Progressive Rock

The Tangent – COMM

This is what the Tangent does best: bringing stirring music and real-world ideas together. They’re working class heroes, in a way. Prog rock fans aren’t used to being confronted by such blunt lyrical statements, but that’s part of the challenge that this album threw at me. Once I got in tune with its approach, COMM became a rewarding listening experience.

District 97 – Hybrid Child

Hybrid Child is effervescent and fun, a mostly harmless romp through progressive rock territory. District 97’s edge can be found in the way vocalist Leslie Hunt carries the melodies and the staccato riffing that anchors most of the tracks—you can sorta tell that a drummer composed them.

Anekdoten – Chapters

Of course, no “best of” anthology could tell the whole story of this incredible band. There are some essential deep-album tracks missing, so once you’ve got a dose and you’re feeling that bittersweet Anekdoten bliss, you’ll need to check out the albums in full.

Votum – Metafiction

The amazing thing about this release is the drastic change from their debut; with some work put in by the listener they will be rewarded with such a intelligent laid back prog masterpiece. This new direction may put off some of the heavier progmetal fans out there but if you are willing to put in the time and this could sit nicely by years end for top ten material.

In Conversation With: Cynic’s Paul Masvidal

“I’m interested in various philosophical perspectives in relation to the inner workings of the mind and how that relates to being a human on planet earth. So there’s this balance between earth and cosmos and merging micro with macro. Something as simple as observing a flower one can see the entire universe contained within it. I’m also influenced by love and the variety of human emotions, sadness and despair, joy and happiness. Life is so incredibly rich and intense, it’s all there, happening all the time, I just have to open my eyes or more importantly heart to it. Life constantly informs us, if we could just pay attention.”

Navjot Kaur Sobti in conversation with Cynic guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal for Hellbound.ca

Rush @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto ON, July 13, 2010

I’m not a huge fan of bands doing albums in their entirety, but when the album is freaking Moving Pictures, the band is Rush, and it only makes up about a third of the show, how can you say no?

Sean Palmerston recaps the July 13th hometown performance of RUSH at Toronto’s Molson Canadian Amphitheatre as part of their 2010 Time Machine North American tour. Concert photos by Adam Wills.