October 16, 2013
Red Fang at the Cabaret du Mile End
American hard rock band Red Fang will be at the Cabaret du Mile End (5240 Parc Avenue (corner Fairmount)) on Friday, December 13, 2013, accompanied by Shrine, Cancer Bats and Indian Handcrafts.

The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) and tickets are $23/$25, available through Admission or at the Mile End boxoffice (General admission, 18+).

October 22, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope:
After the resounding success of their 2009 Whirldwind reunion album and tour, progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic, featuring Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Roine Stolt and Pete Trewavas, is set to release their new album entitled Kaleidoscope on January 27, 2014. The track-listing for the forthcoming record is as follows:
INTO THE BLUE
SHINE
BLACK AS THE SKY
BEYOND THE SUN
KALEIDOSCOPE
The album will be available at all good record stores, including Archambault and Freeson Rock.

John Lee's Barclay James Harvest - North:
Almost 14 years since the last Barclay James Harvest album, the long-awaited all-new studio album from John Lees' Barclay James Harvest entitled North, was released earlier this month on the Esoteric Antenna label. The album is available in three formats: standard CD, deluxe digipack double CD with a bonus disc of highlights from the band's 2011 concert at the Buxton Opera House, and a 180g heavyweight vinyl single LP (with two less tracks than the CD versions) in a gatefold sleeve - please note that the LP version has been delayed slightly, but will be in stock soon. Check out this great video clip showcasing the new album. North can be purchased through the BJH online store, and is also available through Amazon.

Black Label Society - Unblackened:
The latest two-CD live release from guitar hero Zakk Wylde and his BLS mates. Black Label Society have established themselves at the forefront of Heavy Metal with a series of hard riffing and hugely successful albums alongside worldwide tours that have cemented their reputation as one of the most powerful live bands of their generation. Unblackened finds Black Label Society in a mellower mood in a performance taped at Club Nokia in Los Angeles earlier this year. The concert showcases the band's songs with a greater use of acoustic instruments but without losing any of their power and intensity. Zakk Wylde leads from the front as always, performing here on both guitar and piano and demonstrating the subtler side of his music alongside the blistering solos that his fans know and love. The album is available at all good record stores, including Archambault and Freeson Rock.

October 22, 2013
Steve Hackett at the PDA
A review by Robert Dansereau, 22/10/2013
At the beginning of October was one of the year's most anticipated shows at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, as legendary Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett stepped onstage to present the music of his highly popular album Genesis Revisited II. It was also one of FMPM's biggest attendance ever, with over 2700 enthusiastic prog rock fans at the Place des Arts.

I had the pleasure of listening in during rehearsal and the band performed several tracks, including one that didn't make it on the setlist of the show that night, Your Own Special Way sounded fantastic.

Backstage, I had the pleasure of chatting with Steve Hackett and his lovely wife Jo, and even met famous producer Tom Lord-Alge (U2, Stones, Peter Gabriel). At 8:00 sharp, the first part of the evening was presented by our friend Jérôme Langlois – founder of the classic band Maneige – on the piano, accompanied by his talented daughter Romie De Guise-Langlois on clarinet, who performed a wonderful selection of Maneige classics as well as material from his most recent album, and dedicated a brand new track to Steve Hackett. A subtle and soothing duo that went from joyful and vivacious to solemn and moving.

Then on to Steve and friends, so much anticipation to see and hear these old Genesis classics played by the master himself, on his trusty Les Paul Gold Top! the show began with the surging wave of mellotrons of the intro to Watcher of the Skies, with the imposing Nad Sylvan on vocals, much to the pleasure of the fans. This grand interpretation of the 1972 epic set the tone of the entire evening. Steve then introduced in French (to the best of his abilities) Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, with Lee Pomeroy pulling out the old Shergold double-neck! Then on to a sublime version of Fly on a windshield/Broadway melody, sung by Gary O'Toole.

The atmosphere was electric, it was just like the FMPM team organized a big prog party and everyone was invited! The band went on to the ethereal and serene The Lamia, accompanied by a subtle and hypnotizing light show. The Musical Box was followed by a vigorous standing ovation. The band delivered like a well-oiled machine, so tight and precise. Steve then pulled out his acoustic guitar and offered us a medley of his classic acoustic tracks, to segue into the intro of Blood on the Rooftops, again sung by Gary. The great Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers/In That Quiet Earth was just spine-tingling, with the soaring Afterglow finale.

At that point, Steve presented the band, with the fabulous Rob Townsend on saxophone and flute, his steadfast companion Roger King on the keyboards, the highly theatrical Nad Sylvan on vocals (Unifaun, Agents of Mercy) the exuberant Lee Pomeroy on bass (Nick Beggs being away on tour with Steven Wilson) and of course, the always entertaining Gary O'Toole on drums, sporting a bowler hat.

A powerful version of Fountain of Salamacis followed, then on to an enthusiastic version of I Know what I Like and a rhythm-rich Dance on a Volcano.

Let's face it, Supper's Ready is one of Genesis' most breathtaking epic, and Steve offered us a monumental version of it, even featuring spoons playing during the Willow Farm portion. A flower? I realized just how perfect this show was during the majestic Apocalypse in 9/8, the grand finale being the brilliantly extended guitar solo at the end of As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs. A long, loud and well-deserved standing ovation followed.

For the encore, Steve offered a masterly version of Firth of Fifth and then finished the evening with Los Endos, which included bits of Steve's Slogans, from the album Defector (1980).

What a show! An amazing performance that left thousands of fans on cloud nine! Thank you Steve for this unforgettable evening!

October 5, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Touchstone - Oceans of Time:
UK five-piece rock band Touchstone are excited to present their much-anticipated 4th studio album Oceans of Time, which is due to be released on October 7, 2013 on Cherry Red Records. The band comments: "We are very much looking forward to working alongside Hugh Gilmour. Oceans Of Time features 11 tracks recorded and produced at Outhouse Studios by renowned producer John Mitchell, and is the successor to Touchstone's previous albums: The City Sleeps (2011), Wintercoast (2009) and Discordant Dreams (2007). All the music is written by Touchstone, with lyrics by lead vocalist Kim Seviour, and keyboardist Robert Cottingham, whilst guitarist Adam Hodgson again designed the cover artwork." The album will be available at all good independent online record stores including Kinesis and Syn-Phonic.

Tarja - Colours in the Dark:
Colours in the Dark is the 2013 album from the Finnish Metal vocalist and former front woman for Nightwish, Tarja Turunen. Following up on the success of her multi-platinum and gold awarded previous records My Winterstorm (2007) and What Lies Beneath (2010), Tarja finally returns with her long-awaited new rock album Colours In The Dark. Mixed and mastered by Tim Palmer in Austin, Texas (Pearl Jam, U2), the songs on the new CD do not shy away from taking a risk and surprising musical turns, introducing new sounds and new musical atmospheres. Still, they maintain a heaviness that will surely bring a big smile to the hardest of rockers. With its grand orchestra and choir arrangements, Tarja's next milestone emphasizes once again the impressive vocal range of the Finnish artist and shows her artistic growth. The album is available at all good record stores, including Archambault and Freeson Rock.

Blackfield - IV:
Israel’s leading counter-culture rock musician Aviv Geffen returns with Blackfield IV, featuring Steven Wilson and other special guests. Blackfield was started by Aviv and Steven in 2001 and have previously released the critically acclaimed albums Blackfield (2004), Blackfield II (2007) and 2011’s Welcome To My DNA.

Since Welcome To My DNA, Geffen’s profile has continued to rise and Aviv has worked with legendary producers Tony Visconti and Trevor Horn, played live with U2 and Placebo, and has been a judge on the Israeli TV show, The Voice. Aviv contributed the writing and vocals on Blackfield IV, with Steven Wilson - who also mixed the album into stereo and 5.1 surround sound - adding guitar and vocal parts. The new album includes guest vocal performances from Brett Anderson (Suede), Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev) and Vincent Cavanagh (Anathema). This limited 2 disc digi-book edition includes a DVD-AV featuring the 5.1 surround mix and a 24-bit stereo mix, and will be available at all good independent record stores including Freeson Rock.

September 22, 2013
Slayer at the CEPSUM
American metal band Slayer will be at the CEPSUM - Université de Montréal (2100 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal) on Saturday, November 23, 2013, accompanied by Gojira and 4ARM.
The show will begin at 7:30 PM (doors at 6:30 PM) and tickets are $57.50 in advance ($63 opn the day of the show), available through TicketPro or at the CEPSUM boxoffice.

November 8, 2013
Winners of the ultimate VIP fan prize:
The Musical Box - Selling England by the Pound
Anniversary show at the CEPSUM
A once in a lifetime event not to be missed: Montreal's ultimate Genesis tribute band The Musical Box will present their critically acclaimed Selling England by the Pound show on Sunday, November 10, 2013 at the CEPSUM - Université de Montréal (2100 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal). What's so special about it? On that same day, exactly 40 years before to the day, Genesis presented their legendary Selling Enland show on that very same stage!

The contest for the ultimate VIP evening with The Musical Box has ended, and we have our two winners:

congratulations to
Claude Bissonnette of LaPrairie and
Jean-Louis Fontaine of Montreal

who each win a VIP prize consisting each of a pair of tickets, two autographed shirts, two autographed posters along with two meet and greet passes, thanks again to evenko for this fantastic prize and thanks to all who have participated!

A rare occasion to travel back in time, and to enjoy once again one of the cornerstone concerts in the history of progressive rock. The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) and tickets are $55.25 / $75.25, available through evenko or at the Université de Montréal boxoffice.

September 1st, 2013
Arapacis and Elude Fearra at the Katacombes
Brace yourselves for an earth-shattering evening of top notch metal with Montreal's Arapacis and Detroit's Elude Fearra will be at the Katacombes (1635 St-Laurent, corner of Ontario, Montreal) on Sunday, October 27, 2013, accompanied by Idiopathetics and Sleazy Way Out.

The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) and admission is $10.

October 16, 2013
Echoes and Innerspace at the Club Soda
Quebec's Pink Floyd tribute band Echoes and Montreal proggers Innerspace will be at the Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent Blvd. Montreal) on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

The show will begin at 9:00 PM (doors at 8:00 PM). Admission is free and tickets are available through the Club Soda Tribute Club.

October 5, 2013
Kings and Permanent Waves at the Cabaret Mile End
Marillion tribute band Kings and Rush tribute band Permanent Waves will be performing on Friday October 11, 2013 at the Cabaret du Mile End (5240 Avenue du Parc, Montreal). Kings is comprised of 5 seasoned musicians from the Gatineau and Montreal area, and present a mind-blowing tribute to the Hogarth era of Marillion.

Permanent Waves re-grouped as a trio for the first time in its history with a new drummer and a new bassist-vocalist and will be presenting a set of prog classics of the 1976-1981 era taken right out of the Moving Pictures tour set list. The show will begin at 9:00 PM and tickets are $20 at the door or through Admission

September 22, 2013
Martin Levac album launch concert
A review by Robert Dansereau - 21/09/2013
Martin Levac, creator of the highly acclaimed Dance Into The Light Phil Collins Tribute show, and formerly of The Musical Box, launched a daring and highly original project in 2011 called A visible Jazz Touch of Genesis, a splendid studio recording comprised of Genesis classics rearranged with a cool jazzy style. Martin performed the music of his album at the Lion D'Or in 2012 and decided to release the recording made that night, his latest CD entitled A visible Jazz Touch of Genesis "Live".

It was with much pleasure that I got the invitation to attend Martin's A Visible Jazz Touch of Genesis "Live" album launch concert. It was only fitting that the show be held at the Lion d'Or, where this live recording was made initially.

The show began a 7:00 PM as our host Martin started the evening with Follow You Follow Me with a totally different rhythm, he then followed by a peppy, finger snapping interpretation of No Reply At All, Motown Style! He then offered a suave and emotional version of Hold on my Heart.

It was just a flawless performance, from an exceptionally versatile and creative musician, accompanied by a top notch band. The evening proceeded with a very jazzy interpretation of Throwing it all Away, again with a clever new rhythm, but with the audience participation that made this song a favorite at Genesis concerts.

Martin was very happy of the enthusiastic audience response and thanked profusely all of the musicians accompanying him, including Jocelyn Couture on trumpet, Sébastien Grenier on sax, Julie Lamontagne on keyboards, Emmanuelle Caplette on drums, Mathieu Gagné on double bass and Fred Doiron on Guitar, with special thanks to Master Sébastien Cloutier on the sound console and Marc Girard for his work producing and recording the album.

Martin got quite emotional when he thanked his lovely soulmate Janyce for her monumental work in organizing this great evening. The show concluded when singer Maciel Yannira accompanied Martin for the last song of the evening, a magical version of The Carpet Crawlers.

Just a brief foretaste of his amazing show, it offered fans a great preview of things to come! Thank you Martin for this show, you made these old Genesis classics sound brand new again!

Your next opportunity to see Martin play this awesome material is on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at Place Salle L'Entrepôt du Complexe Culturel Guy-Descary (2901 St-Joseph in Lachine). Write that date down on your calendar!

September 22, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Levin Minnemann Rudess - Levin Minnemann Rudess:
An amazing trio of musicians, the collaboration of Tony Levin, Marco Minnemann and Jordan Rudess (LMR) promised to be an extrarodinary studio recording, and they deliver big time! Available through the LMR webstore in regular edition et deluxe edition with bonus DVD, the album is also available through independent record stores like Kinesis and Syn-Phonic and at all good indie record stores like Freeson Rock.

Nick Beggs - The Darkness in Men's Hearts:
Nick Beggs's album The Darkness in Men's Hearts is his Burning Shed label debut. A compilation of the solo Chapman Stick pieces from his two albums, The Stick Insect (2000) and The Maverick Helmsman (2004), it also features two new unreleased tracks. Containing superbly executed lyrical and atmospheric sketches that by turns suggest Modern Jazz (Metheny, Pastorious), Art Rock (Tony Levin), Ambient, and Classical guitar recitals, The Darkness in Men's Hearts is a consistently engaging and meditative experience that displays the more introspective side of a most extrovert performer.

With Nick currently enjoying success with Lifesigns, Steve Hackett and the Steven Wilson band, The Darkness in Men's Hearts provides an ideal opportunity to sample the work of one of Britain's most distinctive bass players. Officially released on the Burning Shed label on September 9th on the Burning Shed store through independent record stores like Kinesis and Syn-Phonic.

Leonardo Fagelli - Knights of the Pyramid:
For fans of moog keyboards, Leonardo Fagelli's new CD Knights of the Pyramid is just a perfect little gem! Highly experimental, spacey keyboard-based instrumental prog in the vein of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Steve Roach, Keith Emerson and Emerson, Lake and Powell. The 2-CD album is available on CD Baby in digital format and on CD, and on BandCamp.

August 23, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Mike Keneally - You Must Be This Tall:
This is Mike Keneally's 24th album! Prolific doesn't even begin to describe the legendary guitarist, best known for his work with the Frank Zappa band, and also Beer for Dolphins, Dethklok, Joe Satriani, Kevin Gilbert and more! A musically varied album, featuring Marco Minneman, Bryan Beller, Andy Partridge and Joe Travers among others. Pre-sale for You Must Be This Tall available in CD format and in digital format from Mike's online store and will be soon available at all good indie record stores like Freeson Rock.

Anima Mundi - The Lamplighter:
A great musical dicovery awaits you with cuban band Anima Mundi's latest album The Lamplighter, a great symphonic prog album that offers a fresh approach to the genre. Beautiful melodies and vocal harmonies, featuring lovely cover art by Ed Unitsky (Unitopia, Flower Kings etc.) Available at all good indie record stores like Freeson Rock.

Magenta - The Twenty Seven Club:
Since the release of Revolutions back in 2001 Magenta have built a dedicated following all over the world. From the many festival appearances in North America, including FMPM, to their conquests across Europe, Magenta’s live performances have reached legendary status among progressive rock fans. Magenta recently won several awards at the Classic Rock Society’s annual awards event including best gig, best female singer (for the record 9th time) and best guitarist.

The band will release their 6th studio album entitled The 27 Club in early September. Magenta’s Rob Reed says "I’m really excited about the release of The 27 Club. To my ears it’s full-on prog with a capital ‘P’ and in the vein of Seven and Metamorphosis. I personally can’t wait to play the songs live and I’m sure the fans won’t be disappointed". The album will be available at all good indie record stores like Freeson Rock.

September 22, 2013
Pearl Day at the Gesù
Don't miss the cool percussion show/drum clinic Pearl Day on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at the Gesù (1202 De Bleury, Montreal) featuring three amazing drummers, Dream Theater's Mike Mangini, Cryptopsy's Flo Mounier and the legendary Dennis Chambers (Scofield, Clarke, Steely Dan, Niacin).

The show will begin at 2:00 PM (doors at 1:30 PM) and tickets are $30, available exclusively at Steve's Music (51 St-Antoine West, Montreal). You will receive a $10 credit for Pearl drums products with each ticket purchase! For more info, please call 1-877-978-3837 and ask for DrumShop.

September 18, 2013
April Wine at the Corona Theatre - contest winner!
Canadian rock stars April Wine will perform on Saturday, September 21, 2013 at the Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre (2490, rue Notre-Dame ouest, Montréal • 514-931-2088).

The contest for a pair of tickets to the Corona show has ended, and we have a winner!

Congratulations to Réjean Lafortune of Verdun, who wins the pair of tickets, courtesy of evenko and ProgMontréal!

All tickets with the March 23 date will be honored for the Sept. 21 date. The show will begin at 8:00 and tickets are $41.50 - $47, available through the evenko website and at the Corona boxoffice.

July 6, 2013
Anathema in Montreal
British atmospheric prog metal band Anathema will be at the Foufounes Électriques (87 Ste-Catherine East, Montreal) on Monday, September 16, 2013, accompanied by French metal band Alcest and Mamiffer.

The Anathema lineup consists of Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh on guitars and vocals, Jamie Cavanagh on bass, John Douglas on drums, Lee Douglas on vocals and Daniel Cardoso on keys. They will present music from their brilliant new album Weather Systems as well as fan favorites from their vast discography spanning over 23 years!

The 18 yrs + show will begin at 8:30 PM (doors at 8:15 PM) and tickets are $20, available through the GTN nertwork or at the Foufounes boxoffice.

June 9, 2013
Kamelot at Club Soda
American power metal band Kamelot will be at the Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent, Montreal) on Sunday, September 8, 2013, accompanied by Dutch symphonic metal band Delain and the stunning all-girl German metal string quartet Eklipse.

Kamelot was formed by Thomas Youngblood and Richard Warner in 1991. Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and has shared song-writing duties with Youngblood since. As of 2010, Kamelot has released nine studio albums, two live albums, one live DVD, seven music videos and a reissue of Ghost Opera that includes an additional disc with ten live recordings and four bonus tracks. Their most current studio album is Poetry for the Poisoned, which was released in September 2010.

The show begins at 7:00 PM (doors at 6:00 PM). Tickets are $34, and $84 for VIP, available through the Club soda website or at the boxoffice. The VIP ticket gives you access to the venue 30-45 minutes before the door opening time, a meet & greet with the band, a photo with them as well as limited edition signed poster!

July 6, 2013
Saxon at the Corona
British heavy metal band Saxon will be at the Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre (2490 Notre-Dame Street West, Montreal) on Saturday, September 14, 2013, accompanied by Fozzy and Halcyon Way.

Formed in 1976 in South Yorkshire, the legendary metal band has over 20 studio albums to their credit and will present music from their latest CD, entitled Sacrifice.

The show will begin at 9:00 PM (doors at 8:00 PM) and tickets are $25, available through the Corona website or at the Corona Theatre boxoffice.

July 14, 2013
Afterglow at the Calistoga Grill
Montreal Genesis tribute band Afterglow will be at the Calistoga Grill (235, boul. St-Jean, Pointe-Claire) on Saturday, September 14, 2013.

Afterglow, A World Of Genesis will perform the great classics from all eras of the legendary British prog band. The show will begin at 9:30 PM (doors at 9:00 PM) and admission is $15.

August 25, 2013
No Vacancy at the Lion d'Or
A gathering of Montreal's best musicians present No Vacancy at the Cabaret Lion d'Or (1676 Ontario Street East, Montreal) on Friday, September 13, 2013.

For a moment of pure pleasure, Michel Sergi will present many of his favorite songs, performed with energy and humbleness. Michel is surrounded by his friends to celebrate with them a new era ahead of him. A joyous evening with music as a symbol of hope.

Michel will be accompanied by his guests Dominik Allard, Réjean Arsenault, Nicolas Beaudoin, Michel Brisson, Sébastien Cloutier, François Fournier, Vickie Hébert, Pierre Malenfant, Chris Rowe et Catherine Sergi. The group will present the music of Pink Floyd, Heart, Phil Collins, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Supertramp, Wings and much more!

The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM), and tickets are $25 available through www.lavitrine.com or at the Lion D'Or boxoffice.

August 23, 2013
Innerspace and No Ticket at the Plaza Theatre
Montreal proggers No Ticket and Innerspace will be at the Théâtre Plaza (6505 St-Hubert Street, Montreal) on Thursday, September 12, 2013, accompanied by Cydemind.

No Ticket is composed of Christopher Hemmings on vocals, Vincent Allard on keyboards, Simon Leblanc on bass, Emmanuel Trottier on drums. Listen to their album Waiting in Line on SoundCloud. Innerspace is composed of Phil Burton on guitars and vocals, Simon Arsenault on guitars, Paul Aubry on keyboards and Thomas Sauvé on drums. Listen to their album The Village on their website.

The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) and admission is $20. Please note that this is a 18+ venue.

September 2, 2013
Conrad Simon Band at the Katacombes
An awesome evening of proggy metal stuff with Montreal's Conrad Simon Band at the Katacombes (1635 St-Laurent, corner of Ontario, Montreal) on Saturday, September 7, 2013, accompanied by Urban Aliens, The Affected and Potion 13.

The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) and admission is $10, sponsored by Bière Tremblay.

August 4, 2013
Heaven's Cry at l'Alize
Montreal's Gourmet Metal band Heaven's Cry will be at the Alize Bar (900, Ontario East, Montreal) on Sunday, August 18, 2013, accompanied by Transcend, Your Last Wish, Florida's Seven Kingdoms and The Wild Hunt.

Heaven's Cry, composed of Sylvain Auclair on bass and vocals, Pierre St-Jean on vocals and guitars, René Lacharité on drums and Eric Jarrin on Guitars will present music from their recent album Wheels of Impermanence, as well as classics from their discography spanning almost 20 years! A formidable quintet of prog-metal bands for a mind-blowing evening! The show will begin at 7:00 PM (doors at 6:30 PM) and tickets are $15/$20, available through Admission or at the door on the day of the show.

July 21, 2013
Huis: A new CD and a contest winner
This contest has ended. Congratulations to Jean-Louis Fontaine of Trois-Rivières who answered the question correctly and wins an autographed CD of the band!

Montreal proggers Huis are working hard in the studios at completing their first CD entitled Despite Guardian Angels: A renowned guitar player joins Huis for their first album, who is it?

The answer of course, is Michel St-Père, lead guitarist and composer of Mystery, and founder of the Unicorn Digital record label.

Huis is composed of seasoned musicians that are well-known members of the Montreal prog community: Pascal Lapierre on keyboards, Michel Joncas on bass, Sylvain Descôteaux on vocals and William Régnier on drums, check their page on ReverbNation for full tracks. Their musical style is a sharp mix of symphonic, melodic, neo-progressive rock inspired by the likes of Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Rush, IQ, Knight Area, Riverside, and Mystery!

More news soon on the release of the upcoming CD and concerts this fall.

June 16, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Antoine Fafard - Occultus Tramitis:
Occultus Tramitis is the second solo album of composer/bass guru Antoine Fafard, a monster of a fusion rock album featuring a stellar cast of world-class musicians including Gavin Harrison, Scott Henderson, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman and Dave Weckl. The celebrated bassist of Spaced Out and Mystery offers its most challenging and elaborate release to date with Occultus Tramitis and an essential for all fans of dramatic fusion rock in the Spaced Out style. Check out Antoine's Youtube channel to whet your appetite! Available in Digipak format on the Unicorn Digital label through their online store as well as all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

Soft Machine Legacy - Burden of Proof:
Featuring John Etheridge on guitar, Theo Travis on sax, flute and keys, Roy Babbington on bass and John Marshall on drums, Soft Machine Legacy have released a fabulous, vital effort with Burden of Proof: a potent, impacting album encompassing the great spirit and aggressive pioneering approach championed by their namesake predecessors. For all fans of progressive music, the Canterbury scene, and the Softs, this superlative studio session is immediately 'essential' -- and easily the Legacy's finest, most high-reaching outing. Available through Moonjune Records' online store and at all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

Marbin - Last Chapter of Dreaming:
Guitarist Dani Rabin and saxophonist Danny Markovitch, the prime artistic forces behind the Chicago-based co-operative fusion band Marbin have released a new gem of proggy fusion rock. Last Chapter of Dreaming demonstrates that fusion needn't be just jazz plus rock; it can be jazz plus a lot of different—even disparate-seeming—musical and stylistic elements. On Last Chapter of Dreaming, as with its predecessor Breaking the Cycle (Moonjune Records, 2011), Markovtich and Rabin see pretty much all styles of music as fair game for their highly personal take on fusion. Most prominent in their mix are the keening strains of surf music, Israeli pop, twangy Spaghetti Western movie themes, metal-influenced rock instrumentals and much more (*All About Jazz, Dave Wayne). The album is now available in Digipak format on the Moonjune Records label, from their online store and and at all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

May 26, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Höstsonaten - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Alive In Theatre:
Fabio Zuffanti's latest project, Höstsonaten - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Alive In Theatre, will be available on June 15 in a DVD + CD format! Composed originally on the theme of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The rime of the Ancient Mariner, the whole opera was transposed in a theatrical version, and this CD/DVD combo was recorded on December 16, 2012 at the prestigious Teatro Verdi in Genoa. The album will be available available through independent record stores like Kinesis and Syn-Phonic, and at FreeSon.

Specimen 13 - Echosystem:
Montreal band Specimen 13 has released an EP entitled Echosystem. The 37-min. EP is the fruit of years of labor and collaboration on an international scale. At the heart of this endeavor are Denis Rodier, comic book artist, author and musician and Martin Vanier, guitar virtuoso. They have joined forces with some of rock’s most prolific and notable living legends: Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, John Lennon) on the Chapman Stick, Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr.Mister, XTC, Rembrandts) on drums, Trey Gunn (King Crimson, John Paul Jones, David Sylvian/Robert Fripp) on Warr guitar and Markus Reuter (The Crimson Project, Stick Men, Tuner) on the U8 Touch guitar. An essential album for fans of Stick Men and King Crimson! The album is available through the Specimen 13 website, and at all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

Simon Collins & The Sound of Contact - Dimensionaut:
Canadian/British vocalist/drummer/composer Simon Collins, son of Phil Collins, has a new musical project entitled Sound of Contact and has just released a phenomenal new prog rock album, Dimensionaut, a concept album about a dimensional time and space traveler on a mission to expand the boundaries of the human experience. The album features a wide range of styles and dynamics from dark and mysterious progressive rock to nostalgic classic rock to high energy alternative to sci-fi film score-infused “space rock”. The album is available at all good record stores, including Archambault and FreeSon.

Fish - A Feast of Consequences:
After a 5-year hiatus, famed vocalist/composer Fish is back with an formidable new project entitled A Feast of Consequences. The album will be available in regular CD format, the deluxe edition which includes a 100-page hardcover book, an exclusive autographed print, and a bonus DVD, and in 2-LP vinyl format. The new album will be available through the Fishheads Club and at all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

April 13, 2013
Heavy MTL 2013!
The 2013 edition of Heavy MTL has been announced and what a lineup! The metal festival will be held on Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11, 2013 at Parc Jean-Drapeau and here are some of the awesome headliners:

Avenged Sevenfold
Rob Zombie
Megadeth
Godsmack
Danzig with Doyle
A Day to Remember
Children of Bodom
Mastodon
August Burns Red
Amon Amarth
Machine Head
Gwar
Finntroll
Baroness
All Shall Perish
Cryptopsy
Augury
Blackguard
and many many more!

A special pre-show event will be held on Friday, August 9, 2013 at the Metropolis (59, Ste-Catherine East), the Summer Slaughter Tour featuring The Dillinger Escape Plan, Animals As Leaders, Periphery and Norma Jean.



Tickets for Heavy Mtl 2013: General Admission includes
One (1) Heavy MTL Weekend Pass
Limit of twelve (12) passes per order: $135

Reserved Seating Access:
One (1) Heavy MTL Weekend Pass plus access to Reserved Seating grandstands at main stages
Access to exclusive washrooms located at grandstands
Access to exclusive concessions located at grandstands
Limit of 12 passes per order: $220

The Heavy MTL Ultimate 3-Day pass includes all of the above as well as One (1) ticket for The Summer Slaughter Tour at Metropolis, Friday, August 9th. $160 General Admission and $245 Reserved Seating.

Tickets for the Summer Slaughter Tour will also be available separately.

Tickets on sale right now on the Heavy Mtl website. An evenko presentation!

July 21, 2013
Wake Island at Il Motore
Montreal indie rock band Wake Island (formerly Intensive Care) will be at Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon West, Montreal) on Saturday, August 10, 2013 as part of the Montreal Passovah Music Festival, accompanied by Miracle Fortress. All Passovah Fest shows are Pay What You Can.

July 14, 2013
Innerspace and Karcius at the Lion d'Or
A fabulous double-bill evening of progressive rock Montreal-style with Innerspace and Karcius at the Cabaret Lion d'Or (1676 Ontario Street East, Montreal) on Thursday, August 1st 2013!

The show will begin at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) and admission is $16.95.

April 28, 2013
UK 2013 at the Gesù: a review
A review by our guest contributor Mark from Upstate New York - 28/04/2013
A real treat it was, indeed! UK's performance at Montreal's intimate Gesù theater was outstanding, and I enjoyed it even more than I did the trio performance at the same venue last year. The Gesù is a small, 400-seat venue with great sound and pretty much no bad seats – I was seated in the third row to the left of the stage, so got a great chance to see everything Jobson was doing, and Wetton tended to make a lot of eye contact with my section as well. As many reviewers have noted, Wetton's live vocals sound almost superhuman these days, which was not always the case during previous decades. He does not have a particularly theatrical stage presence, but it doesn't matter, because he puts so much concentration and passion into his playing and singing, which really paid off in this performance.

The selection of material, particularly in the first half (or more) of the show leading up to Jobson's solo, simply could not have been more sublime. They began with the entire In the Dead of Night suite; since my favorite part of that suite has always been the beautifully melancholy By the Light of Day, that (relatively) rarely-performed section was a particular treat. I've heard some concert recordngs of it where Wetton seems a bit uncomfortable with the vocal line, but that wasn't the case last night at all – he really hit it out of the ballpark, and having Jobson come out with the violin for a short section was pretty wonderful as well. The whole band created the perfect, haunting tension that made the eventual "release" of Presto Vivace and Reprise all the more effective. The standing ovation at the end was well-deserved.

The following song was Nevermore, an even more rarely-performed treat. Machacek really shone on this one, especially with the beautiful intro, but, then again, so did each and every band member on this complex composition. It was pretty stunning to see how Jobson plays this material live – while others have mentioned that he does use triggered samples here and there, he relies on them much less often than most keyboardists I've seen. The droning section toward the end – so amazing on the studio recording, seemed a bit awkward from a stagecraft perspective, as most of the band could only stand and wait. However, Wetton more than came through when the vocal resumed, singing with such strength and passion that it blew the studio performance right of of the water – I was completely and totally transfixed in the Soho neon glow.

Still on a high from that experience, the delicate sounds of the Thirty Years intro started to fill the hall, and I could barely believe that so much of the band's absolutely most transcendent material was being performed back-to-back. Another powerful performance followed, with the whole band seemingly on fire and Wetton singing like his life depended on it. Such evocative lyrics – it barely seems possible that he was not even 30 when he wrote them – but he sings them now with what seems like a more nuanced feel for their meaning. The conclusion was so powerful that the audience seemed to sense that the band was ready for some kind of intermission – the standing ovation was heartfelt, and though I knew the setlist from earlier reviews, I was still taken almost by shock when, even before the ovation was finished, the haunting tones of the mellotron began to wash through the venue.

Starless is, of course, my favorite song from my all-time favorite album. The kinds of memories and feelings it brings back cannot fully be described in words. Interestingly, perhaps, I first heard it as a teenager in the '80s, when albums from the early '70s seemed like relics from a distant, somewhat mythic past. Perhaps that sense of embodying an unrecoverable time (in the era of Madonna, Huey Lewis, etc.) added something to the somewhat gloomy richness of the track, which seemed to me to bring up all the layers of emotion I (as an agnostic former Catholic) imagined people felt in worship at a candlelit cathedral at moments of deep personal crisis.

So this was a performance I've waited to see all my life. No, it wasn't the original King Crimson, but the most important member (on that song, at least) was there in the flesh, at what seemed to be the peak of his powers as a live vocalist. I did not particularly miss the other members of Red-era KC, as Machacek and Donati treated us to world-class performances of Fripp and Bruford's famous parts. Jobson clearly loves this material, and his violin provided a wonderful substitute for the tune's beloved saxophone melodies. The main star of this particular show, however, was Wetton, who not only nailed the vocal part, but gave us a sense of his legendary bass playing from back in the day. I'd have to say the sound engineering was really spot-on throughout the entire concert, and for this song, the nuances of the all-important bass seemed to be highlighted. What an amazing, amazing night for me. Surely, with the whooping and hollering standing ovation that erupted, the band is ready for a break.

But no – Jobson starts playing the disquieting intro to Carrying No Cross. Interestingly, I always wondered if this song had been intended as a kind of Starless part 2, and its placement in the set seemed to confirm that suspicion. Of course, it isn't Starless – what could possibly live up to that? However, the band really pulled out all the stops again to make the most of this mini-epic. I especially liked the theatrical lighting and sound effects during the intro and outro vocal sections, with a darkened stage punctuated by a bright spotlight on Wetton's face, and the opening exhortation of "Stop!!!" presented at an appropriately startling volume. This song, of course, mainly features Jobson's keyboard virtuosity, and he did not fail to impress. Wetton, for his part, sang as if he were feeling the full force of every single word. I can't recall ever witnessing such intense commitment from a vocalist in concert before (though he came close on the same track during last year's trio performance).

When this song reached its astounding conclusion, I basically reached the point of having had the perfect concert experience – a grouping of some of my favorite songs of all time, back-to-back, expertly and passionately performed, close-up in an intimate venue filled with extremely polite and respectful fellow fans. Everything from that point forward was just icing on the cake. That icing included Jobson's multifaceted solo, mainly the same as last year's, but expanding on the Theme of Secrets material, which was nice, as I bought that album when it came out back in the '80s. After the solo, the remaining tracks were Caesar's Palace Blues, The Only Thing She Needs, and, for the encore, Red and the piano-vocal version of Rendezvous 6:02. I have no complaints about any aspect of these performances, but none of them quite gave me the chills of the earlier selections. Red was probably a rare case where Jobson's violin didn't always fit in soundwise with the material (IMHO), but it was still wonderful to witness this powerful track performed live. The Rendezvous duet was very nice. I particularly enjoyed Wetton's "air piano" accompaniment to Jobson's solo – you got the sense that the music was so engrained in his nervous system that his hands could not help but to move that way when hearing it played. In some ways it seemed almost anticlimactic to end the show on such a delicate note, but what made it extra special was just seeing Wetton and Jobson together, as a duo, onstage. I know they have had a fraught and even painful history, and who knows what they were really thinking, but they appeared genuinely happy to be onstage together--I just wish I could hear what they were saying to one another.

What an amazing evening for me – for this virtually lifelong fan of King Crimson and UK, I can barely imagine a more incredible concert experience. Afterwards, as I walked "home" (to my partner's small, shared apartment, as I mainly live in the US), I got to reflect on the experience in the "Soho neon glow" of St. Catherine Street on a Saturday night, its odd combination of glittering nightlife and urban squalor bringing back vivid memories of other times and places, when I was first discovering the music I got to hear performed tonight. I felt like a very lucky person indeed. To John, Eddie, Alex, Virgil, and the crew last night, I want to thank you for all the hard work that went into putting on last night's stellar show.

April 18, 2013
An evening with Yes at the PDA
Legendary progressive rock band Yes will be at the Place des Arts' Salle Wilfrid Pelletier on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 8:00 PM and will perform the albums The Yes Album, Close to the Edge and Going for the One in their entirety.

The group features Geoff Downes on keyboards, Alan White on drums, Jon Davison on lead vocals, Steve Howe on guitar and Chris Squire on bass and vocals, and will be visiting Montreal for the first time since 2004. Tickets are available through the PDA boxoffice.

June 24, 2013
Lion Farm at Casa del Popolo
Don't miss the great Montreal stoner/metal band Lion Farm on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at Casa del Popolo (4873, boul. St-Laurent • 514-284-0122), accompanied by Black Piranha.

The show will begin at 8:30 PM and admission is $8.

June 24, 2013
Rush in Quebec City
The Canadian prog trio Rush will rock the Plaines d'Abraham on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 on the Bell Stage as part of the Quebec City Summer Fest.

Making music for almost 40 years without becoming irrelevant is a monumental achievement. Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson continue to inspire musicians and music lovers worldwide with their artistry and their commitment to constantly reinvent themselves. No wonder Rush was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

For this one show in Quebec, Rush signed on a string ensemble of eight musicians to add a special touch to recent numbers like Clockwork Angels and others from the group’s rich repertory. That’s a good reason to come out and see one of the greatest bands in history!

The concert begins at 8:30 PM and tickets are available through the Festival D'été de Québec website.

May 11, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Half Past Four - Good Things:
Following their highly acclaimed album Rabbit in the Vestibule back in 2008, Ontario's modern-prog-rock quintet Half Past Four have just released their second studio album this past April. Entitled Good Things, it features fabulous vocals by the lovely Kyree Vibrant, splendid musicianship and just the right amount of quirkiness to make this album a must! The album is available in Digipak format through independent record stores like Kinesis and Syn-Phonic, and at FreeSon, as well as in digital format through Itunes and Bandcamp.

The Tangent - Le Sacre du Travail:
On June 24, 2013, InsideOut Music is set to release the seventh studio album by The Tangent entitled Le Sacre Du Travail. The album is the group's first fully blown "concept album". Formed from a single hour long piece of music in 5 movements, the album has a very personal feel. It's highly orchestral and 20th century classical in tone, very much inspired by Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring. A very mature production with stellar musicianship, this album sees the lineup of The Tangent revert to an earlier formation, Andy Tillison (composer/keyboards/singer) again bringing on board Jonas Reingold on bass (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic), Jakko M Jakszyk on guitar & vocals (King Crimson, Level 42), Theo Travis on wind instruments (Soft Machine, Steve Wilson Band) with the new additions of Gavin Harrison on drums (Porcupine Tree) & David Longdon on vocal harmonies (Big Big Train). In addition there are cameo appearances by Rikard Sjoblom (Beardfish) and Guy Manning amongst others. You can preorder the album on the Tangent's website, and it will soon be available at all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

Spock's Beard - Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep:
The long-awaited 11th studio album by progressive icons Spock's Beard is now available! Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep is the first album featuring new singer Ted Leonard (Enchant) and drummer Jimmy Keegan in place of Nick D'Virgilio, while former member Neal Morse co-wrote two tracks. The new album, released on April 2 by InsideOut Music, is now available through the Indiegogo and at all good independent record stores, including FreeSon.

May 10, 2013
Pat Travers at the Mile End
Canadian rock guitarist Pat Travers will be at the Cabaret du Mile-End (5240 Ave. du Parc, Montréal) on Friday, June 28, 2013, accompanied by Vinyl Hero.

The Torontonian, best known for his top 20 80's hits Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights), Snortin' Whiskey and Crash and Burn, will present music from his recent album Blues On Fire as well as many of his classic tracks!

Tickets are $25, general admission, 18+, available through Admission and at the Cabaret du Mile-End boxoffice. A Dungeon Works production.

May 4, 2013
Queensrÿche at the Corona
Legendary american prog metal band Queensrÿche will be at the Corona Virgin Mobile theatre (2490 Notre-Dame West, Montreal) on Sunday, June 2, 2013 with opening band Something unto Nothing.

The formation featuring original singer Geoff Tate, will present music from their legendary album Operation Mindcrime, and many more classic tracks!

The show will begin at 8:00 PM and tickets are $41.50, available through evenko and at the Corona's boxoffice.

May 4, 2013
Faun Fables at the Divan Orange
For those fans of the unforgettable Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Nils Frykdahl's latest project with Dawn McCarthy, Faun Fables, will be at the Divan Orange ( 4234 St Laurent blvd. Montreal) on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. The show will begin at 9:00 PM and tickets are $10 through the Greenland/Evenko site!

March 24, 2013
Pain of Salvation with Heaven's Cry in Montreal!
An awesome power duo as Swedish prog metal band Pain of Salvation will be at the Foufounes Électriques (87, Ste-Catherine East, Montréal) on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 7:00 PM, accompanied by Imminent Sonic Destruction, King Crow and Montreal's own Heaven's Cry!

Pain of Salvation, spearheaded by guitarist/vocalist/composer Daniel Gildenlöw (Flower Kings, Transatlantic) was founded in 1991, and has released 8 studio albums ever since, including the critically acclaimed BE in 2004 and their most recent Road Salt II in 2011. Tickets are $25 ($30 at the door) available through www.admission.com and at the Foufounes boxoffice.

February 16, 2013
Opeth at the Capitole de Québec
Swedish prog metal band Opeth will be at the théâtre du Capitole in Quebec City on Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 8:00 PM, accompanied by opening act Katatonia.

The ever-evolving Swedish band Opeth will return to North America in support of their most recent studio album, Heritage. Released September 20, 2011, it garnered rave reviews from everyone from Rolling Stone who called the album "a career record that reimagines prog as actual rock 'n' roll" to Pitchfork saying "a pretty, well thought out collection” to NPR who called it “equally vast, thoughtful and heavy.”

Tickets are $35 / $40, available through Billetech or at the Capitole's boxoffice.

April 1st, 2013
Arapacis & friends at Café Chaos
Don't miss the Québec Métal benefit show at the Café Chaos (2031 St-Denis, Montréal) on Thursday, April 11, 2013, at 8:00 PM, featuring Ogenix, Sawyerpath, Hectic, Our Souls Evolve, False Flag Heroes and Arapacis. Admission is $10.

February 16, 2013
Weekly Favorites: Freak Lunchbox
Visit our Weekly Favorites page for a review of The Freak Lunchbox Confectionery Funhouse, where you can revisit the best days of your youth if you have a sweeth tooth...

February 16, 2013
Renaissance: a new guitarist
Progressive rock band Renaissance announced today the name of their new guitar player. Ryche Chlanda is the musician who will replace Michael Dunford, who passed away recently.

"We recently auditioned a wonderful guitarist/vocalist from New Jersey named Ryche Chlanda whom we feel will be the right one to carry on with Michael’s legacy," said Renaissance’s announcement. "He is a well-respected and articulate musician who has toured both with Nektar and Fireballet."

Chlanda will appear with Renaissance during the upcoming April tour.

February 2, 2013
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

John Young - Lifesigns:
John Young's new project Lifesigns will appeal to fans of melodic, symphonic prog rock. Lifesigns is the band’s highly anticipated self-titled debut album, a project that has the hallmarks of being one of the finest new Progressive Rock albums of 2013. Featuring John Young (Strawbs, Asia) on keyboards and lead vocals, Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson, Steve Hackett) on bass, stick and backing vocals and Martin Frosty Beedle (Sarah Brightman, Cutting Crew) on drums, the material reflects the excellence of the musicians who perform on the album. This impressive line-up is augmented by guest appearances from renowned musicians Steve Hackett, Thijs Van Leer (Focus), Jakko Jakszyk (King Crimson) and Robin Boult. Working with engineer Steve Rispin, Lifesigns is a tuneful, innovative and hugely impressive debut album certain to appeal to those who appreciate the finer aspects of modern Progressive Rock.

Tracklist:
1. Lighthouse
2. Telephone
3. Fridge Full Of Stars
4. At The End Of The World
5. Carousel

Check out the Youtube preview of Carousel. Lifesigns is available in CD format and on highly limited edition vinyl through the CherryRed Records online store, through Burning Shed and at all good indie records stores including FreeSon Rock.

Jadis - See Right Through You:
Over six years after their excellent album Photoplay, Jadis is back with a stunning new album, See Right Through You features their unique and instantly recognizeable sound. The new lineup includes Andy Marlow on bass, Arman Vardanyan on keyboards, Steve Christey on drums and the heart and soul of Jadis, guitarist/singer Gary Chandler. Many reviewers rate this album as Chandler's best work to date. Check out the Jadis promo video on Youtube. The album is available through the Jadis online store and at all good indie records stores including FreeSon Rock.

Mike Keneally - Wing Beat Fantastic:
The new album from composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Mike Keneally is the highly anticipated result of a songwriting union between him and the famed rock experimentalist and legendary XTC composer Andy Partridge. Their collaboration produced eight new songs, combining Partridge’s innate sense of angular pop melody and beautifully intelligent poeticism with Keneally’s experimental bent and surrealist tendencies.

Check out the amazing Youtube clip of Mike Keneally and Andy Partridge's I'm Raining Here, Inside, presented in a dreamlike performance by Mike. The slow-motion effect was achieved by shooting the video at a very high frame rate (60fps) as Mike mimed the song at 2 1/2 times its normal speed!

The album is available on Mike Keneally's online store as well as all good indie records stores including FreeSon Rock.

La Maschera di Cera - Le Porte Del Domani - The Gates of Tomorrow:
The highly anticipated new album by Fabio Zuffanti's La Maschera di Cera is now available in English version and in Italian version (much like the glory days of PFM, Banco and Le Orme). A splendid masterpiece, with a richly textured vintage sound, Le Porte Del Domani is available in CD and on vinyl through the Fabio Zuffanti online store or at all good indie records stores including FreeSon Rock.

January 26, 2013
Album review: Antonius Rex
Visit our CD and DVD reviews for the latest review of the new album Hystero Demonopathy by Antonius Rex from our excellent contributor/columnist Éric Caron.

January 20, 2013
Concert review: Mystery and The Box in L'Assomption
A review by Robert Dansereau - Sunday, January 20, 2013
A long awaited event yesterday in l'Assomption, even though I had to confront treaturous roads and very inclement weather on the way in, the Mystery/The Box double bill was one of those not-to-be-missed shows and a fantastic way to start the year concertwise.

Opening the evening just a bit after 8:00 PM, Mystery offered us a splendid show, featuring excellent interpretations of the latest epics from their highly acclaimed album The World is a Game. Energetic and sharp, the band shook the walls of the auditorium with a great setlist that included one or two seldom-played tracks. Mystery is gaining momentum full steam these days, with a series of great live events including opening for the Marillion Convention in March and headlining at prog rock festivals in Holland and in Mexico.

Then on to The Box. Folks of my generation remember fondly the popular Montreal band that released a string of excellent pop rock albums between 1984 and 1990 with over ten charting singles, winning a Felix award in 1985 and nominated for a Juno award that same year. After a long hiatus, a new lineup of The Box featuring original front man Jean-Marc Pisapia released two splendid albums in 2005 and in 2009.

It was my first time seeing this band live, and they offered us a thoroughly enjoyable show. Their setlist was a wonderful mix of their early pop/new wave hits, and their proggier later material, including Ordinary People, L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say to Me), Temptation, Stardust Hotel, Closer Together, My dreams of You, Must I Always Remember and So Beautiful among many others. They also performed a condensed version of their stunning Horla de Maupassant album, even in its shortened form (albeit over 20 minutes), was still epic and one of the highlights of the entire evening!

The entire set – well balanced between the poppy and the harder-edged material – was performed with much energy and enthusiasm, with great chemistry onstage. Add to that the excellent sound provided by Sir Sébastien Cloutier and the cool light show offered by Olivier, this was definitely an evening worth its weight in gold! In Jean Marc's own words, this show was So absolutely beautiful, it blew my mind away!

The trip back home from L'Assomption to Montreal was even scarier than the way in, with a completely snowed and slippery road surface and blizzard-like conditions. Average speed on highway 40 was 65 Km/h. But like the old expression says, "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these proggers from the enjoyment of good live music!"

March 18, 2013
Here and Shatters at O Patro Vys
Check out the latest prog bands Here and Shatters, at O Patro Vys (356 Mont-Royal East) this Saturday, March 23 2013 at 8:30 PM. Admission is $10. Here is a prog band with varied influences, but doesn't limit itself to one given style. Their music ranges from rock to metal, with jazz overtones and ambient/alternative themes. Here is energetic, introspective and theatrical. Shatters is a Quebec prog-metal project exploring the fragility of the human spirit musically and lyrically. French and English lyrics accompanying hypnotic, intense, sometimes blistering rock music.

February 20, 2013
Kevin Ayers dead at age 68
Kevin Ayers has died at the age of 68. The singer and songwriter, who was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement, was a founding member of Soft Machine, singing and playing bass on their 1968 debut The Soft Machine.

The news was broken on Twitter by Alexis Petridis of The Guardian, who wrote: "Sad news: the great Kevin Ayers has passed away." It was later confirmed that Ayers had died on February 18, seemingly in his sleep.

Born in Herne Bay, Kent, in 1944, Ayers formed The Wilde Flowers with Robert Wyatt and Hugh Hopper. The band later became Soft Machine. After Ayers's departure from Soft Machine, he released several solo studio albums - his first being 1969's Joy of a Toy.

1992's Still Life with Guitar was his last for 15 years, before he returned in 2007 with The Unfairground. His final album featured contributions from Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, Teenage Fanclub, Neutral Milk Hotel, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and his ex-bandmate Hugh Hopper, who passed away in 2009.

February 20, 2013
Kings Marillion weekend preshow
Come and hear 30 years of Marillion music live onstage with two Montreal based Marillion tribute band, Scripted, paying tribute to the Fish years and Kings, A tribute to Hogarth years, the show will be held on Friday, March 22 2013 at the Brutopia brew pub (1219 Crescent, Montreal) and will begin at 1:00 PM.

Canada's first Marillion tribute band dedicated to the Hogarth years, Kings is composed of Marc St-Onge on guitar, Wil Stakenburg on bass, Sylvain Bérubé on drums, Jean-Francois Allard on keyboards and Martin Berthiaume on vocals, percussion and keyboards. Their goal is to create awareness of the moving and emotional catalogue of songs from the post-Fish years to people who have forgotten or moved away from the band.

March 3, 2013
Innerspace at l'Hémisphère Gauche
Montreal prog band Innerspace will officially launch their new album on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 8:30 PM at Bar L'Hémisphère Gauche (221 Beaubien East, Montreal), accompanied by Skydrom and Mystify.

Innerspace is composed of Thomas Sauvé on drums, Paul Aubry on keyboards, Simon Arsenault on guitar and Phil Burton on guitar and vocals. The group will present music from their brand new CD entitled The Village. Admission is $10.

January 26, 2013
Coheed and Cambria at Club Soda
New York's post hardcore/prog metal band Coheed and Cambria will be at the Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent Blvd, Montreal • 514-286-1010) on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 to present the music of their latest album The Afterman: Descension, accompanied by A Place to Bury Strangers and Mockingbird Wish Me Luck. the concert will begin at 7:30 PM (doors at 6:30 PM) and tickets are $28.50 - $32, available online at the Club Soda boxoffice. Watch on Youtube their miost recent clip, entitled The Hard Sell.

January 11, 2013
Steve Howe leaves Asia
Steve Howe is, of course, best known as the lead guitarist of Yes, but since 2006 he's been pulling double duty, taking part in a reunion of the original lineup of the prog-rock supergroup Asia. However, the virtuoso musician has announced that he's decided to depart Asia to concentrate more on Yes, as well as on other projects.

In a statement posted on his official website, Howe writes, "I have left Asia to concentrate on Yes, my solo work & my Trio. I’ve enjoyed the 6 years of touring and recording with Asia, but now it’s time to focus more on the above mentioned formations."

Howe's exit will by no means signal the end of Asia. The band already has recruited a replacement, young guitar whiz Sam Coulson, and has plans to get back on the road and to record a new studio album titled Valkyrie this year.

In a message on Asia's official site, the band calls Coulson "a wonderful player, world-renowned amongst guitar virtuosos." The first confirmed concert for the group's new lineup will be at the 2013 Sweden Rock festival, scheduled for June 5-8 in Solvesborg, Sweden.

Commenting about the change in the band, singer/bassist John Wetton says, "Asia is ready to take its next steps along this remarkable road. We cannot wait to perform again for the fans and also to unveil some of the new material, of which we are very proud." Keyboardist Geoff Downes — who also plays with Yes — adds, "We look forward to writing another chapter in Asia’s history," while drummer Carl Palmer declares, "We’re all looking forward to the next decade of great Asia music." © 2013 ABC News Radio

January 26, 2013
Wake Island at Casa del Popolo
Montreal indie rock band Wake Island (formerly Intensive Care) will be at Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent Blvd, Montreal) on Saturday, February 16, 2013 to present their new EP album entitled It Takes Time to be Uncomfortable, accompanied by Reversing Falls.

Wake Island's new album was produced and recorded by the great Jace Lasek (The Besnard Lakes, Wolf Parade, Suuns) at Breakglass Studio, and mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering. The group is an exchange between four musicians from Lebanon, the USA and Canada attempting to bridge the cultural gaps between themselves. They blend King Crimson-esque songwriting with a sound that is inherently modern and fondly informed by eclectic artists such as Grizzly Bear, Wolf Parade, Aimee Mann and Charles Mingus. It promises to be raw, explosive and uncompromisingly honest. Check out one of their tracks on YouTube, entitled Use it as a Weapon.

The show begins at 9:00 PM and admission is $10.

January 4, 2013
A new look for 2013
With 2012 coming to an end soon, I wanted to wish all the readers of ProgMontreal a very happy holiday, and a great upcoming year 2013, as well a big thank for your numerous visits on this website.

As you see, ProgMontreal got a bit of a facelift, a long-overdue visual upgrade making the website more user-friendly with its standardized format, especially those who use portable devices like tablets or smartphones, to navigate through the site.

A new column has also been introduced, the Weekly Favorites will feature reviews on everything from new music and new movies to restaurants, from electronics and cool gadgets to books... everything and anything including the kitchen sink! There will also be more album reviews and interviews, as time permits.

Also, to keep up with the new year's tradition, you'll find my my musical year in review in the Top Ten list of 2012, as well as the Top Ten from long-time ProgMontreal contributor Eric Caron.

Yours truly,
Robert Dansereau

December 8, 2012
New music
Cool new music from all around the world, here are some recent (and future) releases of interest:

Steven Wilson - The Raven that Refused to Sing:
The new album by Steven Wilson and band The Raven that Refused to Sing (and other stories) will be released on Kscope on February 25, 2013. The album was written between January-July and recorded in Los Angeles in September with Steven’s current band line up of Guthrie Govan – lead guitar, Nick Beggs – bass guitar, Marco Minnemann – drums, Adam Holzman – keyboards, Theo Travis – saxophone / flute and engineered by legendary producer/engineer Alan Parsons.

The 6 tracks on the album are based on stories of the supernatural and the deluxe 4 disc edition comes in the form of a 128 page hardback book containing lyrics and ghost stories, illustrated by Hajo Mueller. There will also be stand alone double vinyl, CD and Blu-Ray editions. Pre-orders for the limited deluxe edition will start soon, while the tour to promote the album starts on 1st March in Europe, and will continue throughout the rest of the year visiting many other countries, with many dates yet to be announced.

Track listing:
1. Luminol (12.10)
2. Drive Home (7.37)
3. The Holy Drinker (10.13)
4. The Pin Drop (5.03)
5. The Watchmaker (11.43)
6. The Raven that Refused to Sing (7.57)

The album will be available at all good record stores, including FreeSon Rock and Archambault, as well as through Burning Shed.

3rdegree - The Long Division:
One of those really great but relatively unknown local bands that deserve to be widely discovered, New-Jersey-based 3rdegree, formed in 1990, recently released their latest studio album entitled The Long Division. A great mix of classic progressive rock sound with energetic alt-rock, the album features brilliant guitar work and vocals, a powerful rhythm section with clever lyrics and amazing instrumental portions.

Tracklist:
1. You’re Fooling Yourselves
2. Exit Strategy
3. The Socio-Economic Petri Dish
4. Incoherent Ramblings
5. The Ones To Follow
6. A Work Of Art
7. Televised
8. The Millions Of Last Moments
9. Memetic Pandemic
10. A Nihilist’s Love Song

Available in deluxe “eco-wallet” (much like an old LP record, the CD slips into a protective cardboard housing and the artwork, lyrics, photos and credits look vibrant on the UV-protected matte finish). Features over 53 minutes of music across 10 brand-new songs. The album is available right now from their online store.

Riverside - Shrine Of New Generation Slaves:
The long-awaited 5th studio album of the polish prog metal band Riverside, entitled Shrine Of New Generation Slaves will be released on January 21, 2013.

The special edition of the album – a 32-page mediabook (2CD), and the vinyl edition will contain 2 very special bonus tracks. “SONGS” will be released by Century Media/Inside Out worldwide. Ahead of this and on December 17, the band will release a digital single entitled Celebrity Touch.

Track Listing:
1. New Generation Slave (4:17)
2. The Depth of Self – Delusion (7:39)
3. Celebrity Touch (6:48)
4. We Got Used To Us (4:12)
5. Feel Like Falling (5:17)
6. Deprived (8:26)
7. Escalator Shrine (12:41)
8. Coda (1:39)

Shrine Of New Generation Slaves will be available at all good record stores, including FreeSon Rock and Archambault.