Pharaoh Overlord "Circle"

Country: Finland
Genre(s): Instrumental Electronica, Krautrock
Label: Ektro Records
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date:April 30, 2015 (CD),  June 12, 2015 (vinyl)
Tracklist: 

1. Eläin rientää kotiin - 06:05  
2. Tarkennus - 06:07  
3. Verbi - 05:26  
4. Villaa - 08:02  
5. Raide 2 - 05:38  
6. Ystävinä ja pariskuntina - 05:27

Line-up: 
Julius Jääskeläinen (Circle)
Pekka Jääskeläinen (Circle)
Jussi Lehtisalo (Circle)
Tomi Leppänen (Circle)
Janne Westerlund (Circle)

Description/Reviews: 

Circle, and their not-all-that-different-really side-project band Pharaoh Overlord have now simultaneously released albums with the titles "Circle" and "Pharaoh Overlord", no, not self-titled albums, the Circle one is called Pharaoh Overlord and the Pharaoh Overlord one is called Circle. And they have very similar art/graphics. Yep. That's what they do for laffs up in Finland, although knowing Jussi, he probably has some very serious, meaningful reason behind this scheme, but the explanation would be impossible to understand. It makes a circle or something. Regardless, what we've got here are TWO NEW Circle and/or Pharaoh Overlord albums, however you slice it, and that's a good thing! Of course, they just showed up yesterday, the day before our list, but we already have spun these a bunch of times and know we will spin them lots more, so sure let's make 'em both Records Of The Week! 

On Pharaoh Overlord's Circle, they indeed do their best Circle impression - not so hard since the band consists ENTIRELY of members of Circle after all (the lineups on these two albums are identical except that vocalist/keyboardist Mika Ratto only appears on the Circle one, which also has a guest horn player). And while PO were originally conceived as the heavier, "stoner rock" alter ego of Circle, here they evince a lighter touch than what Circle do on their parallel Pharaoh Overlord album, less heavy, less dark, instead being delightfully upbeat and sunny sounding, but of course with lots of the usual rhythmic urgency, gently directed. The all-instrumental music is layered with lots of pretty synth sizzle, almost giving it a 'new wave' vibe, uplifting and sprightly, even. We like the bloop bloop lava lamp sound going on throughout track two, "Tarkennus", and the first track, "Elain Rientaa Kotiin", features a melodic synth flourish that sure reminds us a lot of Stereolab... as of course does the similarly Neu! derived motorik beat. "Villaa", track 4, really blurs the lines between the typically krauty pulse of Circle and loop-based dance music. And so it goes. Providing a blissful rhythmic workout overall, this is a great Circle/Pharaoh Overlord/whatevertheywannacallthemselves album that we'll for sure be returning to on days when we need a sweet, lively, Circular pick me up. Recommended, as is the other one by the other band. (aquariusrecords.org)

Media/Samples 
Elain rientaa kotiin 
Raide 2

Links:
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Goblin "Four Of A Kind"

Country: Italy
Genre(s): Instrumental Symphonic
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date: April 30, 2015 (CD), May 31, 2015 (Vinyl)
Tracklist: 

1. Uneven Times - 07:29
2. In The Name Of Goblin - 04:45
3. Mousse Roll - 05:04
4. Bon Ton - 04:35
5. Kingdom - 05:34
6. Dark Blue(s)- 05:02
7. Love & Hate -  05:27
8. 008 - 05:21

Line-up: 

Maurizio Guarini - keyboards, Hammond and Cembalo (7)
Fabio Pignatelli - bass, keyboards
Massimo Morante - guitars, bouzouki (3)
Agostino Marangolo - drums, keyboards (4)
   With
Aidan Zammit - keyboards (4)
Antonio Marangolo - sax solo (1)

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Circle "Pharaoh Overlord"

Country: Finland
Genre(s): Psychedelic
Label: Ektro Records
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date:April 30, 2015 (CD),  June 12, 2015 (vinyl)
Tracklist: 

1. Koitto - 11:33
2. Kavelen Luiden Paalla - 10:50
3. Aavasaksa - 06:47
4. Aldebaran - 06:37
5. Madonna of Viggiano - 07:06

Line-up: 
Julius Jääskeläinen – guitar
Pekka Jääskeläinen – guitar
Jussi Lehtisalo – bass, vocals
Mika Rättö – keyboards, vocals
Tomi Leppänen – drums
Janne Westerlund – guitar, vocals
   With
Juho Viljanen – horns

Description/Reviews: 

Circle, and their not-all-that-different-really side-project band Pharaoh Overlord have now simultaneously released albums with the titles "Circle" and "Pharaoh Overlord", no, not self-titled albums, the Circle one is called Pharaoh Overlord and the Pharaoh Overlord one is called Circle. And they have very similar art/graphics. Yep. That's what they do for laffs up in Finland, although knowing Jussi, he probably has some very serious, meaningful reason behind this scheme, but the explanation would be impossible to understand. It makes a circle or something. Regardless, what we've got here are TWO NEW Circle and/or Pharaoh Overlord albums, however you slice it, and that's a good thing! Of course, they just showed up yesterday, the day before our list, but we already have spun these a bunch of times and know we will spin them lots more, so sure let's make 'em both Records Of The Week!
The Circle album is quite, well, it's pretty much redundant and superfluous to say in a review of a Circle album that the music is "mesmeric" but goshdarnit, this is indeed mesmerizing. They don't try to sound especially like Pharaoh Overlord, by the way, whatever that would entail, not of course that they don't, either. Instead, the quick takeaway here would be that this is "the Circle album with horns". (Oh, wait, there's a PO album called Horn, maybe that's the weird connection, hmmm??) Anyway, the horns are the big X-factor here, tooting along syncopatedly and cyclically Circle-like. A little jazzy, certainly proggy, those horns, along with the wordless vocal choirs, make us think of Magma and other '70s large-ensemble prog symphonics. We're also put in mind of some suspenseful '60s/'70s film soundtracks, like David Shire's The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three just a bit. It gets intense, with stabs of distorted guitar chords to further intensify the mood. Meanwhile, the vocals, which include some impressive caveman freakout screams, are also crucial, and hark back to the early days of Circle, when they did the monk-chanting thing in their own made up language (a la Magma as well) on albums like Zopalki.
Ultimately, it's really gorgeous and, again, super mesmeric, these tracks all of course built around endless repetitive grooves, simple (deceptively so, we're sure) and effective in the usual Circle style. And the only reason one track ever ends, it seems, is that another one needs to begin. And we wouldn't have it any other way. This Circle consists of circles within circles to spin the mind around. Wow, nice. Recommended, as is the other one by the other band. (https://www.aquariusrecords.org)

Media/Samples 
Koitto
Kavelen luiden paalla

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Zone Six "Love Monster"

Country: Germany
Genre(s): Psychedelic, Space Rock
Label: Sulatron Records (CD), Deep Distance Records (vinyl)
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date: April 2015 (CD), August 2015 (vinyl)
Tracklist: 
1. Love Monster (14:53)
2. The Insight (8:21)
3. Acidic (7:29)
4. Cosmogyral (15:17)

Line-up: 
Komet Lulu (Electric Moon) - bass
Dave Schmidt (Sula Bassana, Electric Moon) - drums
Rainer Neeff - guitar
Martin Schorn - synths

Description/Reviews: 

The title track opens the proceedings with Komet Lulu's bass laying the foundation of a rhythm that does not waver an inch throughout, the bass and the drums keeping almost metronomic time. The guitar of Neeff soon makes itself heard and straightaway you can tell that you are in for a fest of acid jamming of the highest order. The synths don't get left out, they add some wonderful washes of spacey sound that give the track some real texture. As the track progresses Neeff really lets loose with his instrument...rich in distortion at times with layers of reverb and wah wah. It is with tracks such as this that the organic symbiosis of a seasoned group of musicians can be heard .....each instrument seems to feed off each other and as one takes a breath there is another to step up. The track rattles along with Neeff's guitar making shapes ...sometimes fluid, flowing shapes, sometimes stabbing, staccato shapes but the level of intensity never drops below 'freakout' . It really is a monumental track......whilst writing this I listened to it several times on the turn and every time there was something new to pick out - a trace of a middle eastern melody here, some kosmische keyboards there ....but from the initial bass notes to the concluding crescendo this is sublime psychedelic music played by four heads who know how to fry your synapses. 

 Read the full review at dayzofpurpleandorange.blogspot.co.uk

Media/Samples 
Love Monster
Acidic
Cosmogyral

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Inner Prospekt "The Gene Machine"

Country: Italy
Genre(s): Electronica, Progressive Rock
Format: digital
Release date: April 29, 2015
Tracklist: 

1. Human Drone 10:10
2. Everlasting 09:54
3. Mekanodonte 06:41
4. Three Steps Ahead 06:40
5. Bodies 07:23
6. A Red World 06:39

Line-up: 
Alessandro Di Benedetti (Mad Crayon) - everything

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp

Cover art by Anastasia Sichkarenko
despairlegion.deviantart.com
www.behance.net/AnastasiaSichkarenko

Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame - The Original Soundtrack

Country: Netherlands
Genre(s): Soundtrack, Progressive Symphonic Metal/Rock Opera
Format: CD, digital
Release date: April 29, 2015
Tracklist: 

1. Karmaflow Main Theme 01:22
2. The Essence of Grief 01:20
3. The Muse and the Conductor 05:26
4. The Essence of Despair 01:57
5. The Guide 06:10
6. The Essence of Jealousy 01:17
7. The Bird Goddess 02:36
8. The Twins 05:31
9. The Essence of Greed 01:19
10. The Heart 06:13
11. The Creator and the Destroyer 08:20
12. The Sacrifice 03:10

Line-up: 
Charlotte Wessels (Delain) - vocals as The Narrator
Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) - vocals as The Muse/The Banshee
Marc Hudson (Dragonforce) - vocals  as The Conductor
Mark Jansen (Epica, MaYaN) - vocals as The Guide
Lindsay Schoolcraft (Cradle of Filth) - vocals as The Shaman
Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania) - vocals as The Bird Goddess
Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) - vocals  as The Sun Brother
Elise Ryd (Amaranthe) - vocals as The Moon Sister
Henning Basse (MaYaN, Rage) - vocals as The Hero
Daniël de Jongh (Textures) - vocals as The Heart
Simone Simons (Epica) - vocals  as The Destroyer
Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth) - vocals as The Creator
Lisette van den Berg (Scarlet Stories) - vocals as The Data Chamber
Bas Dolmans (ex-Xystus) - vocals

Ivo van Dijk - music, drums, arrangement (4, 9), guitars (9, 12), bass (12)
Colin van der Lei -  music (6), arrangement (1, 3, 6)
Than van Nispen tot Pannerden - music (4), arrangement (2, 4, 5, 12)
Douwe Medema - arrangement (7, 8)
Stan Koch - arrangement (10, 11)
Bart Delissen - additional arrangement (10)
Coen Janssen (Epica) - piano(3)
Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation) - guitars (10)
Ivo Severijns (Powerplay) - bass (3)
Sander Gommans (HDK) - guitars (7, 8)
Bob Wijtsma (Blaze of Darkness) - guitars (3, 11)
Luuk van Gerven (After Forever) - bass (5, 11)
Hein Willekens - guitars (5)
Johan van Stratum - bass (7, 8)
Jan Biljsma - bass (10)
Metropole Orkest Conducted by Jan Stulen & Jules Buckley

Description/Reviews: 

Karmaflow - The Original Soundtrack Album is the physical album of a collection of the best music from Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame with a exclusive 24 page art booklet. Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame is the world’s first rock opera videogame.
In Karmaflow, the game’s story is presented entirely in the form of a rock opera, sung by some of the world’s most talented rock voices. Karmaflow tells the story of the Karmakeeper, and his journey through several worlds. Each world is protected by a Guardian. These Guardians are burdened by a heavy conflict, which rages in each world. The Karmakeeper learns what happened in each world by hearing each Guardian out, but also listening to their counterparts. In the end, he decides what happens to the world and its inhabitants.

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp

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Hildegard "Hildegard"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Art Rock, Jazz
Format: CD, digital
Release date: April 28, 2015
Tracklist: 

1. A - Z (4:03)
2. Sally Brown (3:59)
3. Siren Song (5:13)
4. Karma (4:16)
5. Cabin 72 (6:20)
6. Austria (3:36)
7. Isolation (4:58)
8. The Witness (4:12)
9. Quetzal (3:40)
10. Vanishing Hue (5:43)

Line-up: 
Cliff Hines - Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Synthesizer, String Arrangements
Sasha Masakowski - Vocals, Synthesizer
Max Zemanovic - Drums, Percussion
John Maestas - Guitar, Synthesizer
Max Moran - Bass
Andrew McGowan - Piano, E-Piano, Organ
   With
Ciel Rouge - Drum Programming (Track 1)
Joe Shirley - Synth, Drum Programming (Tracks 2,5)
Lulu Reeks, Susan Miller Boldissar - Strings (Tracks 2,4,6,7)
Oliver Bonie, Emily Fredrickson, Stephen Lands - Horns (Tracks 2,7)
Nicholas Solnick - Percussion (Tracks 1,3)
Paul Thibodeaux - Percussion (Track 7)
Martin Masakowski - Acoustic Bass (Tracks 2,4,6,7)

Description/Reviews: 

Clearly, Cliff is making a distinction between Sasha's cool articulation (reminiscent of Suzanne Vega) and his own occasionally-distorted guitar histrionics. This combination works for the most part, although during songs like the opening and lively A – Z and the otherwise engaging The Witness I found the improvised shredding an unwelcome distraction. Songs like Austria and the aforementioned The Witness also feature some rather dated voice effects which again I could have happily lived without.
Elsewhere however the sound produced has a very classy feel thanks to the thoughtful arrangements and the sharp musicianship from all concerned. Whilst Hildegard could never be accused of being out-and-out prog, songs like the deceptively titled Karma with its edgy guitar riff, XTC-style time signature and apocalyptic finale have the right ingredients to keep aficionados interested.

 Read the full review by Geoff Feakes at dprp.net

Media/Samples 
3 tracks

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Meaxic "Synergy" EP

Country: USA
Genre(s): Progressive Metal/Rock
Format: CD, digital
Release date: April 28, 2015
Tracklist: 
1. Attitude
2. Iruka
3. On Instinct
4. Down
5. Crazy

Line-up: 
Jeet Suresh Paul - Vocals, Guitar
Sudeip Ghosh - Guitar
Nick Johnson - Bass
Cobz - Drums

Media/Samples 
Stream

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Tornatil "Crawling in the Aquarium"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Progressive Rock/Metal
Label:  BlueFreya
Format: digital
Release date: April 28, 2015
Tracklist: 

1. Lamp Post - 5:49
2. Crawl - 4:31
3. Rock Pile - 7:17
4. Nameless - 8:37
5. Travel O' City - 6:00
6. Terre Noire - 5:56
7. Aquarium - 6:50
8. Sad Panda - 9:39
9. Convergence at the Wheel (Bonus Track) - 8:16

Line-up: 
S Lee Baysinger - Vocals
Eric Confer - Keyboards, Guitars
Daron Olson - Bass Guitar
Richard Baysinger - Guitars, Drums, Piano, Fretless Bass

Media/Samples 
Crawl

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FM "Transformation"

Country: Canada
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: Esoteric Antenna
Format: CD
Release date: April 27, 2015
Tracklist: 
1. Brave New Worlds
2. Cosmic Blue
3. Re-Boot, Reawaken
4. Children Of Eve
5. Safe And Sound
6. Tour Of Duty
7. The Love Bomb (Universal Love)
8. Value Change For Survival
9. Heaven On Earth

Line-up: 
Cameron Hawkins - bass, keyboards
Paul DeLong (Kim Mitchell, Roger Hodgson) - drums
Edward Bernard (Druckfarben) - viola, mandolin
Aaron Solomon - violin

Description/Reviews: 

With its roots firmly planted in late Seventies progressive rock – complex rhythms, driving bass lines, soaring melodies – the music on Transformation is symphonic in scope with not one, but two violinists on board.
Following on from the recent successful re-releases of their first four albums, including the landmark recording "Black Noise” (from 1978), "Transformation” sees FM continue their ‘thinking man’s exploration’ of progressive musical ideas, innovative arrangements and provocative lyrical themes.

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