HARVEST - Underground Comunity

HARVEST - Underground Comunity

Written by Branimir Lokner
Saturday, 19 June 2010

HARVEST
" Underground Comunity "
( Red Phone Records ) 2009.
CD - SPAIN
Alter rock/progressive

Harvest are Barcelona based band, active some period on national scene. They works in quintet formation with brilliant female vocalist - Monique van der Kolkin, in its line-up..During the 2009 year, a group has released a debut album with 13 tracks in, entitled " Underground Community".
A band in refine way trying to combine alter rock tendencies with some progressive touches. A pleasent atmosphere, as same as often ambiental moods, dominates through present materials, and most of songs posses a pretty similiar approach.A mentioned atmosphere is band's strongest weapon. Also some medieval psychology exist in band's arrangments creations. Harvest are original band, even that offering musicals options are more orientire to so call 80's and 90's legacy, than to nowadays variants.

Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.harvestcode.com
www.myspace.com/harvestmusic

RARE BLEND - Sessions

RARE BLEND - Sessions

Written by Branimir Lokner
Saturday, 19 June 2010

RARE BLEND " Sessions "
( TSM Productions ) 2009.
CD
Fusion/progressive - USA






Rare Blend are Cleveland Ohio based band, active on national progressive area for over a 15 years. They have recorded a 5 albums, and " Sessions" is actuelle one, taped " live" in concert and studio forms.Rare Blend are consists of skilfull performers and well-trained musicians. Its offering combines fusion and progressive elements, rooted depply in late 70's period. A band is specially infected by the jazz-rock/fusion era, and some evident comparabilities with well-known names, as a Brand X, Mahavishnu Orshestra and Ozric Tentacles are presents in group's approaches as well. Also some touches of earliest King Crimson comes to mind, but the truth is also, that band has captured a energy of our time, and performing materials are recorded with clever arrangments views. A band has threathed themes from album as a 3 connective " chapters" - stage, studio and film, and we can find on album 14 mainly equalizing tracks. Rare Blend are specially interesting act for the followers of late 70's fusion/progressive movemnet.

Rating : 7,5 / 10
C / o : www.rareblend.net

HEARTS AND DAGGERS - And Then There Was Dust

HEARTS AND DAGGERS - And Then There Was Dust

Written by Branimir Lokner
Friday, 18 June 2010

HEARTS AND DAGGERS " And Then There Was Dust "
( Self - released ) 2010.
CD
Alt.country - USA

Out of Raleigh, North Carolina comes a relatively newer act - Hearts And Daggers. They have introduced themselves to wider audience with actuelle debut album, entitled " And Then There Was Dust". A band is on therithory of alt.country/country rock, and USA quartet in refine way
combines older valuabilities with energy of our time. In many aspects they are deeply in roots therithory, but rock traces and punkish energy also dominates through offering materials as well. " And Then There Was Dust" are consists of mostly melodic mid to mid-up tempo tunes, with addition of some ballads. A group playing songs in equalizing manner, where controlling arrangments and mentioned melodicity, characterize album materials in general.

Rating : 7 / 10 C / o : www.heartsanddaggers.com www.myspace.com/heartsanddaggers

THE SALTSHAKERS - Lights Out

THE SALTSHAKERS - Lights Out

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 08 June 2010

THE SALTSHAKERS
" Lights Out" ( Unreal Records ) 2009.
CD
Power pop - USA





The Saltshakers are quartet from Milwaukee Wisconsim, active some period on national underground area.The have released a 3 issues till now -
- " A Beautiful Mess", "Up All Night", and actuelle one - "Lights Out". The Saltshajers are faithful to one variant of power pop established in worldwide scene during the 80's. They are mostly infected by the British wave, but in group's approaches we can find also some other elements, as a rock, garage rock, and punk traces as well. One specific punk energy circulate through its songs too. A band has introduced themselves with 10 tracks in, with similiar approach and similiar realizations. Even that offering materials posses a energy of our time, The Saltshakers mainly has sounded as a retro act, and I would mention again 80's period aa a key influental era. All of band's songs posses evident melodicity, and productional works mainly satisfies.

Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.thesaltshakers.com
www.myspace.com/thesaltshakers

HAIDUK - Plagueswept

HAIDUK - Plagueswept

Written by Branimir Lokner
Friday, 07 May 2010

HAIDUK " Plagueswept "
( Self - released ) 2010.
CD
Death metal - CANADA

Haiduk is a newly-created solo project Of Luka Miloica. He started out in 2009, and during the January 2010, he has released a self-produced Demo album, entitled " Plagueswept". With 8 tracks and 30 minutes of music, Haiduc deliver a specific vision of atmospheric and raw death metal. An interesting arrangments circulate around present songs. Some of tracks has expandier instrumental lines, some are little more vocally orientired. Haiduk has also offered in some parts of his Demo something of doomy views, and black metal ambiental traces are present too. Even that black metal as a genre isn't his main oriantation, many symbolical associations exsists in his songs. I would mention a 3rd track - " Dark Forces Path" as a song with many structural complexivities, and on the other hand, in my opinion this is also a representative part from " Plagueswept " issue. " Plagueswept" is in the process of promotional activities, and hope that presentation of Haiduk's works will come in right hands and ears.

Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.haiduk.ca

ROBBIE DUCEY BAND - Judgment Day

ROBBIE DUCEY BAND - Judgment Day

Written by Branimir Lokner
Friday, 07 May 2010

ROBBIE DUCEY BAND " Judgment Day "
( River City Records ) 2010.
CD
Blues/rock/boogie - USA

Out of Augusta Georgia comes a trio, lead by guitarist and author Robbie Ducey. Robbie and his mates from band - Mark Jones - bassist and vocalist, and drummer Jim Bender are well-experienced musician and performers, and they follows up a so-call tradition of 70's succesfull trios. Basically, band combines elements of blues/rock and boogie with soul and funk touches, fullfield with southern emotionals. Robbie is a composer of band's songs, but one evidental 70's psychology, and what is more important realization, circulate around its performing offering. As a certain performers, its music posses clear rhythmization, where playing energy defines wantings and capabilities. Some comparabilities leads to Stevie Ray Vaughn, and I would mention also to the one of Robbie's influental person - Robin Trower. But, a group with more or less efforts finds own way to introduce its attitudes. " Jugment Day" comphrises a well-produced materials, probably better accaptable in concert forms.

Rating : 7, 5 / 10
C / o : www.robbieducey.com
www.myspace.com/robbieduceyband

HALF PAST FOUR - Rabbit In The Vestibule

HALF PAST FOUR - Rabbit In The Vestibule

Written by Branimir Lokner
Thursday, 15 April 2010

HALF PAST FOUR " Rabbit In The Vestibule "
( Self - released ) 2008.
CD - CANADA
Progressive / art rock

Out of Toronto, Canada comes very interesting and newer progressive act - Half Past Four. They started out in 2005 year, and from the early beging introduced themselves as a serious and promising band. " Rabbit In The Vestibule" is group's first full-length, released during the 2008 year.
A Canadians has received mainly positive reactions from its work, and undoubtly they deserved recomandations for its musical views and concept. Half Past Four combines elements of progressive and art rock, and its offering has its roots in 70's and 80's period. Some comparabilities could lead to King Crimson and Jethro Tull heritages, but I would add that some similiarities, even that band didn' t mention in press material leads to 2 also Canadian acts, as a Rush and Saga. But generally, Half Past Four has offered unique visions and ideas. Their lyrical presentations posses authenticity with portions of humor.A performing dimension also deserves respect, where a best part belong to arrangments threathenings.
A songs posses complexivities, but generally its materials are listenable and acceptable for wider audience, judging normally by so call progressive standards. " Rabbit In The Vestibule" introduce Canadians in best possivble way, and in my opinion their future in the progressive field is certain.

Rating : 8, 5 / 10
C / o : www.halfpastfour.com
www.myspace.com/halfpast4