How has Mandroid Echostar's debut LP Coral Throne been treating you? I've been digging it, but I haven't been able to spend enough time with it yet to pick a favourite, which is usually how I decide what gets to be a Song of the Day. So in the interest of giving you a Mandroid Monday for this particular much-belated post, let's revisit the band's 2013 sophomore EP Citadels, shall we?
Specifically, let's check out "Haunted Vows" for a slice of slick grooves, syrupy leads, and a mid-song instrumental break that's spearheaded by a nice fat bass lick that's simple yet hypnotic. When everybody comes back together on that lick for the end of the song, it's that much bigger for it. Mandroid, if any of you happen to catch this post, come on back to Kingston already, will you? I'll buy you a beer for an LP well done.
Showing posts with label Mandroid Echostar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mandroid Echostar. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 January 2016
Saturday, 12 December 2015
Mandroid Echostar - Iron Hands
A little over a month ago, we got our first taste of the forthcoming debut LP from Mandroid Echostar. Now we've got another track to mull over, as well as some preorder packages for Mandroid's Coral Throne and a release date that feels like it's practically on top of us already.
The actual date in question is January 15th, so it's really more than a month away, but the impending holidays and end of the calendar year here in the western world makes it feel like mid-January is right around the corner. New Mandroid song "Iron Hands" should help get you through the last couple of long weeks that in reality remain between now and the release date for Coral Throne. "Iron Hands" is essentially more of what Mandroid Echostar is good at: slick-sounding pop-metal with just the right amount of technicality. Between this one and the previously released "Paladin", it seems like Mandroid Echostar might just be set to open 2016 with a contender for one of the year's best.
The actual date in question is January 15th, so it's really more than a month away, but the impending holidays and end of the calendar year here in the western world makes it feel like mid-January is right around the corner. New Mandroid song "Iron Hands" should help get you through the last couple of long weeks that in reality remain between now and the release date for Coral Throne. "Iron Hands" is essentially more of what Mandroid Echostar is good at: slick-sounding pop-metal with just the right amount of technicality. Between this one and the previously released "Paladin", it seems like Mandroid Echostar might just be set to open 2016 with a contender for one of the year's best.
Monday, 9 November 2015
Friday: Mandroid Echostar - Paladin
You might have already had the chance to check out the latest from friends of the blog Mandroid Echostar, since the new single "Paladin" was unleashed upon the world last Friday. But, being a couple of days behind as I always am, I thought the Mandroid jam might make the perfect belated Friday post.
If you're ahead of me on this one, good for you. But if you're not, here's what you're in store for: "Paladin" sounds a little darker than much of Mandroid's work, but the band's top-notch musicianship and songwriting skills are still very much in evidence, from the pummeling introductory twin-guitar riff to the big, hooky choruses, to that soaring outro that feels like it should just fade into the sunset.
If "Paladin" is any indication, the upcoming new Mandroid Echostar doesn't seem like it'll be worlds apart from previous Mandroid material -- no unexpected forays into throat singing or Finnish blackened speed folk or whatever. But that's perfectly fine by me, because it does sound like it'll be more of the tasty Mandroid goodness that even two admittedly solid EPs just couldn't deliver enough of. "Paladin" sounds like the guys have taken what they already do, and just decided to do it better, more, and longer. I'm on board for a debut Mandroid LP like that, how about you?
If you're ahead of me on this one, good for you. But if you're not, here's what you're in store for: "Paladin" sounds a little darker than much of Mandroid's work, but the band's top-notch musicianship and songwriting skills are still very much in evidence, from the pummeling introductory twin-guitar riff to the big, hooky choruses, to that soaring outro that feels like it should just fade into the sunset.
If "Paladin" is any indication, the upcoming new Mandroid Echostar doesn't seem like it'll be worlds apart from previous Mandroid material -- no unexpected forays into throat singing or Finnish blackened speed folk or whatever. But that's perfectly fine by me, because it does sound like it'll be more of the tasty Mandroid goodness that even two admittedly solid EPs just couldn't deliver enough of. "Paladin" sounds like the guys have taken what they already do, and just decided to do it better, more, and longer. I'm on board for a debut Mandroid LP like that, how about you?
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Thursday: Protest the Hero - Turn Soonest to the Sea
For your belated Throwback Thursday song for last week, I'm turning to perennial Loud Noises favourite Protest the Hero. What does such a young band have to do with throwing back, you ask?
Despite their relative youth, Protest the Hero have been busy over the last decade, releasing four LPs and touring like crazy. More importantly (at least for my purposes today), the band's stellar debut album Kezia turned ten years old at the end of August, and to commemorate the guys have planned an anniversary tour with the original, now-defunct lineup. There's no Kingston date this time around (what gives, guys?) but it still looks to be a good time.
So that's why you're getting a track from the ten-year-old Kezia today, namely "Turn Soonest to the Sea". Crank this one and then go grab your tickets for one of the Kezia X dates. It'll be worth your while, I promise! (hint: you might get to hear some Mandroid Echostar material if you catching them opening on this tour...)
Despite their relative youth, Protest the Hero have been busy over the last decade, releasing four LPs and touring like crazy. More importantly (at least for my purposes today), the band's stellar debut album Kezia turned ten years old at the end of August, and to commemorate the guys have planned an anniversary tour with the original, now-defunct lineup. There's no Kingston date this time around (what gives, guys?) but it still looks to be a good time.
So that's why you're getting a track from the ten-year-old Kezia today, namely "Turn Soonest to the Sea". Crank this one and then go grab your tickets for one of the Kezia X dates. It'll be worth your while, I promise! (hint: you might get to hear some Mandroid Echostar material if you catching them opening on this tour...)
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
2014 Round-Up: 2015 Top Prospects
Since we're already almost a sixth of the way through 2015, it's about goddamn time I got part 2 of my 2014 round-up posted, right? Lucky for me, none of the records I anticipate below have come out yet, but there's one or two that are right around the corner, so you'd better get reading!
Tool - ??? (???)
I thought I'd get this one over and done with right off the bat. Everybody and their mother's dog knows that Tool operates on a much longer album cycle than virtually anybody else on the planet, but since it's been almost nine years now since the release of 10,000 Days even Maynard and company are getting to be about due for some new material. The last year or so has seen a number of rumours and vaguely enticing social media posts that seem to suggest work on a new record is ongoing, perhaps even nearing completion, but just when we might get to hear any of this new material is anybody's guess. I'll believe this one's coming when I'm holding a copy in my hand.
Uneven Structure - La Partition (summer)
It's been nearly four years since France's Uneven Structure blew me and a lot of other listeners away with their so-much-more-than-just-djent debut LP Februus, but the band is finally putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to this masterwork of dense groove and atmosphere. The internet buzz seems to think that this one will be out by the summer, and I for one hope the internet is right for once. La Partition could well be a monster, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Chimp Spanner - ??? (???)
Regular readers will know that I'm a fan of progressive instrumental music, so the prospect of new material from everybody's favourite one manimal army Chimp Spanner is something I'm 100% onboard with. 2014 saw a new track called "Aurora" unleashed upon the interwebz in demo and playthrough form, but Mr. Ortiz was otherwise largely silent, studio-wise, instead spending the year playing shows and festivals around England and across Europe. That's all well and good, but Chimp Spanner fans elsewhere in the world (read: me) are due for their own dose of Paul Ortiz, and a new record would be the perfect way for us to get it.
Blotted Science - ??? (???)
Speaking of instrumental prog, tech supertrio Blotted Science also seem to be working on some new jams. Their 2011 EP The Animation of Entomology was an absolute beast, a labyrinthine slice of technicality and compositional virtuosity -- guitarist Ron Jarzombek utilized a "Twelve Tones in Fragmeneted Rows" system of his own design to cook up all the weird and wonderful riffs and chord progressions on the EP (ask your music-nerd friends to explain it to you). Of course, you don't have to have a graduate degree in music theory to appreciate the madness contained on this EP, or to be excited about the prospect of further experiments from the Blotted Science laboratory.
Dance Gavin Dance - Instant Gratification (April 14th)
By any standard of modern music you'd care to name, Sacramento post-hardcore act Dance Gavin Dance have had a pretty prolific run so far. Five studio albums, an EP, and a live record in the last eight years or so would be a good track record for any band in any genre, but for band that writes stuff that's a little heavier, a little more technical, it's downright impressive (even if DGD aren't the heaviest or the most technical band in the world...). DGD has undergone several line-up changes over the years, particularly in the vocalist department, so it's always good to get the news that the guys are back at it again with new material.
Coheed and Cambria - ??? (spring/summer 2015)
Times flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? It seems like Coheed's stellar (pun sorta intended) double album The Afterman came out just yesterday, but second installment Descension is already two years old. Seen in this light, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that Claudio and company are gearing up for another record. Coheed and Cambria's catalogue has its ups and downs, but The Afterman was a bit of a return to form, so the prognosis (pun kind intended yet again) for album number eight looks good.
The Fall of Troy - ??? (???)
Like Dance Gavin Dance, this is another one of those bands that tr00 metalheads might look down their nose at a little bit, but I've been a Fall of Troy fan a long time. As such, the news that they were getting back together definitely piqued my interest. The subsequent news that they might be working on new material hooked me even more. There's not a whole lot of word on what form new material might take, or when we might hear it, but the fact that singer/guitarist Thomas Erak has left his gig with Chiodos seems to bode well for a return to full-time TFOT recording and touring. The stars fell out of alignment for me a few years back when I had tickets to one of their farewell shows and the couldn't attend, so here's hoping that I'll get another shot to catch them on the road, preferably supporting a new record.
Deftones - ??? (???)
A new Deftones record is always something to get interested in, if not excited about, and this one should be no exception. The chances of this one being the "lost" album Eros, the last recording the band did with late bassist Chi Cheng, may be slim to none, but the fact remains that Chino and Company have been pretty strong on their last couple of outings. Assuming that the band's next effort is more Koi No Yokan or Diamond Eyes than Saturday Night Wrist -- which might be a pretty big assumption, who knows -- new Deftones material could kick a surprising amount of ass.
Mandroid Echostar - ??? (???)
As is the case with so many of the entries on this list, there's not much information to go on here -- no title, no release date, no single, nada -- but Facebook tells me that the actual recording process is indeed complete and the band has moved on to the mixing stage. These guys are not only "friends of the blog" (oh how I love being able to say that, even if it's only very loosely true), they're also stupidly good at crafting catchy, shredtastic pop-prog. Keep doing Canada proud, boys.
letlive. - ??? (???)
I got into The Blackest Beautiful in a big way. Chief among the reasons for this is definitely the fact that, as I've said umpteen bazillion times before, letlive. feels like the successor band to perennial tease Glassjaw, and boy do I loves me some Glassjaw, especially Worship and Tribute. That album's got such a vibe, such an energy, and letlive. manages to tap into that same kind of vibe and energy in spades. I've have no idea what direction the follow-up to The Blackest Beautiful will take, nor do I even know what direction I want it to take, but I can't wait to hear it.
Tesseract - ??? (???)
A new Tesseract record. With Dan Tompkins back in the mix. Need this Tesseract-loving, Dan Tompkins fanboy say more? No word on when this one's dropping, but in my opinion it can't be soon enough. For now I'll just have to content myself with waiting for the live album/DVD Scala/Odyssesy that's still, at the time of this writing, "coming soon".
The Ocean - ??? (???)
I may be a bit of a latecomer to the 'The Ocean' party, but I got into the band's last record Pelagial pretty hard. Progressive post-metal with a veritable fuck-tonne of groove, and a high concept to boot? Sign me up. The guys in The Ocean have some pretty deep shoes to fill (see what I did there?) with a follow-up to Pelagial, but if they can pull it off, it would very likely be an Album of the Year contender.
Plini - The End of Everything (March 11)
Last but most certainly not least is another "friend of the blog", namely Australian guitarist Plini, whose third EP The End of Everything will be coming out in just a couple of weeks' time. Since Plini's previous work is some of the most badass-yet-chill songwriting I've ever heard, the culmination of his trilogy of EP's is definitely something I'm looking forward to -- I've got my preorder in and everything. If guitar-based instrumental jams in which songwriting doesn't take a back seat to technicality but is rather served by it are your thing, The End of Everything should be perfect for scratching your itch. Now all Plini needs to do is stop going to school and traveling around helping people long enough to write an LP already.
And there you have it: a small selection of upcoming and possibly upcoming albums that I'm looking forward to this year. I'm sure I've probably missed scads of records-in-progress by scads of great bands, but these are some that I've read about, or at least heard rumours about, that have got me stoked up for the next ten months or so.
Now, you may have noticed a trend in the entries above, namely the profusion of question marks sitting in for actual album titles and release dates. You may also wonder why this profusion is so...well, profuse. In a nutshell, it's because that's the sum total of the information I have about these records. Contrary to what you might think, I have very little insider information about any of the above (read: none).
But rather than just write about the few albums I do have solid title-and-date information for, I thought it'd be more fun to give you a cross section of some of the stuff I'm looking forward to, or just hoping for, in 2015. If even half of the aforementioned new material ends up coming out this year, 2015 is going to be nice and heavy.
Tool - ??? (???)
I thought I'd get this one over and done with right off the bat. Everybody and their mother's dog knows that Tool operates on a much longer album cycle than virtually anybody else on the planet, but since it's been almost nine years now since the release of 10,000 Days even Maynard and company are getting to be about due for some new material. The last year or so has seen a number of rumours and vaguely enticing social media posts that seem to suggest work on a new record is ongoing, perhaps even nearing completion, but just when we might get to hear any of this new material is anybody's guess. I'll believe this one's coming when I'm holding a copy in my hand.
Uneven Structure - La Partition (summer)
It's been nearly four years since France's Uneven Structure blew me and a lot of other listeners away with their so-much-more-than-just-djent debut LP Februus, but the band is finally putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to this masterwork of dense groove and atmosphere. The internet buzz seems to think that this one will be out by the summer, and I for one hope the internet is right for once. La Partition could well be a monster, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Chimp Spanner - ??? (???)
Regular readers will know that I'm a fan of progressive instrumental music, so the prospect of new material from everybody's favourite one manimal army Chimp Spanner is something I'm 100% onboard with. 2014 saw a new track called "Aurora" unleashed upon the interwebz in demo and playthrough form, but Mr. Ortiz was otherwise largely silent, studio-wise, instead spending the year playing shows and festivals around England and across Europe. That's all well and good, but Chimp Spanner fans elsewhere in the world (read: me) are due for their own dose of Paul Ortiz, and a new record would be the perfect way for us to get it.
Blotted Science - ??? (???)
Speaking of instrumental prog, tech supertrio Blotted Science also seem to be working on some new jams. Their 2011 EP The Animation of Entomology was an absolute beast, a labyrinthine slice of technicality and compositional virtuosity -- guitarist Ron Jarzombek utilized a "Twelve Tones in Fragmeneted Rows" system of his own design to cook up all the weird and wonderful riffs and chord progressions on the EP (ask your music-nerd friends to explain it to you). Of course, you don't have to have a graduate degree in music theory to appreciate the madness contained on this EP, or to be excited about the prospect of further experiments from the Blotted Science laboratory.
Dance Gavin Dance - Instant Gratification (April 14th)
By any standard of modern music you'd care to name, Sacramento post-hardcore act Dance Gavin Dance have had a pretty prolific run so far. Five studio albums, an EP, and a live record in the last eight years or so would be a good track record for any band in any genre, but for band that writes stuff that's a little heavier, a little more technical, it's downright impressive (even if DGD aren't the heaviest or the most technical band in the world...). DGD has undergone several line-up changes over the years, particularly in the vocalist department, so it's always good to get the news that the guys are back at it again with new material.
Coheed and Cambria - ??? (spring/summer 2015)
Times flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? It seems like Coheed's stellar (pun sorta intended) double album The Afterman came out just yesterday, but second installment Descension is already two years old. Seen in this light, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that Claudio and company are gearing up for another record. Coheed and Cambria's catalogue has its ups and downs, but The Afterman was a bit of a return to form, so the prognosis (pun kind intended yet again) for album number eight looks good.
The Fall of Troy - ??? (???)
Like Dance Gavin Dance, this is another one of those bands that tr00 metalheads might look down their nose at a little bit, but I've been a Fall of Troy fan a long time. As such, the news that they were getting back together definitely piqued my interest. The subsequent news that they might be working on new material hooked me even more. There's not a whole lot of word on what form new material might take, or when we might hear it, but the fact that singer/guitarist Thomas Erak has left his gig with Chiodos seems to bode well for a return to full-time TFOT recording and touring. The stars fell out of alignment for me a few years back when I had tickets to one of their farewell shows and the couldn't attend, so here's hoping that I'll get another shot to catch them on the road, preferably supporting a new record.
Deftones - ??? (???)
A new Deftones record is always something to get interested in, if not excited about, and this one should be no exception. The chances of this one being the "lost" album Eros, the last recording the band did with late bassist Chi Cheng, may be slim to none, but the fact remains that Chino and Company have been pretty strong on their last couple of outings. Assuming that the band's next effort is more Koi No Yokan or Diamond Eyes than Saturday Night Wrist -- which might be a pretty big assumption, who knows -- new Deftones material could kick a surprising amount of ass.
Mandroid Echostar - ??? (???)
As is the case with so many of the entries on this list, there's not much information to go on here -- no title, no release date, no single, nada -- but Facebook tells me that the actual recording process is indeed complete and the band has moved on to the mixing stage. These guys are not only "friends of the blog" (oh how I love being able to say that, even if it's only very loosely true), they're also stupidly good at crafting catchy, shredtastic pop-prog. Keep doing Canada proud, boys.
letlive. - ??? (???)
I got into The Blackest Beautiful in a big way. Chief among the reasons for this is definitely the fact that, as I've said umpteen bazillion times before, letlive. feels like the successor band to perennial tease Glassjaw, and boy do I loves me some Glassjaw, especially Worship and Tribute. That album's got such a vibe, such an energy, and letlive. manages to tap into that same kind of vibe and energy in spades. I've have no idea what direction the follow-up to The Blackest Beautiful will take, nor do I even know what direction I want it to take, but I can't wait to hear it.
Tesseract - ??? (???)
A new Tesseract record. With Dan Tompkins back in the mix. Need this Tesseract-loving, Dan Tompkins fanboy say more? No word on when this one's dropping, but in my opinion it can't be soon enough. For now I'll just have to content myself with waiting for the live album/DVD Scala/Odyssesy that's still, at the time of this writing, "coming soon".
The Ocean - ??? (???)
I may be a bit of a latecomer to the 'The Ocean' party, but I got into the band's last record Pelagial pretty hard. Progressive post-metal with a veritable fuck-tonne of groove, and a high concept to boot? Sign me up. The guys in The Ocean have some pretty deep shoes to fill (see what I did there?) with a follow-up to Pelagial, but if they can pull it off, it would very likely be an Album of the Year contender.
Plini - The End of Everything (March 11)
Last but most certainly not least is another "friend of the blog", namely Australian guitarist Plini, whose third EP The End of Everything will be coming out in just a couple of weeks' time. Since Plini's previous work is some of the most badass-yet-chill songwriting I've ever heard, the culmination of his trilogy of EP's is definitely something I'm looking forward to -- I've got my preorder in and everything. If guitar-based instrumental jams in which songwriting doesn't take a back seat to technicality but is rather served by it are your thing, The End of Everything should be perfect for scratching your itch. Now all Plini needs to do is stop going to school and traveling around helping people long enough to write an LP already.
And there you have it: a small selection of upcoming and possibly upcoming albums that I'm looking forward to this year. I'm sure I've probably missed scads of records-in-progress by scads of great bands, but these are some that I've read about, or at least heard rumours about, that have got me stoked up for the next ten months or so.
Now, you may have noticed a trend in the entries above, namely the profusion of question marks sitting in for actual album titles and release dates. You may also wonder why this profusion is so...well, profuse. In a nutshell, it's because that's the sum total of the information I have about these records. Contrary to what you might think, I have very little insider information about any of the above (read: none).
But rather than just write about the few albums I do have solid title-and-date information for, I thought it'd be more fun to give you a cross section of some of the stuff I'm looking forward to, or just hoping for, in 2015. If even half of the aforementioned new material ends up coming out this year, 2015 is going to be nice and heavy.
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Pit Report: Protest the Hero
I told you it was coming eventually, and now here it is, my pit report for last Sunday's Protest the Hero show here in Kingston. Now that I've had some time to ruminate on the experience, you're going to get the complete rundown. It'll be like you were there!
Let me start by saying I felt like a bit of a fanboy at this show. When I heard about this Protest mini-tour, with this line-up, I was beyond stoked. I've only known about/been into Mandroid Echostar and Pomegranate Tiger for a little bit (at least compared to being a Protest the Hero fan for the better part of a decade) but having already interviewed the one opener (Mandroid) and having wanted to do the other for a while (Pomegranate) at the time that I heard about the show, I couldn't miss this one.
I did, however, make a miscalculation on the actual evening of the show. As I think I've mentioned here before, when I was younger we usually skipped the opening acts at concerts unless we already had a pretty good idea who they were. This is a habit I'm slowly trying to get out of, since discovering new music is kinda what I do around here, but either way I certainly wasn't going to skip out on any of the opening festivities for this one. So I figured, doors at 7, do a little math, and we should be able to show up at 7:30 or 7:45 and just walk right in. It's a little club show, right?
Not so. Well, yes, it was a little club show, but no, my clever timing calculations didn't work out. The doors didn't open until 8 or after, and we didn't get in until a while after that. So despite my best efforts, the evening began with an unfortunate amount of standing around and being more than likely the oldest person lined up for the show.
But things started looking up as soon as we got inside. I've never really been the starstruck, autograph-seeking type, but within the first half-hour or so of the show (before things got started and then into Pomegranate Tiger's set) I'd scored the John Hancocks of both of Protest's guitarists Luke and Tim. On top of that, I had the chance to meet Mike from Mandroid and thank him for doing the Twenty Questions with me a while back.
Anyways, back to the whole point: the badass metal show. First up was Pomegranate Tiger, who had the crowd pretty into it despite being the first opener and an instrumental act. I don't know how many people (can I say kids without unfairly generalizing? probably) in the audience knew PT beforehand, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were indeed very familiar with Pomegranate's jams, such was their enthusiasm. If the crowd was already aware of Pomegranate Tiger, then I guess I'm impressed with the number of people in Kingston who seem to be that into them, and if they weren't cognizant of PT already, I'm similarly impressed with PT's ability to fucking bring it to an unsuspecting audience. Well done.
Next up was Mandroid Echostar, a band whose presence and general tightness really speaks to the fact that they've been playing some shows and honing their chops. The band's got three guitarists, two of whom spend a good amount of time shredding out some tasty leads, and all three are rock solid across the varied material that Mandroid plays. If they play it on the record, they can play it live. Likewise, the aforementioned Michael Ciccia has plenty of range, and sounds great on record, but also doesn't sacrifice any of that range or any of his power in a live setting.
And then, of course, there's Protest the Hero. What can I say about Protest's live show that I haven't said before? I've seen Protest three or four times now, and I would see them again any chance I get. As usual, the boys played a decent mix of old and new stuff, although also as usual, not a lot of love for debut LP Kezia (one track, or maybe two, if I recall correctly). But realistically, after the rest of the evening, a good set from Protest the Hero was almost icing in the cake.
All in all, despite the slow start, and the fact that I had to work at 4 AM the next morning, it was a pretty sweet night. I really hope that any and all of these bands make it back to Kingston sooner rather than later, because the convenience of being able to take in three great metal acts in your own backyard just can't be beat. I highly suggest you try it sometime.
Let me start by saying I felt like a bit of a fanboy at this show. When I heard about this Protest mini-tour, with this line-up, I was beyond stoked. I've only known about/been into Mandroid Echostar and Pomegranate Tiger for a little bit (at least compared to being a Protest the Hero fan for the better part of a decade) but having already interviewed the one opener (Mandroid) and having wanted to do the other for a while (Pomegranate) at the time that I heard about the show, I couldn't miss this one.
I did, however, make a miscalculation on the actual evening of the show. As I think I've mentioned here before, when I was younger we usually skipped the opening acts at concerts unless we already had a pretty good idea who they were. This is a habit I'm slowly trying to get out of, since discovering new music is kinda what I do around here, but either way I certainly wasn't going to skip out on any of the opening festivities for this one. So I figured, doors at 7, do a little math, and we should be able to show up at 7:30 or 7:45 and just walk right in. It's a little club show, right?
Not so. Well, yes, it was a little club show, but no, my clever timing calculations didn't work out. The doors didn't open until 8 or after, and we didn't get in until a while after that. So despite my best efforts, the evening began with an unfortunate amount of standing around and being more than likely the oldest person lined up for the show.
But things started looking up as soon as we got inside. I've never really been the starstruck, autograph-seeking type, but within the first half-hour or so of the show (before things got started and then into Pomegranate Tiger's set) I'd scored the John Hancocks of both of Protest's guitarists Luke and Tim. On top of that, I had the chance to meet Mike from Mandroid and thank him for doing the Twenty Questions with me a while back.
Anyways, back to the whole point: the badass metal show. First up was Pomegranate Tiger, who had the crowd pretty into it despite being the first opener and an instrumental act. I don't know how many people (can I say kids without unfairly generalizing? probably) in the audience knew PT beforehand, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were indeed very familiar with Pomegranate's jams, such was their enthusiasm. If the crowd was already aware of Pomegranate Tiger, then I guess I'm impressed with the number of people in Kingston who seem to be that into them, and if they weren't cognizant of PT already, I'm similarly impressed with PT's ability to fucking bring it to an unsuspecting audience. Well done.
Next up was Mandroid Echostar, a band whose presence and general tightness really speaks to the fact that they've been playing some shows and honing their chops. The band's got three guitarists, two of whom spend a good amount of time shredding out some tasty leads, and all three are rock solid across the varied material that Mandroid plays. If they play it on the record, they can play it live. Likewise, the aforementioned Michael Ciccia has plenty of range, and sounds great on record, but also doesn't sacrifice any of that range or any of his power in a live setting.
And then, of course, there's Protest the Hero. What can I say about Protest's live show that I haven't said before? I've seen Protest three or four times now, and I would see them again any chance I get. As usual, the boys played a decent mix of old and new stuff, although also as usual, not a lot of love for debut LP Kezia (one track, or maybe two, if I recall correctly). But realistically, after the rest of the evening, a good set from Protest the Hero was almost icing in the cake.
All in all, despite the slow start, and the fact that I had to work at 4 AM the next morning, it was a pretty sweet night. I really hope that any and all of these bands make it back to Kingston sooner rather than later, because the convenience of being able to take in three great metal acts in your own backyard just can't be beat. I highly suggest you try it sometime.
Monday, 11 August 2014
Sunday: Protest the Hero - Mist
Some of you might be wondering what happened to Sunday's Song of the Day. I'll lay some of the blame on my recovery from Saturday's Mini-Olympiad, but the more exciting excuse is that last night was the long-awaited Protest the Hero show here in town, with support from Pomegranate Tiger and Mandroid Echostar.
I know I've mentioned this show and its tour at least a couple of times here at Loud Noises (I asked the guys from Pomegranate Tiger in our Twenty Questions exchange, for example) but I've been busy at work, and I've had the mini-olympics on the brain for a bit, and somehow or other this show just kinda crept up on me. Not that I'm complaining.
I had of course intended to drop a quick Protest song on you before we left, but much of my afternoon yesterday was consumed by napping, in preparation for my 4 AM start at work this morning. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a real sob story.) So the order of business when it comes to catching up on yesterday is most definitely a Protest the Hero song, and the boys have helped me make a choice as to which one by releasing a new video recently.
Your song for yesterday is "Mist", from last year's Volition, an homage to the province of Newfoundland. The boys in Protest have apparently long had a soft spot for Newfoundland and the warm reception they continually receive whenever touring takes them there. And if the song is dedicated to the band's favourite province, the video is perhaps even more so. Crank "Mist" and be jealous of the time I had last night while you await my Pit Report later in the week.
I know I've mentioned this show and its tour at least a couple of times here at Loud Noises (I asked the guys from Pomegranate Tiger in our Twenty Questions exchange, for example) but I've been busy at work, and I've had the mini-olympics on the brain for a bit, and somehow or other this show just kinda crept up on me. Not that I'm complaining.
I had of course intended to drop a quick Protest song on you before we left, but much of my afternoon yesterday was consumed by napping, in preparation for my 4 AM start at work this morning. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a real sob story.) So the order of business when it comes to catching up on yesterday is most definitely a Protest the Hero song, and the boys have helped me make a choice as to which one by releasing a new video recently.
Your song for yesterday is "Mist", from last year's Volition, an homage to the province of Newfoundland. The boys in Protest have apparently long had a soft spot for Newfoundland and the warm reception they continually receive whenever touring takes them there. And if the song is dedicated to the band's favourite province, the video is perhaps even more so. Crank "Mist" and be jealous of the time I had last night while you await my Pit Report later in the week.
Monday, 7 July 2014
Twenty Questions - Matt and Martin from Pomegranate Tiger
Well howdy, stranger. Beginning to wonder if, after six months or so
of radio silence, I'd ever be back with another Twenty Questions
interview? Oh ye of little faith...
Yes, it's true, it has once again been far too long, but I am indeed back with another twenty of my inane questions for another one of heavy music's up and coming bands. Today we're going to learn a little more about some pretty complex, pretty progressive instrumental metal from Matt Shaheen and Martin Andres, guitarists from Pomegranate Tiger. Take a look.
Yes, it's true, it has once again been far too long, but I am indeed back with another twenty of my inane questions for another one of heavy music's up and coming bands. Today we're going to learn a little more about some pretty complex, pretty progressive instrumental metal from Matt Shaheen and Martin Andres, guitarists from Pomegranate Tiger. Take a look.
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Mandroid Echostar - Ancient Arrows
The boys in Mandroid Echostar have put out another guitar playthrough vid for one of their tasty tunes; what more reason do I need to give them another go in the spotlight?
The playthrough of "Ancient Arrows", from last year's Citadels EP, is instrumental only, but it'll still give you a good sense of their proggy, noodly, vaguely Protest the Hero-y sound, and hopefully whet your appetite to the point that you'll want to go check out the real thing. Mandroid's first two EPs have been so solid that I can't wait to hear what they put together for a debut full-length. Maybe after today you'll join me on the Mandroid bandwagon?
The playthrough of "Ancient Arrows", from last year's Citadels EP, is instrumental only, but it'll still give you a good sense of their proggy, noodly, vaguely Protest the Hero-y sound, and hopefully whet your appetite to the point that you'll want to go check out the real thing. Mandroid's first two EPs have been so solid that I can't wait to hear what they put together for a debut full-length. Maybe after today you'll join me on the Mandroid bandwagon?
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Mandroid Echostar - The Sleeper
In addition to being aware of my love for physical media, regular readers will likely also have picked up on my penchant for preordering. Whether it's in the form of an Indiegogo campaign or just a straight preorder, I enjoy knowing ahead of time that the album I'm looking forward to has already been paid for and will arrive at my door without any further action required on my part.
The only downside is that stuff can sometimes take a while to arrive in the post, and although lots of bands are now mitigating this problem by issuing digital download codes on release day for fans who've purchased physical version of albums, I'm still a little old school in my desire to wait for my copy to arrive before I really sit down with a release. Sure, I'll stream or download on release day to keep up with the Joneses of music journalism, but it's only when I get my grubby mitts on a disc that I really delve into the material.
For this reason, I was pleasantly surprised to find my copy of Mandroid Echostar's new EP in my mailbox earlier this week. For the unfamiliar, Mandroid is a techy Canadian band from Guelph that I've seen best described as sounding a little like Protest the Hero meets Coheed and Cambria. Their self-titled debut EP was pretty solid, and their new disc Citadels is more of the same: some really cool melodies spread across the soaring vocals and intricate guitar work and backed up by some tight and tasteful drumming.
I almost want to go with "Ancient Arrows" as your song today, simply because the intro-y riff strikes me as the best Avenged Sevenfold lick Avenged never wrote, but I think I'm going to settle on "The Sleeper. For a guitar guy like me, this one's loaded: there's some fat riffage, some very video game-inspired tapping that opens and closes the song, and even a sweet little bluesy-sounding solo too.
One problem/blessing in disguise? All I can find on Youtube is a stream of the whole EP, so you'll just have to ingest the whole thing, paying special attention to track five. Or just skip ahead to "The Sleeper". Either way, check these guys out pronto, and while you're at it check out the e-mail interview I did with Mandroid's singer Michael Ciccia back in the spring.
The only downside is that stuff can sometimes take a while to arrive in the post, and although lots of bands are now mitigating this problem by issuing digital download codes on release day for fans who've purchased physical version of albums, I'm still a little old school in my desire to wait for my copy to arrive before I really sit down with a release. Sure, I'll stream or download on release day to keep up with the Joneses of music journalism, but it's only when I get my grubby mitts on a disc that I really delve into the material.
For this reason, I was pleasantly surprised to find my copy of Mandroid Echostar's new EP in my mailbox earlier this week. For the unfamiliar, Mandroid is a techy Canadian band from Guelph that I've seen best described as sounding a little like Protest the Hero meets Coheed and Cambria. Their self-titled debut EP was pretty solid, and their new disc Citadels is more of the same: some really cool melodies spread across the soaring vocals and intricate guitar work and backed up by some tight and tasteful drumming.
I almost want to go with "Ancient Arrows" as your song today, simply because the intro-y riff strikes me as the best Avenged Sevenfold lick Avenged never wrote, but I think I'm going to settle on "The Sleeper. For a guitar guy like me, this one's loaded: there's some fat riffage, some very video game-inspired tapping that opens and closes the song, and even a sweet little bluesy-sounding solo too.
One problem/blessing in disguise? All I can find on Youtube is a stream of the whole EP, so you'll just have to ingest the whole thing, paying special attention to track five. Or just skip ahead to "The Sleeper". Either way, check these guys out pronto, and while you're at it check out the e-mail interview I did with Mandroid's singer Michael Ciccia back in the spring.
Friday, 18 October 2013
Ellipsis - Ancestral
As regular readers will know, sometimes I go out hunting for stuff to post about, and sometimes it falls into my lap, usually because reading about one band or another points me in the direction of something they dig, or someone they know. A bit of a "friend of a friend of a friend" kind of situation sometimes.
Well, today is one of those times. A post from friends of the blog Mandroid Echostar came up in my Facebook feed earlier announcing the release of the first single of Canadian proggy djentlemen Ellipsis. "Ancestral" doesn't exactly reinvent the djent wheel, but it does offer a well-built example of that wheel, with a smooth ride and some decent rims.
Yeah, OK, the wheel metaphor breaks down if you try and put too much into it, but "Ancestral" is still a cool tune, if you're into things of a djenty persuasion, and it shows promise. If this is just the first single, who knows where Ellipsis goes from here.
Well, today is one of those times. A post from friends of the blog Mandroid Echostar came up in my Facebook feed earlier announcing the release of the first single of Canadian proggy djentlemen Ellipsis. "Ancestral" doesn't exactly reinvent the djent wheel, but it does offer a well-built example of that wheel, with a smooth ride and some decent rims.
Yeah, OK, the wheel metaphor breaks down if you try and put too much into it, but "Ancestral" is still a cool tune, if you're into things of a djenty persuasion, and it shows promise. If this is just the first single, who knows where Ellipsis goes from here.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Song of the Day: Mandroid Echostar - To The Wolves
This one's another one I've been waiting to be able to post for a long time. I was among those who supported Mandroid Echostar's indiegogo campaign, and I'm finally getting to hear the fruits of theit labour.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Twenty Questions - Plini
I feel like I should open this post with something about striking while the iron is hot, but that saying has always bothered me a little. Sure, I get what it's getting at and everything, but even without being a blacksmith I can tell you that if you're striking the iron while it's cold you don't quite grasp how the process works. (And yes, smithing enthusiasts, I do know about cold working.)
Anyways, my point, if you'll allow me to mix metaphors here, is that I'm going to strike while the iron is hot and keep the ball rolling along here in the land of the newest Loud Noises feature, Twenty Questions.
Today we're doing some traveling, from Canada to Australia, from rockin' prog to smooth instrumental guitar work, and from Mandroid Echostar to Plini.
LN: For any of my readers who aren’t familiar with you, who are you, where are you from, and what do you do?
Anyways, my point, if you'll allow me to mix metaphors here, is that I'm going to strike while the iron is hot and keep the ball rolling along here in the land of the newest Loud Noises feature, Twenty Questions.
Today we're doing some traveling, from Canada to Australia, from rockin' prog to smooth instrumental guitar work, and from Mandroid Echostar to Plini.
LN: For any of my readers who aren’t familiar with you, who are you, where are you from, and what do you do?
P: Hello.
I’m a 20 year old architecture student from Sydney. But I spend a lot
of my free time sitting in front of a computer writing geeky guitar
music pretending I’m a rock star
LN: Plini is an interesting sobriquet. As a student of ancient history I have to ask: is Plini a reference to either of the ancient scholars named Pliny? What’s the story behind your nom de guerre?
P: It’s my first name on my birth certificate! Named after a character (not either of the Roman dudes) in a book my mum was reading. Apparently Pliny the Elder is also the best beer in the world but I haven’t tried it :(
LN: Your musical style has a variety of facets to it – melodic, heavy, jazzy, not-so-heavy... What or who would you say are some of your influences?
P: So much stuff, way too much to list but the stuff that probably comes out in my playing the most obviously would be all my guitar heroes - John Petrucci and Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Opeth, Guthrie Govan, Tosin Abasi... and more recently Jakub Zytecki and the dudes from CHON and Corelia. On the lighter side, Little Tybee, Django Reinhardt, Jon Gomm... it’s pretty much an endless list haha.
LN: How does the fact that Plini is basically just you impact on your ability (or even desire) to tour?
P: I would love to play live and eventually tour, I know a bunch of really talented players who I could probably convince to learn my stuff, but with studying full time I don’t have the time or drive to really do it... yet. But some day I’d love to for sure.
LN: On that note, just how solo a project is Plini? How solo would you like to keep it/do you intend to keep it?
P: I might eventually have session players for all the other instruments, but at the moment I like doing everything myself (other than guest parts, which are super fun to get cos there are so many people around the world whose playing I love).
LN: What about vocals? What influenced your decision to have Plini be an instrumental project?
P: When I sing I sound like a dying animal, so it was a pretty easy decision to keep my voice away from everything. I do love vocals though so I’m gonna work with some awesome singers on some things and plan to do a lot more of that! Might eventually put some time into my own voice but not for a while...
LN: What’s the Australian music scene (or the scene in your part of the country) like right now? Anything you’re really into, or that you think the rest of us should know about?
P: The other day my good friend Jake (who plays in 2 of my favourite metal bands, The Helix Nebula and Point Below Zero) showed me Maze, a local band who broke up a while ago but their EP “Empires & Endings” is one of my favourite things at the moment. Their singer Tobias (who I’m definitely gonna work with soon) started a new band with Northlane’s drummer called Glass Ocean, who sound realllllly promising. Other Aussies I love at the moment - Absent Hearts (a great Australian dude named Scott’s collaboration with Dan Tompkins who used to sing for Tesseract), and of course Karnivool, one of my fave bands of all time for sure. Karnivool’s singer’s other band Birds of Tokyo is also amazing. I don’t really know about the Australian music scene in terms of what’s ACTUALLY popular but I love all these dudes and there seems to be quite a lot of talent coming out.
LN: I really like the cover art for Other Things. It says on the back of the EP that the art was done by Alex Pryle at Dead Crown Design, but perhaps you can talk a little more about the design itself. Was it all Alex, or did you have some input? Is it connected thematically/emotionally/conceptually somehow with the content of the EP?
LN: Plini is an interesting sobriquet. As a student of ancient history I have to ask: is Plini a reference to either of the ancient scholars named Pliny? What’s the story behind your nom de guerre?
P: It’s my first name on my birth certificate! Named after a character (not either of the Roman dudes) in a book my mum was reading. Apparently Pliny the Elder is also the best beer in the world but I haven’t tried it :(
LN: Your musical style has a variety of facets to it – melodic, heavy, jazzy, not-so-heavy... What or who would you say are some of your influences?
P: So much stuff, way too much to list but the stuff that probably comes out in my playing the most obviously would be all my guitar heroes - John Petrucci and Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Opeth, Guthrie Govan, Tosin Abasi... and more recently Jakub Zytecki and the dudes from CHON and Corelia. On the lighter side, Little Tybee, Django Reinhardt, Jon Gomm... it’s pretty much an endless list haha.
LN: How does the fact that Plini is basically just you impact on your ability (or even desire) to tour?
P: I would love to play live and eventually tour, I know a bunch of really talented players who I could probably convince to learn my stuff, but with studying full time I don’t have the time or drive to really do it... yet. But some day I’d love to for sure.
LN: On that note, just how solo a project is Plini? How solo would you like to keep it/do you intend to keep it?
P: I might eventually have session players for all the other instruments, but at the moment I like doing everything myself (other than guest parts, which are super fun to get cos there are so many people around the world whose playing I love).
LN: What about vocals? What influenced your decision to have Plini be an instrumental project?
P: When I sing I sound like a dying animal, so it was a pretty easy decision to keep my voice away from everything. I do love vocals though so I’m gonna work with some awesome singers on some things and plan to do a lot more of that! Might eventually put some time into my own voice but not for a while...
LN: What’s the Australian music scene (or the scene in your part of the country) like right now? Anything you’re really into, or that you think the rest of us should know about?
P: The other day my good friend Jake (who plays in 2 of my favourite metal bands, The Helix Nebula and Point Below Zero) showed me Maze, a local band who broke up a while ago but their EP “Empires & Endings” is one of my favourite things at the moment. Their singer Tobias (who I’m definitely gonna work with soon) started a new band with Northlane’s drummer called Glass Ocean, who sound realllllly promising. Other Aussies I love at the moment - Absent Hearts (a great Australian dude named Scott’s collaboration with Dan Tompkins who used to sing for Tesseract), and of course Karnivool, one of my fave bands of all time for sure. Karnivool’s singer’s other band Birds of Tokyo is also amazing. I don’t really know about the Australian music scene in terms of what’s ACTUALLY popular but I love all these dudes and there seems to be quite a lot of talent coming out.
LN: I really like the cover art for Other Things. It says on the back of the EP that the art was done by Alex Pryle at Dead Crown Design, but perhaps you can talk a little more about the design itself. Was it all Alex, or did you have some input? Is it connected thematically/emotionally/conceptually somehow with the content of the EP?
P: It
was pretty much all Alex, I said I wanted a handwritten font, I can’t
remember who suggested having the heart and moon and trees and cogs...
feels like we both came up with the same ideas at the same time and he
just made it happen. I had some very minor changes to suggest like the
colour tone of the front cover (“make it more like sunset... now make it
less like sunset...”) and I told him to put the guy and girl from the
front cover together on the disc... but I feel like he basically
inserted himself into my brain and made exactly what I wanted before I
really knew. As for connections, the objects refer to the song titles, I
feel like the overall atmosphere is a pretty good representation of the
music too. Can’t say enough good things about Alex, really great dude!
LN: Other Things is a pretty solid debut EP if you ask me. What’s next for Plini?
P: It’s the first part of a trilogy of connected EPs that I’d like to release this year, whether the third part comes out at the end of this year or the beginning of next year I don't know but the second part will be out within the next couple of months. I’ve also got another EP, a split EP/collaboration with a good buddy of mine coming out probably before the sequel to Other Things. Then after that I have so much shit planned/sketched out that I want to do... Eventually I want to do a full length album but I don’t want it to just be a collection of 10 songs so it’d be something huge I spend a lot of time on...
LN: Have you had any interest from any labels? Is that something you’re interested in/looking for, or are you content to stay indie and continue distributing your stuff online via means like Bandcamp?
P: A few have contacted me, small indie labels, but what they can offer isn’t that much of a step up from what I can do myself with the help of all the lovely dudes in bands far more popular than me that help spread the word and share my music. Plus I’m all over the place with the ideas I have for releases and release strategies so I like having it all in my own hands. Hand addressing CD envelopes isn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my life, but the fact that there are people around the world who are buying my music is so ridiculously astonishing, that makes it fun :)
LN: Speaking of labels and the ‘industry’ part of the music industry, what is your take on the success of indiegogo campaigns to crowdfund albums by bands like Protest the Hero and Misery Signals? Does it give you any ideas?
P: I was so happy to see how far over their goal Protest went, they’re a favourite of mine (Mis Sigs too) not only for their music but they seem like really friendly, honest people. I’d consider doing something like that at a way smaller scale, just pre-orders to fund the printing of CDs or merch really... but I’ve saved up and bought the gear that I think is enough to write and record and produce; I don’t think I’d do something like that to fund going into a studio to record because I don’t think for what I do, I need that level of equipment or budget. Maybe one day I can get an orchestra on a CD though...
LN: What are your thoughts on Google Play?
P: Don’t know anything about it honestly, when I signed up to get my stuff on itunes and spotify, it was an option, but had an extra fee which I didn’t want to pay because my music is ultimately meant to be free anyway... I guess I should check it out if it’s gonna the next big thing in music sharing though
LN: OK, a couple of quicker ones, some of which may also be sillier as well. Star Wars or Star Trek? Why?
P: Haven’t seen Star Trek, grew up with Star Wars and I love every single movie, including the prequel trilogy. And I’m sure I’ll love the new Disney trilogy too haha
LN: Pat Metheny or Michael Hedges?
P: Not familiar with Michael Hedges but I’m a big fan of Pat Metheny!
LN: Who’s your favourite classical historian, and why?
P: I don’t know my classical historians as well as my guitarists, but there is a lot of valuable stuff in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy that I think a lot of people today could (and should) learn from.
LN: If you could make everyone stop what they’re doing and listen to one song right this minute, what song would it be?
P: Human Nature by Michael Jackson, if not the original then the Bad Rabbits cover. You can’t listen to that song and not be happy and I think people should stop what they’re doing and be more happy
LN: If you could ask any member of any band any question, who would it be and what would you ask?
P: Either Guthrie Govan, can we jam and record together... or Hans Zimmer, can I come to your studio and have you write orchestral arrangements for me? :)
LN: Dream Tour: who would you open for, or who would open for you?
P: I think I would die if I got to open for Dream Theater. More realistically though I think it would be super fun to go on tour supporting my boys in The Helix Nebula or Corelia or CHON. If I were touring and got to choose an opening act I would want either a ridiculously talented solo act like Jon Gomm, or a super fun/tight band like Dirty Loops. It would also be amazing to be part of a G3 type thing. So in answer to your previous question about touring, yes I really would LOVE tour someday haha.
LN: Almost done. What have you been listening to lately?
P: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ album “The Heist” is one of my favourite recent albums, alongside Little Tybee’s “For Distant Viewing” (cutest music ever), Tesseract’s “Altered State” (their new singer rules), Disperse’s “Living Mirrors” (for me Jakub Zytecki is the most exciting young guitarist alive right now), Letlive’s “Fake History” (catchy as fuck), The Dear Hunter’s “Migrant” (they are way too good at writing songs), Zedd’s “Clarity” (favourite producer at the moment), Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for “The Holiday” (I wish I could write romantic comedy soundtracks), The Dillinger Escape Plan’s “One of Us Is the Killer” (you can’t go wrong with TDEP) ... and these are just in the last week really...
LN: Last one! What’s your favourite metal album of all time?
P: Way too fuckin hard to say! Got into metal with bands like Lamb of God and Trivium, then onto Meshuggah and Opeth and Dream Theater... I guess Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by DT would be up there but this question is unfair, you can’t spring something like this on me at the end of an interview!
And there you have it. Just like last time, big thanks/shout out to Plini for taking the time to give me some great answers to what I hope were some halfway decent questions. If this is the first time you're ever hearing about this Plini fellow, make sure to check him out on Facebook, Bandcamp, Youtube, and SoundCloud (among other places) to find out what all the fuss is about. You'll be glad you did.
Like last time, I'll offer a few thoughts that occurred to me while reading Plini's answers before we go:
- Plini is a very cool first name.
- Neither Plini nor any of you out there should feel discouraged in the slightest if you're not up on your classical historians. Trust me, it's information that, much to my dismay, isn't exactly the most useful in everyday life.
- It's very interesting to me that both of the people I've interviewed so far have advocated Michael Jackson songs. Two data points does not a statistically viable study make, but that's still 100% of Twenty Questions respondents so far.
Until next time, stay frosty everyone.
LN: Other Things is a pretty solid debut EP if you ask me. What’s next for Plini?
P: It’s the first part of a trilogy of connected EPs that I’d like to release this year, whether the third part comes out at the end of this year or the beginning of next year I don't know but the second part will be out within the next couple of months. I’ve also got another EP, a split EP/collaboration with a good buddy of mine coming out probably before the sequel to Other Things. Then after that I have so much shit planned/sketched out that I want to do... Eventually I want to do a full length album but I don’t want it to just be a collection of 10 songs so it’d be something huge I spend a lot of time on...
LN: Have you had any interest from any labels? Is that something you’re interested in/looking for, or are you content to stay indie and continue distributing your stuff online via means like Bandcamp?
P: A few have contacted me, small indie labels, but what they can offer isn’t that much of a step up from what I can do myself with the help of all the lovely dudes in bands far more popular than me that help spread the word and share my music. Plus I’m all over the place with the ideas I have for releases and release strategies so I like having it all in my own hands. Hand addressing CD envelopes isn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my life, but the fact that there are people around the world who are buying my music is so ridiculously astonishing, that makes it fun :)
LN: Speaking of labels and the ‘industry’ part of the music industry, what is your take on the success of indiegogo campaigns to crowdfund albums by bands like Protest the Hero and Misery Signals? Does it give you any ideas?
P: I was so happy to see how far over their goal Protest went, they’re a favourite of mine (Mis Sigs too) not only for their music but they seem like really friendly, honest people. I’d consider doing something like that at a way smaller scale, just pre-orders to fund the printing of CDs or merch really... but I’ve saved up and bought the gear that I think is enough to write and record and produce; I don’t think I’d do something like that to fund going into a studio to record because I don’t think for what I do, I need that level of equipment or budget. Maybe one day I can get an orchestra on a CD though...
LN: What are your thoughts on Google Play?
P: Don’t know anything about it honestly, when I signed up to get my stuff on itunes and spotify, it was an option, but had an extra fee which I didn’t want to pay because my music is ultimately meant to be free anyway... I guess I should check it out if it’s gonna the next big thing in music sharing though
LN: OK, a couple of quicker ones, some of which may also be sillier as well. Star Wars or Star Trek? Why?
P: Haven’t seen Star Trek, grew up with Star Wars and I love every single movie, including the prequel trilogy. And I’m sure I’ll love the new Disney trilogy too haha
LN: Pat Metheny or Michael Hedges?
P: Not familiar with Michael Hedges but I’m a big fan of Pat Metheny!
LN: Who’s your favourite classical historian, and why?
P: I don’t know my classical historians as well as my guitarists, but there is a lot of valuable stuff in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy that I think a lot of people today could (and should) learn from.
LN: If you could make everyone stop what they’re doing and listen to one song right this minute, what song would it be?
P: Human Nature by Michael Jackson, if not the original then the Bad Rabbits cover. You can’t listen to that song and not be happy and I think people should stop what they’re doing and be more happy
LN: If you could ask any member of any band any question, who would it be and what would you ask?
P: Either Guthrie Govan, can we jam and record together... or Hans Zimmer, can I come to your studio and have you write orchestral arrangements for me? :)
LN: Dream Tour: who would you open for, or who would open for you?
P: I think I would die if I got to open for Dream Theater. More realistically though I think it would be super fun to go on tour supporting my boys in The Helix Nebula or Corelia or CHON. If I were touring and got to choose an opening act I would want either a ridiculously talented solo act like Jon Gomm, or a super fun/tight band like Dirty Loops. It would also be amazing to be part of a G3 type thing. So in answer to your previous question about touring, yes I really would LOVE tour someday haha.
LN: Almost done. What have you been listening to lately?
P: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ album “The Heist” is one of my favourite recent albums, alongside Little Tybee’s “For Distant Viewing” (cutest music ever), Tesseract’s “Altered State” (their new singer rules), Disperse’s “Living Mirrors” (for me Jakub Zytecki is the most exciting young guitarist alive right now), Letlive’s “Fake History” (catchy as fuck), The Dear Hunter’s “Migrant” (they are way too good at writing songs), Zedd’s “Clarity” (favourite producer at the moment), Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for “The Holiday” (I wish I could write romantic comedy soundtracks), The Dillinger Escape Plan’s “One of Us Is the Killer” (you can’t go wrong with TDEP) ... and these are just in the last week really...
LN: Last one! What’s your favourite metal album of all time?
P: Way too fuckin hard to say! Got into metal with bands like Lamb of God and Trivium, then onto Meshuggah and Opeth and Dream Theater... I guess Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by DT would be up there but this question is unfair, you can’t spring something like this on me at the end of an interview!
And there you have it. Just like last time, big thanks/shout out to Plini for taking the time to give me some great answers to what I hope were some halfway decent questions. If this is the first time you're ever hearing about this Plini fellow, make sure to check him out on Facebook, Bandcamp, Youtube, and SoundCloud (among other places) to find out what all the fuss is about. You'll be glad you did.
Like last time, I'll offer a few thoughts that occurred to me while reading Plini's answers before we go:
- Plini is a very cool first name.
- Neither Plini nor any of you out there should feel discouraged in the slightest if you're not up on your classical historians. Trust me, it's information that, much to my dismay, isn't exactly the most useful in everyday life.
- It's very interesting to me that both of the people I've interviewed so far have advocated Michael Jackson songs. Two data points does not a statistically viable study make, but that's still 100% of Twenty Questions respondents so far.
Until next time, stay frosty everyone.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Song of the Day: Rush - The Spirit of Radio
Both because Mike from Mandroid mentioned them in his responses to my Twenty Questions (which you should of course check out if you haven't done so already) and because it's a Canadian long weekend, I'm going full Canuck tonight and featuring by everybody's favourite princes of prog.
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Twenty Questions - Michael Ciccia from Mandroid Echostar
As you may have seen me mention in a recent post, Loud Noises turned a year old about two weeks ago now. If you've followed the blog for any length of time, you may also have seen me mention that I've got some things in the works, simmering away in the background, that I couldn't yet unveil to the world. But none of those things has ever really amount to much more than continued simmerings. Until now.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Song of the Day: Mandroid Echostar - Hexaton
It's been a long Saturday, so I've just got a quick finale to Canadiana Week today. I've written about today's band before, so much so in fact that I'm almost out of songs to feature...for now... What do I mean?
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Song of the Day: Misery Signals - Reset
Yesterday I posted about Canadian up-and-comers Mandroid Echostar and their indiegogo campaign to fund their next release. Well in the wake of Mandroid, who themselves are one of many bands who've recently gone this route, perhaps most successful of which has of course been Protest the Hero, I've just read that another band I dig is asking their fans for a hand. And this time it's one of my very favourites.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Song of the Day: Mandroid Echostar - The Precursor
Another band I'm currently diggin' on is going the crowdfunding route for their next release, but unlike fellow Canadians Protest the Hero today's band doesn't have the fanbase to raise two hundred thousand dollars in a few days. So it's time again to show Mandroid Echostar some love and maybe help them reach their rather modest goal of $7000.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Song of the Day: Mandroid Echostar - Lost Luminaries
So: Mandroid Echostar. I don't know if you know them -- they've had a song of the day before, but not for a while -- but today's the perfect day to get acquainted. Why? Because they've just put out a badass triple guitar playthrough video for one of their songs.
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Song of the Day: Ever Forthright - Latency and Tendencies
Evening everybody. I've got something for you today you probably haven't heard, which is always something I'm looking for, and on top of that it's something I haven't written about yet, which is always a bonus.
So New York City djenty-type band Ever Forthright have been on my musical radar for a while now: back in September they toured southern Ontario a little with Intervals and Mandroid Echostar, both Canadian bands I'm always trying to talk up, and last week I finally picked up a copy of their 2011 self-titled debut. I've only given the disc a couple of plays, but I'm already intrigued by Ever Forthright's jazzy, glitchy take on the increasingly over-saturated tech metal/djent subgenre. Let's see if you are too.
Your song today is called "Latency and Tendencies". So far it's one of my favourites on the album, so it's the one I'm going to share with you. Enjoy!
So New York City djenty-type band Ever Forthright have been on my musical radar for a while now: back in September they toured southern Ontario a little with Intervals and Mandroid Echostar, both Canadian bands I'm always trying to talk up, and last week I finally picked up a copy of their 2011 self-titled debut. I've only given the disc a couple of plays, but I'm already intrigued by Ever Forthright's jazzy, glitchy take on the increasingly over-saturated tech metal/djent subgenre. Let's see if you are too.
Your song today is called "Latency and Tendencies". So far it's one of my favourites on the album, so it's the one I'm going to share with you. Enjoy!
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