Welcome to the Prog' weekly news round up, collecting news from the prog world that you might have missed, and gathering it in one handy digest. We'll be coming at you every Friday afternoon, with a range of prog-related news that saves you having to trawl through loads of different stories...
And don't forget to look out for our new weekly feature Tracks Of The Week, featuring the latest prog music that's out there for you to enjoy.
Have a good weekend...
Ayreon add extra 01011001 - Live Beneath the Waves show
Ayreon have announced that they have added a further date to next year's run of 01011001 - Live Beneath the Waves shows which take place at Tilburg's 013 venue for three dates in September, 15, 16 and 17.
"Dear friends, we have managed to organise an additional show, especially for all the disappointed fans who were unable to get tickets so far! It will be an afternoon show on Saturday the 16th of September 2023," says mainman Arjen Lucassen.
Katatonia singer Jonas Renkse, Epica's Simone Simons, Anneke van Giersbergen, Evergrey's Tom Englund, Pain Of Salvation's Daniel Gildenlow and Arena frontman Damian Wilson head up a lengthy list of vocalists who will be performing live at the shows.
Other singers include Lucassen himself, Toehider's Mike Mills, Phideaux Xavier, Autumn's Marjan Welman, Praying Mantis frontman John Jaycee Cuijpers, Liselotte Hegt, Maggy Luyten, MaYan's Marcela Bovio and Irene Jansen.
Colin Bass to guest with Tehran prog rockers Quartet Diminished
Camel bassist Colin Bass will make a live guest appearance with Tehran-based four-piece Quartet Diminished when they appear at London's King's Place Theatre on December 2.
"Brilliant players, complex sounds from piano, reeds, guitar and drums,' says Bass. "I played and sang on a track on their last album and will be performing that track and a couple of others - all tracks are quite long - at their concert."
Bass appeared on the band's third album Station Three, which was released last year.
Damanek announce album No. 3
Multinational melodic prog rockers Damanek have announced they will release their new album, Making Shore, through GEP records on January 13.
The band's third album has once again been produced by Sean Timms (Unitopia, Southern Empire) and features the 30-minute epic Oculus.
"Creating Making Shore has been a real labour of love," explains keyboard player, singer and songwriter Guy Manning. "Demos for the pieces were written quite quickly nearly three years ago after the European tour, a set of songs in keeping with the previous two albums i.e., social, economic and political themes addressing the state of the planet and the human condition."
"Work on new songs started immediately after the release of the last album and Guy was even in Germany to work with me in the studio on selected arrangements," adds multi-instrumentalist Marek Arnold. "But then along came Corona and a long difficult time, but now it’s finally finished and I think the familiar sound, Sean’s excellent production and the varied songs won’t disappoint."
Virtual Symmetry will release self-titled new album in November
Swiss-Italian progressive metal band Virtual Symmetry will release their new, self-titled album through Sensory Records on November 25. It will feature the band’s newly expanded line-up which now includes vocalist Marco Pastorino, keyboardist Marco “Mark” Bravi, bassist Alessandro Poppale, and drummer Alfonso Mocerino.
"With our new album, we managed to combine our best qualities and selected the best Virtual Symmetry songs so far," the band say. "The classical prog metal trademarks with some very cool addictions, a couple of chorus sang in our native language, Italian language, a very long suite as opening track of the album and even more."
The Wring team up with Marco Minneman for third album Spectra
Canadian prog rockers The Wring have worked with The Aristocrats drummer Marco Minnemann on their third album, Spectra, which will be released through WormHoleDeath Records on December 16.
The new album promises to be "an assertive mix of different styles including hard rock, jazz, metal, classical, 80’s rock, 70’s rock, and probably a few other things."
You can watch an album teaser below.
Jacob Holm-Lupo goes ambient on his solo debut album
The prolific Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, Donner, Soltein, The Opium Cartel) adds another string to his mult-talented bow with the release of his debut solo album Entire Of Itself through Apollon Records on November 18.
Every sound on the album has been sourced from Sandøya, a small island at the Southern edge of the Oslofjord in Norway. Jacob moved there with his family five years ago, leaving a comfortable, suburban life behind for the wilder, freer island life.
"I wanted to paint a picture of the island with sounds," he explains. "Ever since we moved here, I have become increasingly aware of all the tones that exist in the air. The wail of the wind, the songs of the birds, the sea that sometimes roars, sometimes murmurs, the hum of farming machinery, the rhythm of boat engines. Sound and music is everywhere."
Candacraig release debut album Thunder Of Whispers
Lincolnshire neo-prog/alt folk duo Candacraig have just released their debut album, Thunder Of Whispers. The band explain their sound as "Cinematic anthems and dark twisted tales; we have been compared to Renaissance, Curved Air, All About Eve and Anathema. Our influences range from Pink Floyd to Kate Bush and Marillion."
Leagus sign with Is It Jazz? Records
Norwegian contemporary and experimental musical duo Leagus have signed with Norwegian label Is It Jazz? rRecords, who will release the band's as-yet-untitled third album.
"We are extremely proud to announce that we are signing with Is it jazz? Records," the pair say. "We share the same enthusiasm for experimental and progressive music, and also the devotion to the album format. We are so grateful for becoming a part of this team!"
Leagus are pianist Herborg Rundberg and guitarist Kristian Svalestad Olstad. The band was originally formed in 2013 by Herborg, as part of her Masters degree in Rhythmic Music at the Tromsø Conservatory, where, coincidentally, Kristian had also received his Masters degree in the same subject two years earlier.
Leagus is actually Sami slang for asking for something, and originates in the area in which Herborg herself was born.
Freedom To Glide to release fourth album The Chronicle Of Stolen Souls
UK prog duo Freedom To Glide have announced that they will release their fourth album, The Chronicle Of Stolen Souls, on November 30.
The new album, the follow-up to 2019's Seed, "has actually replaced this year’s intended album release due to the unfolding world events of 2022, not least the war in Ukraine," the band say. "The current political language is reminiscent of what we thought to be a bygone era of power politics and serves as a frightening reminder of the worst situations of the last century. We can only hope for peace, not a peace that is forced upon the loser but a peace without victory."
Once again, the new album continue the war and conflict theme that have coloured the band's previous releases.
"We began in 2014 with the track Stolen Souls which centred on the first Christmas Day of WW1, 1914, and the now famous Christmas Truce where soldiers laid down their arms in a spontaneous defiance of war. From that point we followed the same process at the same time each year concluding in 2019 with Silent Land covering the 1919 aftermath of the so-called ‘war to end all wars’."
Pre-order The Chronicle Of Stolen Souls.
Duo Atanasovski sign to MoonJune
Father and son duo, Duo Atanasovski, have signed to MoonJune Records who have just release the pair's latest album Liberte Toujours.
Featuring father Vasko Atanasovski, who has worked with the likes of like Living Colour and Tommy Emmanuel, and son Ariel Vei Atanasovski, who is a young composer and musician from Slovenia, the band combine classical and jazz and have worked with guests Marko Churnchetz (piano), Jošt Drašler (double bass) and Marjan Stanić (drums, percussion).
West Yorkshire prog metallers Knim to release debut album
West Yorkshire prog metal trio Knim will release their debut album When A Star Falls on November 25.
The band, Andrew Mawer (vocals/keys), Dennis Berry (guitar/keys) and Peter Nicholson (drums), have been likened to Mastodon, Baroness and Pain Of Salvation.
Knim have previously released their debut single A Prisoner On The Seas, which you can hear here.
