All Shall Be Well

As always, thanks for stopping by the Closet Concert Arena again this week fellow progheads!  Despite being in its early stages, 2018 has been quite active in the prog garden with no sign of slowing down any time soon.  Progressive music is many things to many people, and is interpreted as such by many artists. This week the Concert Closet takes a different tack, navigating  through the remaining days of winter via the Netherlands for some introspective listening with a band that sees the prog garden from an alternate perspective; welcome to the world of All Shall Be Well...

All Shall Be Well is self described as "...instrumental, cinematic music..."  The band likens their music to "...stories rather than songs."  There is a lot of acreage in the prog garden, and this week it looks like we are entering relatively new territory.  All Shall Be Well is one of those bands that views their craft through an entirely different lens.  Should be  a fun week; let's take the lid off the box and see what's inside...

Starting with a cut from the band's 2011 debut "ROODBLAUW" I chose the cut "There Will Always be at Least A Thousand Things You Don't Know."  Emitting strong top notes of Brian Eno in his ambient hey day and Robert Fripp's Soundscapes, this is a very soothing piece.  ASBW paints a very serene picture with gentle strokes on the canvas using a smooth brush. The colors blend beautifully, much like honey melting into a warm cup of tea.

Moving to their 2014 release "BLAUWGEEL" I set the stylus down on "Some Speak of the Future, Others of the Past."  Building on the cinematic, ASBW stays on an ambient path but takes a tangent road on the journey as they meld post-rock into their style to claim a spot in the prog garden all their own.  The drums take center stage on this cut as keyboards and synthesizers play a supporting role.  Top notes of Abstract Aprils seep through the headphones as your auditory canals are filled with excitement best described as "raging serenity."

Liner Notes...All Shall Be Well is originally from Haarlem, The Netherlands.  The band started creating stories in 2010 and have three albums on their resume.  The group consists of Joene, Vincent, Wouter, Bas, and Niels.  Rebuffing the corporate side of the music business, ASBW does things their own way, a la King Crimson.  Music is recorded, uploaded, and released through Creative Commons, making them as transparent and close to their fan base as Bent Knee.

Checking on their latest release "GEELZWART," I found a timeless piece, "Grieg's "Ases Tod' Reimagined."  This is album is three classical gems reworked and "threshed out" in their words, looking for unsuspecting harmonies.  Listening to this you understand why they feel more like storytellers than musicians--although they are pretty darn good musicians.  More of their soundscape/cinematic tendencies are shining through on this cut; the guitars fold into the drums like fresh berries rolled into a crepe...ASBW work splendidly with soft pastels, filling the canvas with delicate hues that soothe the mind and spirit.

All Shall Be Well have made their music available at these sites; All Shall Be SWell bandcamp,
All Shall Be Well soundcloud, and All Shall Be Well cdbaby.  Of course there is also the obligatory Facebook page All Shall Be Well FB and Twitter @AllShallBeWell.  Ample opportunity to check out the world of ASBW...this is a band that seems to shy from the spotlight while not being afraid to share everything in their velvet lined arsenal.

As an aperitif, I chose the cut below from the band's debut.  "Forgot Yesterday, Am Today, and Will Be Tomorrow" is a soothing port wine at the end of a stressful day.  I detect top notes of Flim and the BB's riding across the room along with just a sprinkling of Harold Budd.  The story starts out in a pleasant mood, strutting gently like a newborn fawn, only to turn abruptly and darken the
horizon--albeit to a duskier grey.  Even the drums are soft on the ears as the headphones fill with a restrained force...until...and then back again.  Pull up a seat in the prog garden and wait for it...dim the lights; you don't want to ruin the mood...

Well progheads, it seems another week has moved slowly by, yet so quickly do the days race past.  All Shall Be Well bring cinematic/ambient music to a different dimension, offering the listener a chance to hear through a different filter.  The sound is majestic and humble; striking while staying away from the din of the ordinary.

The search for all things prog has once again trod new territory.  Although The Closet Concert Arena has been host to many cinematic bands that paint extravagant pictures with the ease of drawing a curtain, few have been so deliberately outside the lines.  And once again the journey continues...until next time...