Metal Update – 2 March 2018
Another day, another update for you on all the latest happenings in the world of metal, with a strong focus on information relating to new album and EP releases.
No big, long intro today, let’s just get down to it shall we?
Kingcrow – The Persistence
Release date: TBC
Did you really think I’d have anything more to add on this? We’re still disappointingly silent on the news front where Kingcrow are concerned. Except to say that I listened to the record in full again the other day and have, in no way, changed my mind about it. Come at me with a list of superlatives and hyperbole and I’ll tell you they are all warranted. I just can’t wait for you all to be able to hear this masterpiece, for that is undoubtedly what it is.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK4y57DKhTk&w=560&h=315]
Vanishing Point – TBC
Release date: TBC
Just take a listen to this. I know that when it comes to Vanishing Point I’m extremely biased, but isn’t the melody in this snippet just gorgeous? And it is just so Vanishing Point too. There may not be a very good sound quality to this clip, but the essence of what appears to be a very good song is clear, shining through the muffled audio.
Guitarist/songwriter Chris Porcianko talks about an AOR vibe to this piece of music, about which he is very happy. And so am I. I’m just as big a sucker for melody in my heavy metal and when combined with the chunky guitars, I have no doubt that this final product will sound excellent. At least, that’s what I hope anyway. Over the years, Chris has demonstrated that he seems to be on the same wavelength as I am where killer compositions are concerned, so I firmly believe that my hopes will not be dashed when this new disc sees the light of day.
Seventh Wonder – Tiara
Release date: TBC, possibly October
Interesting, very interesting. A day or so ago, a post was made on the official Seventh Wonder Facebook page, essentially stating that they knew nothing about a confirmed release date for ‘Tiara’. And, frankly, the tone of the post, while polite and reasonable, seemed a little frustrated perhaps.
In response, Frontiers Records have stated that they hope to release the album in October, although things are subject to change. I find it staggering to think that we have to wait until October for this record to be released, when it appears to be all done and dusted right now. I get that there are finely-tuned schedules to work to and a lot goes on behind the scenes, but it still raises my eyebrows when I read things like this. And the tone from Frontiers in their post suggests that they realise that the fans are getting restless and would appear to be taking it out on the label.
In short, who knows what goes on behind closed doors. All I know is that I will support Seventh Wonder as much as possible and, even though I will only get access to a stream of the album at best, I’ll still buck the trend and review it as soon as I possibly can. These guys are amazing and they need to be supported.
Divided Multitude – TBC
Release date: TBC
Armed with a new vocalist, Norwegian prog metal band Divided Multitude returns with a brand new single. Entitled ‘Evolve’, it is the first time fans can see Jan Thore Grefstad (Saint Daemon) in action behind the microphone in what is, it has to be said, a very solid melodic progressive metal song. For some reason, Divided Multitude have always been one of those bands at the periphery of my attention, never quite finding themselves at the centre of my affections. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but if this new single is anything to go by, I anticipate that their seventh album might go some way to changing my mind finally.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTqWtuQNyP4&w=560&h=315]
Spock’s Beard – Noise Floor
Release date: 25 May 2018
I was properly smitten by Spock’s Beard’s last album, ‘The Oblivion Particle’ when it was released back in 2015, commenting in my review that ‘Frankly, I’m not entirely sure that ‘classic’ melodic progressive rock can get much better than this.’ It is a sentiment that I stand by some three years later as it remains a cracking album and exponent of the genre.
I was aware that it had been a while since the last record, but this confirmation came a little out of nowhere for me. As such, I am surprised and delighted to be able to bring this news to you, especially when vocalist Ted Leonard has this to say about the new record:
“We are always about evolution, not revolution. But what we have done this time is make the songs more melodic…We still love our crazy prog, but now appreciate how important it is to grab people’s attention early on.”
To me, this sounds like the winning recipe. The other interesting sub-plot to this release is that original drummer Nick D’Virgilio is back in the fold. Being a huge fan of D’Virgilio, this is very welcome news and could end up being the icing on the cake.
If you’ve missed any of my other updates in this series during 2018 so far, they can be accessed via the following links.
Metal update – 28 February
Metal update – 25 February
Metal update – 23 February
Metal update – 21 February
Metal update – 17 February
Metal update – 12 February
Metal update – 6 February
