 for prog releases? There are many people who say that. In my opinion this year is going to become of fundamental importance. Edited by Andrea Cortese - August 28 2008 at 14:43 |
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rushfan4
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 66256 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 14:31 |
Great. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Of course, you have listened to so much more music than I have, so I am definitely interested in your opinion on this one.
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 15:57 |
Hi Erik, after being blown away by the excellent new album from Il Bacio Della Medusa (just done a review) I'm very open to some new Italian Prog and Doracor and Coral Caves sound well worth checking out.
Hynos 69 should arrive in the morning so perhaps I'll treat my wife and daughter to a listen on the car journey of our weekend away.
Scott, I was listening to the new tracks on myspace by Presto Ballet a few days ago and share your enthusiasm for them. Deffinitely one to get when it's released later in september. Edited by Nightfly - August 28 2008 at 16:24 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 16:30 |
Andrea: Thanks but .. I meant something else with other priorities than books and exams .. ! About the current Italian progrock, it's back on track and can compete with the current Latin-Prog again Rushfan4: I am sure Presto Ballet has matured so I expect at least 4 solid stars Paul: it's hard to compare BDM with Doracor and Coral Caves because BDM sounds more dynamic, adventurous and eclectic but I am sure you will like these bands.
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: August 28 2008 at 16:40 |
Andrea, if it's any consulation I don't know what sun is this summer either but it has nothing to do with exams, it's because I live in northern England Good luck with the exams by the way.
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: August 31 2008 at 15:53 |
Erik, Just come back from a weekend away and found the new Osada Vida cd had arrived. Giving it a listen as I write this. I'll let you know what I think.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: September 01 2008 at 08:18 |
It's incredible Paul, so many good new Polish progrock bands, good luck with the new Osada Vida and I hope to see Hipgnosis, Moonrise and especially Nemezis soon on PA, very promising new Polish neo-progrock
This weekend I listened to the new Black Noodle Project album, I was unpleasantly surprised to notice it's without keyboards but fortunaltely the band does a fine job without keyboards: lots of dynamics, power and exciting guitarwork in their music but still I miss the keyboard sound that coloured their previous album very tasteful. Edited by erik neuteboom - September 01 2008 at 08:23 |
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b_olariu
Prog Reviewer Joined: March 02 2007 Location: Romania Status: Offline Points: 5532 |
Posted: September 01 2008 at 08:43 |
Hi Erik, I just bought Coral Caves from Syn-phonic label 2 weeks ago, and now i'm listning very carefully this band and album, quite impressive at first listning. I never heared about Doracor 'till you review this band fiew days ago, i guess i must check them out. Anyway some very fine albums so far this year, as rushfun4 mentioned earlyer Presto Ballet new album is strong releas like the previous one, and many more who worth investigate. So Erik, keep up the good work, prog on.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: September 01 2008 at 11:13 |
Thanks Bogdan, progheads like you and all other loyal posters
inspire me to maintain this thread
Coral Caves makes music that is simply structured but I love the emotional guitarwork and the pleasant vintage keyboard sound, I am very curious how this promising new Italian band will develop. Doracor is a band that also makes pretty simply structured progrock, based upon wonderful layers of keyboards, as I wrote their latest effort is worth to check out, it sounds more captivating and varied than many earlier albums.
This week I will receive the new Presto Ballet and the album Alhambra by new Spanish Prog Andaluz band Taifa (compared to Medina Azahara), I am looking forward to it and reviews will follow soon in this thread.
Edited by erik neuteboom - September 01 2008 at 11:15 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: September 01 2008 at 14:06 |
This month I have published a lot of reviews about lesser and
unknown new progrock bands on the PA homepage, here are
reviews about bands that are (still) not on PA:
MOONRISE - The Lights Of A Distant Day
- This is a musical project by Polish multi-instrumentalist Kamil Konieczniak and singer Lukasz Galeziowskiejo (with that typical Polish melancholical undertone but his vocal contributions are very limited).
- The sound of Moonrise is firmly rooted into the neo-prog tradition in the vein of IQ and Pendragon. The 8 compositions are very tastefully arranged with some strong breaks, lots of flowing shifting moods, a pleasant variety, a beautiful and modern keyboard sound and splendid guitarwork, from sensitive, fiery and howling runs to propulsive riffs. My favorite moments on this CD are the intense guitar sound and soaring keyboards in the opener The Island, the alternating Help Me I Can’t Help Myself (intro with wonderful interplay between Grand piano and mellow keyboards and then strong work on guitar and keyboards), exciting guitarplay in In The Labyrinth Of The Dream, a spectacular break during Antidotum and a beautiful build-up with piano and keyboards to a compelling final part featuring howling guitar runs, goose bumps! - I am sure this strong debut-CD will please many neo-progheads! NEMEZIS – Nemezis
- Nemezis is a new Polish five piece band that delivers wonderful neo-prog on her eponymous debut-CD: from mellow with twanging guitars, soaring synthesizers and warm female vocals to compelling and bombastic with varied keyboards and beautiful, often Steve Rothery-like guitarwork (many times he carried me away to Marillion’s Fish era). My highlights are the moving guitar solo in Unknown Tomorrow, the exciting interplay between a church-organ sound, guitar and drums in With No Return, a spectacular synthesizer solo in Somewhere In Time and the long final piece The End (more than 12 minutes) that succeeds to generate a lot of excitement: a dreamy intro with warm vocals, piano and soarin gkeyboards, a wonderful part with intense orchestral keyboards, beautiful piano with longing vocals, sensitive guitarplay in a slow rhythm, a mid-tempo with propulsive drums, a long and harder-edged guitar solo (like Steve Rothery at his pinnacle) and a quite mellow conclusion with piano and again that excellent female voice. ALBATROS – Pentadelia
- I discovered this Spanish five-piece formation on The Spanish Progressive Rock Page in the New Releases section, like I did with other promising new Spanish bands Zaguan, Neverness, Bijou and the excellent Senogul. I was very curious to Albatros their sound when I read about their psychedelic oriented blend of several styles, from Rock Andalus to prog metal. Well, during my first listening session I got impressed from the very first moment. Although I trace elements from early Led Zeppelin, Seventies Hawkwind, Pink Floyd (Pompeii-era) and Eighties Rush, I notice that Albatros (the name points at five guys who wants to make psychedelic inspired music) has developped an own musical identity: their trademarks are great dynamics and building up compelling or hypnotizing atmospheres, topped with surprising musical ideas, an adventurous rhythm-section, powerful guitarwork and inventive keyboardplay. The album contains 8 songs, I am delighted about 6 tracks because these showcase Albatros their exciting eclectic musical approach.
* The instrumental 48: it starts with the sound of the sea and birds, blended with powerful saxophone work and then climates that shift from propulsive with prog metal guitar/drums to a slow rhythm with sensitive
electric guitar/mellow organ and a dreamy atmosphere with twanging guitar and soaring keyboards,
culminating in a very compelling psychedelic mood featuring great interplay, fiery guitar and hypnotizing
synthesizers.
* Supernova: a strong and catchy beat in a hypnotizing climate (evoking early Hawkwind) with wah-wah guitar and lots of dynamics, the second part is mellow with Floydian guitar and warm Spanish vocals,
culminating in a lush finale delivering a sensitive electric guitar solo and a fluent rhythm-section.
* Santuario: first a mellow climate with twanging acoustic guitar, then an accellaration featuring fluent drums, inspired Spanish vocals and tasteful interplay between guitar and keyboards. * The instrumental Ensor: tasteful and varied with sensational interplay between a bombastic choir- Mellotron-like sound and wah-wah drenched guitar with obvious psychedelic undertones.
* Waiting For A Sign: first wailing distorted vocals and bluesy Fender Rhodes piano, then more and more dynamic with a slow but exciting psychedelic inspired synthesizer solo, very compelling music.
* And finally the instrumental Mehari: dynamic and varied with excellent work on guitar and keyboards, the climate sounds like Heavy Psychedelic Prog.
The other two songs also deliver good and captivating moments but Hombre Menguante suffers from mediocre English vocals and the final track Las Tripas de Goliat sounds a bit too fragmentic to me (too many ideas in one song in my opinion) and I am not pleased with the theatrical way of singing. - My conclusion: this is a very promising progrock band that will please the fans of psychedelic rock and Heavy Prog, check out their website in order to discover the exciting sound of Albatros! NOSTRADAMUS - Testament
- In 2007 the rhythm-section of the legendary Hungarian progrock band Solaris founded Solaris Fusion and released the mini-CD Mystica (2 compositions). In 2008 this Hungarian formation changed their name into Nostradamus with almost the same line-up (only a new fluteplayer) but another musical direction, I would like to describe it as a Heavy Prog version of Solaris.
- On this album it’s obvious that most musicians are classically trained, the interplay is awesome and especially the compositorial skills of keyboardplayer Valeria Barcsik are great, this turns listening to Testament into a captivating musical experience. I am excited about the tension between on one hand the heavy rhythm-section, propulsive guitar riffs and powerful guitar and on the other hand the sparkling flute and sumptuous keyboards, it sounds like “classical meets progmetal”, great! My favorite moments on this CD are Solarissimo (bombastic and dynamic with swirling flute, fat synthesizer flights and sensitive electric guitar runs, the Spanish undertones are strong), Divine Comedy (between Heavy Prog and progmetal with fiery guitar, sparkling flute and orchestral keyboards), the enervating and dynamic titletrack (omnipresent flutework, warm Grand piano, propulsive guitar riffs, a strong organ solo and excellent interplay), a beautiful build-up in Emotion (from dreamy with twanging guitar to a compelling grand finale with howling guitar) and warm interplay between classical flute and acoustic guitar in Secret In Hand. A bit of a maverick is the short song African Cotton Typesetters In Ireland that blends African singing and Irish folk instruments, very special! The bonustrack My Emotion is a strong conclusion, it starts mellow with dreamy vocals and soaring keyboards and ends bombastic with howling electric guitar. - What a stunning debut CD this Hungarian formation has delivered, it deserves worldwide atention, progheads alert! BREATHING SPACE – Coming Up For Air
- Originally this was a solo project by Mostly Autumn keyboarplayer/composer Iain Jennings but after his first eponymous debut album, he founded his own band, started to tour and so the formation Breathing Space was born, including Mostly Autumn background singer Viola Sparnenn. CREPUSCULE – L’Hymne A La Vie
- This is a German band, rooted in 1984 and founded by the brothers Franco and Gerald Rouvinez, both born in the French part of Switzerland. The aboslute highight in their long history is a joint performance with the legendary French progrock band Ange. In 1996 Crépuscule released their debuut CD entitled Les Lunes Se Lèvent that contains a blend of rock and French ‘chansons’, followed by the ‘unplugged’ CD Signe De Vie with old and new songs. And now we can enjoy the new album L’Hymne A La Vie, first part of a musical project, the next album will be released within 3 years.
- Despite the many hints to the music of Ange in this intro, only the powerful, expressive and sometimes theatrical vocals reminds me of early Ange, like in the songs Prologue RE and L’Armada. But in general the 19 melodic songs (in five parts between 3 and 21 minutes) are very tastefully arranged with the focus on the elements variety and creativity, what a wonderful and often compelling music this is: a slow rhythm with howling guitar runs (in the vein of Steve Rothery) and lush organ, followed by a tight rhythm with propulsive guitar riffs in Après Un Pas, harpsichord-like flights and slide-guitar in the dreamy L’Arbre Del Arrêt, a captivating contrast between soaring keyboards with theatricals vocals and a compelling rhythm with howling guitar runs in Prologue RE, swinging neo-prog with ‘slap’ bas work and a delicate synthesizer solo in La Créature, expressive vocals, beautiful play on acoustic – and electric guitar and a majestic grand finale with a church organ sound and guitar in the moving Moeurs, an electronic oriented atmosphere with wonderful keyboard work in Prologue EL and varied sounds and a final part with a bombastich church organ sound in Mort De L’Irréel. - For me “never a dull moment’ on this almost 70 minutes long CD, what a captivating prog, highly recommended to those who are up to French vocals! By the way, the packaging is in DVD format and contains a huge booklet with lyrics in French and German and I have read that Crépuscule is planning to tour with a wonderful lightshow, video clips and masks, check out this amazing German band! ELLEVEN – Insight - This German formation was founded in 2001 by two members of the known German band Chandelier and singer Julie Graff. After several changes in the line-up, in 2007 Elleven released their debut-CD entitled Insight on which we can find 11 compositions.
- Elleven their sound is tasteful with a pleasant emotional undertone, in general the climates are dreamy and mellow with wonderful colouring by twanging acosutic guitars, fragile piano work, moving organ and frequent sensitive electric guitar runs. The voice of singer Julia often reminds me of Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders). Some songs sound more fluent, compelling or bombastic like the alternating All Alone (fat synthesizer flights and howling guitar), Losing Sight (spacey intro, then bombastic and finally a mid-tempo with intense guitarwork), Promise (soaring keyboards, then compelling with emotional vocals and wah-wah guitar) and the wonderful, very elaborate Last Signs (from twanging acoustic guitar to lush violin-Mellotron). The final track Insight is a juwel, what a wonderful and warm blend of vocals, guitar and piano, to me it epitomizes Elleven their beautiful, often a bit subdued sound, somewhere between progressive pop and melodic rock with emotion and creating compelling atmospheres as the main ingredients. MASS MEDIA – Criptoidea - Italian formation Mass Media made music in the Seventies but they have reunited because the label Electromantic invited the band to make a new album, the current line-up features three original members.
The CD Criptoidea contains 13 songs, four have (Italian) vocals, the rest is instrumental. The music often delivers swinging and fluent jazzrock (echoes from Mahavishnu Orchestra and Brand X) with lots of guitar and Fender Rhodes electric piano (along Hammond organ and synthesizers) and a very adventurous, often propulsive rhythm-section. I am impressed by the musicians their skills and interplay, it’s obvious they are very experienced and know each other very well in musical terms. I am delighted about the parts in which the guitar is supported by strings/ a propulsive rhythm-section and the duels between guitar and keyboards, what an energy. The final composition Suite Del Ringraziamento is a tribute to some classical composers and keyboardists Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. It is recorded live in the studio and contains short renditions of compositions by Bach (Badinerie and Preludio), Mozart (Rondo A La Turca), Bernstein (America), Brubeck (Blue Rondo A La Turk), Copland (Hoedown) and Wakeman (Catherine Howard). We can enjoy sparkling piano and fiery guitar and great interplay between guitar and keyboards, remarkably is the fiery electric guitar in Hoedown instead of the fat synthesizer sound. I am sure this CD wil please many jazzrock fans, what a stunning band and what an exciting CD! Edited by erik neuteboom - September 01 2008 at 14:14 |
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b_olariu
Prog Reviewer Joined: March 02 2007 Location: Romania Status: Offline Points: 5532 |
Posted: September 02 2008 at 08:27 |
Moonrise and Nemezis sounds intristing from your description , for sure i will check them out, i begun to have more and more respect to polish bands, after i bought some very fine music from this country: Turquoise - excelent symph - folk prog with duo female male vocals, Osada Vida last 2 releases are very strong prog metal albums, worth listen, not to mention the bands that are much known to progheads like Riverside, Collage, S.B.B. So the polish prog scene is growing every year and very soon will become the mainroad of eastern prog music and why not among the strongest in Europe and world, with a little pation of course.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: September 02 2008 at 12:09 |
Indeed Bodgan, I think we can expect more from Poland and I am glad I have seen Riverside two times and also Quidam, next on my list is Osada Vida, perhaps on a forthcoming Dutch Progfarm Festival ?
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Norbert
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
Posted: September 02 2008 at 13:37 |
We have already a German Albatros and a US-based Albatross in the Archives, the Geman band was probably quite good.
The Spanish Albatros also sounds rather interesting and enjoyable. |
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: September 02 2008 at 18:18 |
Good work Erik I'm intrigued to give some of these bands a listen. If you read your overlooked...... thread before coming to this one you'll know my positive response to Nostradamus. Being a Mostly Autumn fan I enjoyed the one track I heard of Breathing Space which was present on a recent free cd with Classic Rock magazine. If the rest of the albums as good as Don't Turn a Blind Eye I may have to buy it. I'm particularly drawn to Olivia Sparnenn's vocals.
Seems like a lot of good Prog is coming out of Poland these days.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: September 03 2008 at 10:45 |
Norbert: it's a matter of time that Albatros will be added, I hope more progheads will discover their unique sound Paul: in a thread about Homeless progrock bands I have mentioned a serie of new interesting prorock bands that are (still) not on PA, among these band were Breathing Space and Nostradamus, let's hope the teams will pick up these bands Progwalhalla Hans told met that the Jaime Rosas Cuarteto (Chili) has
released a live CD and one of these days I will receive the new Presto Ballet album
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: September 03 2008 at 16:23 |
Erik, I've been giving Coral Caves a listen and was impressed. Not sure what it was called but the first track had a powerful 70's classic rock vibe not least because of that great organ sound. As I type I'm listening to the Nemezis myspace page and they're another band i'll investigate further. Nice female vocals and a very accessible modern Prog sound.
I've been trying to hear some Elleven but no luck finding anything yet. Their website doesn't seem to have any samples on it unless I'm just not spotting them with not understanding the language. Edited by Nightfly - September 03 2008 at 16:30 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: September 03 2008 at 17:09 |
Paul, to me Coral Caves sounds as a band that will please both the symphomaniacs as the neo-progheads, the keyboardplayer uses a EMU Proteus sound module that delivers lots of very pleasant vintage keyboards sounds, like a Hammond organ Today I have opened a thread in the Suggested New Bands section in which I have suggested many bands, including Nemezis. Just published my Unifaun review after I noticed this Swedish 'a big hand for Genesis' band has been added today
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