Haze

Welcome to my final post of 2014 fellow progheads!  Genuine heartfelt thanks to you and your families as preparations for Christmas and the ringing in of 2015 kick into "serious" mode.  My original plan was to make the final stop of the 2014 leg of my journey a domestic one, but I have a terrible track record for sticking to plans.  With that said, I have taken the Concert Closet for her last ride of the year, landing in the now familiar and comfortable confines of the United Kingdom...lots of prog happening here as I touch down in Sheffield for a visit with and a listen to Haze.

I recall stating in a previous post I was searching for all things "off the beaten path prog."  Haze fits that bill perfectly--they have been around almost 40 years and have remained an underground favorite of the prog world.  Haze calls themselves "...classic, folk, and prog rock..."  An interesting combination of flavors; a buffet too enticing to pass up.  I thought it might be more appealing to focus on their latest release, an album called "The Last Battle."  So let the prog feast begin!

In a skewed attempt at keeping with the spirit of the season, my first takeaway from the buffet this week is a song called "Balder and the Mistletoe."  The music comes at you right away from all directions, hitting you with Celtic sounds, stinging keyboards, and understated drum work.  The flute is a brilliant top note that carries you delicately across the prog soundscape.  Strong influences of Jethro Tull and early Genesis bolt right through the heart of this piece.

Serving number two is a mood setter called "The Barrister and the Bargast."  Haze does a tremendous job of painting a medieval scene with music...guitars, flutes, and drums all flailing about in a mad joust, each prodding the other like siblings when Mom is out of the room.  The music has a majestic feel; the vocals cut through the sound like a cleaver through a goose's neck--hard, fast, and definite. This is prog at its hearty best, throwing seeds throughout the prog garden so as to establish roots all across the genre.

Liner Notes... As I stated earlier, Haze calls Sheffield, UK home.  Thirty-plus years in the prog garden has allowed Haze to gather a loyal underground following as the band meandered down several tangents.  The current line up for this release consists of Paul McMahon on guitar, bass, and vocals, brother Chris McMahon on guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals, Paul Chisnell on percussion and vocals, Ceri Ashton on whistle, flute, cello, viola, and clarinet, and sister Catrin Ashton playing fiddle and flute.  A double family affair that makes for a captivating listen and continues to expand as Paul McMahon's son Danny occupies the drum stool for live performances.

Haze may zig-zag across the prog garden and back again, but their main acreage is tilled in the classic section populated by Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Uriah Heep among others.  I pick up top notes of Atomic Rooster and perhaps a hint of Yes--Haze tends to grip the iron hammer with a velvet glove.

My third and final platter from the buffet this week is a beautiful tune called "Grey to Blue." Remaining loyal to the early sound that wraps this album like a silk robe, there is an upbeat tempo wafting from the earphones as guitar and drum sit just below smooth vocals held up by the right amount of flute and fiddle to keep the entire piece buoyant.  Haze pounds the medieval anvil with a blacksmith's genius, making for a modern-day metal sound capable of ebbing and flowing with the mood of the artists.

The clip posted below is called "Classic Rock Bar."  The opening is almost cathedral-like; more strong hints of Jethro Tull and a slight top note of The Band oddly enough.  Haze uses every bit of imagination they can muster when writing and performing, something I wish more bands had the ability to pull off this well.  An upbeat tempo and strong harmonizing make this piece a celebratory inspiration.  Haze has traipsed across the prog garden and back, gathering inspiration from many different areas.  The wisdom that comes with age shines through as Haze is able to take all that learning, knowledge, and talent and press it into one impressive disc.  Learn more about Haze at
http://www.reverbnation.com/HazeUK and follow them on Twitter @ChrisTreebeard .

Well my fellow progheads, the calendar has wound down...the alarm has rung for the final time...fifty-two weeks are in the rear-view mirror.  Haze was a fantastic ending to a splendid year--a sign that we have only scratched the prog surface.  While I am stunned at how fast 2014 flew by, I am twice as energized about what is in store for 2015.  The Concert Closet logged many a mile traveling the world in search of all things prog, and there were some great experiences on every continent.

With the holidays upon us I am grounding the Concert Closet to spend time with family and friends--and dig up some new ideas for the coming year.  Expect new prog discoveries, more interviews, and a Concert Closet full of excitement as we charge 2015 head-on!  I will be back posting on Tuesday January 13th.  Thanks for making 2014 a great year...see you around the bend and remember to Prog On!

Mystery

Happy "Almost-End-Of-The-Year" fellow progheads!  Time is moving quickly...2014 is dropping her final curtain soon and the Concert Closet is traveling at warp speed searching for bands, artists, and music stretching the boundaries of the prog garden.  Spain was a captivating stop last week on the search for all things prog, and additional frequent flyer miles are being logged "in real time" as the journey now takes a 4500 mile dogleg northeast to Canada and the stirring sounds of Mystery.

Mystery refers to themselves as a "...cutting edge progressive rock band."  With just five words they managed to poke the curious side of my cerebral cortex, so best to jump right in with both ears. Moving with single-minded determination to the prog buffet, the first serving is a full course unto itself; a beautiful piece called "Another Day."  Settle in with your favorite sippin' whiskey before dropping the laser on this disc--you are about to take a nineteen minute ride through some dense growth.  Mystery starts out with strong vocals surrounded by stirring guitar and drum work...only to keep jerking you left and right as time changes, mood swings, and a tempo roller coaster have you checking your pulse one minute and dimming the lights the next.  Looks like we're in for a crazy seven day ride so hold on...

Serving number two, once my stomach settles back in place, is a tune called "The Sailor and the Mermaid."  An acoustic guitar opens and is immediately engulfed with smooth vocals.  The drums enter the song with creative subtleness while more guitars continue to dance along the edges.  I sense strong top notes of Marillion and Spiral Key with an aromatic whiff of Pandora...Mystery has come down several notches from my previous listen and still manage to deliver a strong piece of music.  It can be a pleasant surprise when someone remembers progressive rock does not always have to rattle your spine...

Liner Notes...Taking its first breath in 1986, Mystery was founded in Montreal, Quebec by Michel St.-Pere.  As is the "norm" for some unknown reason--perhaps the same logic that can explain why dryers eat only one sock of a perfectly good pair--Mystery's line-up evolved as did the the band's identity and style.  Mystery is currently comprised of founding member  Michel St.-Pere joined by Antoine Michaud on guitars, Francois Fournier on bass, Jean Pageau on vocals, Benoit Dupuis on keyboards, and Jean Sebastien-Goyette on drums.  Mystery has also seen its share of prog "A-Listers" waltz across their stage, including Oliver Wakeman, John Jowitt, and Benoit David.

Mystery has managed to stay relevant for so long because they have been able to evolve. The band has remained true to its prog roots in the symphonic art section of the prog garden--but one does not survive the winds of prog change without using said gusts to sail headlong out of the harbor into uncharted waters.  Mystery emits aromas of Yes, Alan Parsons Project, and understated hints of Marillion and Transatlantic...very good story telling encased in deep structures of sound.

For my final serving this week I chose a tune called "One Among the Living."  Mystery seems to enjoy leading the listener slowly, almost luring you into a feeling of tranquility...ultimately confounding the senses with a myriad of guitars, drums, and keyboards that alternately rattle and sooth.  Jean's rapid fire drumming lights up the inner lining of your cranium like a pinball machine, while Michel and Antoine level out the tilt with balanced guitar work.  Mystery seems to live by the credo "Go big or go home."

The cut I posted below is called "Beneath the Veil of Winter's Face."  A mild Gregorian Rock opening almost...I pick up a Glass hammer vibe as well.  Mystery lays this piece out methodically; each layer building on the previous until the final creation comes at you hard and fast.  The vocals are striking in both their caramel smoothness and between the eyes delivery.  learn more about Mystery at http://www.unicorndigital.com/mystery/ and follow them on Twitter at @Mysterygroup.

One more leap through the calendar, several laps around the globe, and a box of pushpins leaving a breadcrumb-like trail across a map are signs that 2014 has indeed been a busy 365 days. The Concert Closet has traveled across almost every time zone in search of all things prog.  Mystery was an interesting stop on this journey...a band with deep roots and a solid lineage.  The prog garden continues to nurture itself and expand in many directions.  One key element to the success of progressive music--and its allure to the listener--is the uniqueness every artist delivers.  The individual offerings served up by each band help shape the next piece of the prog puzzle.  My search continues, and I hope it's a while before I find a corner piece...until next week...





 

Psicolorama

Welcome once again to the Concert Closet, fellow progheads.  I am absolutely floored by the fact that another year is closing its curtain...so I have decided to make the final month of 2014 a search for all things "off the beaten path" prog.  The prog garden is filled with so many bands and artists making so many tangents into different realms of the genre, it could take a lifetime to discover them all.  When I started this blog my intention was to do just that--try and discover them all.  So back to my humble beginnings I go, taking the Concert Closet to destinations even I don't know yet...except maybe this week.  Join me as my search for all things prog leads to Seville, Spain and the unconventional sounds of Psicolorama.

Psicolorama is decribed as "... a new concept of prog rock."  This is precisely what I am searching for!  In keeping with the "unconventional" theme, information specific to the band is a bit difficult to ascertain, but suffice to say Psicolorama is unquestionably tending an area of the prog garden that is not overcrowded.  Brian Eno and David Byrne did a collaboration called "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" back in 1981 and Psicolorama has gently laid a finger on its pulse...

Moving surreptitiously to the buffet, I fill my plate with a serving of "Psico-ReImpression."  This truly is prog in a new light...the piece opens in a dark and eerie place, yet somehow you sense safety is not an issue--this twelve minute ride will change your perspective--but you will survive.  And what a ride it is; you become mesmerized by the initial keyboards and pulsating guitar work, leading to a slide down the rabbit hole into prog bliss.  Think back to the breakthrough "Days of Future Passed" was and you are only scratching the surface--Psicolorama is just getting warmed up.

Serving number two is another unique tune called "Crime."  The piano opening leads some extremely penetrating vocals.  There is a bleak, somber, almost fatalistic overtone to the narrative that peels back the veil...and all of a sudden a horn section erupts, tearing through your head like so much shrapnel on the battlefield.  The drums fill the bottom, making the horns reach higher as if wanting to pierce the sky.  I feel as though I should be sitting in The Cotton Club wearing a black pin-striped suit...Psicolorama has an incredible grip on both the artistry and the music that is prog.

Liner Notes...Psicolorama is indeed deep, dark, and mysterious.  Choosing to remain  (for the most part) behind the curtain,  the haunting vocals belong to Carlos Herrera Carmona...and it appears Carlos is the genius behind the piano and mellotron as well.  Psico-ReImpression was a collaboration with Nicolas Leterrier, a member of the French prog band In Limbo...and thus the seeds of a future prog blog have been planted...

The third course from this impressive buffet is "Reflections."  Upbeat in an off-center way, the song is just what it claims to be; a reflection.  Sounding like an antique music box, the vocals are once again delivered as a narrative.  Carlos is a master at cutting through tissue and bone, reaching through your skull as he penetrates your mind.  The candles blowing in the slightly disturbed air aren't really there, are they?

The post chosen for your listening pleasure is called "After the Crime (The Man on the Beach)."  I chose this because it is an incredible follow up to "Crime."  Anticipating closure, I am not at all disappointed.  Haunting and dark, the song falls in step perfectly, bringing the listener back to the scene as it were.  Psicolorama paints with dark colors, but there are so many different hues in the paint box.  Horns and drums continue to fill the auditory canal...you can almost sense Carlos orchestrating the entire piece, demanding perfection from all areas of the soul.  Learn more about Psicolorama at http://psicolorama.bandcamp.com/ and follow on Twitter at @psicolorama.

Well fellow progheads, this week was quite the adventure.  Peter Gabriel led Genesis early on with cutting edge music and theatrics, and Psicolorama takes the baton and continues the artistry, making the music a channel for moods previously unknown.  My search for all things prog has unearthed some marvelous bands and music--and Psicolorama continues that trend.  It sounds like December is going to be anything but ordinary...until next week...

      

   

RPWL

Good evening fellow progheads!  November is making her swan dive into Thanksgiving here in the USA, which means the madness that is the Christmas season is just about upon us.  With that in mind, and harboring no desire to ruin any potential festive mood with a "Black Friday" shopping spree, I thought this might be a good week to simply take my search for all things prog out of town. Setting the Concert Closet compass on "far away," we are off to Germany for something a little different; the sounds of RPWL.

Following the formula for simple and easy, RPWL calls themselves a "...German progressive, rock, art-rock band."  Fair enough; I respect those who cut directly to the chase with no need of flowery descriptors and excess adjectives.  Reciprocating the simplicity I move straight to the music buffet for the first course, a song called "Crazy Lane."  The song opens like a beautiful morning rose; soft, subtle, and bursting with unexpected energy...you can almost see the dew dripping off the petals.  The vocals are soft as honey on a warm biscuit.  An emotional song that moves right through you...everything is understated so as to allow you to take it all in slowly and deliberately.  RPWL seems to channel Wishbone Ash with a touch of Be Bop Deluxe on acoustic night.

Selection number two is a tune called "Hole In The Sky."  The guitar work that opens the song is strong and well crafted.  The pieces start to fall in place as drums, bass, and vocals come together to put the finishing touch on what truly is a piece of prog beauty.  Notice the aromas of Beardfish and the delicate top note of Under The Psycamore...RPWL may spend the balance of their time in the ambient section of the prog garden--but they are not afraid to leap across every fertile acre of the landscape.

Liner Notes...RPWL formed in 1997, reside in Munich, Germany, and have twelve albums on their resume.  The name of the band is actually an acronym for the surnames of the four original members; Risettio, Postl, Wallner, Lang.  The line-up has changed some since those early days; founding members Yogi Lang on vocals and keyboards and Kalle Wallner on guitar, have joined forces with Markus Jehle on keyboards, Werner Taus on bass, and Marc Turiaux on drums.  Originally formed as a Pink Floyd cover band, RPWL soon realized a strong passion for progressive writing and performing.  Their debut album hit the streets in 2000 and RPWL has been tending a far out corner of the prog garden ever since.

Not withstanding the obvious overtones of Pink Floyd, I also detect strong top notes of Spock's Beard, early Genesis, and aromas of Transatlantic wafting through the headphones.  RPWL has a sound reminiscent of classic prog while at the same time being unique unto itself--precisely what makes prog confounding to the untrained ear and fascinating to the skilled listener.

Making my way back to the buffet for my final serving, I find a hidden gem called "New Stars are Born."  The opening vocals pierce the ear ever so delicately, like a knife through Jell-O.  The guitar and keyboards wrap themselves around the midsection of the song and never let go, while the drums lead you down a psychedelic path right through the center of Syd Barrett's imagination...twelve-plus minutes of prog utopia.

The piece posted below is a wonderful introduction to progressive rock in general and RPWL specifically.  Imagine Yes and Pink Floyd performing on one stage; the guitars wrap  around your brain as the drums systematically split your head in two.  The keyboards simply tie the pieces together and help you keep your balance.  Listen, enjoy, and learn more about RPWL at
http://www.rpwl-wanted.de/cm/index.php.  You can also find and follow them on Twitter at @RPWL_official.

Moving closer to the end of 2014, I am humbled by the incredible prog music I have uncovered via the Concert Closet.  Traveling the world has been an amazing experience--and the journey has just begun.  RPWL is but one example of the prog bands out there with the creative genius to offer astonishing music album after album.  My search for all things prog has led me to places I could not have imagined--and the journey is still in its infancy.  So let us take December head-on...until next week...






  

The Mood Manual

Many thanks for returning one more time fellow progheads!  Leaving Italy was bittersweet after spending seven days embedded in the ambient section of the prog garden; I was reluctant to pull up stakes and move on...but my search for all things prog faithfully continues.  This week I find myself back in the Motherland (for me); the good ol' USA, pushing the envelope while scouting for a new,
"not-quite-hit-the-big-time" prog band..and my GPS has led me to Madison WI to enjoy the captivating sounds of The Mood Manual.

The Mood Manual defines themselves simply as a progressive rock band that "...autonomously create authentic and unique art...with the elegance to amplify awareness..."  So apparently Wisconsin is famous for something much bigger than cheddar cheese and beer affordable by college students--and that is my cue to traipse up to the prog buffet and get this party started.  Selection number one is a tune called "Feeling Symbol."  It opens as if the stylus randomly dropped on the middle of the album; you know that feeling you tuned in thirty seconds too late and can't help but wonder what you missed. The vocals smack you on the cheeks while the drums hit you like rabbit punches on the back of your head...I feel the prog love and am drawn in for more...

Serving number two is a moodier piece called "Black Massasauga."  An uptempo opening that seems a bit contradictory to the lyrics; suddenly I can relate to the name of the band.  The Mood Manual strikes and then takes a step back as if to examine their handiwork, asking, "Do you realize what you just felt/heard/saw?"  The drums never leave the back of the song...filling in spaces that would otherwise sit empty while guitars rhythmically strut up front.  Top notes of  The Strawbs and a slight touch of Gentle Giant meets Architecture of the Absurd crawls through the inner being of the band...The Mood Manual  pitched their tent where metal meets neo in the prog garden; an interesting combination.

Liner Notes...The Mood Manual calls Madison WI home and is comprised of Tyler Kundinger on vocals, guitar, and violin, James Keith Fabry on bass and vocals, Andrew (Gio) Giordano on drums and percussion, and Matthew William McHugh on guitar and vocals. James, Gio, and Matthew grew up together and played with several local bands, finally assembling The Mood Manual and releasing their debut album in 2011.  Challenging the five senses--especially sound--is evidently something The Mood Manual does for kicks, as their eclectic and emotion filled style exemplifies their many moods for the prog listener.

My third selection this week is a song called "Ballad of Somebody."  Taking the tempo down a notch, I close my eyes and am taken to a nightclub lounge with thick cigar smoke hanging in the air while subtle guitar work starts to slowly gain momentum.  With the snap of a guitar string the lounge melts away, the mood darkens just enough to furl my brow, and The Mood Manual is coming at you full-on.  But almost as suddenly the tempo flits back and you become caught in a swirl of time and energy. The Mood Manual  paints using an emotional brush with no fear of bright or dark colors.
Just when you think you've cracked the code they go off on a tangent, pulling you in deeper.

My selection for your viewing/listening pleasure this week is a bit different; more of an informal introduction to The Mood Manual if you allow me some liberty here.  Wade past the first four minutes to get to the music; from the vantage point of a live performance by an up-and-coming band recorded in a small venue, not bad.  They do manage to pack a lot into this clip--but do yourself, me, and The Mood Manual a favor by digging a bit deeper at http://themoodmanual.bandcamp.com/. You can also follow them on Twitter at @TheMoodManual.

Now that November has opened the door for the dreaded "Polar Vortex" to sweep across parts of the country, I am grateful for the warmth of the Concert Closet as I continue this journey.  The Mood Manual offered a glimpse into a different section of the prog garden...a section where the growth is deep, thick, and can bloom in all sorts of weather.  Progressive music is unique because of its chameleon-like ability to adapt to its surroundings.  The mood, tempo, attitude, and everything associated with prog make it something to behold.  Now that I have broken fertile ground in Wisconsin, it is time to move my search for all things prog forward...until next week...

Phoenix Again

Greetings from the Concert Closet fellow progheads!  Continuing my search for all things prog, my objective this week was something with a throwback vibe that hits a nerve...a "new" sound that pays homage to the progressive masters of yesterday.  I wanted to find a band that knows how to slap you on the back of the head one minute and rub your shoulders the next.  To find this multi-faceted collection of musicians in one group I traveled all the way to Italy...welcome to the diverse prog atmosphere of Phoenix Again.

Phoenix Again has an interesting history (I will discuss later in liner notes), and describe themselves simply as a progressive rock band from Brescia, Italy.  My initial reaction is just a slight interest--until I read further and discover Phoenix Again originally formed in 1981.  That peaked my interest a bit more, so naturally I had to give them a respectable listen--three decades together has to count for something.

My first taste from the prog buffet is a song called "Dance of Three Clowns."  Instantly I am swept away by the beautiful serenity of the music.  This is not your every day progressive music...more like Robert Fripp if he had been light-hearted in the hey-day of Frippertronics.  Think Yes with Uriah Heep playing classical music together and you are starting to catch a glimpse of what is happening here.  Everything flows calmly, even as the tempo starts to pick up.  This is progressive music for a more refined pallet...and so far I like.

The buffet should be accented with foie gras and caviar this week, but I am plenty sated with my second helping, a song called "Oigres."  This is a very smooth instrumental piece; the keyboards sit on top a bit while the guitars swirl around the drums, enveloping the entire piece.  The mood swings upbeat to mellow.  Phoenix Again has set up in the ambient section of the prog garden not too far from Brian Eno.  The music flows right through your ear canals and cascades down into your soul--you feel enraptured.

Liner Notes...Hailing from Brescia, Italy, the band started out in 1981 as Phoenix, founded by Claudio Lorandi on lead guitar and vocals, Antonio Lorandi on bass, Sergio Lorandi on acoustic and electric guitar, and Silvano Silva on drums.  Emilio Rossi joined the band in 1986 on keyboards and mixers.  Phoenix built their unique sound following the trail blazed by King Crimson and Genesis among others in the ambient/jazz fusion corner of the prog garden.  Unfortunately the untimely passing of Claudio in 2007 left Phoenix without its founder.

Determined to honor their fallen leader, the remaining brothers Lorandi lifted Phoenix Again from the ashes in 2008--the name symbolic of a re-birth.  Phoenix Again continues to soar with the next generation Lorandi; Antonio's sons Marco on guitar, Giorgio on percussion, and Sergio's daughter Alessandra on flute.  Keyboardist Andrea Piccinelli rounds out the current line-up.

My third and final selection for the week is a song called "Lookout."  This piece starts out faster than previous, yet stills follows the trail Phoenix carved out and Phoenix Again continues to trample.  The tempo picks up and settles down rhythmically, taking you on a emotional ride not quite roller coaster-esque, yet enough to make you feel the blood pumping through your veins.  The hard driving drums keep it all together, and the guitars and keyboards are doing just fine dancing on the edge of the stage. Phoenix Again can channel Dream Theater and Adrian Belew era King Crimson--but their sound is more a creative interpretation rather than a reflection.

The piece I posted below for your listening pleasure is called "Adso da Melk."  Forgive my inability to translate the written word--but for musical translation there is no need.  Imagine Gregorian Rock taking an acoustic break and blend it with some Transatlantic...you're getting close.  Phoenix Again has been through some difficult times, proudly channeling that energy and introspection into some powerful music.  This song proves you don't have to be loud to be good; everyone needs a good shoulder rub now and then.  Learn more about Phoenix Again at http://www.phoenixagain.it/ and follow them on Twitter at @ThePhoenixAgain  

Once again fellow progheads, seven days have fallen off the calendar faster than Wiley Coyote falls off a cliff.  The prog garden has brought a bumper crop into the barn this season, and the harvest comes from all over the world.  Phoenix Again has given new meaning to the term "Never give up."
I am sure Claudio is smiling and enjoying the great progressive sounds his family has put together. They say the band in heaven performs on a crowded stage; no doubt Claudio is there both as a member and a fan.  My search for all things prog continues...until next week...

  




      

Not Otherwise Specified

Good evening and welcome to November fellow progheads!  By now you have set the clocks back and are either lamenting the cloak of darkness that now wraps itself around the day an hour earlier, or are excited for the promise of a "wicked" winter season.  Me...I am just happy to continue my search for all things prog.  With the sun getting farther from the equator every day, I set the GPS in the Concert Closet on "south" and headed to one of my old stomping grounds--and a hot bed for latter day neo-prog--Georgia, USA.  This week I invite you, my fellow progheads, to enjoy the sounds of Not Otherwise Specified.

Not Otherwise Specified is self-described as delivering "their own style of progressive rock with a modern aggressive punch."  Ouch!  The band also claims musical inspiration from Dream Theater, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and Spock's Beard...so let's step into the ring and find out if Not Otherwise Specified walks the talk...

The first serving from the prog buffet this week is a song called "Judgment" from the album of the same name.  In typical latter day prog style, the song opens rather ominously and quickly sets a dark tone.  The vocals are razor sharp, cutting through the layers of guitars and drums like a knife through hot butter.  I pick up some top notes of Atomic Rooster and Opeth in this cut; Not Otherwise Specified has no doubt spent some time in the prog garden cultivating the soil and tending the roots. "Judgment" comes right at the listener, splitting the ear channels and daring you to pull the song apart.  A true melange of prog sound--something for everyone.

A return trip to the buffet yields a second helping called "Another Way."  The opening riff lends itself to a macabre Hammond B3 Organ--and then the drums and guitar roll in on a thunderclap to fill in the gaps.  Not Otherwise Specified has a sound that is thought-provoking, deep, loud, and hard-hitting.  The mood may swing toward the dark side, but Not Otherwise Specified has built its stage right in the middle of the prog garden, performing for all to hear.

Liner Notes...Not Otherwise Specified is Craig Kerley--period.  Craig created the "Judgment" album from start to finish...composing each song; writing the lyrics, playing the instruments, doing the arranging, producing, mixing, and making the determination as to when each song is what he envisioned from the outset.  I admit when I first gave Not Otherwise Specified a listen I never suspected a one-man operation...but as with Pekka Karjalainen with Stone Umbrella, there is only one evil genius behind the curtain.  Craig has also done some work with Rodrigo San Martin and if you look at the Not Otherwise Specified Twitter page you will see six musicians...but all signs point to this work being done sans band members.  Personally I am concerned less with who provided the input than I am with the resulting output--and Not Otherwise Specified nails it on the important stuff.

My final plateful from the buffet this week is a tune called "Dance on a Volcano."  As implied by the title, this is a high energy piece.  You feel the guitar and drums building to a climax right from the onset, while the keyboards keep a steady pulse in the background...as if to remind you of the fragility of life.  More of the Opeth-like feel with the vocals, although the strength of the song leans toward Liquid Tension Experiment.  Not Otherwise Specified has walked the width and breadth of the prog garden and it appears Craig is more comfortable in the neo/metal section.  His writing is quite accomplished and the vocals hit a nerve when you focus and listen.  The real strength of Not Otherwise Specified, though, is the way the music surrounds you from the outside and penetrates within.

My choice for your listening pleasure this week was a lot easier than my previous selections, a song called "Falling," from the band's second release.  Staying true to form, this song leaps at you immediately, grabs you by the temples, and never lets you go.  I sense a Dream Theater/Transatlantic vibe here; Not Otherwise Specified once again dabbles with throwing superior sounds into a Hamilton Beach blender and hitting the puree button...the result is a delicious blend of so many mouth-watering parts, that--while great in their own right--are taken to a level extraordinaire in the final concoction. Learn more about Not Otherwise Specified at http://nosband.com/ and try to pick Craig out of the line up on their Twitter page, which you can follow at @NOSpecified

OK fellow progheads, another week of living the dream is in the books.  Not Otherwise Specified is a perfect addition to the prog garden simply because he/they do indeed walk the talk.  The sound is inventive, crisp, and smacks you right between the eyes.  One of the (many) remarkable things about progressive music is its ability to take on an existence of its own and grow.  Not Otherwise Specified has breathed life into a sound that has its own pulse and continues to increase in strength.  Each listen brings something new to light as the music gains momentum.  So with another section of the prog garden in full bloom, I need to find more new growth...until next week...