Progressive Rock Review: Royal Architect-Et In Arcadia Ego (LP)

Release Date: August 19, 2017

Label: Independent

Website

Royal Architect released their debut Et In Arcadia Ego in August last year. The band is led by Matthew Graboski (guitars/pianos/vocalist). His musical history runs deep with the band OHO, who have several releases to their credit. While OHO is hailed as Baltimore's answer to Pink Floyd on the band's website, the latest band has yet to form an identity.

Jason Butcher (drums,vox), Ryan Finnerin (bass) and Tim Yungwirth (guitars, RTG, percussion) round out the band. Additional musicians include Denny Finnerin (vox), Kelly Butcher(vox) and Christopher Freeland (percussion).

The title means the following: Et in Arcadia ego (also known as Les bergers d'Arcadie or The Arcadian Shepherds) is a 1637–38 painting by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665). It depicts a pastoral scene with idealized shepherds from classical antiquity clustering around an austere tomb.  

In this case, however, the meaning is different for the band…

Matthew Explains: I took the title from the book Blood Meridian. The phrase is engraved on the main antagonist's rifle and is a reference to a specific notion "even in your paradise I (death) am near. This character fashions himself a regular harbinger of death.

So right out the gate, the album becomes a cerebral entity with the title and names of the songs. But that is ok with me, I had something to learn. The bonus is the band sent me the high-quality vinyl pressing of the album. This was greatly appreciated as I have been amassing vinyl at an alarming rate the past few years. It seems many others have as well around the world and that is a good thing for bands and music business overall.

Graboski reminded me of Widespread Panic's John Bell. That is a compliment from where I sit as I think they are an amazing band. His vocals have that whiskey soaked vocal style that you hear in the blues quite often. There is one big difference however, this is progressive rock. The music comes at you fast. It is very interesting, and at times complex and I know it must be difficult to play by any stretch. Most notably I found the guitar playing at very high level consistent throughout the listen.

It is definitely progressive as the opener "Draco Volans," another word I was unfamiliar with, sets the pace. In case you were interested, Draco Volans is the common flying dragon, a species of lizard prevalent in Southeast Asia. Its skin allows it to fly very similarly to the flying squirrel. So, needless to say, I have some interesting thoughts going through my head at this point. I listened to the album first before venturing into the unknown so I am not sure if any of that information would have made more sense to me if I had the knowledge prior to listening. 

None of that matters to me because what I heard I really enjoyed. This is very good music. I heard elements of many genres swirling around Graboski's vocals including blues, rock, and jazz. It is comparable to having a full course meal then sprinkling pepper all over each dish to give it that extra flavor, in this case, oomph. The word eclectic is appropriate when discussing the output of Royal Architect. "This Cloak," which clocks in at 6:33, leads off the B side of LP. It clearly defines what prog rock is all about. It is a variable kaleidoscope of sounds. After hearing that one track I see where this band can develop further and reach new heights.

If you are wondering about the colorful cool cover? The artist is Graboski's 3-year-old daughter Delilah. I guess you have to start them young and provide encouragement. Talent for the arts is either in the genes or it isn't. It looks like this young lady is off to a good start with her color schemes.

There is a lot of good music on this album to digest. It is never cut and dried due to the variances in pace and instrumentation. That is a good thing in my estimation if you are attempting, and this case succeeding, to record something progressive and ultimately different. Et In Arcadia Ego is a solid and consistent rocking group of songs. This band should be very encouraged to get in the studio and record again soon.

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

February 25, 2018

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Tracks: 
1. Draco Volans 
2. As Above So Below   
3. Echoes from the Cleft in Bedlam 
4. Afternoon Phantoms
5. Dentes Ventus
6. This Cloak
7. Vespers
8. Let the Knives Sing    
9. Ignis Est In Sanguine Meo
 

Classic Rock/Progressive Rock Review: Styx-Pieces of Eight-SACD Ltd. Numbered Ed.

Release Date: September 29, 2017

Label: Audio Fidelity

Website

Styx has always been one of my favorite bands, they still are and always will be. So, what is it like to be a lifetime fan of a band and you are still listening to their music? It holds some meaning for folks like myself. The music never sounds old or outdated and you are not expecting anything different…well sometimes it does happen. 

Consider this point, what is like for a music fan to hear the music they have been listening to for the last 30 to 40 years and suddenly it all sounds crisper, brighter, and clearer than ever before? Well, I can tell you it can be a revelatory experience to hear this music in the SACD format. 

The SACD release by Audio Fidelity last September of Pieces of Eight rocks and I heard things I have never heard before. This is what this format is intended to accomplish. I am here to tell you the job was well done (again) by Audio Fidelity. I am little late to the party but nevertheless I am reporting in to all of the respective lifetime rockers and audiophiles.

Pieces of Eight was a multiplatinum release and with good reason. The music offered radio friendly rock at the time and it was also a nod to the progressive elements of the band. The prog sounds came through loud and clear for this listener, however when I first heard it as a teenager I thought it just rocked. Which it did and still does, I just became older and more educated somewhere along the way.

Pieces of Eight is a very strong release right up there with the high echelon of prog rock releases like Grand Illusion but it rocked a bit harder. So, dare I say more metal this time around? It is there, all of it in its raging glory - rock, metal and prog. Anyone that liked to crank up the tunes can appreciate all of those genres coming together in an explosion of sound. 

That felt good to get all that off my chest and let y’all know how I really feel about this music. So, get yourself a copy before they run out again, even if you have all the other formats, you need to hear this SACD!

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

January 11, 2018

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Tracks: 
01. Great White Hope
02. I'm O.K.
03. Sing for the Day
04. The Message
05. Lords of the Ring
06. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
07. Queen of Spades
08. Renegade
09. Pieces of Eight
10. Aku-Aku

Progressive Rock Review: Alan Parsons Project-Eye In The Sky 35th Anniversary Box Set

Release Date: December 1, 2017
Label: Sony
Website

I think it is appropriate to kick off this review of the Alan Parson’s Project Eye In The Sky 35th Anniversary Box Set with an explanation of what encompasses this great tribute to this progressive rock classic.

A total of 3 CDs and a Blu Ray Disc:


CD1: Original Album Expanded + bonus tracks
 
CD2:Eric Woolfson's Songwriting Diaries
CD3: Previously Unreleased Bonus Material

Disc 4: 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo HD version of the original album on Blu-ray.

Also included are 2 vinyl LPs of the original album recorded at half speed on four sides at 45rpm at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell, a flexi-disc replica of an original 1982 promo (remember getting those in magazines long ago?), a 60-page hardcover book featuring newly-written essays, previously unreleased images recently discovered in Eric Woolfson’s personal archive and new interviews with many of the musicians who recorded the tracks on the album, an Eye in the Sky 1982 replica poster and postcard, a gold-foil Eye of Horus stamp on the front of the box and more.

Most people that walk this earth have heard” Sirius” one time or another. It was dubbed as the Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls theme song and then started to find its way into many other sporting events all over the world. In fact, I just heard it recently on a commercial.  It is a superb instrumental curtain opener that melts into the lead off album track. The aesthetics are superb and the first thing that strikes you as “quality” is the gold stamped Eye of Horus on the outer sleeve of the box. 

Eye In The Sky was first released in 1982 and I remember it well. I had the cassette then eventually got the CD and now I possess the grandest version of them all. One thing to keep in mind, for the uninitiated, is that the Alan Parsons Project was very successful several years before this amazing album was released. It was part of the recordings that ushered in the digital revolution of recordings. At the time, that was a new wonder and now it’s just history. I think it is taken for granted by most of us, well those that can remember that far back or were even alive for that matter. Technology moves so fast today you don’t have time to really appreciate it before it is updated or completely changed.

There is so much to enjoy in this lavish box set. So, I had to break it down section by section to get the full-on effect of such a complex recording with all the new materials, pictures, artist notes, track developments and the several formats offered. The first thing that got my attention and great interest was the bonus track disc. What made it so interesting was how I could hear the beginnings of tracks. For instance, one track was with just acoustic guitar or Eric Woolfson humming. Although just a snippet it was a rare look into the very beginnings of a track. I got a few tastes of what it is like for an artist that starts from scratch with an album. I worked with a few folks, taking basic bare bones ideas and then gradually adding some meat.  It was an eye-opening experience, adding the instruments to get to the point where it stands as one solid piece of work. To be involved in that process is quite amazing and it gives you an appreciation and respect for the recording process that you never had. So, to take in the process of a musical genius like Alan Parsons and his main partner Eric Woolfson (who passed in 2009), really was quite a complete musical experience. CD2 Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries (Previously Unreleased) really gives a window into the beginnings of a song and Eric’s process.  This is also part of the accompanying book.

Then there is the pristine 180-gram LP’s that were remastered to play at 45 rpms to push the original tapes to their limit and produce the best possible sound on vinyl. I love vinyl but it seems like it ends much too soon, especially when you love an album like I do this one. I can’t seem to hear this music enough, I enjoy it that much and always have. When you hear the term “timeless” as a reference point, it is usually directly connected to artists like The Beatles and Elvis, however I have to give the nod to Alan Parsons on this particular release. This music sounds as fresh and invigorating as when I first heard it. In fact, it sounds better than ever listening to it remastered and on a 5.1 surround sound system.

The coffee table book is a nice addition to the set as well. It is jam packed with information from the people that recorded the music and remastered it. It is a great addition to read while listening. It brings a new picture into focus of what you are listening to like never before. It goes together like a hand in glove.

I have enjoyed many of the Parson’s releases over the years, in particular Turn of a Friendly Card and Tales of Mystery and Imagination. These were very different recordings however they are at the top of the list of my favorites from the Parson’s catalog coming right after Eye In The Sky. I think most music relates to different times of your life and for me it was one of the more exciting and transformational. I was discovering new music and traveling all over the world with the Navy. It is a time that matured me in ways I could have never imagined. Music was my best friend while out to sea for long periods of time. There was a peace and satisfaction I found on those open seas, and those feelings remain unmatched to this day. That is the joy I feel while reflecting upon my life listening to this amazing music.

If you don’t understand how this album came together after listening to all this music and reading the book then I suggest you do it more than once, you may have to anyway. My thought is, let’s give it another whirl, love it!

So, who knows what’s next from Mr. Parsons? Perhaps a world tour of this album presented on the stage fully backed by an orchestra with choreography and color? Or perhaps Cirque du Soleil performing with the music as their soundtrack? In the meantime, lets enjoy this great music presented in this box set.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

November 17, 2017

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Tracks: 

CD1 Original Album & Expanded Bonus Tracks
(originally released 2007)

1. Sirius

2. Eye In The Sky

3. Children Of The Moon
4. Gemini

5. Silence And I

6. You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned
7. Psychobabble

8. Mammagamma

9. Step By Step

10. Old And Wise
Bonus Tracks
11. Sirius (Demo)

12. Old And Wise (Eric Woolfson Vocal)
13. Any Other Day (Studio Demo)

14. Silence And I (Eric Woolfson Vocal)
15. The Naked Eye

16. Eye Pieces (Classical Naked Eye)

CD2 – Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries
(Previously Unreleased)

1.    Eye in the Sky (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 1)
2.    Eye in the Sky (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 2)
3.    Eye in the Sky (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 3)
4.    Eye in the Sky (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 4)
5.    Children of the Moon (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 1)
6.    Children of the Moon (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 2)
7.    Gemini (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 1)
8.    Gemini (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 2)
9.    Gemini (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 3)
10.  Gemini & Silence and I (Eric’s Songwriting Diary)
11.  Silence and I (Eric’s Songwriting Diary)
12.  Cooper’s Theme/ Silence and I chord beginnings (Eric’s Songwriting Diary)
13.  Cooper’s Theme/ Silence and I beginnings (Eric’s Songwriting Diary)
14.  Silence and I/ Fly Away  (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 1)
15.  Silence and I/ Fly Away (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 2)
16.  Old and Wise (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 1)
17.  Old and Wise (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 2)
18.  Old and Wise (Eric’s Songwriting Diary 3)


CD3 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS MATERIAL & Single Edits

1.  Eye In The Sky (Ian 12-string Acoustic Guitar Out Take)
2.  Sirius and Eye In The Sky (Early Rough Mix)
3.  Eye In The Sky (Eric Demo Verses - No Lyrics)  
4.  Children Of The Moon (12-string Acoustic Guitar & Marching Band Snare Drum)
5.  Children Of The Moon (Early Rough Mix With Eric Demo Vocal)
6.  Gemini (Chris Rainbow Vocal Harmonies)
7.  Silence And I (Orchestral Take With Eric Demo Vocal)
8.  You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned (Rough Mix Section - Different Guitar Solo)
9.  You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned (Rough Mix with Alan Demo Vocal - Few Lyrics)
10. Psychobabble (Orchestral Take)
11. Psychobabble (Rough Mix With Eric Demo Vocal)
12. Step By Step (12-string Acoustic Guitars)
13. Step By Step (Rough Mix Backing Track - Extended Intro)
14. Old and Wise (Chris Rainbow Beach Boys Experiment)
15. Old & Wise (Eric Piano Track)
16. Eye in the Sky (Single Edit)
17. Old and Wise (Single Edit)
18. Psychobabble (Single Edit)

DISC 4 (BLU-RAY)

5.1 Surround Sound Mix (2017) 
Stereo HD version (1982)

1. Sirius

2. Eye In The Sky

3. Children Of The Moon
4. Gemini

5. Silence And I

6. You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned
7. Psychobabble

8. Mammagamma

9. Step By Step

10. Old And Wise


VINYL (at 45 rpm)

Vinyl 1 Side 1
Sirius

Eye In The Sky
Children Of The Moon

Vinyl 1 Side 2

Gemini

Silence And I

Vinyl 2 Side 1

You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned
Psychobabble

Vinyl 2 Side 2
Mammagamma
Step By Step
Old & Wise


FLEXIDISC

Excerpts from Eye in the Sky:
Sirius
Eye in the Sky
Psychobabble
Old and Wise

Progressive Rock Review: Ghostly Beard- Infinite

Release Date: July 14, 2017

Label: 2017 Patrick Talbot

Website

Ghostly Beard is the name of this one-man band created by one Mr. Patrick Talbot. The beauty of his first EP Infinite is the fact it was just him in the creative and recording process. I am sure any artist brimming with creativity and flowing with an endless energy would appreciate the singularity of purpose. This creation is his and his alone, there was nobody there to bounce off ideas or disagree or play something differently. What a beautiful thing, complete musical freedom, or should I say Infinite freedom?

These five tracks are meant to set the table of what is to come. Talbot has much more to share with us hungry prog heads waiting to absorb another helping of the musical virtuosity he can deliver.

The very first track “Close Your Eyes” I found to be very Floydesque, in fact after looking at his bio I see they refer to his guitar playing as very Gilmore like. Not something that is hard to pick out if you are a fan of prog or Pink Floyd, which to me would be virtually one in the same in many respects.

Every track features dreamy soundscapes, razor sharp guitar lines and vocals that are a perfect fit for the tracks. He maintains a steady inflection, neither going up or down - another notch down it would almost be melancholy at times. Yet his voice is very pleasant and just right for the musical meal he serves up.

Each track can stand on its own and the curtain closer is an instrumental fluffy cloud ride into the sunset. Fluffy in a hypnotic and light way that has you wondering why it all just ended. Keep in mind this and EP, a teaser.  The scope and breadth of what is to come will surely be amazing. Count me in Patrick, I want to hear it all!

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

July 11, 2017

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Tracks: 
1. Close Your Eyes
2. Frozen in Time
3. No Return
4. Limitless
5. Winter Dance