Prog Talk Q&A 2018

It’s finally here: the biggest cinematic event of the year – Prog Talk’s 2018 Q&A!

Join the English representatives of Prog Talk (Leth, Cerpin and SirPent) as they traverse around Leicester for a few pints, engage in a bit of banter and answer those elusive questions in life:

What is the album of the year? What is the best Rush alum? Who is the most attractive Prog Talk admin? How can Dream Theater be fixed? Plus many more!

 

I’d like to personally apologize for both the lateness of this video and its recording quality. Technology was very much against us at the meetup as I am a Luddite, so this year’s Q&A somehow being a step down from last years in almost every aspect – though I have tried to salvage it in the editing

Hopefully you’ll still find it engaging nonetheless!

If you have any feedback regarding the format, editing or filming, please let us know so we can take it on board for next time. As exasperating as editing this was, I quite enjoyed doing it and I want to persue more video-based projects like this in the future

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Most importantly, what are YOUR answers to the questions we got asked? Do you agree to any of the answers we brought up? Are we talking out of our behinds? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

 

Album Review: The Dystopian Project – Paradigm

Back in 2015, Irish-based progressive rock band The Dystopian Project released their debut album, Death Leaves an Echo. I had mixed feelings about it… It was promising, but failed to grasp my interest and illuminate my imagination with a firm hand and a brilliant light. Two years later, almost day for day, Dublin’s quintet comes back with Paradigm, their sophomore album. Will they succeed or will this be their second strike?

Roundabout: Bent Knee – Land Animal

Boston-based art rock act Bent Knee have been about since their 2011 self-titled release, and on the playlists of almost every Prog Talk admin since their explosive 2014 sophomore release in Shiny Eyed Babies and the excellent Say So from last year.

The band has gained a reputation for pushing the boundaries of pop, rock and the avant-garde simultaneously, and many here at Prog Talk would gladly label them the most exciting upcoming act of the 2010s.

That said, does their most recent release, Land Animal, live up to our notably high expectations? Are we asking too much of the band? Will Leth, Cerpin and Symphony make it to the 21st Century? Find out the answer to all of these questions on this upcoming episode of… “Roundabout“!

As ever, we’d like to remind you that our Roundabouts are compilations of each Prog Talk admin’s individual and subjective opinions. While we may or may not have expressed our thoughts on the album in private beforehand, we do not collude while writing our reviews. So without further ado, let’s talk progressive art rock.

Classic Roundabout: Yes – Close To The Edge

While we at Prog Talk love talking about all the new progressive acts hitting the music scene, sometimes it’s great to simply revisit the classics. As such we’re starting a new segment dedicated to precisely that; where all interested admins will discuss the albums and artists who have shaped prog history.

To kick it off with a bang, we have an album which many would argue to be the most iconic prog rock album of all time. It’s time to dive into Yes and their magnum-opus, Close To The Edge.

Let’s face it; this album needs little introduction. Originally released on 13 Sept. 1972, this was Yes’ fifth studio release and quickly became one of the defining works of the progressive rock genre. In this Roundabout, we will be tackling only the three tracks found on the original version of the album.

As per usual, all reviews are written independently to avoid influencing each other. Prog Talk as a collective never has an official view on any album, but the admins each have their own. So if your opinions differ from ours, let us know! So without further ado, let’s talk prog.

The Neal Morse Band Releases a Lyric Video for Their Upcoming Album

Mike Portnoy often said, on social media, that what we now know as The Similitude of a Dream – The Neal Morse Band‘s next double concept album -, is the best thing he’s ever played on, and is unlike anything they have ever done before. I’m paraphrasing, but he did succeed in raising the expectations of a lot of people, myself included. We all know Neal Morse to be a stellar composer, and a great multi-instrumentalist and singer, but his compositions can feel a bit formulaic at times. The most striking example might be the twin sisters on Transatlantic’s Bridge across Forever, namely “Duel with the Devil” and “Stranger in Your Soul”. The two songs share the same length, and go through similar phases in their development. Now, maybe that was the whole concept behind the album, but you can definitely see strong similarities in other works, such as Sola Scriptura and The Whirlwind. Once again, all these albums and songs I mentioned are some of my favourites, but you just know they came from the same guy.

Length Matters: The Peter Snell Experience – Life in the Controposhere

Welcome to another segment of Length Matters, a sort of prog dick measuring contest where we showcase the longest prog songs that come across our ears. This time, it’s from a band called The Peter Snell Experience, all the way from New-Zealand, and the piece of interest is called ‘Life in the Controposphere’, which was released in 2014.