The Xroadie Files



Sar Isatum – Shurpu
Sar Isatum tribal beats and grinding guitars that then kicks into overdrive of evil intent.  Chenoo kicks you in the teeth from the very first note and drags you down the road to nothingness.  Black Gate starts slow melodic and melancholy then it’s like the pits of hell are opening up.  Gormandizer deep plodding bass that rumbles your very inside then something from the pit is arising to take you with it.  Celestial Diaspora has more of a gothic classical intro then the blast beats and deep growling vocals come in to eat you alive.  Vanaspati in your face demonic death metal from Hades.  Halls of Pestilence melancholy intro music then the depths of hell open up to drag you down.


Signo Rojo – Svarfodd
Jonas- Vocals/Bass, Elias – Guitar, Ola – Guitar, Pontus – Drums

They Sell Conflict punk meets death meets stoner in this song.  Dead Horse is more of a thrash melds with death style of song with some interesting guitar work.  Holyman is almost thrash with a unique style of riff that has a few twists.  Underminer is more like old Sabbath with the growling vocals of stoner rock.  Cock Will Burn has a mid-eastern feel to the guitar and some excellent drum bass work a great song to head bang to.  Under The Wheels Of The Juggernaut has the feeling of being stuck in the ground and a steamroller coming your way to run you over and you can’t move.  Lockjaw is closer to classic metal reminds me of Rage from Germany but with deeper vocals.  Fractal and Shapeless ends the album with spoken words which builds into a really strange song.


Staring Into Nothing – Power
Steve Rogers – Keyboards/Vocals, Savannah Rogers – Guitar/Vocals, Kurt Barabas – Bass/Guitar, Matt Chamberlain – Drums, David Levita – Guitar, Jamie Muhoberac- Keyboards, Pop Levi – BG Vocals, Andrea Meli – BG Vocals

Puritans is excellent prog rock that takes you back to the early days of the prog rock style lots of emotion and melody Pink Floyd meets Genesis.  School Daze has sort of a prog rock meets Beatles feel to just sit back and enjoy.  Obey excellent melodies with lots of great musicianship and an older Rush feel to it.  The Program continues the saga of the excellent concept album mixing Rush, Asia, Yes and Genesis.  Heads or Tails great keyboard work has sort of a saga meets Prog rush mellow sound.  Information Crime is a slow melodic lots of excellent vocals and musicianship that takes you on a trip to yesteryear then slowly builds to a great riff and story with some amazing lead guitar.  Towers is Tangerine Dream mixed with Pink Floyd and early Genesis a great nod to the old school prog rock 18 minutes of excellence.  Big Brother great piano work and heartfelt vocals that melds its way into a mid-tempo rock song.  Freedom is another excellent prog song that takes you on a trip to younger times with some excellent guitar work and an excellent rhythm.  The Gates Of Hell starts with chorus vocals and a great message over 6 minutes of prog rock excellence.


Starsoup - Castles of Sand
Artem Molodtsov – Bass, Mikhail- Sorokin – Drums, Alexey Markov – Guitar/Vocals

Catcher In The Lie keys bass and drums build to a great prog metal sound and riff excellent to bang your head to with lots of turns in the music.  Into The Woods has more of a new wave intro with some great drums and vocals that melds into a great sing along song.  Brothers Plea has an almost rockabilly feel to the intro that turns into a mid-eastern feel with some interesting vocals and a great metal riff.  Your World Is Dead has some great guitar and flute work reminds me of Jethro Tull lots of feeling and emotions.  Rumors of Better Love is a renaissance style guitar and vocals song.  Escapist is full on prog metal in the style of Dream Theater with some interesting vocals.  Winter in Shire takes you back to the time of times in the woods and living very quietly.  Castle sounds of a storm then some strange interesting sounds and spoken words with a rush style rhythm that takes you on a strange trip thru emotions. The World That Has Moved On classical piano and vocals that leads into Light Up The Stars another melodic excellent song to just sit back to and sing along with.  Moon On The Shore sounds of wind and a storm in the background with excellent piano that just drifts away.  Road to Sunset is a jazzy style of song has sort of a Billy Joel feel.


Lunar- Theogony
Alex Basson – Drums/Percussion, Ryan Erwin – Guitar/Vocals, Danny Stevenson – Keyboards

Thalia excellent acoustic guitar that melds into a great rhythm with many prog rock twists.  Clio excellent drums lead guitar and a great riff along with some excellent keyboards and heartfelt vocals make this prog metal song worthwhile.  Calliope a catchy riff some excellent musicianship and a great song to just kick back and drift along with.  Polyhymnia feedback sounds then a melodic guitar with some very deep growling vocals.  Euterpe classical guitar sounds envelope you then melodic vocals then a great prog metal riff and some scorching lead guitar an over 11 minute prog metal masterpiece.  Erato more classical guitar and vocals that slowly melds into a prog metal song.  Terpsichore sit back relax and just drift to the music with an excellent riff and searing leads.  Urania an off tempo beat and riff that slowly catches your attention that goes from heavy to mellow and back again several times.  Melpomene ends this prog metal festival of sounds starting out very melodic and slow then slowly builds till the end.


-Xroadie

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