As partners of ESP Guitars company in Russia, musicians from progressive metal band Tantal Alexander Strelnikov and Dmitry Ignatiev present demo video of ESP Standard Series – Horizon FR-II and ESP M-II. ESP Standard Series guitars are professional instruments, which quality and universality allow to use them for performance in different genres.
Dmitry Ignatiev: “I am playing my ESP Horizon FR-II for over 5 years and this instrument have never let me down – neither in studio, nor at a concert. For “The Beggining of the End” recording I used just this guitar. In regard to high reliability and quality ESP and LTD I could surely say, that satisfied the choise that have once made”.
Alexander Strelnikov: “After long search of appropriate instrument I decided in favour of ESP M-II, and can say boldly that it is perfect instrument. As I am fan of Shred and technical guitar music, mix of maple, alder and bolt fastening is ideal for me. During last 4 years my ESP M-II works hard live and in studio. And shows its high level”.
Georgia instrumental progressive metallers CANVAS SOLARIS have recently posted a new track from their forthcoming LP, “Irradiance.” Check out the unmastered “Conveyance of Flux” here. The band will be posting a mastered version soon. The record is slated for an early May release via Sensory Records.
Swedish progressive death metal legends Opeth has revealed that they will be re-releasing their classic album, “Blackwater Park” on March 29th through Sony Music/Music For Nations. the new edition of the record will feature a bonus DVD that contains a thirty minute documentary. The re-issue coincides with the band’s decision to perform the album in full on their forthcoming Evolution XX tour.
New York progressive dark metal band Grey Skies Fallen has issued the following update:
“Well, the latest stretch of band turmoil seems to have passed, and we are now getting 4 songs ready to record an EP. Of course the EP will be available only digitally, as it is the year 2010, and I don’t want boxes of unsold CD’s in my garage anymore! Track listing: The Grand Scheme of Things Forever and a Day, Faces, Names By the Wayside. As far as when this will be released, let’s just file it under the ’sort-of soon’ category.”
Atlanta progressive metal band Halcyon Way has completed the tracking for their new CD, to be released in late Spring through Nightmare Records.
The album was produced by Lasse Lammert (Alestorm, Svartsot) and guitarist Jon Bodan. Drums were engineered by Mike Froedge (doubleDrive, Bloodsimple, Speed X) at Open Sky Studios in Atlanta. Lammert is mixing the album at his studio, LSD-Tonstudio in Germany. The new release is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed debut by the band, “A Manifesto For Domination.” It features the debut of new vocalist Steve Braun (Ashent, Siloam), as well as a guest appearance by Pamela Moore of Queensryche fame.
Guitarist Jon Bodan comments, “We’re incredibly excited about the new material. This album is a quantum leap forward for Halcyon Way – the material is both heavier and more aggressive, but it also is far catchier and more melodic at the same time than Manifesto. The guys in the band all stepped their individual games up, and the material is better for it. Lasse did a great job on the production, and we expect the mixdown and mastering process to be completed by the end of February.”
The Gourishankar – progressive rock band from Syktyvkar. Since 2002, the band released one demo CD and two full-length albums. The last of them, 2nd Hands, appeared in 2007 and brought international recognition to the band. The album became the best selling on Unicorn Digital label, and was nominated for Prog-Awards 2007. In February 2010, The Gourishankar tracks get into rotation on Progress.Fm radio. We talked with Nomy Agranson on what progressive music should be.
Nomy Agranson
Max Messerschmitt
Why The Gourishankar? I know there is such a mountain in the Himalayas, as well as the Gourisankar can be achieved by meditation – the feeling of height. Is there ideological background?
Nomy
Our keyboard player used to be engaged in meditation and studied Eastern teachings, I also like Eastern philosophy and theosophy. The name was taken from the book by Osho. In the meaning of it will do for us, but the meaning from Sanskrit is: a mountain as big as Everest – the highest in the world. A bit pretentious.
Max
So you want to be the most … High? Big? Popular? Something else?
Nomy
We used to, but not anymore. Youthful maximalism.
Max
What do you want now?
Nomy
To record a new album. To go to live tour.
Max
Could you tell more about the concept of the new album?
Nomy
Now the album consists of several separate tracks, which we gather in a general concept. It certainly will be different from previous ones – we grow up and our music too. Recording has not been started yet, we compose the material. Yes, and we record albums for years, usually.
Max
I have already spoken on musical bands mature with a leader of Beheaded Zombie Dmitry Lyashkov. Then I noticed that as they grow up metal bands become easier and their music is simpler and flatter. Then he replied – no, they have become more technical, more complicated, more interesting. What is musical mature for you?
Nomy
First of all, adding new meanings to the music. The musical concept is inseparably connected to our formation as individuals. We have risen to something new, content became more meaningful. I can’t put it into words. There must be something behind every sound. Nothing should be accidental. We never tried to be complicated, we are not musical athletes, and meanings, emotions, images have always been in the first place.
Max
How to pass verbal ideas through music? How to understand that this and not another expressive tool fits best?
Nomy
I have never had a problem with it. I am completely free in using different artistic (musical) languages, and never think about what suit at the moment. I feel it. Sometimes, of course, have to sweat, but this is arts. If you can’t do something – put it off. You will succeed later.
Max
You move intuitively, unlike other prog musicians, playing mathematically complex music. This well lies in the concept of achieving Gourishankar. How do you write music? Here’s one example: Sucht from Novosibirsk compose material together during the night. So-called sleep deprivation. Do The Gourishankar also have a secret?
Nomy
Exactly! Intuitively, in most cases. Mathematics? Never! Or when it is needed by the concept. By the way, we have a meditative piece in the end of Marvelous Choice from the album 2nd Hands, it fully calculated using the actual formulas. Our keyboardist is Ph.D. in technical sciences. He does it, but he even more opposes to maths in music than me. When we change a pace and use complex structure, we don’t want to load. We lead listeners. Everything is the part of general concept and there is no accidental things! As for composing – we never compose together, there is a bad experience. We write separately and bring to completion. Then think together.
Max
You have already said that The Gourishankar record albums for years. When should we wait for the next one? And when you are planning to appear in Moscow?
Nomy
A year ago we said that a year later. Now I can say the same thing. We have problem with vocals for live performances. Former vocalist lives in Izhevsk. And we are not very happy about singing on “some English”. So we have postponed live performances. We had often been invited to Moscow by Vladimir Impaler, but not any more. We arrive ourselves when time will come.
Max
Okay, we are waiting. Thank you for the interview.
San Francisco progressive metal band Hammers Of Misfortune has posted a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s famous “Freebird” on their MySpace page. The song can also be downloaded here.
The version was produced and arranged by John C., for Guy Overfelt’s Trans Am project. Recorded by Justin Weis at Trakworx, Jan. 2010.
