Review Promises - The Boxer Rebellion

The fourth album from the english band is here. As the name (again) says it all, this album is (at least a bit) full of promises.

The basic structure is still the same, great musicianship for post pop prog rock, aerial guitars and lyrics with very repeated sentences and chorus.

The single that starts the album is a good indication of the things found in this new album. The songs are still catchy

The very highlight is the very sad ballad New York that starts only in piano before developing a great multi drums rhythm that reminds of the Bronx bands.

This albums is very tainted in its lyrics by Love and relationships, or sadly the loss of relationship that gives a bit more of sadness and depth in the songs, as bear witness the great  ending and title track promises.

With Promises, the band delivers a good and solid album with many great songs. Definetly a step up from the previous one and a experimentation that I hope will help the band strengthened their creative forces to deliver with the next album a bit more than just promises.

Review the cold still by the Boxer Rebellion.

(almost a month since posting.. damn concerts)

3rd album from the pop londoners of the boxer rebellion.
Once again the band  follow the path chosen with the second record (union) and goes into the popish , lavish rythms, with repeated lyrics, keyboards .
The cold still, sadly is a title that really fits the record
The songs on the album are more slow, nostalgic, less lively. Not completely unmoving in any ways but indeed the band seems to slow the pace, almost freezing the rythm, making more autumnals songs, slow and lingering (lots of acoutic guitars and keyboard) as the debut songs No harm heralds .
They experiment less, (a bit of organ sound  on the almost self title song ) take not a lot of risks, cimenting what they are building.

Is the record no good ? No but it is not a firm step forward, a mere tasting of the water... the cold still water.

Here's one of the best track of the album. (and most rocky)

Review Union by the Boxer Rebellion

Running a bit behind my reviews... following their first inception and album, the Boxer Rebellion came back in 2009 with the dreaded second album which is most often a do-or-die kind of deal.

The band opens with a big drumming sound and the flashing red light means go actually shows the direction the band is taking. Off with the staurated guitars and pixies grungy sounds, the 4 englishmen drive their car is the direction of more melodic weeping guitars and solid rythms and riffs. The lyrics conveyed by the high pitched voice make use of frequent repetitions that is slowly  becoming the band signature.
The quick paced songs are nicely alterned with soft ballads very haunting that may end up in a big way (soviets, misplaced, silent movie...)

The hidden gem of the album is the oddly rythmed Gospel of Goro Adachi, with it's use of  keyboards and electronic drumbeats supported by great choirs.

The band consolidates its style with this trait d'union between their first effort and the following albums.

http://theboxerrebellion.com/

The boxer rebellion - Exits review

Here 's a- not so new -band I really wanna talk about.
I discovered the Londoners of  the Boxer Rebellion during a concert of (RIP) Oceansize.
There was something there,  a sound, a voice. It was pop , good old british pop like it was outta be done.
It was hard to track down their first realease (full album realease) but it got reedited.
So It was a surprise when I actually listen to that album because, make no mistakes,
it is a good album, pop rock with the sounds that will (at least should) make The boxer rebellion a  fan favorite. Great vocals with kinda repetitive lyrics and elated guitar sounds. Strong rythmic section.
But this first disc strikes with a great emphasis on saturated guitars making a really edgy sounds that made them sounds like the natural child of Coldplay and the Pixies.(listen to Watermelon or the New Heavy to hear it).

The direction the band will choose will lean more toward songs like The Absentee.
Of notice is in all the fury of this first effort, the sad and utterly beautiful ballad, World without end.They may not create new stuff, they may not have the "it" factor or the single but they are indeed a very talented band with its own sound.



http://www.theboxerrebellion.com/

The Boxer Rebellion Live @la fleche d'or.

Another venue  quite  full for the boxer rebellion, including fan and promoter Zegut from the RTL2 poprock station broadcast on french radio.
First we had a couple of acoutic bands : Christof and then Brothers & Bone.
Honestly  it is not bad but I tend to start feeling sleepy (hey I'm old dammit) while listening to acoustic stuff on a live concert.
It would be great in a pub with a beer but well it seemed quite  well liked by the audience for both of the sets.

After a while enter the londoners of boxer rebellion.
Great band with sadly a small set (80 minutes) for their fourth album.
Nathan, the front man lacks a bit of playing tricks with the crowd (but hell I was bred by Fish on that... kinda hard) but a run-through the public on watermelon makes up for it.
The new songs went down pretty nicely and the music stands clear with many of fan favorite, the crowd was really into it.
Special mention to New york that works really well from the new album and the final song, an extended version of the gospel of Goro Adachi that really sends us home wishing for a next time.. and a longer setlist.

Here was the set list for tonight


Step Out of the Car
Semi-Automatic
Take Me Back
The Runner
New York
Evacuate
Spitting Fire
We Have This Place Surrounded
Diamonds
No Harm
You Belong to Me
Keep Moving
Fragile
Watermelon

ENCORES :

Always
Both Sides Are Even
The Gospel of Goro Adachi

theboxerrebellion.com

Review - Blackfield IV

New album with Aviv Geffen on the command once More, this time with some fellow singers invited (Jonathan Donahue, Steven Wilson, vinnie Cavanagh and Brett Anderson).
Album is mixed with guitars By Wilson.

And it shows. Same as the last album, this one is full of poppish songs  with great melodies, songs that stucks in teh head and are pretty much as good as anything out there.
It starts as typical Blackfield but get quickly lost on the way.
Highlights are X ray, Firefly and Faking (where Aviv nasal voice really shines for this one)

Nice album , nice songs but nothing really , truly great, easy pop songs nice to hear.

And that is all.. This review iw way too long for an album that clocks at 33 minutes max.... could have done a full album with the previous one.... Wait and see the next one.

Enchant - LIve at last and round up

Enchant published a great double cd/dvd of live performance with a set list close to perfection which is a perfect buy if you wanna try to discover the US band.

After that , the first album is so good nobody can really make a passe at it, even if it is a bit different from those who would follow.

So first Live at last; great best of and performance.

Then a blueprint of the world , masterpiece and chef d’œuvre.(all of them great songs...I'd skip enchanted and open eyes in a set list)

Then Goes blink of an eye with almost all great songs too (under fire , prognosis)

then tug of war with sinking sands, tug of war, queen of the informed, progtology and comatose

next album is juggling 9, with juggling knives, what to say and leading songs.

Then  abit of a tie in the rear is break (with break and My ennemy leading the poll) and wounded time lost (with below zero, pure, blindsided, interact and mettle man)

Give the rock band a chance, it is great stuff.... and eagerly awaiting the new album.

Review :Tug of War - Enchant

Last studio album so far by Enchant that gains a new keyboard player Bill Jenkins.
Following the footsteps of Blink, ToW is a strong record with the traditionnal Enchanted strength, Ed Platt thumping bass, Ted emotional voice and occasionnal deep implicated lyrics, Doug Ott great sense for melodies.
Even if the opener sinking sands is a great song, strangely I would have put the more rock on title track on first position.
After such a beginning, the middle of the album suffers a bit (despite of the great Queen of the informed with its instrumental bridge that gives me a chill down the spine) between small balade (beautiful) and strange song (Lost in a movie)but goes out with a bang with another full instrumental track very melodic before the final song that is very Marillion-esque (and that is a compliment) Comatose , written on piano with a great mood and slow power building riff  making easily one of my ever favorite Enchant track.

You can judge by yourselves

.

Review Enchant - Blink of a eye.

5th album and man does this one is great.
Paul Craddick is out and Sean Flanagan is in, with a more nervous and powerful drum set.
Doug Ott finally gets to do all the music.
And the result is quite worth it.
A wonderful collection of songs from the haunting opening track about having killed someone through the hateful last one  and going by the love songs and so on. Every song has a great part in it  if not all great by itself.
Ted Leonard manage to sounds like Hogarth of old, almost whiny but not, powerfully evocative and weepily just what it needs to fill the lyrics with emotion whatever the subject is.
The production is top notch as always.
Can't really  add more except go and buy it but the limited edition with the bonus track with simply is the best track of them all, and is a intrumental. And is as good as it gets... demonstrating the prowess   can be conveyed by music only and with emotion...hell it even makes me misty in the eyes and not that many band can do that.

Definitly for me the best and most complete album so far even with different styles since the first one.
Great job guys !

Afterthoughts 3 : Operation Mindcrime - Queensrÿche

Good old days of yore when metal was just plain hard rock  with straight songs, catchy line and not over extended technical prowess.
Here is another concept album and a pretty powerful one. Deeply entrenched in the desillusional USA of the nineties, the band delivers tracks after tracks of great and catchy songs while Geoff Tate delivers lyrics full of venom and bitterness.
Revolving around a poor guy who gets recruited to fight the corrupt system, he is brainwashed to become a killer for "an underground organisation working overtime".
He is helped (and falls in love with ) a hooker turned sister and such.
Sounds ludicrous ?
The critical lyrics about the society is quite easy and almost- almost- naïve but the mix with the great songs makes the whole stew work (revolution calling  !)
It is definitly the 90ies in sounds and all but yet there was a  great part of it and this one is definitly on the good side.

Review ENCHANT - Juggling 9 or dropping 10

4th (and an half) album from  Enchant. Bass thumping maestro Ed Platt  is back but now it is Keyboard Begninus that leaves the band.

This album firmly entrenches the Enchant sound with many great songs.
The limited edition contains photos, sleeves notes, notes about the songs, and a brief history of the band. Great jumping point.

On the music notes, still the great HDCD sounds with composition benefitiing of the return of Ed and musics from Douglas Ott and Paul Craddick at most.
On the lyrics side, Ted let loose and starts unraveling pretty big texts about life and its many sides.
Going from having trouble with handling life, alzheimer, death and the fear that paralyze you, changing life, loosing innocence.

 Enchant stills continues to deliver good music that begin to get better and better but still does not hold to the first album but this one is a good one and maybe not great songs but lots of very nice ones that makes J9oD10 maybe not a great album but a cool one with a nice emphasis on the part of TED singing and the lyrics.
Here 's my favorite track,  JUGGLING KNIVES.

Afterthoughts 2 : Enchant - A blueprint of the world

Second great album to have is the debut album from US proggers Enchant.
Under an ugly CGI cover Lies a collective work supervised by Steve' marillion' Rothery.
A collection of neo prog songs very wonderfully fresh.
Almost of all them have spirit, rythm, atmosphere. Even if within the enchant discography, this album stands out because the enchant style is not yet fully formed.. and probably benefit from multiple sources of creations (Cline , Ott, Craddick, Begnignus). This is strangely a blueprint that will evolve in a more heavy prog rock discography afterwards and yet even if you do or don't love what will follow on the Enchant creation, this one is truly a very aerial  and great album you should own and listen to... Still my favorite enchant album.... with many fan favorites.

Enchant- Break review

3rd album by the  (mostly) californian band Enchant, this record is a bit of a milestone. past the 2nd and a half album, the band strenghted it's style of the rocky prog, not metal and yet not neo nor traditional.
The band started also with this the famous HDCD recording, insuring a great sound quality that helped made the Enchant sound what it is.
This album starts of great with the title track Break and then move on.
As the previous album, Enchant define its music with great musicmanship and the songs go on and on with  a personnality of their own but without, at least to my taste, enough of individuality to make one stands out to another...maybe the magic touch of Ed platt on the bass guitar is missing.
If you liked the previous album, this one will please you otherwise it is a nice addition to the Enchant  building block with great melodies and chant but not a lot that do stand out... besides My enemy that I give to you.

Afterthoughts 1 : Brave - Marillion

If there is one album I'll take on a desert island (at least deserted with a cd player and electricity), this is the one.
Lots and lots of albums are great but if I have to choose then it will be this one.
Because it is from my favorite band.
Because it is a concept album, with a story running all through it.
Because it is prog rock that touches my soul.
So obviously it should be the first afterthoughts.

The story is a fiction based on a real fact about a young girl found wandering near the Severn Bridge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_%28Marillion_album%29 for more hindsight on the album.

Let's just say that My discovery of Brave was quite hard.
When I first listened to it a couple of times, I felt it was ... too harsh, hard to enter. Not as easy listening as Seasons end or Holidays in eden, I found myself pushed back by it... There was quite a bunch of  rock on songs sure (paper lies, hard as love) but it was.... very slow.
Because Brave takes its time. From the first slow opening, the moody story starts to unravel itself as the songs go by altering rock on ones and slower, very moody ones.
It is not an album with singles nor great tunes and great songs you can almost listen to at random or separately.

As most concept albums go, Brave of course need you to enter it's universe, follow the story in order and let yourself be grabbed by the eerie feeling that lingers in from most of the tracks. Few seems out of place (paper lies and hard as love to my taste and the final one...) and it is a really great experience, like a good movie that keeps on showing bit of itself  the more you watch it. Brave need lots and lots of listenings, in the dark with the volume up as they say, to really get to you but in the end it will be rewarding.
A truly amazing album with great songwriting and lyrics, not at all happy despite the final track , placed here to try to lighten the mood. It should be. Brave is dark, desperate, harsh, hard as love indeed. And it is truly a masterpiece in the prog rock and concept album hall of fame that you should try to listen to... but give it time.
In those days of straight forward easy successes, I give you the thing that could not work and yet should be listen to. Brave.

IRON MAIDEN LIVE in Paris 5 June 2013

First time for everything and in that case it is Iron Maiden time.


As my phone was slowly dying of power failure, no pictures could be taken but I reckon it won't do any justiec to the show. It had it all, best of  land for the set list as you'll see below, great effect pyros, fireworks, great sound, big imagery, props and disguises, giant puppets and such, videos and intros.... A bercy full of sweaty metal lovers  all pumped up.
Even if it started a bit slow (not to mention the first part band who were really  quelconque ), bruce having trouble keeping it's mike in front of his mouth, missing some verses and such and small interaction, it finnally kick off as the Whole of Bercy chanted an Happy Birthday to Nicko McBrain. Bruce Dickinson tried to his credit to speak french the whole tiume but sometimes it was hard to understand what he was saying...
But enough already, A bit less than 1H45 of great energic show going still strong in spite of the age of the artists and the ongoing touring... Even if everybody is fed up with it, it is still great to feel shivers down my spine while hearing Fear of the Dark..

Here's the set list.
UP THE IRONS

INTRO
Doctor Doctor
(UFO song)


Moonchild
Can I Play with Madness
The Prisoner
2 Minutes to Midnight
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
The Trooper
The Number of the Beast
Phantom of the Opera
Run to the Hills
Wasted Years
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Clairvoyant
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Churchill's Speech

Aces High
The Evil That Men Do
Running Free


Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (monty python powa !)

ENCHANT - Wounded & Time Lost

Double CD for the 2nd & 3rd album by west US based band Enchant. AFter a debut album that will be talk over an Afterthough post as it is so great, here's the so feared second album plus the EP that became a third album after some -more writings sessions , now combine with sleeves notes and mixed artwork (thanks for that wounded was not so great as crude CGI goes)

On the good side, the band does indeed afine it's style of an energic prog rock with a sound of it's own, backed up by the half cry, half lamantations vocals by Ted Leonard (Hi Ted, love you man).
Enchant really get it's enchanted sound that will go on now until the last albums.
The bad part of it is that after a great three tracks most of the wounded delivers a good deal of nice songs building the Enchant-style but without real riffs, melody or stuff that really shines.
Interesting enough the second CD, the EP, collection of lost, reworked tracks is of better quality with most of the track leaving at least a chorus, a bridge, a solo worth buzzing in the ear.
If possible one could seek out the old time lost CD but if not the special edition is nice indeed... though it might have been good to merge to make another great album instead of two 'smaller' ones.
On wounded the tracks are the first three (below zero, fade to grey and pure) are the highlights while the second are (above all) Mettle men (with the looooong intro ^^) and of course the almost 11 mn long interact song.
Good to discover Enchant but not the best in this dual form... though both could have make a great album.

Afterthought

Music is something of importance.
At least it is too me.
It is more than recreation, relaxation.
It is a source of inspiration, of emotion, of reflexion.
Music is the background... more the backbone of my existence, rythming my life away.
It is really hard to imagine life without some music somewhere around illustrating, envelopping the movements and days and motions I go through.
I am more of a Rock , and more precisely prog rock, aficionado.
I want to -at least try to- express what I feel when I listen to music and certains albums.
Afterthought is gonna be the place to talk about the albums or songs that really moved me one way or another. Because most of the songs I'll be talk about are about things that have gone past the trials of fire and of many and many listenings on the Pod or CD player..

Good stuff that you might want to check out and lend a ear to. I liked ou loved it (and often still do) and so maybe you'll like it and if it brings you even a quarter of the pleasure I have listening to these... well you'll be off for a good start of joy.

So coming soon on the net to you.


Peace /out and Rock On.

Charlie Barnes + Amplifier concert review

Divan du Monde (the loviest place to play with the coolest name ever).

Starting with young Charlie Barnes, playing in the middle of the crowd without  a microphone with his guitar.

After that strange and very nice way to begin a set, Charlie goes on stage to do a small guitar- keyboa-vocal loop set which ended with a complete beatbox fripped looped song.

Onward to Amplifier with new guitarist (from « RIP » Oceansize) and with additional keyboards-guitar-vocals by the same Charlie Barnes.

The then trio now quintet set to unleash a great almost -2 hours- show with lots of power and video projections  (from mostly the octopus) and the new songs much more light than the rather heavy worked (and very praised) previous effort ’the octopus’ (what that one again ? of course it is great).

The light show with lasers put on again a great effect on the rather (sadly) sparse and (to the drummer’s rage) too quite audience that definitly had a blast with that show.

Thanks a lot  for the great show guys… here’s the set list for Amplifier.

Mary Rose

The Wave

IGS

The Wheel

Eva

Motorhead

Interstellar

 UFO's

Fote

Old Movies

River

Neon

Close


http://charliebarnes.bandcamp.com/
http://www.amplifiertheband.com/

Petter Carlsen & Lisa Cuthbert

Petter Carlsen & Lisa Cuthbert

Small venue for the Norgewian guitarist and the Irish pianist in a lovely  parisian cave. First the lovely Lisa with a powerful voice and a piano doing some a capella traditionnal irish song.

45 minutes after the gentle Petter Carlsen with his guitar came for a short but as beautiful set which has the advantage of having a great guest star in the guise of Vincent Cavanagh of Anathema.

Very private and warm concert with plenty of possibility to chat afterwards with the artists… Sad not to see more people but hell at least we can enjoy easily the presence of the artists héhéhéhéhéhéhé.

http://www.pettercarlsen.com/
http://lisacuthbert.com/

Sound of contact-beardfish-spock’s beard.

Scene Bastille

Take 2

Sound of contact-beardfish-spock’s beard.

Once again in the Scene Bastille for another Triple thrill.

First is the band of Simon Collins (known as the son of Phil…. He’s no son he’s no son of miiiiiine ) which is singer-drummer as his father. Hard to step out his father ‘s shadow like that but anyway.

Sporting some good musicians including john Wesley, The SOC delivers a nice little show all about their debut concept album. Quite good  with a great instrumental part at the end, very proggy… Reckon the disc will have to go through the hearing test itself to see its guts.

Next was the ever crazy swedish boys of Beardfish. Small but powerful set from the guys with a great sound. Wonder when we’ll get the chance to see them with a full set.

And then the NEW spock’s beard, with the departure of drummmer/frontman Nick d’Virgilio, The beard (at least spock’s one) continue it’s Genesis stroll with addition of Enchant’s Singer (and guitariste too) Ted Leonard and welcome  touring  drummer  Jimmy Keegan as full time member.

The set is great and powerful. Ted singing goes great with the past songs and The new ones are very beardish (or spockish not to mix with fishy songs or beardfishy songs arrrgh) though the Ted’s one submerged sounds really popish…(get the single money Ted !)

Ryo did a bit of the show , having sold one of his hammond organ (15 years of his life… boy did he cried)

Great stuff, here is the set lists.

Sound of contact

 Mobius slip part 1 (in the difference engine)

Pale blue dot

Not coming down

Remote view

Closer to you

Omega point

Cosmic distance ladder

Beardfish

Destined solitaire

Ludwig & sverker

A point of view (new song !)

Note

Spock's beard

Something Very Strange
Crack the Big Sky
Hiding Out
Walking on the Wind
Submerged
Cakewalk on Easy Street
Afterthoughts
The Distance to the Sun
Waiting for Me

Encore:
Go the Way You Go  


http://www.soundofcontact.com/
http://www.spocksbeard.com/
http://www.beardfishband.com/