Atlas Cube

Thanks for stopping in at the Concert Closet once again fellow progheads!  To paraphrase an old saying; "...what a tangled music web we weave when first we seek out prog to please..."  It has been quite the tangent journey in my quest for all things prog; searching for bands old and new...whether they have but one release to their credit or an entire library burned into disc and carved into vinyl; the Concert Closet is happy to present progressive rock bands worthy of your time and headphones.  The journey has been fun, exciting, and a great lesson in prog gardening.  This week the Concert Closet ventures to a country not often visited but with a wealth of prog talent.  Join me and together we will explore Germany; the land of bratwurst, beer, and the prog sounds of Atlas Cube.

Atlas Cube describes their music as "...what cubism art sounds like...progressive and groovy at the same time...cubism for your ears..."  My loyal followers know Atlas Cube had me at "sounds like cubism art."  This is a sound the Concert Closet has to add to the collection...so headphones on and to the buffet we go...

The first offering this week is "Asia Moments."  I am instantly struck with an image of Dream Theater, "Scenes From a Memory."  Atlas Cube comes out of the gate with both speakers blazing; striking at your auditory canals with hard-hitting guitars and drums saturated with volatility.  Atlas Cube rides a tempo up and down a mood elevator that avoids the middle floors...

Next up for auditory digestion is an intricate piece called "Fortress Of Rain."  An instrumental cut strong enough to hold up to against strong winds and heavy weather...the guitars come right at you led by a solid, rhythmic drumbeat...Atlas Cube channels a bit of Flim & the BB's in the beginning...and then Beardfish starts to fight for headspace.  Close your eyes and you can feel a storm rising; strong rains indeed.  The tempo holds throughout as if an uphill car chase was wending along some dark mountain road...gotta stay focused...

Liner Notes...coming to you via Regensburg, Germany, Atlas Cube is Martin Mies on guitar, Sebastian Beer on bass, and Helmar Weib on drums.  Sounds pretty basic and simple--but Atlas Cube is not quite that plain and ordinary.  Originating in 2013, Atlas Cube was the coming together of three friends who were in previous bands together but not as a trio.  Helmar and Sebastian played in a "hard rock" band of sorts, and Helmar was also involved in a prog rock project earlier in his music life that included Martin.  Their mutual desire to put together an "anything goes" prog band with an emphasis on "groovy" led to a jam session that sealed the deal.  Groovy?  Maybe I ain't that old after all...

Atlas Cube approaches prog the same way French painters in the early twentieth century approached their art; no rules or restrictions.  Thus, as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso were pioneers in cubism art, Helmar, Martin, and Sebastian consider themselves pioneers in cubism prog. Their approach is as refreshing as it is honest; leave behind everything you know (or think you know) and push the boundaries...nothing is off limits so long as it adds to and enriches the sound.  Jamie Muir, Patrick Moraz, Adrian Belew, and Peter Gabriel--just to name a few--can certainly appreciate the desire.  You, However, will appreciate the result; Atlas Cube has found new, previously unexplored acreage in the prog garden to cultivate.

The last piece served up this week is a definite "outside-the-lines" offering called "Two Point Oh (2.0)."  The sharp edges and offbeat lines of their cubism signature shine through on this cut;  equal parts broken glass and the suede lining of a leather jacket flow down the inside of your skull like semi-melted peanut butter.  Helmar's drums take the tempo up a notch and Martin's guitar puts a stake in it.  Atlas Cube would be equally at home playing a dark nightclub, a large auditorium--or even an outdoor stage in the middle of nowhere...no boundaries...

I chose the tune below for your "taste-of-the-week" because it has the bits and pieces that make up the whole.  The smooth, velvety richness that makes you want more...the strong, stand-alone boldness that fills a canvas without forced exaggeration...and the funky groove this trio seems to relish.  Learn more about Atlas Cube and get their music at Atlas Cube Band.  Keep up with all the band shenanigans on their Facebook page, Atlas Cube Facebook.  Don't forget to capture their every rant on Twitter as well, @atlas_cube.  Oh, the moods you will discover and the shapes you will find...

Once again fellow progheads, I find myself staring at the empty upper half of the hourglass wondering where the time went.  Atlas Cube took the search for all things prog this week just a bit farther off the beaten path than I have ventured previously.  Their bent for being on the funky/groovy side of the prog garden opened an entire section that I had yet to trod.  For me, therein lies the best part of the journey--no matter how long I am at it, no need to worry about getting in a rut or the search becoming mundane.  To that end, the search for all things prog continues...until next week...