Proud Peasant "Communion"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Instrumental Progressive Rock
Label: Basement Avatar Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: October 20, 2023
Tracklist

1. An Embarrassment Of Riches (8:36) 

2. A Thousand Cuts (6:59) 

3. A Web Of Shadow (5:55) 

4. A Storm Of Swords (5:15) 

5. Shibboleth (5:30) 

6. The Fall (19:06) 

Total Time 51:21

Credits

David Hobizal - drums
David Houghton - electric guitar, classical guitar, lead and backing vocals,

Millicent Hughes - keyboards, backing vocals
Mark Poitras - keyboards, vibraphone, piano, toy piano, percussion,

Xander Rapstine - electric guitar, electric tenor guitar, acoustic guitar, tenor ukulele, mandolin, mandola, mandocello, keyboards, piano, vibraphone, percussion, lead and backing vocals
Clif Warren - bass

    With:

Josh Denslow - drums (5)
Dave Irish - drums (1)
Kyle Robarge - bass (5)

Shelby Avants - bassoon (2)
Jennifer Bernard - English horn, oboe (2)
Ramdass Bhaiya - clarinet (2), klarnet (1),

Brooke Brockman - lead vocals (6)
Charlie Campbell - backing vocals (1, 5, 6), piano (6)
Kullen Fuchs - trumpet (1, 2, 3),

Eddy Hobizal - keyboards, piano (6)
Chico Jones - piano (6), percussion (2, 6), backing vocals (6)
Aaron Lack - timpani (1)

Nate Miller - erhu (1)
Melanie Morgan Gomez - flute (6)
Wayne Myers - trombone (2, 6)
Josh Peters - percussion (1),

Josh Robins - additional bass (1)
Joseph Serrato - tenor sax (2)
Mike St. Clair - tuba (6)
Jenni Wieland - French horn (2)

All songs written by Rapstine.

Recorded, engineered, & mixed by Chico Jones

With additional recording of vocals on The Fall by Max Lorenzen

Mastered by Sarah Register

Produced by Xander Rapstine

Cover art by Chris Pana tier. See more of his work at panatier.com

Back cover art by Nathan Beach. See more of his work at nathanbeach.com

Album design by Emil Rapstine

Description/Reviews:

Communion continues the sonic and stylistic shifts from previous albums, but brings a heavier, more modern sensibility, and adds vocals to the mix. Featuring an eclectic mix of six songs, the album culminates in the final track, The Fall, a 19-minute epic exploration of genre, mood, and sound.

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Proud Peasant "Peasantsongs"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Instrumental Progressive Rock
Format: CD, digital
Release date: September 3, 2021
Tracklist

1. A Prelude

2. Daybreak

3. Cencibel

4. Turbulence

5. Down at Circe's Place

6. The Avatar

7. Red (Live from VoyagerFest 2015)

8. Saturn, Lord of the Ring / Mercury, The Winged Messenger

Line-up

Charlie Campbell - keyboards (2,6-8)

Josh Denslow - drums (2,7,8)

David Houghton - classical guitar (1,5,7,8), electric guitar (2,6-8)

Millicent Hughes - keyboards (1,6), violin (2,8)

Mark Poitras - vibraphone (1,2,8), percussion (2), malletkat (6), keyboards (6)

Xander Rapstine - acoustic guitars (1,4), snare drum (1), keyboards (1), electric guitar (1,2,4-8), tenor guitar (3), melodica (4), vocals (5)

Kyle Robarge - bass (2,4,5,7,8)

Jay Allen - keyboards (3-5)

David Hobizal - drums (4,5)

Dave Irish - drums (5)

Clif Warren - bass (5)

    With:

Henna Chou - yangqin (1)

Lauren Lyman - flute (1)

Mary "Sky" Skiles - odaiko (1)

Josh Peters - percussion (2)

Brian Butz - tuba (3)

Roy Coon - clarinet (3)

Phil Davidson - violin (3)

Melanie Morgan - flute (3)

Phil Davidson - violin (5)

Chico Jones - percussion (5)

Chris Pickens - French horn (5)

Tony Rogers - cello (5)

Shauna Satrom - trombone (5)

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Proud Peasant "The Flight"

Country: USA
Sub Genre: Instrumental Progressive Rock
Label: Basement Avatar Records
Release date: May 27, 2014
Tracklist: 

1. The Prisoner - 12:28

   a)    The Illusion I (The Chamber)

   b)    The Dream

   c)    The Fairy Forest

   d)    The Illusion II (Keys To The Kingdom)

2. Awakenings - 19:33

   a)    The Avatar

   b)    Starchild

   c)    Ice Castles

   d)    Salamandrina

   e)    The Dancing Bear

   f)    Ascension

   g)    The Jester King

3. The Precipice - 13:20

   a)    The Gauntlet

   b)    Threnody For the Forlorn

   c)    Entr’acte

   d)    Stardock

   e)    The Illusion III (Hypnogogia)

   f)    The Agathokakalogical Chasm The Prisoner

Line-up: 
Jay Allen - Keyboards, Piano
David Hobizal - Drums
Xander Rapstine - Guitars, Mandolin, Ukulele, Melodica, Glockenspiel, Percussion
Kyle Robarge - Bass
   With
Brian Butz - Tuba
Roy Coon - Clarinet
Phil Davidson - Violin
Kullen Fuchs - Trumpet
Jeff Halliburton - Timpani
Chico Jones - Percussion
Melanie Morgan - Flute
Chris Pickens - French Horn
Tony Rogers - Cello
Shauna Satrom - Trombone
Brian Kremer, Jamie Moellenhoff, Greg Smith - Vocal Soloists
The Proud Peasant Choir: Angus Barrs, Charlie Campbell, Jennie George, Chico Jones, Xander Rapstine, Susan Rossi, Joy Smith

Description/Reviews: 

The opening track of the trio on offer on Flight is, “The Prisoner” (12:28) and it starts with an exquisite acoustic guitar passage heralding the track in, before other instruments join in. There is a thudding drumbeat and then around the 1:30 minute mark the sound starts to really build. Superb guitar and keyboards carry the song along when an electric guitar meanders in and out before the sound gets stripped back to the drums and acoustic guitar. More insistent drumming then heralds in the next part of the track, with synths and a stunning electric guitar playing in a dreamlike manner. The sound builds again with the other instruments appearing, and then around 5 minutes, there is a gentle synth and mandolin passage as the song continues to flow effortlessly. An almost pastoral sound has built up before a more insistent synth lends a hand. Around the 7 minute mark, the track changes completely with the introduction of some of the brass instruments, backed by some “military” style drumming and a passage of plucked violin leads into a plaintive trumpet theme. This scenario calls to mind the sort of Mexican scrublands epitomized in those classic Clint Eastwood westerns. There is then a return, behind the trumpet theme, of the earlier themes as the track moves on its way towards its 12:28 minute finale. “The Prisoner” is an excellent starting track which leads onto track 2, “Awakenings,” with the sort of voices heard in a mythical tale. As the track fades, the last thing that is heard is “I now present you with the Keys to the Kingdom.”

 Read the full review by Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson at progrockmusictalk.com

Media/Samples 
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