Getting Surrealistic with Viridian Groove

Autumn Equinox greetings fellow progheads!  Hard to believe it is that time already...and while I hate to see summer fall off the calendar so soon, I am excited to continue the search for all things prog. Walking through the prog garden I discovered some new growth in the experimental section...so wasting no time, I packed up the Concert Closet and headed to Venezuela to expand my horizons and bore deeper into the sounds of The Viridian Groove.

The Viridian Groove refer to themselves simply as an experimental/progressive rock band.  I have only made the journey to "The Land of Grace" once or twice in the past, so discovering more progressive music in this part of South America is a bit exciting; I can feel the prog juices starting to flow already...let us get to that buffet and see what is on the menu...

Viridian Groove released their debut album "Surrealistic Sweven" this past April and my first slice from the disc is a bit on the "altered states" side, "Uthominis."  The song opens as if walking through a time warp of sorts...everything seems a bit off center...and then the mood goes from dark to calm; almost serene. The vocals come in stage right like voices breaking through a veil of unconsciousness slowly and methodically.  The horns play off the guitars quite nicely and the bass line keeps everyone in check. There is an "otherworldly" atmosphere to this piece; think New York Dolls covering early Pink Floyd, with a touch of Brian Eno/David Bowie and their mid 70's flair and artistry.

Viridian Groove  certainly grasp the concept of experimental; meandering through this album you feel as though you're being pulled into intermittent mood altering pods...be soothed here for a bit then move down the oscillating hallway for a small dose of tension and mystery...yet further down, don't be alarmed by the jazz fusion feel...you are in the right place and everything is going to be OK...

Next up on this existential mood elevator is a cut called "Juxtaexposing." The piece opens as though I am overhead looking down into an ICU ward at a patient in distress...and then the mood quickly picks up, the atmosphere changes, and Viridian Groove is channeling Frank Zappa at his experimental/prog best.  I believe I detect a touch of captain Beefheart wafting in the air as well.  The vocals are strung between fiddles and horns while the percussion work grabs the entire piece by the neck...

Liner Notes...The Viridian Groove calls Valencia, Venezuela home and is theoretically a two-man band...but as with their music, nothing is quite as it seems with The Viridian Groove.  Victor-Lio Angulo on guitar, bass, cuatro, and keyboards, and Jose Luis Vazquez on vocals are the founding members and heart and soul of the group.  For their initial release, Viridian Groove included Daniel Cruz on violins, Enrique Lara on woodwinds, and Miguel Mendoza on drums and percussion. Additional sound provided by Douglas Dominguez on drums, Veronica Lozada on strings, Flavio Gasparini on guitars, and Laura Diaz-Santos on background vocals.  A crowded studio indeed for a two-person operation...

       

Third and final course from this Venezuelan prog feast is called "Planetarius," another cut that attempts to defy logic.  Viridian Groove seems to enjoy walking the listener down a path in the prog garden lined with random imagery and wild sound.  Much is happening in the foreground and the background here; best to just strap in and enjoy the ride.  The Viridian Groove staked out their prog garden plot in the vicinity of Ivan Perilli and The Happy Graveyard Orchestra; serious musicians who prefer to choose their own destiny...

This week I opted not to post a video clip since none seem to be available...The Viridian Groove is a new comer to the prog garden with "Surrealistic Sweven" coming out barely five months ago.  I encourage all my loyal proghead followers to check out The Viridian Groove on their Bandcamp website Viridian Groove Bandcamp.  Listen--and make a purchase!  Their music is also available on iTunes and Spotify...of course the support your purchase provides is much appreciated.  The Viridian Groove are also on Facebook at Viridian Groove FB and you can follow the band on Twitter @viridiangroove.

                

Once again fellow progheads it is time to say goodnight.  The Viridian Groove may be a tad off the beaten prog path, but they have a sound well worth checking out.  The prog garden has strong roots and continues to flourish because of its diverse growth, and The Viridian Groove pushes that envelope just a bit...

As I continue this journey searching out new and lesser-known prog bands, I have come to appreciate the many sides of prog.  The unifying link I believe, is the desire to bring real, honest, and emotion driven music to the masses.  Whatever the sub-genre, progressive rock is, was, and shall ever be at the forefront of the music class.   In keeping with the spirit of enlightening, I must continue the search for all things prog...until next week...    

Transitory, the latest release by New Sun

Hello fellow progheads and welcome once again to the Closet Concert Arena!  September is turning the page from summer to autumn as days fall through the narrow sieve in the hourglass faster than raindrops in a thunderstorm.  In keeping with this time of change, I thought I would once again go slightly off course and post a new album review.  I have been engrossed these past 168 hours (and longer) in the latest release from New Sun, a band my loyal followers will remember from a review back in May 2014.  Setting the GPS for northern California, the search for all things prog ventures to the San Francisco Bay area and some serious listening time with New Sun's fifth album, "Transitory."

 
This album is a concept of sorts, telling the story of the transitory nature of human existence and life in general.  Opening with "Gravity Wells" I am immediately put at ease by the deceptive calm that is the ocean...soft percussion wrapped around velvety smooth guitar allows you to float away like so much driftwood rolling up on shore.  There is a darkness hovering however; just enough to keep you focused, waiting for the waves to swell...and then the tide rolls out without so much as a whitecap.  There are top notes of King Crimson, early Jethro Tull, and a touch of the dark side of Atomic Rooster floating through this piece...don't you just love being oceanside?

The next cut I dive into is called "The Beguiler."  The vocals start soft and inviting--but listener beware.  There is an almost subliminal warning siren riding the undercurrent...New Sun is tilling previously untouched soil in the prog garden as they bring a "classic prog meets her eclectic uncle" vibe to this song.  Imagine a Peter Gabriel fronted Genesis collaborating with The Moody Blues and Be Bop Deluxe...now you're getting close...

Liner Notes...New Sun was formed in the Silicon Valley area of California in 1993.  Founding members D.L. Erickson on guitar and Christopher Scott Cooper on vocals, guitar, and keyboards took the band through a few line-up changes, including the 1999 departure of Mr. Erickson.  Fast forward two decades and you discover New Sun has built a very loyal following on the left coast--specifically the northern California/Oregon area of these United States; although their music has traveled the globe.

New Sun is rounded out with Alex Kley on bass and despite his passing in January of this year, Chris Trujillo is still credited as the band's drummer; a tribute I can only describe as classy.  Chris did lay some tracks for the Transitory album and is greatly missed.  The new album also includes guest musicians Gus Fjelstrom on bass,  John Hasty on drums, Benito Cortez on violin, Rebecca Lomnicky on fiddle, and David Brewer on pipes and whistles.

New Sun doesn't re-invent themselves with this album; rather they expand their boundaries, stretch their abilities as artists and musicians, and move to a new level in the prog garden.  This recording does all that--opening and exploring an entirely new spectrum, seen through an "alternative view" lens and listened to with ears ripe for exploration as the listener whisks off on a journey they would otherwise never be exposed to...all for the price of a CD...

My final selection for review from this marvelous release is the title cut "Transitory."  Continuing on the dark path that permeates the album--but does not blot out the light--this cut alternates between quick hits and subtle jabs.  The drums on this cut, laid down by Chris, are extremely tight and carry the rest of the band like a Range Rover through thick forest.  Vocals cut through it all while the tempo takes you through a hectic pace allowing you the opportunity to catch your breath one moment so as to have it taken away the next.

Learn more about New Sun and purchase this incredible album at New Sun.  This would be a great time to expand your prog library by perusing (and purchasing) the other great releases New Sun has out there as well.  New Sun can also be found on Reverbnation at New Sun Reverbnation.  Check the band's Facebook page for news about upcoming shows, new releases, tour dates, and other critical band information at New Sun FB.  Don't forget to follow New Sun on Twitter so you will never miss a beat @NewSun_Band .

The cut below is another that will take you to the ocean and mesmerize you with tranquility, allowing you to find your inner Zen, "Down By Sea. "  This beauty is a tribute to the Scottish sailors who went to sea in the 19th century and never made it home...of course the bagpipes at the end are such a pleasant surprise, much like finding the proverbial pearl in the oyster.  Violins are hypnotic as they brace you for the "onslaught" of guitar and percussion that sneak in behind.  New Sun reflects images of Gaillion and perhaps a touch of Dream Theater in their "Scenes From a Memory" days...just remember to stay with the bagpipes as they float you away...

                     

Thanks for checking in this week fellow progheads; I hope the sounds of New Sun were as therapeutic for you as they were for me.  This is an album that should catapult New Sun into the prog spotlight and get them some of that much needed exposure...we all know the prog garden flourishes best when shared and appreciated by the masses.  One of my main goals in writing this blog each week is to get the music that needs to be heard out there for all to grasp, recognize for its beauty and worth, and of course play over and over again...

As I continue this journey, I realize the prog garden is in good hands.  However; no time to rest on my laurels as the search for all things prog continues deeper into 2016 and beyond...until next week...

Thank You Scientist

Welcome to the Concert Closet once again fellow progheads!  Leaving the Emerald Isle was bittersweet; Iron Mountain was an absolutely marvelous experience for me.  Of course time marches forward and the search for all things prog continues its weekly exploration.  Determined to bring you my loyal followers the brightest, most ground-breaking, and inspiring bands that dot the prog garden landscape, I travel a bit closer to home this week as my GPS guides my path to New Jersey and the exceptionally innovative sounds of Thank You Scientist.

  

Billing their sound as "Post Genre Sweet Potato Polka" immediately lets me know Thank You Scientist is not a band hung up on themselves.  It is actually quite refreshing to walk the prog garden and discover a band this free and unrestrained.  Time to clamp on the headphones and find out what the hubbub that is sweet potato polka is all about... 

Opening the buffet, I come away with a tantalizing cut called "My Famed Disappearing Act."  The frenzy that is the opening guitar riff is but a friendly warning of the furious tempo this band performs at. The spaces in between are quickly filled with violin, horns and keyboards...madness and mayhem prog style.  Meanwhile the vocals cut through like an ice pick pecking at a frozen pond.  The canvas is splattered with colors bright and livid...the top notes emitted here are redolent of  a "placid" Liquid Tension Experiment, the zany genius of Frank Zappa, and the off-the-cuff frankness of Harry Nilsson.

Stepping back for a quick intake of oxygen, I foray back to the buffet for a large serving of "The Amateur Arsonist's Handbook."  Once again the song opens as if the stylus was dropped into the middle of the vinyl; the race is on to catch that tempo.  Guitar work here is strong and fast while percussion manages to keep everyone on solid ground.  The vocals burst over the top like blasts of a tommy gun.  As the tempo takes a breath, some fine horn work makes it way to center stage.  Thank You Scientist are as free-wheeling as Bent Knee, fine tuned as Seconds Before Landing, and carefree as Gaillion.

Liner Notes...Thank You Scientist came to be in Montclair, New Jersey.  Founding members Tom Monda on guitar, Ellis Jasenovic on saxophone, and Andrew Digrius on trumpet joined forces with Salvatore Marrano on vocals, Cody McCorry on bass, Ben Karas on violin, and Odin Alvarez on drums to not only fill a stage--they created a sound that defies categorization.

Coming to life in 2009, Thank You Scientist released their first EP in 2011.  This was followed by their full length debut album "Maps of Non-Existent Places" in 2012, and the just recently released second album "Stranger Heads Prevail."  To say their style is a cornucopia of a melange of a fusion of a blend is not much of a stretch--over twenty instruments can be heard on their debut album alone. Thank You Scientist bring jazz fusion, metal, avant-garde, and classical together to create a sound that is not only unique, it is difficult to define or duplicate...the easy part is the listening and enjoying...

My final selection for review is a cut from Thank You Scientist's debut called "Blood on the Radio." This song is another straight from the Waring Blender; I believe I hear a dozen different instruments come through the headphones in the first fifteen seconds the laser is on the disc.  Even more astonishing is the fact that everything melds together flawlessly.  When the vocals begin to seep through from behind, they are simply the chocolate glace on the eclair.  The guitar work moves to center stage and proceeds to hold court, but rest assured all the players have their share of the spotlight; the only thing Thank You Scientist doesn't thrust at you is bursts of individual ego...

Thank You Scientist bound across the prog garden effortlessly, gathering ideas like flowers for a wedding bouquet while leaving behind music that takes root in all the different acreage and
sub-genres that are progressive rock.  They may have created a few new ones along the path as well...

The tune posted below is from their latest release called "Blue Automatic."  Thank You Scientist continue to challenge the person charged with mixing their albums as sounds burst through every nook and cranny that is the compact disc.  Horns blare but never drown out the vocals; drums hold a steady and forceful beat don't step on anyone else; guitars once again stand up and shout yet they never let you forget the rest of the supporting cast...hell, even the strings have their moment!  I recommend playing this cut over and over until you can fully appreciate what you are hearing...

Learn more about Thank You Scientist at their website Thank You Scientist and the  website of their record label Evil Ink Records. They also have a bandcamp site TYS bandcamp.  Any and all of their music is worthy of being added to your prog music collection so please support the band and make a purchase.  You can keep up with tour dates, musings, and other band information on their Facebook page TYS Facebook and Twitter @TYScientist.

Another post in the clouds fellow progheads; although I hope Thank You Scientist stays echoing in your head a bit longer...this is a band destined to leave a mark.  Thank You Scientist is currently touring the US so you have the opportunity to catch this act live and see firsthand how seven musicians can produce one astonishing sound from twenty different instruments...hope they take care of their roadies...

As is the custom each week at this juncture, time to reload the Concert Closet and continue the search for all things prog.  The 2016 leg of this journey has been quite the ride thus far...here's to that streak continuing ad infinitum...until next week...       

Iron Mountain

Welcome back fellow progheads!  Despite August having wound down as summer races toward its inevitable end, the sun continues to burn a bright orange hole in the sky.  In an attempt to stretch the solstice as far as possible, I decided to log some serious travel miles and loaded the Concert Closet to continue the search for all things prog in Ireland.  Seems like a great time to spend a week immersed in some incredibly hot and intense instrumental prog.

I do believe this is my first official visit to the Emerald Isle, and like I always say; "Go big or go home."  Following the haunting sound of flutes like a moth to flame, I find myself awash in the sounds of Iron Mountain.

Iron Mountain bills themselves as an instrumental Irish rock band with influences that sprawl across the prog garden, taking root in the post rock, kraut rock, psychedelic, and folk metal sections. Hmmm...the lure of folk metal alone drew my gait in their direction...so let us exit the Concert Closet for a closer look and listen in on what the prog buffet is serving up this week.

Starting with an absolute mind twister, I drop the laser on "Opium" to get things started.  The opening takes me right to the middle of...nowhere...outside deep in the wild...high above K2 looking down...
Iron Mountain hits you in the back of the neck and spins you right around--what a week it will certainly be!  The folk metal reference burns brightly on this tune as Iron Mountain bursts forth releasing all their pent up tension as the song unfolds.  Flutes and percussion reign supreme as the music moves forward with a tribal energy that dares you not to close your eyes and dim the lights...

Once I fully absorb the sounds that just exploded all around me, I crawl back to the buffet for a second assault..."Enthralldom." The tension picks up right where "Opium" left off; the darkness doesn't loom so much as it totally envelops you...much like a shroud wrapped around your entire being, allowing you to become immersed in the sound.  Iron Mountain emits top notes reminiscent of King Crimson's earlier days when Jamie Muir squeezed sound from every item in the room.  The foreboding mood even takes me to KC's "Red" days...but I also sense some of the emotions Beardfish would embed in their music as well.  Iron Mountain stalks the dark outer edges of the prog
garden--but mainly as a sentry.  This is a band that can stand up to the class bully and send him home whimpering without so much as balling up a fist...

Liner Notes...Iron Mountain originates in Limerick, Ireland and consists of Damien Mullane on guitar, Matt Bashford on Uillean pipes, low whistle, and Native American flute, Ronan Ryan on transverse wooden flute and flute head, Stephen Hughes on bass, and Ray Murphy on drums and percussion.  I feel confident saying this is the first band I recall citing credit for two members playing at least three different flutes...suddenly those kids in middle school music class don't seem so nerdy...

Iron Mountain formed in 2012 and released their debut "Unum" in April of this year.  Building a sound that draws from the early days of King Crimson, the psychedelic times of Pink Floyd, the dark side of Gentle Giant, and the multi-faceted emotions of Beardfish, Iron Mountain stalks the prog garden with very few peers.  Their sound harkens to the days when musicians cared more about people focusing on the music rather than the performers on stage.  Remember when album jackets unfolded to reveal a world you knew was calling your name?  Iron Mountain touches all those exposed nerves lurking in the back of your mind...luring you into the realm where hearing something for the first time was magical...

Slice of the music number three this week is called "Bonfires."  Once again Iron Mountain dives deep into the darkness right out of the gate; you sense yourself being stalked as you sit in silence... listening...waiting for the cranium pummeling that cannot be too far away.  Yet the deathblows never materialize--the sounds just roll over you like high tide slamming the shore.  There is a sense of Tony Levin and the Stickmen meeting K2 on this song...a purely mystical experience.

Learn more about Iron Mountain at their website Iron Mountain Band.  You can purchase their
music--and you know I encourage you to do so--at Iron Mountain BandCamp.  Dig a bit deeper and discover the artists behind the sounds at Iron Mountain Facebook.  Of course Twitter allows you to keep up with the band and their musings @IronMountainlk.  Whatever your choice of connection, you will want to add Iron Mountain to your prog rock collection.

I posted the song "Powow" here for your weekly listening experience.  I chose this particular tune because it seems to expose Iron Mountain the most; so much sound and so many moods...a cornucopia of their trademark folk metal sound.  Iron Mountain is tilling very uncrowded acreage in the prog garden; soil that is not heavily trod.  My hope is that their sound will grow, spreading across sub-genres under the prog umbrella, reaching an audience thirsty for new and extremely innovative sound.

    
Well fellow progheads, my first foray into Ireland was without doubt a fascinating experience.  Iron Mountain is not quite the throat punch that is the Dropkick Murphys, but for sure the Irish know how to play hard.  Taking no cues from subtlety, Iron Mountain comes at you full throttle but never hits with a fatal blow...the preference here is to wow and amaze with sounds you never imagined coming from your headphones.  The canvas may be dark and haunting at times, but Iron Mountain is fully capable of tapping into every emotion connecting auditory senses to the mind.

Now as is my custom, I must pack up the Concert Closet once again as I continue the search for all things prog.  I hope you will come back once again to discover where the journey has taken me...and you.  Until next week...