"Mitchell’s latest album ‘Under Stars’, billed as the third album under his project moniker ‘Lonely Robot’, is the final chapter in the loose sci-fi story of an astronaut and his various cosmic experiences. But the albums are less space stories than they are thematic presentations of various topics seen through the astronaut’s eyes. The theme of the first album, ‘Please Come Home’, was that humans may have originated from an alien race. The themes of the second, ‘The Big Dream’, included philosophical musings on awakening from comatose sleep, and the confusion between reality and dreams. This one contemplates the digital and social media detachment of the millennial generation, from real life. The astronaut, of course, is omni-present.

It is no surprise that first-choice drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson, Frost*) confers his usual supernova drumming on the album, and live band member Steve Vantsis (Fish) contributes his excellent bass-playing on some songs. Mitchell does everything else.

Everything we have come to love from Mitchell is here: intentionally cinematic (read sci-fi movie) sound-scapes, searing and heart-wrenching guitar solos from a man who really can play with precision and emotion (yet still sound like no-one else), lush choruses, innovative composition, superb production and a voice that, though baritone, has an unwavering sadness and sweetness in its delivery. For the Proggier readers out there, it should be noted that this album has fewer scattered time signatures and Prog leanings, and even features an ‘80’s synth-pop feel in places (there’s nothing wrong with that – Prog fans are in any event usually fans of Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones and other leaders of that genre, who were in fact Proggers in disguise.)" PM-TPR



Essential Track: ‘Authorship of Our Lives’ will be considered by many to be the best song on the album. Orbital and ethereal, it is yet another innovative John Mitchell melody based on a beautiful and sad keyboard riff, accompanied by Blundell’s inconceivably tasteful drumming. Proggy enough, emotional enough, lyrically intense, and with an imperious guitar solo, this is simply a great song. PN_TPR



Read the complete review on The Prog Report.

Listen to samples on YouTube and buy the CD from InsideOut Music or wherever great prog music is sold.

---

Click on the following link for a complete list of bands that have played for the NewEARS Art Rock Series

---

2019-05-24
Tobias Sammet's - Avantasia at The Palladium - Worcester, MA at 08:00 PM
$22.50 - $400.00

2019-05-31
The Musical Box: A Genesis Extravaganza at Wall Street Theater - Norwalk, CT at 08:00 PM
$30.00 - $58.00

2019-06-05
Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee at 3S Artspace - Portsmouth, NH at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Bent Knee
$13 - $18

2019-06-06
Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee at ArtsRiot - Burlington, VT at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Bent Knee
TBD

2019-06-11
Todd Rundgren – The Individualist Tour at Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT at 08:00 PM
$90 - $150 (VIP)

2019-06-19
Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee at Space Ballroom - Hamden, CT at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Bent Knee
$16.50 - $20.00

2019-06-20
Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee at The Met - Pawtucket, RI at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Bent Knee
$15 adv, $18 day of show

2019-06-21
Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee at Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Bent Knee
$15 adv, $18 day of show

2019-06-22
Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee at The Palladium - Worcester, MA at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Bent Knee
$15 - $18

2019-06-29
THE ROYAL AFFAIR TOUR - YES - ASIA - JOHN LODGE & CARL PALMERS ELP LEGACY at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion - Gilford, NH at 06:00 PM
$28.25 - $145.75

2019-06-30
THE ROYAL AFFAIR TOUR - YES - ASIA - JOHN LODGE & CARL PALMERS ELP LEGACY at Bold Point Park - Providence, RI at 05:30 PM
$29.50 - $200

2019-07-25
SkolHamm Asylum - Alex Skolnick & Stu Hamm& at Penuche's Music Hall - Manchester, NH at 09:00 PM
$35 - $55

2019-08-02
The Aristrocrats - You Know What ...? Tour at The Middle East - Cambridge, MA at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Travis Larson Band
$25

2019-09-05
Dweezil Zappa "Hot Rats & Other Stuff" at Casino Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH at 08:00 PM
$24 - $59

2019-09-06
Dweezil Zappa "Hot Rats & Other Stuff" at Stateside Amphitheater - Jay Peak, VT at 08:00 PM
$30

2019-09-10
Dweezil Zappa "Hot Rats & Other Stuff" at Infinity Music Hall - Hartford, CT at 08:00 PM
$39 - $79

All Events ...>>

The wait is finally over! Tobias Sammet has released the AVANTASIA masterpiece Moonglow on February 1, 2019 through Nuclear Blast. The band announced they will be heading to the US and Canada for select dates in the spring to promote the new album Moonglow.

Comprised of 11 tracks, the new opus once again features several guest vocalists. This time round, Tobias worked not only with well-known faces such as Ronnie Atkins, Jørn Lande, Eric Martin, Geoff Tate, Michael Kiske or Bob Catley but also with new singers like Candice Night, Hansi Kürsch as well as Mille Petrozza who help to vitalize the new AVANTASIA record. Its cover artwork was created by Alexander Jansson.

Comments Tobias Sammet, "It's alive! After more than two years of hard work - and what felt like 71 overnight shifts back to back recently - we're ready to unleash Moonglow upon the universe. I believe it's the most adorned and detailed album we've ever produced. Not over ambitious, but there is a lot of love for detail in there. AVANTASIA is the ultimate playground for a musician's wildest fantasies to come true: Celtic elements, world music elements, big choirs, atmospheric stuff, amazing guest vocal performances and of course all that wrapped up in what I consider to be the typical AVANTASIA sound. Someone in the music business just told me that the embellished nature of the sound makes it hard to market it, it doesn't fit in the contemporary musical landscape and "if you take a look around, no one really sounds like that." - EXACTLY! THANK YOU! I can't wait to release Moonglow, take my friends of the AVANTASIA family and hit the road for the big Moonglow World Tour."

Tobias Sammet, hailing from Fulda, created the rock event AVANTASIA in 1999 and celebrated its live premiere in 2008. With over 3,5 million records sold, he is one of the most successful musicians from Germany and has worked with Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker(THE SCORPIONS), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG) as well as many other stars from the international music business. For a long time Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA has been considered an insider tip. But after countless headline performances at some of the world's largest rock festivals (Sweden Rock Festival, Québec Music Festival, Barcelona Rock Fest etc.), gold awards and several top 10 positions in the world charts, the upcoming AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 can only be considered the biggest rock event of the year!

---

2019-05-23: PROG ROCKERS MAGIC PIE REVEAL DETAILS AND A NEW VIDEO FROM FIFTH FULL-LENGTH ALBUM
The long-awaited fifth full-length album from Norwegian Prog Rockers MAGIC PIE is on its way. Titled “Fragments of the 5th Element” it is set to hit the streets on Karisma Records on the 30th of August in CD, Gatefold LP a

2019-05-23: Yes bassist Billy Sherwood announces new solo album
Yes bassist Billy Sherwood has announced that he’ll release his new solo album this summer. It’s titled Citizen: In The Next Life and it’ll launch on July 12 via Frontiers Music srl. It’ll be the second part in Sherwood’s Cit

2019-05-22: OPETH To Release Their 13th Album " In Cauda Venenum" In The Fall; Track-Listing And Artwork Unveiled
Swedish progressive metal biggest exponents OPETH have announced the title and track-listing of their 13th album, entitled In Cauda Venenum (Latin for The poison is in the tail) , due next fall via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blas

2019-05-22: 'I miss my buddies': Geddy Lee reflects on Rush and his love of bass
Geddy Lee is on the road again in Canada. But not in the way fans of his beloved Toronto prog-rock outfit Rush — who packed it in after four decades following the final show of their R40 tour on Aug. 1, 2015 at the L.A. Forum

2019-05-21: The Enid - new band member & new gig!
Whatever the marbled history, The Enid are very much of the here and now, preparing to release a new album and tour in October 2019. The band return to The Met for a one-off special concert to launch a new chapter in a long c

2019-05-21: Rush Magazine Ads Through the Years: 1974-2018
As the dozens of Rush magazine ads below show, the band always placed a strong emphasis on high-quality and thought-provoking artwork. From the surprisingly intimidating owl on 1975's Fly by Night to the anti-conformity image

2019-05-21: Tony Banks to release the Banks Vaults box set this summer
A new Tony Banks box set has been revealed – and it’ll be released this summer. Genesis News report that it’s titled Banks Vaults: The Albums 1979-1995. It will feature seven albums: A Curious Feeling (1979), The Wicked Lady

2019-05-20: Yes Celebrates 50th Anniversary With 50 Live Set
As fractured as the YES experience has been over the last decades, there’s still enough strong original talent in the official YES to make a genuine YES album. For many, the Howe-led team with Alan White, and newer members (O

2019-05-20: David Byrne Announces ‘American Utopia’ Broadway Run
David Byrne announced that his acclaimed American Utopia live show would be adapted for a Broadway run later this year. The performances will take place in the 1,500-capacity Hudson Theatre for 16 weeks, from Oct. 4 to Jan. 1

2019-05-20: British Prog Diva Rosalie Cunningham To Release New Self-Titled Solo Album On July 26, 2019!
Esoteric Antenna are delighted to announce a new studio album with Rosalie Cunningham. Since her celebrated band Purson played its final gig in late 2016, singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Rosalie has been working

2019-05-19: AAJ Review: Bruford-Borstlap: Sheer Reckless Abandon
One of the great joys of music can be that of distance: coming back to a piece of music, a musician/group or a discography, even, years later to rediscover it anew. While returning to music after a break of months, years...ev

2019-05-18: King's X added to Cruise To The Edge 2020
Please welcome to Cruise to the Edge for the first time.... King's X! Book your cabin now at: cruisetotheedge.com

2019-05-18: 45 Years Ago: Rush’s First U.S. Show Becomes a Complete Disaster
Rush's first show in America ran a promoter out of the business and infuriated local officials to the point that they established new legislation. There were as many as four overdoses, too. Promo ads promised a 12-hour music

2019-05-17: SOTO: launch "HyperMania" single/video & Pt. 1 of EPK; "Origami" out next week!
SOTO, the modern Heavy Metal / Hard Rock group featuring vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (ex Yngwie Malmsteen / Talisman / ex Journey, Sons Of Apollo, TSO, etc.), are soon to release their third album and InsideOutMusic debut “Origa

---