ALBUM REVIEW: STEVEN WILSON - TO THE BONE

STEVEN WILSON
TO THE BONE
Caroline International.
Art Pop, Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock.
Listening Format: Digital.



When it comes to modern Progressive Rock, nobody feels like more of a flag-bearer of the genre than Steven Wilson. Sure the "dinosaurs" of the 70s still hold all the acclaim. Whilst Prog has certainly influenced many artists that came after it, and latched onto other subgenres of music, there aren't as many artists in the music limelight who quite openly embrace the somewhat untrendy term. Steven Wilson is one of the brightest stars. He fully embraces all that is Prog. Wilson has even been integral in remastering classic 70s Prog albums by the likes of Hawkwind and Jethro Tull, fully immersing himself into the history of the genre. The Londoner has been making music since the late 80s in various different forms, but his most famous act is Porcupine Tree. Whilst many of the genre leaders like Yes, Genesis and ELP spent their 80s derailing into Pop music and somewhat leaving behind Prog altogether, by the end of the decade Progressive Rock started to see a resurgence with artists inspired by the likes of 'Close to the Edge', 'In the Court of the Crimson King' and 'Dark Side of the Moon' starting to surface. The likes of Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and of course Porcupine Tree. With Steven Wilson as their main songwriter and frontman, Porcupine Tree were truly a progressive band. They explored multiple styles and subgenres, never making the same album twice, always expanding their sound and making complex, thought provoking music. The band seem to be on indefinite hiatus now, but Steven Wilson has basically carried on a similar sound and ethos into his solo ventures.

Wilson's first three solo albums were as Prog as it comes. In particular 'The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)' was full of mind-boggling complex instrumentation, different movements, long instrumental jamming and soloing, varying themes and time signature changes, analogue production and mastering. It genuinely felt like it was a lost gem from the 70s heyday of Prog. The album that followed, 'Hand. Cannot. Erase' in comparison sacrificed a lot of those things in order to make a much more cohesive and accessible album in terms of songwriting, combining catchy hooks and soaring melodies, with complex playing and Wilson's fetish for the mellotron! This album also sounded much more personal lyrically and much more modern. Sure there were touches of nostalgia, but it very much sounded like what a modern Prog album should. Not all of the Prog-heads got on board with it, but I personally found it to be his best solo album yet (amongst a mighty fine discography). In a way Wilson's fifth full length album 'To the Bone' takes this direction even further. 'To the Bone' is Steven Wilson's most accessible, catchy, hook-laden and Pop oriented album in his solo discography. There isn't even a song that breaches the 10 minute mark! Has he gone mad???

'To the Bone' sucked me right in from the start, opening with one of the strongest tracks (rightly so since it is the title track of the album). After a Morricone inspired Spaghetti Western style intro, bursts a very upbeat and stripped back sound. Production-wise it instantly feels so bright and colourful, with a slight Funk influence kicking in the chorus, complete with soulful female backing vocals. The second half of the song beautifully opens into a dreamy and uplifting ending, punctuated by floaty synth and mellotron that overwhelms the guitar. Wilson's voice cuts through magically. 'Pariah' is a huge standout on the album which sees Wilson's duet partner Ninet Tayeb return. She stirred up such a massive presence on Wilson's previous album 'Hand. Cannot. Erase', especially with her solo vocal on the outstanding downer ballad 'Routine'. They recapture that magic on 'Pariah' with their voices gelling so wonderfully together that it will be hard to imagine future Steven Wilson albums without her presence. Wilson has just got better and better and working in such strong, overwhelming melodies. Surprisingly the two minute long acoustic ballad 'Blank Tapes' is a wonderful little inclusion on the album. It's not often we hear a Steven Wilson track sounding so brittle and so short, so this was a lovely surprise.

'To the Bone' isn't a complete home-run though. 'Detonation' is the clearest attempt to do something more typically "Proggy" but falls a little short with off tangent guitar soloing and changes in direction that don't quite flow. It begins with an intriguing Electronic beat intro, and ends with funky Talking Heads inspired Funk Rock. In an album filled with more linear tunes, it's weird that the most "typical" Steven Wilson track sounds out of place and overbloated. Even still there are still interesting ideas in this track even if as a whole it doesn't quite come together. The single 'Permanating' is a track I keep going back on forth on. I felt like hearing it on it's own, with the video, it sort of worked, but placing it bang in the middle of the album, it feels so jarring. The record suddenly takes a massive sonic jolt, into something really loud and kind of obnoxious. ''Permanating' sounds like a Scissor Sisters song, and genuinely just as camp with pounding piano chords and Wilson's "oh yeah, I'm going full falsetto and you can't stop me!" vocals. It's fun, but I kind of feel like this would have been better as a non-album single. I just don't feel like it fits the flow of 'To the Bone'. 

So is 'To the Bone' a Progressive Rock record at all? Yes actually. Steven Wilson continues to prove that he is a progressive artist, and even with a discography as vast as his (if you count all his other projects), it is incredible that the man still has so many fresh ideas inside him, good ones too! Don't get me wrong, 'To the Bone' is not for the King Crimson fan, or for those that enjoy listening to Rick Wakeman make mad, violent love to his keyboards, clad in full wizard attire. Wilson has already done plenty of that kind stuff in the past. With 'To the Bone' he has taken risks and proved that he can make compelling Pop and radio friendly music, which still honours the sound, style, production, writing and ultimately the ethos of Progressive Rock. In many ways, 'To the Bone' makes me think of Arcade Fires' latest album 'Everything Now'. Arcade Fire were once a band known for thinking outside of the box, making challenging and thought provoking music. But with 'Everything Now' they decided to make a catchier, Poppier record and it just fell flat on it's face. Steven Wilson has shown us the right way to make more accessible, easy on the ear music, and yet not sacrifice artistic integrity. 'To the Bone' very much has a less is more approach, but it actually channels two of Porcupine Tree's lighter more accessible and Pop-oriented albums 'Lightbulb Sun' and 'Stupid Dream'. What the album lacks in pomposity and pretension, it more than makes up for in strong melodies, hard hitting choruses and well written songs. If anyone else made this album it would be seen as one of the most ambitious and versatile of the year, yet because STEVEN WILSON, has made this album, somehow it might come across as less ambitious and striking compared to his past discography highs. I personally feel like the tipping scale has worked in Wilson's favour. The lack of pure Prog trademarks is more than suitably made up for with the emphasis on huge melodies and strong writing. And in terms of sound and production, this is still a near immaculate effort. Wilson still manages to inject so many amazing textures, soundscapes and atmospheres, playing with a more than suitable team of collaborators. The man very much knows what he is doing and has invited his listeners into yet another unique and distinctive world full of wonders. It isn't as dark as previous outings, and perhaps it doesn't quite hit as hard as his last two records, but it very much stands on it's own merits. Like the album sleeve and title suggest, this is Steven Wilson stripped to the bone. 8/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: SOLSTAFIR - BERDREYMINN

SOLSTAFIR
BERDREYMINN
Post Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock.
Seasons of Mist.
Listening Format: CD & Digital.














Solstafir are an Icelandic Rock band who have been active for over 20 years but only put out their first full length in 2002. Originally conceived as a Black Metal band, Solstafir have always created very atmospheric and melancholic music. Over the course of six full length albums, their music has really changed up a lot and continued to evolve to the point where they can barely be labelled a Metal band these days. 'Berdreyminn' is their sixth full length release and it's not an easy album to pigeonhole (which I like), with elements of Post Rock, Hard Rock and Prog.

The album opens with a kind of Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western inspired intro before (and I kid you not) launching into a main riff that sounds like classic Muse (honestly it really does)! Once this track gets going though, it becomes really interesting with a triumphant feel, stomping drums and these soaring yelling vocals. Second track 'Isafold' has this unashamed 70s Rock stomp that sounds like classic ZZ Top. This thing even has what sounds like a slap bass interlude and cheesy guitar licks. I have to say I'm loving this track, although the vocals are mixed a little too high and sometimes when Tyrggvason goes slightly off pitch it is a bit unpleasant on the ears. The album takes an even stronger leap forward with a song that has a completely different tone. 'Hula' is Solstafir coming out in their true form. It sounds dark, mysterious, brooding and epic as you would probably expect. There are some absolutely beautiful touches of strings and female backing vocals on this track, and the clean lead vocals are far more muted and lowered in the mix compared to the yelling vocals on the first two tracks. This is easily the strongest track on the album that could be described as a Post Rock or atmospheric Rock song, for lack of a better term.

As the album starts to venture into its second half things keep changing up from there. In fact 'Naros' has a very dynamic change just within the same song. It begins as slow and ghostly as 'Hula' before it, but around the half way mark suddenly bursts into a colourful array of Punky power chord lead guitars and brilliant sounding yelling vocals. Although I can't understand the lyrics (presumably in Icelandic), I can still hear so much passion in the vocals, so whatever he is shouting about, I can tell he really means it. Another strong album highlight, but mostly just the second half of this track.

As the album continues its journey, it seems to keep switching back and forth between simplistic and energetic Hard Rock, and melancholic and very dramatic songs. 'Dyrafjordur' near the end of the album piles on the strings and hammering piano arpeggios to create a song that could easily soundtrack a main character's last dying breath at the climax of a hard hitting drama. If you compare this track to the ZZ Top stomp of 'Isafold' earlier in the album, it is hard to believe these two songs can possibly coexist on the same record! I guess this is the album's biggest strength and biggest weakness at the same time. 'Berdreyminn' is a vastly eclectic album with a wide musical pallet. Sometimes it sounds simplistic and catchy as hell, sometimes it sounds very complex, layered and serious. Rarely is the album boring because Solstafir pull off all their ambitions well, with solid, heartfelt performances, and detailed, nostalgic production. But tonally this record is all over the place. I think if you do pretend it is a soundtrack, then it makes more sense. Soundtracks are allowed to be all over the place. Listening all the way through there are mostly very bold and engaging moments all over this record. But there are also some irksome parts too, whether it is a guitar lead or yelped vocal sounding a bit too cheesy and over the top, or a change in the album's mood and pacing being too drastic a shift. As a whole though, I'm really enjoying this record. It is certainly a unique and thoroughly engaging experience, and it doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard this year, which is very refreshing indeed. 7/10.

#338: FANTASIST + SUPPORT - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

Rebellion Manchester continues to prove itself a dominant force in the Heavy Rock & Metal scene in Manchester with yet another epic show! This time growing promoter Up From Under were at the helm, with a quartet of trios on show, cemented in more of a Rock ground rather than the usual Extreme Metal bands that dominate this venue.

SUGARCAGE

Unfortunately there were only a handful of people at the start of the show, but if you arrived late you missed out on a bit of a gem with Manchester's Sugarcage. This trio very much had a nostalgic sound that seemed to appreciate mid 90s to early 00s Rock and Metal. I could hear Silverchair, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots in their sound, but definitely some Grungey tones. Sugarcage used the old quiet verses/loud chorus formulas well and weren't afraid to have clean guitar dominate their songs, though they would usually find their way into crunchier, distorted finales.

When Sugarcage began their set, I felt like their energy was a little drained, which I guess is hard to avoid when you are playing to such a small audience. The absence can psychologically make the room look bigger and can play on your conscience during the performance. But in fairness, as their set went on their energy got much bigger and the trio seemed to lose themselves within their sounds. One of the highlights of their set was a song about Star Wars, which even had the lyrics "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" in there, showing that Sugarcage have an understanding of all things retro. In an emotional display, Sugarcage said farewell to their drummer Rory who was playing his last show. Though Sugarcage may not have the most original sound, they proved that they can do older styles well and since I am a sucker for nostalgia, I really enjoyed every moment of their set. A part of me felt I could have listened to them forever. Their use of lovely melodic clean chords and beautifully crafted vocal tones, especially from frontman Kai, really won me over. I'd love to see these guys play to a packed out crowd one day and see how they compare! 8/10.

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THE RIVER VERSUS

If you have followed my reviews for a while now, you'll know I've reviewed The River Versus a bunch of times over the years, but if you don't know, this Manchester based trio deliver a seriously intense technical Prog Rock onslaught. They have the ELP setup of bassist, keyboardist and drummer. Their sound is very eclectic even for a Prog band, and draws in influences of Jazz, Classical, Post Hardcore and even Mariachi brass!

Thankfully punters continually poured into Rebellion as The River Versus began their set with a fanfare, with each band member contributing two trumpets and one trombone, in an epic and harmonious intro that felt like they were about to introduce a gunslinger duel in a Spaghetti Western film! They then kicked into some of the most impossibly complex playing, with each member weaving in and out of each other in a true display of technical versatility. Their songs are inspired by Norse mythology and the band even wrote and illustrated a comic book to coincide with their music. It's as if these three are constantly drawing from an endless well of sheer talent, and of course when they perform they make the mindboggling bass tapping solos, staccato piano playing and insanely massive drum fills seem effortless! The fact that they can all perform solo vocals and beautiful harmonies whilst hard at work on their instruments is something truly awe inspiring. Aaron, Alec and Jimmy also have a great sense of humour on stage, getting the audience to meow during performances and making each other laugh during some of the more serious parts of their songs.

The River Versus treated the Rebellion audience to a brand new song tonight, that was fast and funky, allowing drummer Aaron to take a lead vocal part, which he pulled off fantastically. This show was particularly exciting as it was my first time seeing them at Rebellion, which often brings out the best sound in any Rock or Metal act. The best part about seeing The River Versus play live though, is watching people in the crowd who have clearly never seen them play before. It's not long until their jaws are on the floor and they are left a drooling mess. Some of the band members in Rock band Silverchild were watching tonight and when they whipped out the trumpets to bookend their show, I heard a scream of "HOLY SHIT!" Yes... The River Versus really are that good! 10/10.

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DIRTY ROTTEN SOULS

Following a performance by The River Versus must be one of the scariest things a musician can think of, so there was a lot of pressure on Stoke On Trent based Dirty Rotten Souls. Please bare in mind that Dirty Rotten Souls were not originally scheduled for this show, and stepped in after Ritual King were unable to play. I think their sound would have followed on more coherently from openers Sugarcage, so being sandwiched between two Prog and Funk inspired bands maybe left these guys at a disadvantage.

Dirty Rotten Souls play Bluesy Rock with strokes of modern Indie in there. In particular, their vocalist had a tone reminiscent of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys (think the newer stuff). The trio kicked into some ballsy riffage from the start. Their guitar sounds had plenty of dirt and grit, which got people in the crowd banging their heads. "Cocaine Submarine" added in some 70s Classic Rock inspired riffs. The band had some questionable lyrics in some of their songs. New single "You'd Look Better With a Bullet In You" didn't quite match the aggression of its title, and the lyrics about pulling your trousers and knickers up fell completely flat for me. There were some other suspect lyrics across the night (I'm sure I heard a filthy slut in there), that I didn't really get. I think if I'd seen Dirty Rotten Souls perform on a different bill on a more level playing field I would have enjoyed them more, but The River Versus left my brain twitching for more insane Prog Funk Rock and these guys weren't here to fill that void. 6/10.

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FANTASIST

After The River Versus left Rebellion's revellers with their minds shattered and exploded into pieces all over the floor, our final trio of the night arrived just in time to sweep any remaining brain fragments up and send them right into the incinerator! Fantasist usually dress sharp in pinstripe suits, but the lovely summery weather called for the Fantasist boys to put on their summer vacation clothes, with all 3 wearing Hawaiian shirts and shorts!

After much anticipation, an amp fuck up got them off to a false start. But they covered well whilst guitarist Ollie quickly setup a new amp by playing a funky bass and drum rendition of the Super Mario Bros Pipe Theme! They soon launched into their set proper, showcasing their virtuoso playing. Soon into the set they played my favourite song of theirs "Goodnight So Long", from their self titled second album. This song is one of their catchiest with a massive melodic chorus showcasing the trios soaring vocal harmonies. Fantasist roared through their original songs sending out glee to the Rebellion crowd with their high energy and warm charm. Like The River Versus before them, their use of vocal harmonies and truly mind-boggling dedication to their instruments was simultaneously mindblowing and effortless...

...Speaking of The River Versus, this show unveiled the worst kept secret in Manchester's music scene (even the setlist on the night pretty much gave this one away). In the middle of Fantasist's set, their sonic brethrens joined them on stage as a Mariachi backing band! The two bands had scrambled to get a small amount of rehearsal time together before the show, but because both bands are so talented, the final result was seamless. Fantasist showcased two new songs from their forthcoming EP, and having TRV back them with their brass instruments was not only a beautiful moment, but it could well go down in Rock history! TRV managed to give Fantasist some Ska vibes, as if these guys didn't put enough of a big grin on your face already! I would like to hear these two bands do a proper collaborative studio EP or something!

Following a fantastic Fantasist feast of fully fledged funky originals, the boys then launched into their inevitable covers section of the show. This is where the gig turns into a full on party! Fantasist have a great ability of honouring the original spirit of the songs, playing them flawlessly, but adding their own Funk sound to them and finding ways to implement their triple vocal attack! "Video Killed the Radio Star" got the whole crowd singing along and dancing, and "Word Up" sent party animals going crazy. The new addition of "Peaches" by The Presidents of the USA was such a fantastic choice that really suits Fantasist's sound, but it was their hilarious version of "Easy Lover" that blew the place apart, proving that some good can come out of Phil Collins after all! 9/10.

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May 28th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester. Photography by Rich Smith of Digital Bath.