29 August 2023: England - "Garden Shed"; Aeons - "Into Eternity's Embrace"

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England were a progressive rock group active in the late 1970s, and briefly reformed in 2006. The band is notable for their album Garden Shed released on Arista Records, and for keyboardist Robert Webb playing a Mellotron sawn in half.^[1]

Studio Album, released in 1977

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Midnight Madness (6:58)
2. All Alone (Introducing) (1:53)
3. Three Piece Suite (12:58)
4. Paraffinalea (4:12)
5. Yellow (5:24)
6. Poisoned Youth (16:17)

Total Time 47:42

Line-up / Musicians

- Frank Holland / guitars, vocals, Mellotron & Leslie guitar (5)
- Robert Webb / Minimoog, Hammond, harpsichord, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes, piano, Hohner clavinet, 12-string guitar (5), vocals
- Martin Henderson / bass, acoustic guitar (5), vocals
- Jode Leigh / drums, vibes, percussion, bass (5), vocals

Releases information Artwork: Mike Cosford 

Review by Proghead
PROG REVIEWER

ENGLAND came a little late in the UK prog scene, coming at a bad time as punk rock was on the rise. Their one and only album, "Garden Shed" (well, at least until the 1990s with "The Last of the Jubblies" which contained leftover material) was released in 1977 on Arista Records. Despite the major label it was released on (yes, the same label that gave us the dreaded BARRY MANILOW, AIR SUPPLY and BAY CITY ROLLERS, at least the label did us a favor by having the ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, CARAVAN, and HAPPY THE MAN on their roster), the original LP is hard to find. For those who don't live in the UK (me included): the cover to "Garden Shed" is a spoof of a label to a jar of Robertson's Golden Shred Marmalade! Robertson's products are apparently not available outside of the UK (I certainly never seen any Golden Shred, Silver Shred, or any other Robertson's products sold at any supermarket in my neck of the woods), so I would never have realized the Golden Shred parody to "Garden Shed" had I not found out online. The band consisted of bassist Martin Henderson, guitarist Franc Holland, keyboardist Robert Webb, and drummer Jode Leigh. Vocal duties handled by all.

This was the last recording to feature the Mark II Mellotron (this was 1977, after all, and the Mellotron most used was the small 400 model, which was introduced in 1970, but didn't get used extensively until about or after 1972). Their keyboardist Robert Webb was said to sawed his Mark II in half to make it more portable (other keyboards he used included Hammond organ, Hohner clavinet, piano, electric piano, and Minimoog).

Musically, their influences can be rather obvious: YES, GENESIS, GENTLE GIANT, SUPERTRAMP, FRUUPP, perhaps even a little QUEEN. Like on "Midnight Madness" you hear plenty of GENESIS-like passages, with Yes-like vocal harmonies. "All Alone" is a short piano-oriented ballad that often gets compared to QUEEN, but to me reminds me of a Rick Davies-penned SUPERTRAMP ballad sung by Roger HODGSON. "Three Piece Suite" (get it?) is, as you expect, a three movement suite. The first part most resembling YES, but there are some passages with high-pitched vocals that don't seem to fit in too well. "Paraffinalea" is one of the more light-hearted numbers with more of that YES and GENTLE GIANT influences. "Yellow" is an acoustic ballad dominated by Mellotron. Here the influences seem to be not so obvious. The album then ends with "Poisoned Youth", at 16 minutes. Had this album been released a few years earlier, or punk didn't take over, this would have gotten more attention. Still, a great album.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

 

                                                                Aeons - Into Eternity's Embrace

Centuries from now, humanity's destiny lies rapt in technological dominion. The age-old dreams of the spirit, long extinguished in material nothingness, arise anew from the forges of science in strange, cold shapes, seeking the freedom of infinitesimal new dimensions and the dim webs of distant stars. As our empire decays, new spiritual orders pursue a final exodus from the flesh, fleeing in self-exile, far into the black gulfs of night, craving transfiguration and an irrevocable fusion with the One: the radiant universe of the pure.
Julien Demoulin and IA join forces to present a deep-space journey of vast drone ambient and cosmic synth, opening widescreen planes of sound that sing of both transcendence and nullification.

The premise of the album—a monastic order on the cusp of transcending human existence—resonates well with the austere yet calming tone of the drone compositions. "Into Eternity's Embrace" has a remarkable capacity for escorting listeners into the vastness of the galactic emptiness, which is meant to serve as a transcendental experience. A sensation of weightlessness and detachment from worldly worries is evoked by the painstakingly created audio layers, which are rich in ethereal tones and continuous background voices. The music is meaningful and cathartic to listen to because of its capacity to be both calming and reflective. It encourages a deeper connection with the expanse of existence and the limitless potential of the human soul by inviting listeners to explore their own spiritual yearnings. "Into Eternity's Embrace" is a sonic masterpiece that resonates with the austere beauty of the monastic journey, offering solace, enlightenment, and a transcendental escape into the boundless realm of pure light. 

credits

released August 10, 2023
FreeForm Radio thanks Raffaele Pezzella for providing us with a copy of this release.
REVIEWS

Avant Music News
avantmusicnews.com/2023/08/12/amn-reviews-aeons-into-eternitys-embrace-2023-reverse-alignment

Luminous Dash
luminousdash.be/reviews/album-reviews/aeons-into-eternitys-embrace-reverse-alignment/

Ver Sacrum
www.versacrum.com/vs/2023/08/aeons-into-eternitys-embrace.html




IA: iadrone.bandcamp.com
julien demoulin: juliendemoulin.bandcamp.com

Published by Reverse Alignment
All music by Alex Copeland aka IA (vocals) and Julien Demoulin (electronics), 2021-2022.
Album concept by Alex Copeland.
Produced and mixed by Julien Demoulin.
Mastering by Raffaele Pezzella (a.k.a. Sonologyst).
© 2023. All rights reserved.

license

all rights reserved

tags

Tags

ambient dark dark ambient drone ambient industrial post-industrial Sweden

 

 

07 March 2017: Unitopia & The Pineapple Thief

Unitopia was an Australian music group using progressive rock as a framework, but also including elements of world, classical, jazz, hard rock, and groove.Unitopia is the rare case of prog from "down under". The band was formed by Mark Trueack (vocals) and Sean Timms (keyboard, guitar) after they were introduced by a mutual friend who saw that the two had similar tastes in music and the story goes that as soon as Timms heard Trueack sing, he knew they had to do something together. They released their first album, "More Than A Dream" in 2005 after spending 8 years on the albums, and have since been working on material for their second album "The Garden", which was recently released after 3 years of writing, recording and mastering. The band's influences stretch all across the progressive scope and make for a very intriguing sound that has one foot in "retro"-70s style progressive while still being able to sound like other artists in the modern progressive scene. They have a rather large sound to them, which is no doubt helped by their 6-member roster (including Matt Williams (guitar), Monty Ruggiero (drums), Shireen Khemlani (bass) and Tim Irrang (percussion)). They mix a combination of Flower Kings-like symphonic qualities with the soul of Ladder-era Yes and Trueack's unique vocals to make the brunt of their sound.
Sean Timms has started a new band, "Southern Empire", since the dissolution of Unitopia.

Your Wilderness is the eleventh studio album by British alternative rock band The Pineapple Thief. The album features several known guest musicians, including Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), John Helliwell (Supertramp), and Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan)

Your Wilderness, their 11th studio album, showcases the band performing without any inhibitions providing a springboard for the ongoing creative growth of The Pineapple Thief.
For the first time, The Pineapple Thief has brought in several special guest performers. “Since our last album Magnolia, the most eye catching change is obviously having Gavin Harrison contribute drums throughout the album” explains Bruce Soord. “This has not only redefined our sound but also redefined how we approached the songs as a band.  Gavin’s drumming is technically brilliant but also incredibly musical, and it inspired all of us to raise our game.  I’ve also rediscovered my progressive roots in terms of song-writing and arrangement.  Added to that, we were lucky enough to have John Helliwell from Supertramp contribute some beautiful clarinet parts and Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan) provided a string quartet. We were also joined by a lovely 4 piece choir and to cap it all off, my friend Darran Charles (Godsticks) added some jaw dropping guitar playing… You’ve never heard a The Pineapple Thief album like this one!  I am convinced people will love this record as much as we do.”
Carl Glover’s thought provoking collection of photographs perfectly compliment the concept of the album, something which Soord is tight lipped about. “It should reveal itself to the listener and be open to interpretation. I don’t want what it means to me to influence how it affects you”.   
Your Wilderness was recorded entirely by the band with the exception of the drums, which Gavin Harrison produced & engineered at his own studio. The string quartet which was recorded at Geoffrey’s own studio in Canterbury. The album was mixed and produced by Bruce Soord and Steve Kitch with mastering duties also carried out by Steve. There will be a special lossless 5.1 surround mix available with the special edition mixed by Bruce.
Seen as one of the most vital rock bands the UK has produced over the last two decades, The Pineapple Thief was formed in 1999 by founder and chief songwriter Bruce Soord. The band has steadily evolved and refined it’s sound with the bass playing of Jon Sykes and the production and keyboards of Steve Kitch now so integral to the sound.  “After so many years, The Pineapple Thief has become way bigger than the sum of its parts.” explains Soord.
“The new album was a joy to make. More so than any other The Pineapple Thief album before it. Everything came together so effortlessly and I think this comes across when you hear the record.”
Bruce Soord has also collaborated with the likes of Wisdom of Crowds (with Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse), Katatonia (joining the band on its 2014 acoustic European tour), and has created 5.1 remixes for artists such as Opeth, TesseracT, Tim Bowness and Katatonia. Soord also released his debut self titled debut solo album through Kscope in 2015.
The Pineapple Thief is currently booking a European tour for late 2016 and planning live shows in USA / Canada
Your Wilderness will be released by Kscope on CD, LP, digitally and as a special deluxe 12” hardback book.

Track listing

All tracks written by Bruce Soord.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"In Exile"	5:40
2.	"No Man's Land"	4:20
3.	"Tear You Up"	4:53
4.	"That Shore"	4:36
5.	"Take Your Shot"	4:34
6.	"Fend for Yourself"	3:49
7.	"The Final Thing On My Mind"	9:52
8.	"Where We Stood"	3:46
Total length:		41: