Crocodile "Howling Mad Black Music Under Hot Stars"

Thanks for coming back to the Concert Closet fellow progheads!  The prog garden continues to produce an abundance of great music and this week's feature bears that out.  As autumn continues to produce bright colors in nature, so to does the prog canvas explode with vibrant hues that cover the spectrum.  This week the search for all things prog takes me back to Austin TX, to visit a band I have enjoyed since first hearing their sound.

                                           

Crocodile just released their second album, "Howling Mad Black Music Under Hot Stars." About twenty months removed from their debut release, the band describes this latest addition to their catalog as a "prog album comprised of love songs."  Seems a trifle odd...a bit like describing the federal government as a nurturing entity.  As the saying goes however; the proof is in the pudding.  So let's grab a bowl of custard and drop a laser on that disc...

The festivities begin with "Dark Inverted Jubilee."  The upbeat tempo as the curtain peels back is reminiscent of Transatlantic with top notes of Steely Dan.  Vocals blend smoothly with guitars that throw a velvet punch and keyboards that tease just enough to pique your interest.  Crocodile has picked up where they left off; time to take this listening party a bit deeper...

   "The Genie (in full flower)" is the next serving, and the mood continues to be upbeat--despite the macabre tension lurking in the background.  Crocodile makes music that makes me feel safe, unaware that Pennywise the clown is lurking behind the not-quite-closed-tight closet door...
There is an ELO meets Gentle Giant vibe coursing through this tune...here come those bright colors splattered on a frayed canvas...

Liner Notes...making their home in Austin TX, the current line-up of Crocodile is Kevin Sims on guitar and vocals, Ted Thomas on bass and vocals, Thomas Shaw on keyboards and vocals, and Greg Seale on drums.

Their first album, "His Name Is Stan And He's A Bad Motherf**cker" was released in February 2018.  This, their second release, hit the Internet just weeks ago.  One personnel change between albums isn't bad; some bands never survive the rush of the first release and the madness and mayhem that causes egos to explode.  Still others melt down because album #1 was the dream and there was no long-term plan or focus.

Crocodile is different...their path seems well defined, and combined with the talent coming through the headphones, I expect the prog garden will be filled with more music from this quartet.  Despite their penchant for long album titles, the music cuts right to the chase.  Soft grooves on one cut bootlegging into hard driving guitar on the next make Crocodile a challenge to categorize and a joy to listen to.

You can purchase both of the band's albums at their website Crocodile and at Bandcamp.  They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter @crocodileatx. 

The final song for review this week is the first cut on the album,
"(Arrival) Small Eden."  The opening takes me back to Spirit and their fresh approach to the prog garden at the time.  Sounding like an "in the moment" improv jam session, this is a song to simply fall headlong into.  Kevin's guitar leads the keyboards  masterfully across the gentler acreage of the prog garden until the song wraps up and he decides to make statement of his own...and all the while Greg is the drum major, keeping everyone focused and on point.

Your ear worm this week is "Avis Ender," the final cut on the album.  This one starts out clean and crisp, a bit like latter-day Jethro Tull.  Tom's keyboards sit back from the crowd on this piece but are oh, so essential--like the all the nutrients hiding in that power bar...you don't taste 'em but you do feel a surge of energy.  Turn this one up a bit and be glad there are bands that refuse to be categorized...    

                  

One of the many reasons I continue the search for all things prog and bring new music to you is the fun of finding bands that make it.  Hundreds, if not thousands of bands release a demo, EP, or a first album.  The challenge is getting your sound heard and appreciated--and then putting out album number two.  Here I am already looking forward to album number three from these guys.  How big the Crocodile catalog gets depends on how long the desire to keep doing what they're doing lasts...hopefully the fire burns for quite a while.

So once again fellow progheads the sand has fallen through the hourglass.  The search for all things prog found a true gem this week and I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have.  Getting into the prog garden requires a bit of luck and an adult dose of determination; staying requires grit, thick skin, a strong will, and a little thing called talent.  The journey continues...until next time...

Apostles of Chaos "What's Inside?"

Greetings once again fellow progheads!  Thus far the  fall harvest from the prog garden is quite impressive--but I want to venture a bit further back at the moment.  This week the Concert Closet takes the search for all things prog to what can arguably be referred to as ground zero for the prog garden; England.  A common stop on the journey where many a great new prog band resides, this week I visit Apostle, a band recording for the Progressive Gears label.

For those of you darting your eyes back and forth from the title of this week's review to the last word in the paragraph above, allow me to explain...Apostles of Chaos released their album "What's Inside?" in March.  Since that time the seemingly obligatory personnel changes combined with the members of the band taking serious introspection into their music and the direction in which they want to take it lead to a bit of name change.  Simply put; chaos is out, Apostle is in.  However; in my never ending desire to keep things as complicated as possible, I titled the review as the album dictates.  Confused yet?  Hopefully your befuddlement will fade once the music is cranked up...

My immediate impulse is to let the music flow through the headphones starting with "Reaper."  There is a Dream Theater quality to the opening; a bit ominous, heavy, and foreboding.  The drums lay heavy across the entire piece and the guitars drive the point home.  Ryan's vocals are heavy enough to ride across that sound wave without losing any of their edge.  Apostle comes through on this song with a determination to hit you straight on, much the way Marillion creeps into your cerebellum throwing sound waves all over the place.

Traveling down the disc a bit I find another intriguing cut, "In Your Eyes."  There is a Spock's Beard quality to this piece and the canvas is splayed with brighter colors this time around.  Apostle shows off an ability to cover major ground in the prog garden as they go from grim darkness to a more melancholy stride flecked with top notes of Machines Dream and Violent Attitude If Noticed.

Liner Notes...Coming together in Yorkshire England back in 2017, the current line-up for Apostle is Ryan Hanson on vocals, Richard Lidster on guitar, Shaun "Tin Tin" Ellis on bass, Chris "Egg" Allen on keyboards, and Marcus Murray on drums.  Apostle draws influence from many facets of the prog era ranging from Led Zeppelin to Rush, blended with a shot of Marillion and Transatlantic, tossed with just a hint of The Strawbs to pique one's musical pallet.

Despite having as many albums as name changes on their resume, I expect a lot from this band in the future;  "What's Inside?" is a stellar first offering.  Apostle can rattle you with boisterous metal, soothe you with delicate piano, fascinate you with intricate guitar work, take you back with sounds reminiscent of prog giants past, and blaze a trail forward with music best described as their own.

For my last serving this week I went with the title cut.  Once more Apostle makes a bootleg turn across the prog garden as they show off an ability to draw from decades past to make music of the prog future.  Top notes that range from Deep Purple to Jethro Tull makes this band all the more desirable to even the casual listener...once you put the headphones on it's easy to fall into the abyss...

Immerse yourself further in Apostle at Apostle and keep up with the changes at FaceBook and Twitter @AOC_Bandpage_UK.  Music can be purchased on their website as well as the Progressive Gears site Progressive Gears.

Your ear worm this week is the song "Drifter."  This song has a bit of everything; strong lead in, heavy guitar/drum wallop, and melodic riff harking back to the 70's.  There are aromatics of Kansas rising from the headphones with this cut along with a touch of Kinetic Element.  Enjoy the ride and don't forget to focus...

                       

Once again fellow progheads we enter the final turn for the week.  Apostle turned out to be a vibrant multi-faceted band capable of cranking up the heat on one song while serenading you with the next.  This is the type of band I imagine Adrian Belew could take in an entirely new direction much as he did with Talking Heads.  Don't interpret that to mean I think Apostle needs a new axe man--I don't.  Richard does just fine and the band is in good hands...it's just one of the many crazy thoughts that enter my head as I wander the prog garden looking for the next new thing; "what would happen if..?"

As for me I am quite content with the line-up Apostle has put together.  So while I sit back and enjoy another run through the disc, the search for all things prog continues on...until next time...

Pattern - Seeking Animals

Welcome back fellow progheads!  It feels like forever since the lights in the Concert Closet have been turned on!  The summer was a whirlwind and as much as I hate to see the sun start setting earlier, it is great to be back.  In between seeing a few fantastic live shows I was fortunate enough to be immersed in a plethora of great new prog; the fall harvest should be quite plentiful....

Sorting through dozens of new releases, new discoveries of old releases, new favorites, old favorites, and some music that simply fit like that favorite old T-shirt, the next leg of the search for all things prog starts with a listening session with Pattern-Seeking Animals, a new group comprised of old talent...as in time-tested and ready for a new adventure.

Pattern-Seeking Animals was originally intended to be an outlet for Spock's Beard songwriter and producer John Boegehold.  Once he put together enough material to qualify for an album, he set about assembling a band to bring his efforts to life.  Enter Jimmy Keegan, Dave Meros, and Ted Leonard.  Despite a (perhaps) unavoidable slight tilt toward Spock's Beard, Pattern-Seeking Animals has developed and nurtured a sound all their own. Their eponymous debut was released in July, so I have had quite a bit of time to become familiar with it.

"Orphans of the Universe" is an excellent jump off point; the piano intro is elegant and
tantalizing--for about 15 seconds.  Drums and guitars then join the fracas in what is best described as a carnival ride through the prog garden...bright colors stream across a canvas filled with excitement.  Ted's vocals are a cooling summer rain as they become entwined in the music like silk threads in a flowing scarf.  There are obvious top notes of Spock's Beard, but listening deeper I pick up aromatics of The Inner Road and The Mute Gods.

Playing farther down the album is a rather interesting piece called "We Write the Ghost Stories."  John's keyboards take center stage on this cut, leading the listener on a journey that is wondrous in its depth and muted extravagance.  This song comes at you directly--almost demanding your undivided attention.  While the lyrics are speaking to you, attempting to get your attention, Jimmy Keegan's drums grab you by the collar and slap you around a bit...just enough to let you know that this would be a good time to pay attention.

Liner Notes...Pattern-Seeking Animals is creator John Boegehold on keyboards and synthesizers, accompanied by Ted Leonard on vocals and guitars, Dave Meros on bass, and Jimmy Keegan on drums and vocals.  I have reviewed Jimmy with so many bands I've lost count...and he brings an exclusive sound to every band he performs with.  This is a band with no pretense about who they are; seasoned professionals who have collectively logged many a mile traveling the prog garden with countless bands.  Everyone contributes and the spotlight easily splits off in four directions illuminating every member of the group.

Finally I give you "These Are My Things."  This song travels a bit of a darker path yet manages to shine bright.  The soft opening sets you up for a boisterous finish.  Pattern-Seeking Animals as a whole are greater than the sum of their parts--and the parts are impressive.  The pleasure in this song is how seamlessly one instrument melts into the next; the music flows as smoothly as warm caramel rolling down the sides of a slice of cheesecake...


Pattern-Seeking Animals have managed to avoid being caught in a sound warp; yes they have musings of Spock's Beard, but there is way too much talent pressed into vinyl here for these guys to allow themselves to simply be another "cover band" with original material.  No; the top notes are there--undeniably--but top notes are to be expected.  Listen deeper and you will discover  Pattern-Seeking Animals sets the bar higher and achieves the ultimate goal; a sound and experience unique unto themselves.  Apparently John's musical alter-ego has a lot to say...

To purchase this album and other treasures in the Inside Out catalog go to the band's website
at Pattern-Seeking Animals or Inside Out Music.  You can also connect on PSA Facebook and Twitter @psanimals1.  In these days of easy access to technology I urge you to support the artists...

To entice you just a bit further I bring you the clip below; "No Burden Left to Carry."  As the song opens you can sense the urge to burst through the headphones.  Once again the top notes have  a familiar air about them, but fused with a touch of Asia and Gekko Projekt, Pattern-Seeking Animals continue to make their own mark in the prog garden.


                      


Thank you for coming back fellow progheads.  It has certainly been an interesting journey these past six years; I've learned quite a bit about music and about myself.  The prog garden continues to offer up bumper crop after bumper crop and I am content to reap every harvest.

Listening to Pattern-Seeking Animals was not just a form of entertainment, but an education of sorts as well.  We all know artists that have been members of several bands--sometimes on-again-off-again, but with Pattern-Seeking Animals it's different.  Here they celebrate their past experiences and use all they have gained through them to bring forth something new.  For me, it makes strolling through the prog garden the pleasure it is.  One song can take you in so many directions and open so many doors...the journey seems to last forever.

With that said, time to take the search for all things prog onward...until next time...