The Safari Explores the Music of the Brazilian Progressive Metal band Angra!

Angra- Progressive Metal – Brazil So the other day, Spotify suggested that I listen to the song “Reflective” from the album Sounds of Innocence by Kiko Loureiro. Since the name looked interesting and he appeared to be a guitarist I downloaded the album onto the iPhone and it became the soundtrack for my ride to the Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. I discovered that Kiko is a very, very talented progressive rock guitarist and a member of the Progressive Metal band Angra. So after listening to Loureiro’s solo album, I downloaded Angra’s latest release Aqua and gave it a listen! Both…

Continue reading

Archives: An Afternoon of Prog Rock with the United Kingdom’s Aquaplanage !

  Aquaplanage – Symphonic Prog – United Kingdom Ok so this post was written last March, one of the problems with listening and exploring so much new music, is that you forget about the ones you listened to and like, like Aquaplanage!! So here’s that March post! This afternoon I went to Mog to listen to Echoes of Indiana Avenue by Wes Montgomery only to find that they didn’t have the album. So I listened to another album for a bit and then I looked at albums “just for me”, which now is a collection of all types of genres,…

Continue reading

The Safari Explores the Music of Germany’s Frequency Drift – Over!

      Over the last few days I’ve been exploring the music of the German Grossover Prog Band Frequency Drift; I stated with their current release Over. On my first few listens I wasn’t to sure about the vocals. The female lead singer’s voice was just a little too high and operatic sounding than I  like. What I was sure of was the music,I know I heard some instruments that you don’t normally hear like violin and flutes.Here’ what I read about the band at their website: Founded in 2007 by keyboarder and mastermind Andreas Hack, Bayreuth-based Frequency Drift…

Continue reading

The Safari revisits Finland and Explores the Music of Cardiant – Verge

Today the Safari returned to Finland and explored the music of Cardiant a power metal band that was formed in the city Hämeenlinna by Antti Hänninen and Dave Alberti in 2000. Today I listened to Verge the third album from the band. The line-up of the band has changed drastically from the first album when the band didn’t have a lead singer and was forced to use a session singer. This resulted in the album Midday Moon only being released on Japan! Current band members bassist Mikko Mänttäri, keyboadist Marko Lindroos, and vocalist Erik Karhatsu joined Antti in a revamped…

Continue reading

The Safari explores the Progressive Metal of America’s – Thought Chamber – Psykerion!

As I listened to Psykerion the second album from Thought Chamber, I came to the realization that maybe the best way to listen to Thought Chamber is with headphones on, because with headphones on you can catch all of the intricacies of their music!. I am listening to the track “Transcend” and the music is coming at me from each side,guitars in the left ear, drums in the center, it’s great! Thought Chamber is a progressive metal group from the US founded by guitarist Michael Harris. I discovered the band last year prior to the release of Psykerion, so I listened…

Continue reading

XNA – When We Changed You – Symphonic Prog from the USA!!

XNA is a Symphonic prog/Progressive Rock band from the United States. For the last few days their debut album When We Changed You has been in my listening rotation. As I listened to the album, it was obvious that these guys were heavily influenced by Genesis and other early prog bands. On several tracks images of Jethro Tull popped into my head! My wife listened to a short portions of the album, didn’t really like the lyrics and thought that the singer was a little too theatrical. But how can music that is influenced by Genesis not be theatrical! When…

Continue reading

The Safari finds more Finnish Progressive Metal – Anthriel – The Pathway!!

Antreil = Progressive metl from Finlad

Anthriel – Progressive Metal – Finland The other day I was surfing MOG looking artists who are like ones that I like and I came across Anthriel and their 2010 release The Pathway. I gave it a 30 second test and I liked what I heard so it went on the iPhone. This morning it was part of the soundtrack playing while I did some work around the house.  What a fine progressive metal album this is, with a little bit of everything – there’s some hard-driving guitar work from Timo Niemsto, drumming from Jari Kuokkanen. which often flows into some melodic…

Continue reading

Crossover Prog from Poland’s Iluzjon – Silent Andromeda!

One of the albums that I’ve listened to over the last week is Silent Andromeda from the Polish crossover prog band Iluzjon (yes, in Polish Illusion is the translation) From Wikipedia: Grupa czynnie dziaÅ‚aÅ‚a w latach 2000-2010. ZaÅ‚ożona przez wokalistÄ™, klawiszowca, aranżera, kompozytora i autora tekstów – MichaÅ‚a Dziadosza. Od 2006 jako kwartet. Iluzjon w swojej konwencji, w której punktem wyjÅ›cia jest art rock, nawiÄ…zywaÅ‚ do jazzu, ambientu, popu, hard rocka, rocka psychodelicznego i poezji Å›piewanej. W muzyce zespoÅ‚u usÅ‚yszeć można echa takich wykonawców, jak King Crimson, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, Marillion. WiosnÄ… 2005 zespół zadebiutowaÅ‚ na oficjalnym rynku swoim…

Continue reading

The Safari Rediscovers Serenity from Austria and visits Death & Legacy!!

Back in October I came across the band Serenity, I listened to and really like their current release War of Ages. Yesterday I thought about the band and went back in time and listened to their 2011 release Death & Legacy and  I liked that album just as much as War of Ages, maybe more!! As I am writing this I just put on their 2008 release Fallen Angel.…. sounds just as good. Hard driving metal, good vocals, good guitar, etc… Like I do always when I’m listening to a band like this, I went to Prog Archives to see…

Continue reading

The Safari finds Progressive Metal? in France from Spheric Universe Experience – Mental Torments!

One of the albums that has been on the iPhone for a while now is Spheric Universe Experience‘s 2005 debut album Mental Torments. I had started my explorations of the band’s music with their 2012 release New Ere  and after the fist listen I wasn’t quite sold on the band. So I went back and listened to Mental Torments, which was their highest rated album at the  Prog Archives. I liked that album a lot more. Now I need to explore the two albums released in between number one and number four to know if I’m completely sold on the…

Continue reading