AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
GRANT MOON has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…
Some promising debuts for your consideration this month. Project Trident are an instrumental rock band from Kolkata, and The Return Of RA (projecttridentindia.bandcamp.com) is a highly listenable concept piece drawing on ancient Indian myth. The music’s atmospheric and melody centric with some very tasty playing from guitarist/songwriter Sukhendu Chakraborty, and their story’s a doozy. RA is a poor child who trains a warrior clan of kids to fight an evil military/corporate elite and avenge his murdered parents. A Bollywood blockbuster might illuminate that tale better, but this album would make a great soundtrack.
Scottish musician, writer and producer Raymond Weir comes to prog with the alias Analogue Hashtag, whose debut offering One Of Our Agents Is Missing (Analogue Hashtag) was influenced by famous retro TV themes including Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Saint. Song titles such as Your Mission, Should You Decide To Accept It and Designation: Classified are illustrative of the territory. Weir’s Cold War espionage story is pure Len Deighton and although his sample library is a little outdated he’s an imaginative composer – plenty of clever nods to John Barry and Lalo Schifrin. Afforested were formed back in 2007 by Kent-based brothers Alex and Jonathan Betts, and over two LPs and an EP they’ve worn their love for Jethro Tull, Steeleye Span and Gryphon on their sleeve. Their first album proper, Before The Beech Mast Begins To Fall (Afforested Recordings) mixes the instrumental sounds of classic British metal, folk and prog in fine style. Iron Maiden riffs, buzzing analogue synths, tin whistles and mandolins coalesce on this highly singular and lovingly rendered proggy work, clearly a passion project for the Brothers Betts.
To Portland, Oregon for more genre mashing by superb newcomers Rainbow Face. Prog, post-punk, noise-rock and mathrock collide on their striking debut, Stars’ Blood
(rainbowface.bandcamp.com), as these hip young dudes imbue old forms with keen new energy. For a taster, seek out the furious Purgatory, urgent 11/8 ballad Lord Give Me Strength and awe-inspiring 12-minute opus Waves.
Just a little longer in the tooth, Greek rockers Black Fate return with their fourth full-length album Ithaca
(Rockshot). With powerhouse vocals from Vasilis Georgiou, this slab of grandiose, dramatic melodic metal has proggy dimensions, and will tick a lot of boxes for fans of Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Kamelot and the like.
But if you’re more in the Yes/Transatlantic camp then check out Figureheads (Generation Prog), the second slice of pure prog from Theo.
Michigan jazz keyboardist/singer Jim Alfredson, surrounds himself with a coterie of other top players, including former Haken guitarist Tom MacLean, for four long, detailed tracks that explore acres of musical ideas and themes. With subtly political lyrics and a the acute, jazzer’s sense of dynamics, this is brilliant stuff.