Tag Archives: prog

Big Big Train to reissue ‘Bard’ as 5.1 deluxe edition

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Having spent the first part of their career defining their sound and dealing with shifting line-ups, prog band Big Big Train struck on a winning formula with ‘The Difference Machine’ and ‘The Underfall Yard’, before cementing their popularity with the expansive double set ‘English Electric’.

First released as two separate albums and then a deluxe set, ‘English Electric’ saw the band gain a much bigger fan base and increased press coverage. For those who’ve discovered the band in more recent times, there’s one part of the BBT history that’s absent.

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ANDREW DANSO – Fly EP

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flyIn 2011, Devin Townsend released his fourth “project” album, ‘Ghost’. A record heard by millions, it combined ambient-ish qualities with a mellow style that showed off a very relaxed side of the man who once gave us skull-crushing metal as frontman with Strapping Young Lad.  Around the same time that those millions were getting (rightly) excited about Devin’s ‘Ghost’, somewhere in Northern Ireland, guitarist Andrew Danso had not long finished work on ‘f i n d’, a collection of largely instrumental soundscapes which appeared to share more than a few traits with Townsend’s record, but approached atmospheric music with an even spacier slant.  The album, unsurprisingly, slipped under the radar of most of the people who really should’ve heard it, as is the plight of many an independent musician.

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Rush ‘Fly By Night’ blu-ray audio disc coming soon

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2014 began a comprehensive Rush reissue programme with a deluxe replica repressing of the band’s 1974 debut LP.

Rush fans will be pleased to note that 2015 is set to bring a whole host of Rush reissues, when their works between 1975-1988 get the heavyweight vinyl treatment, each with a download code. ‘Fly By Night’, ‘A Farewell To Kings’ and ‘Signals’ will also be released on blu ray audio disc.

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CLOUD ATLAS – Beyond The Vale

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Cloud AtlasCloud Atlas is a melodic rock/prog rock band based in York, formed from the fragments of various other prog rock/folk-prog bands.  Vocalist Heidi Widdop will be known to some listeners as being the first vocalist with Mostly Autumn, as well as being a integral part of subsequent off-shoot Breathing Space and the short-lived Stolen Earth, the latter a band that also featured future Cloud Atlas guitarist/bassist Martin Ledger. Joining them is drummer Ian Halford and – new to the sometimes confusing and rather incestuous MA family tree – keysman Dave Randall.  A guest bass is supplied by Stu Carver (also ex-Mostly Autumn).

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ABSENT FRIENDS: Wot Gorilla?

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In the summer of 2012, math rock/alt-metal act Wot Gorilla? really impressed us with their very technical third release ‘Kebnekaise’.

Many live shows followed the release of the album and the band really built up a following.  With this in mind, we expected to hear more from them – maybe hints that a new album was imminent by the end of 2014, given that a new track ‘Joints’ was posted on their Bandcamp page in July.

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