Steve Katsikas "Hidden Village"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Format: CD, digital
Release date: December 3, 2019
Tracklist: 
1. America (5:13)
2. Life Is A Movie (5:25)
3. Solitary (7:43)
4. Authors And Architects (2:36)
5. Across The Universe (4:06)
6. Sleep Is For Longer Days (6:28)
7. Fall (3:45)
8. Shoulders (5:02)
9. My Song Goes On (6:06)
10. Gunner's Dream (5:04)
11. The Clock Restarts (4:19)

Total Time 55:47

Line-up: 
Steve Katsikas (Little Atlas, Greyfeather) - Vocals, Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar (2, 5, 8, 11), Saxophone (3), Guitar (6, 10), Percussion (9), Piano (11)
   With
Roy Strattman (Little Atlas) - Guitars (1, 3, 5, 6, 10)
Ricardo Bigai (Little Atlas) - Bass (3, 5, 6, 10)
Mark Whobrey (Little Atlas) - Drums (3, 6, 8), Lead Guitar (10)
Diego Pocovi  (Little Atlas) - Drums (5, 10)
Allen Needham - Electric Guitars (8)
Karsten Nelson - Bass & Guitars (2, 9)
Justin Shaw - Drums (2, 9)
Myra Kean - Violin (10)
Travis Carlisle - Cello (10)
Jeff Hodges (Man On Fire) - Keyboards & Drums (11)
Allie Summers - Violin (3, 4), Cello (4)
Luis Nasser (Sonus Umbra, Kurgan's Bane, Might Could) - Bass (1)
Eric Sands (Man On Fire) - Guitar and Bass (11)
Gary Swiontek  - Bass (7)
Dan Katsikas - Drums (7)
Kirk Whitehouse  - Bass (8)
John Lieto - Trombone (1)
Jeff Gard - Drums (1)

Description/Reviews: 

The name “Hidden Village” reflects the unbelievable contributions of 20 unique musicians, friends from a threaded journey that has taken me from city to city, genre to genre, band to band, and life event to life event.  The “village” is the community of musicians that made this album possible. Some tracks were tunes that just didn’t quite fit Little Atlas, but the bandmates  long history together created a sense of comfort and confidence that perfectly led to their contributions.

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp
America
Solitary

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Strattman "The Lie of the Beholder"

Country: USA
Sub Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: 10T Records
Release date: May 8, 2014 (digital), May 20, 2014 (CD, retail street date - June 17, 2014)
Tracklist: 

1. A Better World  - 6:00
2. Caught Inside The Rain - 6:09
3. A Candle In The Sun - 7:40
4. Jaded - 2:32
5. The Scene of the Crime - 3:35
6. Detonation - 5:10
7. Solace - 5:35
8. The Lie Of The Beholder - 6:03
9. Connection Lost - 3:49
10. No Way Home - 5:48
11. The Fire Dies - 3:51

Line-up: 
Roy Strattman (Little Atlas) - guitar, keyboards, and vocals
   With:
Nick D'Virgilio (Genesis, Kevin Gilbert, Spocks Beard, Mike Keneally, BBT) - drums
Ricardo Bigai (Little Atlas) - bass
Steve Katsikas (Little Atlas) - piano, cajon

Description/Reviews: 

You'd almost think you were listening to some long lost track from a Dream Theater or Pain of Salvation session with kick off song "A Better World"; this is a heavy piece, dark and foreboding, with crushing, metallic riffing, furious drum work from D'Virgilio, and ominous Mellotron samples. Things settle down a bit for the lush, almost pastoral "Caught Inside the Rain", as cascading keyboard & guitar textures support Strattman's yearning vocal, but things once again take a turn for the heavy and dark, as menacing riffs, acrobatic bass, and more of those creepy Mellotron sounds permeate "A Candle in the Sun". Roy's muscular wah-wah drenched lead lines snake in and out of the mix on this groove laden yet heavy track, complete with some very fascinating lyrics to boot. With all the well crafted instrumental bits included on the first three tracks, it's almost fitting that Strattman goes full bore on the brief "Jaded", as prog-fusion styled guitar, bass, and keyboard melodies weave around each other and D'Virgilio rumbling underneath. This segues right into "The Scene of the Crime", another dark, muscular heavy rocker, Strattman's yearning vocal floating over thick riffs and atmospheric keys.

 Read the full review by Pete Pardo at seaoftranquility.org

Media/Samples 
Entire album online

Links:
Web page
Facebook
Proggnosis

Little Atlas "Automatic Day"

Country: USA
Sub Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: 10T Records
Release date: May 14, 2013 (digital), June 3, 2013 (CD, retail street date July 18, 2013)
Tracklist: 
  1. Oort 8:53
  2. Apathy 8:32
  3. Twin of Ares 7:52
  4. Emily True 7:03
  5. At the End of the Day 8:42
  6. Illusion of Control 9:58
  7. Darvocet Eyes 8:38
  8. We All Remember 4:17
  9. Automatic Day 5:57
  10. Escape Velocity 3:10

Line-up: 
Steve Katsikas (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Sax)
Roy Strattman (Guitar)
Rik Bigai (Bass)
Mark Whobrey (Drums)

Description/Reviews

While researching Little Atlas prior to writing my review, I often came across the "neo-prog" tag, which may have been applicable to the band's earlier output, but definitely not to the music showcased in their newest release. If Little Atlas in 2013 need to be compared to some other act, it is certainly not to Marillion or any of their modern-day followers, but rather to contemporary prog icons Porcupine Tree. And therein lies one of Automatic Day's main problems. While listening to the album, the influence of Steven Wilson's main gig is often so pervasive as to be uncomfortable, though thankfully relieved by Steve Katsikas' ruggedly impassioned vocal style, quite different from Wilson's smooth (and, to be perfectly honest, slightly soporific) tones. I would also be so bold as to state that Automatic Day sounds better than anything Porcupine Tree have done since Deadwing, definitely more cohesive in songwriting terms and without too many concessions to the alternative/metal fad.

Read the full review by Raffaella Berry at dprp.net

Media/Samples
Progstreaming
Oort
Entire album online

Links:
Web page
Facebook
ProgArchives
Proggnosis