PANIC ROOM - SCREENS LIVE IN LONDON
A sumptuous live DVD featuring the very best of a fine band
Screens is the DVD recording of a Panic Room gig filmed at Islington Assembly Hall, London, on 16/10/2016. The gig was planned, and the entire project commissioned, with a Pledge Music campaign by the band. Those readers of this review wishing to purchase this fine piece of work should note that it is only available from the band direct at www.panicroom.org.
Panic Room have released five consistently excellent albums now since their inception out of the ashes of another South Wales band, Karnataka. At their heart are the excellent vocalist Anne-Marie Helder, whose work with Mostly Autumn will be familiar to many, Jonathan Edwards on keyboards, and Gavin Griffiths on drums, also of Mostly Autumn vintage.
The band is completed by two superb musicians. Dave Foster's marvellous riff on gig opener, Into Temptation, gives the viewer a foretaste of a superb performance, whilst the band have enjoyed the services for a while now of one of the finest bass exponents in modern progressive rock in Yatim Halimi. That these two also play with The Steve Rothery Band should give you an idea of their expertise.
The DVD itself is sumptuously packaged, and the filming by Toward Infinity, responsible for work with Marillion, amongst others, more than does justice to the occasion. There is also a bonus disc, which is more interesting than most, featuring the intro to the gig by the venerable Jerry Ewing of Prog magazine, three more live tracks, and an 'access all areas' feature of the band in rehearsals, amongst other jaunts.
Panic Room are a band clearly in their element live. As with the studio albums, the sheer breadth of their music shines through. The playing is never anything less than tight, and we are treated to a fair old mixture from hard rocking, to melodious love songs, to progressive symphonic rock, to lush middle eastern soundscapes. For early evidence of a band utterly in tune with each other, witness Screens, which is as fine an ensemble piece as you will see and hear. It is perhaps unfair to single out anyone, but Halimi thunders along on this, playing a massive bass riff to a wonderfully dark Edwards key lead.
As with all films of gigs, the DVD really needs to be watched from start to finish. There are twenty-two tracks in total, nineteen on the first, main, feature. As with all gigs, though, there are standout highlights which deserve special mention in a review, and I will touch on some of these.
The gig features my favourite track of the 2010's in Start the Sound. From the wonderful album, Incarnate, this track is as good a piece of melodic progressive rock as you will have the pleasure of witnessing. By heaven, Helder sounds joyous on this, and Foster plays a lovely understated solo. As he quietly plays the denouement following Edwards delicate keys, you stare at the screen, boggled at the beauty of what you have heard. I also appreciate deeply the political comment element that the band bring to their music. Yasuni is a fine piece centred around the scandalous oil drilling in Ecuador's National Park. Dust is an emotional rollercoaster of a rocker which tells the tragic story of airstrikes dropping chemical weapons in Syria on children. This track is every bit as good as Gaza, Marillion's opener on Sounds That Can't Be Made, and the intensity of it leaves you stunned. The combination of honest lyrics, combined with fine musicianship speaks volumes for the maturity in a band which I always look for. Anyone can sing about boy meets girl, boy shags girl, & etc. A band such as Panic Room deserves the progressive community's support for this social comment set to outstanding music, in the finest tradition of the genre.
They do, though, also play some rather catchy stuff. Some call it 'commercial'. I just call it mighty fine. A recent review in The Times of boxsets by ELP & King Crimson described them, rightly, as, ahem, 'difficult'. The same review then suggested, as a Christmas box, that the non-progger partner in your life might prefer the superb Big Big Train, as an example of how modern progressive rock bands can also play, er, tunes. Panic Room are in that vein and in that quality. For no better example, I give you the quite beautiful Firefly, a ballad wonderfully sung, accompanied by piano and acoustic guitar.
Tightrope Walking is one of those tracks with wider world influences, and reminds one of Kashmir in parts. Helder plays hand drums on this, and the orchestral keys are very atmospheric.
Skin is classic Panic Room, melodic and played at a deceptively quiet intensity.
In the gig closer, Satellite, the band have one of the finest anthemic songs ever put to record. It is simply one of those songs which demands the lowering of the lights, the volume cranked up to the max, and a damned fine singalong.
This is an excellent film, and I enjoyed every minute.
For existing fans such as I, this is simply essential. For those of you who are tempted to begin a Panic Room journey, it is quite an excellent way to start said road. Very highly recommended and a masterpiece of its kind.
MOSTLY AUTUMN - SIGHT OF DAY
An album of light from York stalwarts.
Sight of Day is Mostly Autumn's twelfth studio album. There is a massive contrast between this and the superb predecessor album, Dressed in Voices. Bryan Josh himself describes this as an "album of light", whilst Dressed....was as dark as a black hole. When reviewing that album, I posited that it might act as a springboard to greater commercial success, because this is surely well deserved. I fear this might never come about, but, as a prog cottage industry, they seem to keep coming up with excellent product, adored by a loyal fan base, and there are worse positions to be in, I suppose.
This album is more of a traditional Autumn work, blending effortlessly pomp prog, lilting guitar bursts, with that folk backdrop which led me to fall in love with their work way back when I first clapped ears on The Last Bright Light. It is far too simplistic to describe the band as a Floyd influenced vehicle. Of course, this is there, but there is so much more to them than that. For a start, the beautiful violin of Anne Phoebe, and deep flute of Angela Gordon, backing a sublime vocal on the exceptional ballad, Raindown, before giving way to a huge Josh guitar solo supported by sumptuous keyboard work, is simply Mostly Autumn at their unique best. There is no other band capable of this track, and the wonder of it all echoes in your mind long after the track finishes.
The title track is the opener, a 14 minute plus epic which simply lifts the spirit. The sound is epic, and Josh produces a soaring mid section solo. This gives way to the type of thoughtful acoustic folk prog they have always excelled at, with a knowing nod to Autumns Past, before concluding with such a joyous and raucous celebration of life and sound. Bryan's wife, Olivia Sparnenn-Josh, is now such an integral part of the band that it is becoming difficult to remember when she wasn't there. Her voice on this, and everywhere else, delights at every turn, and my best wishes to the pair of them for the impending birth of the first Josh Junior.
What Olivia demonstrates here is just what a marvellous range of vocal techniques she has. From the sheer front on pomp of the opener, with vocal and guitar jousting between the two, we are treated to a fragility on the thoughtful, and questioning, The Man Without A Name, a track which features a deceptively simple piano lead and background keys and rhythm guitar. A joy, and a highlight of the album.
However, to treat this as merely the Josh family vehicle would be a mistake. There have been many lineup changes over the years, but Josh has always surrounded himself with quality contributors, and a very pleasant surprise on this album was to hear a written and performed track, Changing Lives, by the returning Chris Johnson. A damned fine track it is, too, with the male/female vocal interplay after "come together" being particularly pleasing. Johnson, by the way, also gets a production credit on this.
I have always enjoyed Iain Jennings' keyboard work, and this is highlighted to great effect on the co-written, with Josh, and rather dark, Tomorrow Dies. The keyboards, together with some thumping drum work by Alex Cromarty, create a track which is about as futuristic as the band will ever come. Olivia belts out a massive vocal lead, and I can see this becoming a firm anthemic favourite in the live arena.
It is fantastic to welcome back the hugely talented flautist and vocalist, Angela Gordon, Anne-Marie Helder having left to concentrate on Panic Room and linked projects. In addition to her contribution to Raindown, I love the recorder intro to the Norse mythology track, Only The Brave. It is a misleading intro, though, because the main body of the song rocks along at a rollicking pace, showcasing, in particular, a very strong rhythm section in Cromarty and Andy Smith.
From Norse mythology imagined around a camp fire, we decamp to Native American spirituality and love of life in Native Spirit. The denouement, with guitar, dark, looming, keys, and pounding drums & bass creates a massive wall of sound, and is a particular delight. Josh produces a wonderfully sensitive vocal in the lead up to the end passage, which crackles with emotion.
Talking of which, the album closer, Forever and Beyond, is a lovely paeon to lost youth, absent friends, and thoughts of eternity. It is a gentle love song which always stays on the right side of mawkish, and is Celtic to its very roots.
There is not one bum note or track on this album, a fine addition to a library bursting with great work. It is quite excellent, and highly recommended, especially to those tempted to dip their toes in for a first ever listen to the band.
ALAN REED - HONEY ON THE RAZOR’S EDGE
A fine very modern and relevant album by the Scottish artist.
Alan Reed releases his second solo album, Honey On The Razors Edge, and a mighty fine work it is, too. The former alumni of Pallas and Abel Ganz proves beyond doubt that he is capable of producing music that is relevant and vital to the genre we love, as it continues to grow in the 21st Century.
A word of warning. This is not a traditional neo prog album, by any stretch of the imagination. It is far more than that. It is the sound of an artist determined to grow beyond his roots, and with the capability to surprise, as well as delight us.
The album cover itself gives us a clue as to what follows when the disc is inserted into the player. Spartan, yet majestic in its simplicity.
Reed has assembled a very capable group of collaborators to share his vision, and I especially enjoy the contributions of Scott Higham on drums, whose work with Pendragon was superb, and the gorgeously talented Monique Van Der Kolk, with backing vocals returning the favour Alan did her excellent band, Harvest, who I have championed on this site. We also have a turn by Steve Hackett & Christine Booth, amongst others. A very special mention is due to Mike Stobbie on keys, Reed's old bandmate, whose layers are extraordinary.
The album bookends, My Sunlit Room, and Northern Light, are, perhaps, about the most recognisable blasts from the past. The opener fairly races along, and most reading this review would recognise immediately the need for a bolt hole from the pressures of modern life, a sunlit room where one can be oneself in peace. The album closer, Northern Light, transports you to a Scotland, Nordic lands, and Europe we share and hope will bring us together in troubled times, and the wall of sound is reminiscent of days of Pallas yore. Razor is a dark, edgy, affair, but the album really comes alive with a blast of sound in Cross My Palm, full of screaming guitars and lush sounds. There is also a good, old fashioned, rocker in The Covenanter. Stobbie is exceptional on this.
The star, though, throughout, is Reed's voice. Leaving is a track which demonstrates this to great effect. There is a fragility in this track, with Reed and backing vocals putting together a piece with fantastic keys and pipes effects creating a lush Celtic vision of love and separation. This theme is continued, beautifully, in the words, music, and themes, of a love in danger of exploding into war, The Other Side of Morning. This is intelligent rock music, featuring a heavy bass lead overlaying keys, Higham's drums, and acoustic guitars creating an emotional nine minutes of music. At the heart of it, as with all of the rest, is Reed. As much as I love his music with his former bands, I truly believe he has taken his song craft and vocals to a higher plain on this work. There is also one thing for sure. Personal experience is at the core of this, as with the best songwriters works. The contrasting moods are a joy to listen to.
However, all of the above utterly pales into insignificance when Used To Be Someone fills your senses. If I hear a better track in 2017, then it will be a damned special affair. Celtic, emotional, lush, full of crackling sound and emotion, this is so achingly beautiful as to defy mere words. When I first played this a couple of weeks ago, my wife came into my study, stood listening without a word, and, when the last notes had disappeared into the ether, informed me that this was one of the most lovely songs ever. It really is so achingly beautiful, and Reed sounds so fragile over a lilting guitar solo, before the track explodes into a rush of sound and emotion, as the story of a love thrown away takes you to a different existence altogether. Simply bloody wonderful, and quite staggering. Thank you, Alan.
I think this is the sort of album this website was born to highlight. Progressive music that will appeal to both purists and those, and there are many, who want a wee bit more than clever time changes, and think that artists who are progressive, should, ahem, progress. Alan Reed delivers, in spades, and I despair that it will never receive the attention it truly deserves. Treat yourself. It is available via Caerllysi Music, and well worth your ten quid.
MIKE OLDFIELD - RETURN TO OMMADAWN
Many described this wonderful album as a return to form from the instrumental maestro. Well, I rather enjoyed the song-driven Man On The Rocks, so I will describe this album instead as a return to the flavour and concepts of the beginning of a long and wonderful career. This album is lush and deep, never failing to disappoint on every level.
LEE ABRAHAM - COLOURS
Galahad man releases another fine solo effort which sounds absolutely nothing like anything he has done with that band. A wholly enjoyable rock album which joyously explores the more expansive AOR side of his nature.
FISH ON FRIDAY - QUIET LIFE
Another fantastic album from the masters of melodic progressive music, an album which features at its heart a huge contribution from Nick Beggs on bass, and guest performances from the likes of Alan Parsons, John Mitchell, and Theo Travis.
ROGER WATERS - IS THIS THE LIFE WE REALLY WANT?
The Pink Floyd legend returns.
When the first original Roger Waters rock album in 25 years was released this year, I was contacted by two colleagues working in the same government department as me.
The first is a big jazz and rock fan, but also a person with principled (left wing) political views. He absolutely raved about the album, saying it was the best thing he had heard for years.
The other is a big prog rock fan with absolutely no political views whatsoever, saving that all politicians are a bunch of shysters best ignored. He hates this album, which he denounces as basically Waters ranting about the same "bloody things he's ranted about for 40 years, now".
Well, that is a measure of just how Waters splits opinion, and, in a way, both of my colleagues are right. If you appreciate a bit of Trump bashing, raging against the inequities of the world and how, if you were God, you would change it all, then this is the album for you. If you don't appreciate such things, and the somewhat hectoring tomes of Waters get on your pips, and detract from the music, it is probably best to steer clear.
Most of us, though, sit somewhere in the middle, and, certainly, long-term Floyd fans must by now be used to Waters' lyrical style. Much of Animals, now 40 years old, influenced (and continues to do so) my personal political views, and, to be fair, old Rog is correct. The world is in a wee bit of a state.
Musically, much of this album is very reminiscent of Floyd in a way previous works were not. Picture That, for example, sounds as if it has been lifted directly from studio outtakes of Animals, and tarted up technologically. Indeed, the keyboards are an eerie echo of Richard Wright.
The entire work sounds utterly lush, and credit is due to Nigel Godrich, the knobs man. He has produced a wonderful soundscape canvas for Waters to play and speak upon, and it is here that I feel is the most crucial point about the album. Waters is Waters, and his politics are his politics, but the man is responsible for some of the most important rock music of the 20th century, and whilst this album certainly does not touch those heights, it still ain't half bad for someone the wrong side of 70 years old.
It is, in parts, excellent. I will not dip into it as often as I still do with Amused to Death, but, as swansongs go, this will do rather nicely.
BIG BIG TRAIN - GRIMSPOUND
Follow-up to Folklore, this is another deeply moving and lush album from the modern-day masters of symphonic rock, again more than tinged with a huge dollop of English folk and history. A Mead Hall In Winter is yet another BBT classic.
ISILDURS BANE & STEVE HOGARTH - COLOURS NOT FOUND IN NATURE
An album which will probably be more familiar in tone and execution to fans of the Swedish orchestral prog band than those of h, the Marillion frontman, but this collaboration, released in the aftermath of Marillion’s most critically acclaimed and successful album in a number of years is extremely interesting.