|
NewEARS Album Of The Month
"'Life in the Wires' is a bouquet of Progressive excitement and polish. It is audible that Blundell is overjoyed to be back in Frost*, and while this is to be heard in his playing, it is not just applicable to him - the same goes for all of the members. There is a palpable sense of excitement in the performances. The sound production is lovingly conferred by Godfrey, who reminds us why he is one of the World's most highly regarded music producers. It is at the same time spacey and very full, with just the right amount of separation between the instruments and voices. It never sounds cheesy, (even in the parts with static sound-bytes) and it somehow is always pleasing to the ear. Every instrument, every nuance, every static transmission and every effect, is clearly audible, and yet the album still sounds exceedingly warm and embracing. As for the visual production, the top-drawer art work features an old AM radio created by Carl Glover of Steven Wilson fame. The sheer adventure of 'Life in the Wires' alone, makes it a contender for album of the year [2024]. PN-TPR
Frost - Life In The Wires Life In The Wires is a concept album with a theme of dystopian control, a hero (Naio) who discovers old radio broadcasts and an attempt to escape oppression. Naio is pursued by The All-Seeing Eye which is the AI that runs the world. As is fitting for such a grand concept the album is lengthy. In 'old money' it would be a double album filling four sides of vinyl. The length of this recording allows songs and ideas to breathe and fill the space. Lengthy numbers compete with shorter songs. Jem handles lead vocals for the majority of the tracks. The music is varied. Melodic themes are prominent but there are also heavier moments. It is a veritable potpourri of musical styles. There is something for everyone: gentle ballads (Absent Friends and Sign Of Life), complex prog songs (the title tracks), and heavier stuff shading into metal (Propergander). The instrumentation is strong too: piano and keys, retro organ and suitably placed guitar solos. There are many influences in this album but it is still original. One can hear shades of PINK FLOYD and early GENESIS, but the vocal harmonies would not be out of place on tracks by ASIA. AW-DS  Essential Track: On to 'Life in the Wires (Part 2)'. This is the 15-minute epic track and it will, quite simply, leave you breathless. It has everything in its expansive arrangement, and its complexity and extravagance may be described as a full tribute to ‘Milliontown’. It is a dizzying composition that shows the band at its strident, simmering best, while still containing several moments of groove and choppy catchiness. It waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows, assaults and embraces, grooves and grabs, retreats and triumphs. It will please you greatly, no matter what your Prog proclivities. In typical Frost* fashion, the track culminates not in a slow, labored ending (so often done by many other Prog bands) but rather by gaining pace into a fast, frenzied and furious keyboard climax that sounds just right. No-one writes an epic quite like Jem Godfrey, and no-one delivers it quite like Frost*. The track is a crowning moment that exhibits all that is good in Prog. Absolutely stunning. PN-TPR Read the full reviews on The Prog Report , and Distorted Sound . Listen and watch the videos on the band's YouTube Channel. Buy the Album from Laser CD or wherever great Prog music is sold. NewEARS Art Rock Series
Click on the following link for a complete list of bands that have played for the NewEARS Art Rock Series New England Events
|
NewEARS Featured Show:
Lifesigns - Taffeta Music Hall
Lowell, MA - Wednesday March 26th 
Lifesigns are an independent UK based band of virtuoso professional musicians.
Members of Lifesigns have worked with artists ranging from Asia and The Scorpions through to pop and jazz icons like Bonnie Tyler and Quincy Jones. The latest studio album Altitude was crowdfunded by our dedicated fans in 40 countries worldwide (including 36 US states) and has been compared to everything from Steely Dan to Pink Floyd to U.K. Our previous album Cardington got to number 4 in the UK Indie chart without so much as a play on mainstream radio. We have toured the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Lithuania and have played on five sailings of the iconic Cruise To The Edge out of Florida, USA. On the 2024 cruise Simon Phillips (Toto, Protocol) guested on drums as our regular drummer was unavailable. In July 2023 we released a live album recorded at De Boerderij in the Netherlands and a Blu-ray version is to follow in 2024. Work has also commenced on the fourth studio album... Latest New England Prog News:
Coming to New Bedford, MA - April 13th - at The Vault  With Special Guest: The Paul Bielatowicz Band The Vault: We are pleased to announce that The Paul Bielatowicz Band will be opening for legendary progressive rock band Nektar here at The Vault in New Bedford, MA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Bielatowicz is a virtuoso guitarist renowned for his work with progressive rock icons Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy and The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. His band, consisting of Michael Dutko (Gary Hoey) on bass and Leah Bluestein on drums (Eagles of Death Metal, Gary Hoey) presents an electrifying fusion of rock, classical, and cinematic music, highlighted by virtuosic guitar work and dynamic arrangements that captivate audiences globally. This is not the "Nosferatu" show he played here last year but a completely new endeavor. Tickets are available through Eventbrite. BIG BIG TRAIN return to the Regent Theatre - April 17th -  Big Big Train are delighted to return to Arlington, MA to perform at the Regent Theatre, Thursday 17th April 2025. Following the recruitment of lead vocalist Alberto Bravin, in the last two years Big Big Train have played almost 50 shows in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, and the USA as well as co-headlining the prestigious Cruise To The Edge and appearing at European festivals in 2024. In 2025 Big Big Train will return to the live stage and continue to promote their acclaimed recent studio and live albums, The Likes Of Us and A Flare On The Lens, their first releases on the renowned InsideOut/Sony label. The shows will also include some classic back catalogue material. 'The Likes Of Us' tour continues in April 2025 with more extensive North American dates, a return to once again co-headline Cruise To The Edge, as well as making their debut in Portugal in early May. Alongside Bravin and founder member Gregory Spawton, the multinational band features an impressive list of musicians, namely drummer Nick D'Virgilio, guitarist/keyboardist Rikard Sjoblom, violinist Clare Lindley and keyboardist Oskar Holldorff. Their combined experience includes playing with bands such as Genesis, Steve Hackett, PFM, Tears For Fears, Mr Big, Spock's Beard, Beardfish, Stackridge and Dim Gray, among others. |
Season 11 of the NewEARS Prog Show is back on Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio.  Click here for Season 4-11 and the latest podcast from Delicious Agony - Progressive Rock Radio Click here for a complete list of artists that have appeared on the NewEARS Prog Show Season 1-3 NewEARS Prog Show Sponsors
        
NewEARS Picks for Top 10 Albums of 2024: Al B 10) HFMC- Eternal Snapshots 9) The Master's Brew- Elixir 8) Isobar- Isobar IV 7) Benjamin Croft- We Are Here To Help 6) IZZ- Collapse the Wave 5) Randy McStine- Mutual Hallucinations 4) Big Big Train- The Likes of Us 3) Frost*- Life In The Wires 2) Tony Levin- Bringing It Down to the Bass 1) Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks- True Scott B-A: 10. Millenium - Hope Dies Last 9. ICE - Man in The Moon 8. Ellesmere - Stranger Skies 7. Anubis - The Unforgivable 6. Aton Five - Aton Five 5. Mindgames - Spirals in the Wider Space 4. Weather Systems - Ocean Without A Shore 3. Karfagen - Land of Chameleons 2. Wheel - Charismatic Leaders 1. Nektar - Mission to Mars Fred T: 10. VHB - In Murmuration 9. Airbag - Century Of The Shelf 8. TPT - It Leads To This 7. HFMC - Eternal Snapshots 6. PRR - Coming Up To Consciousness 5. IZZ - Collapse The Wave 4. Circuline - CORE 3. Frost - Life In The Wires 2. Beardfish - Song For Beating Hearts 1. BBT - The Likes Of Us |
