Friday13th: Friday's Prog Discovery M7

Friday13th 04.08.16	Almost the end. Obviously next match is Samla vs. Juha Kujanpaa but let's focus on M7 this week.
bnelso55 04.08.16	Oh, wow. I've previously heard both of these and they're both top notch. This is going to be a brutal decision to make.
Friday13th 04.08.16	Listening to Landberk. Sounds like a condensed version of the best moments in Steven Wilson's solo career! haha
Jethro42 04.08.16	I never thought to link Landberk to Steven Wilson but it's an accurate reference. Landberk came first though. Both are using mellotrons a lot. Fiske, the guitarist adds a lot of personality to the music of Landberk, with its fuzzy, spacey and unique playing. His guitar almost sounds out of tune at places, but it's meant to be like that. Really original. As bnelso once said, we would recognize him among a hundred other guitarists.
Friday13th 04.08.16	Right, it's a compliment to Landberk. I'm talking about Grace for Drowning/Raven. Some great dissonant guitar riffs yeah, but not in a heavy/distorted sense.
Jethro42 04.08.16	Yeah Fiske knows how to gently play in the middle of two notes and make it sound fuzzy. I edited my first comment to show that I agree with you, Friday.
Friday13th 04.08.16	Reading some reviews for 1 on rym and progarchives, and it seems like opinion is divided. A few are spot on, but most seem to miss the point. I think it is quite modern for its time, and like one guy on progarchives mentioned I even hear Talk Talk and a bit of a post rock vibe on occasion. Definitely not a KC clone.
Jethro42 04.08.16	I think Landberk are quite similar to Anekdoten in their intention. Both are dark, spacey and melodious, and both are inspired by the symphonic prog bands of the 70s. They both have their own identity. Anekdoten is probably the modern band that rejoins the -early- KC sounding the most.
Jethro42 04.09.16	2 is pretty eclectic, busy prog. These saxophone parts are gorgeous. Sometimes it's like smooth jazz, sometimes it's like heavy fusion. Music is kind of a less cahotic Anglagard meets Discipline (a modern band inspired by VDGG) , or maybe VDGG meets Panzerballett. The vocals are great as is the musicianship. It contains the kind of arrangements I'm looking for in eclectic prog, and in prog in general. The only thing that Landberk and Seven Impale have in common is that they use vintage sounding instrumentation with a modern approach. It's a redoutable opponent.
Onirium 04.09.16	"Time" is absolutely catchy. The 90s were a strange period for prog, but 1 is a very solid record. In fact, sound-wise, there's a strong 90s feeling, but the music itself is very distinct from any particular era. It certainly helps that obscure bands at the time could achieve a much more decent production than in the 70s.
Onirium 04.09.16	Or, maybe it's not completely distinct from its era. As I progress through the album I do feel a slight alternative/early post-rock influence
Jethro42 04.09.16	There is a bunch of 90's prog bands that are essentials, and that are equipped of a high quality production, and rather than joining the simple and poppish neo-prog bands wagon, they remained faithful to the sound of 70's classic prog bands. To name a few; Anglagard, Anekdoten, Porcupine Tree, Finisterre, Landberk, The Flower Kings, Gazpacho, Echolyn, Spock's Beard, etc, and all of them cleverly borrow something from the 70s with a modern approach. Out of these, I highly recommend Finisterre, an Italian modern prog band.
Jethro42 04.09.16	I don't see how Landberk can be related to post-rock. Music on here is not repetitive, and every songs have some eargasmic climaxes. Plus you have the mellotrons everywhere, and the guitarist suits well the keyboardist with his soaring, dissonant, distorted notes. The feel is very progressive beyond alternative, for sure.
Onirium 04.09.16	I agree, there's no strong post-rock influence on One Man Tells Another, but at times throughout the album, there's this very textural and hypnotic approach that was typical to post-rock's early developments.
Jethro42 04.09.16	Yeah I know where you're coming from. If I consult my memory, there are passages in songs ''You Are'' and ''Valentine Song'' that can be attributed more or less directly to post-rock cos of short enough segments :) And these songs are probably my favorites.
TwigTW 04.09.16	I'm completely ignorant when it comes to 90s prog, so this is very interesting. Listening to Landberk now, and it sounds great.
smaugman 04.09.16	Same, 90s prog is completely absent in my library
Jethro42 04.09.16	I gave couple of good examples of 90s prog rock in my before-last comment. They're all worth a listen.
smaugman 04.09.16	taking a break from music until my tinnitus is gone
Friday13th 04.09.16	Sorry about that, smaugman. I worry I'll get that since I'm constantly jamming on my headphones.
smaugman 04.09.16	depends on volume. i got mine two days ago from earwax removal. hopefully temporarily
manosg 04.09.16	Nice, time to revisit Landberk. City of the Sun looks promising too.
Friday13th 04.09.16	@smaugman oh okay. Yeah, I definitely keep the volume just a notch lower than my initial metalhead instincts demand.
AnimalsAsSummit 04.09.16	Digging city of the sun hard, going to have to give 1 a few more chances
Friday13th 04.09.16	City of the Sun is better than I remember. Very Crimson/VDGG but very good. The heaviness is just explosive.
Friday13th 04.09.16	The last song on 2 is fantastic. I must have been very sleepy when I first heard it lol
Jethro42 04.10.16	Waaa I don't stand a chance. Seven Impale will destroy Landberk.
Jethro42 04.10.16	...the respectable Landberk looks so small and vulnerable beside the crushing Seven Impale. Both are so different we cannot compare them, and both have their qualities. Seven Impale is much more impressive sonically, but I still believe in Landberk from the bottom of my heart. My vote is not done yet.
AnimalsAsSummit 04.10.16	Have to agree, my vote goes to City of the Sun
Snowdog808 04.11.16	I'm so glad I could turn so many users onto Seven Impale to be honest.
gagnonov 04.11.16	landberk is looking pretty fucking good right now imo.. have yet to listen to the other one
TwigTW 04.11.16	In any other round Landberk would be my obvious choice, but not against City Of The Sun. I'm gonna listen to them one more time before deciding.
Friday13th 04.11.16	yeah both are killer. Even those who hate modern prog should be checking these out.
smaugman 04.11.16	There should be a list like this every week
gagnonov 04.11.16	fuuuuck seven impale better be good because landberk is my favorite in the tourney so far
gagnonov 04.11.16	oooook it is
Jethro42 04.11.16	Glad you like it that much, gagnonov. Welcome to the Landberk bandwagon. You should try Lonely Land too, or their first album which is nearly the same as Lonely Land, but with Swedish vocals this time.
gagnonov 04.11.16	will do, thanks for the rec this round goes hard
TwigTW 04.12.16	@ Jethro: Thanks for the list of 90s prog bands. Like I said before, I don't know anything about 90s prog--but I am interested after what I've heard in this round. will start with Finisterre and see how it goes.
TwigTW 04.12.16	Landberk gets better with every listen. At first I wondered if "Valintinsong" belonged on another album because it slowed everything down so much, but now it is all fitting together nicely for me.
Jethro42 04.12.16	@TWIG, it's my pleasure. Finisterre is a good starting point for the 90's. Their first two albums are the best ones. I'm happy that Landberk have grown on you. As for Valentinsong, I confess that I'm afraid that people would be tempted to press the skipp button. The second half of the song is probably the best part of the album. So poignant and intense with that hypnotic guitar taking the lead.
SCREAM! 04.12.16	Definitely hear the SW comparison in 1. It's a great album but I feel it relies too much on the vocals at times. They aren't bad but they aren't really good enough to carry a song either, just ok. The music itself is great. On to 2
Jethro42 04.12.16	I think that Landberk vocals are all right, but I can see how they could be a hit or miss affair. And their music is first and foremost focused towards the voluntary fuzzy, dissonant guitar playing and the soaring mellotron, and the vocalist suits them well imo. And I'm glad if ever SW found inspiration into Landberk's music.
Sabrutin 04.12.16	I'm not really in the mood for Landberk right now, it's making the round hard for me. However there is the possibility of me actually voting for it since I think it's a well rounded product.
Jethro42 04.12.16	^I agree, One Man Tells Another is not an album to be listened every day, cos band delivers dark and somber atmospheres, and I'm afraid that people would automatically prefer the energetic, optimistic and generally upbeat nature of City of the Sun without hesitation. I'm confused on which of both I prefer. It's hard to be objective. I know and love Landberk since they exist, and I now discover a band that really impresses me musically, with their powerful and effective arrangements and with some enticing sax...I'm trying to find weaknesses to them, and there are not many. Here is one; Not a fan of the vocal lines. But instrumentally, it delivers when it doesn't crush everything. I'm about to give my choice.
SCREAM! 04.12.16	Musically it got me in the mood for Fear of a Blank Planet which is a good thing in my books. But yeah, to me that vocalist is passable/acceptable. Not someone you'd want at the forefront which, unfortunately, seems to happen quite often on there.
gagnonov 04.12.16	agreed, choice is really hard for me as well. the outro on windshears is fantastic and so is 95% of the album. i'm having a hard time not giving it to landberk still, since it was my first crush of the tournament. stay tuned and shit
Jethro42 04.12.16	@SCREAM, I suppose you guys are right when you hear some SW into the music of Landberk, but I'd have to verify that myself. I never did that rapprochement before, but now that you say it, let's jam some SW to see :) @gagnonov, I'm about to toss a coin...
SCREAM! 04.12.16	Have you never listened to Porcupine Tree? If not, try Fear of a Blank Planet. The dark and moody synths in 1 remind me a lot of the style used on that album
Jethro42 04.12.16	Yea I used to be a fan of pretty much every PT albums, but I've forsaken their music since a while. I'm listening to Grace for Drowning at the moment, and I can hear similarities, mainly when mellotron, spacey guitar and depressive vocals show up. Will listen to FoaBP after. Thanks for that link!
Jethro42 04.12.16	@SCREAM and Friday; Yeah it seems that Wilson and Landberk come from the same school when it comes to dark, melancholic music.
TwigTW 04.13.16	I want them both to go on to the next round--looking through the tourney rules for a loophole that lets that happen. ;-)
Friday13th 04.13.16	haha TWIG I guess the only loophole would be no one votes. Good luck conspiring! haha I'd probably give it to a coin toss anyway.
Friday13th 04.13.16	I think I'll be ready to vote after jamming each once more.
Sabrutin 04.13.16	Haha that's a quick change of mind.
Jethro42 04.13.16	Seven Impale lies into the instrumental blasts. Band is really good at it, but in between their start-stop patterns, I don't find enough meat, not enough memorable moments. Also, as I said before, I dislike the vocal lines. It's a good singer, reminiscent of Anekdoten's singer, but the melodies are rather bland. So yes, I can't get enough of their explosions, but they are not enough, all alone into a song context. One Man Tells Another is varied with nice song writing, great melodies, and I feel the emotions everywhere, and I wouldn't remove or add anything. The guitarist playing really gets me everytime, and I think he wins over the saxophone blasts of Seven Impale. So my vote goes to Landberk. Phew, I've done it.
smaugman 04.13.16	hah, voting for own album, does that even count?
Jethro42 04.13.16	Of course. bnelso even voted for his opponent into the last round. I was near to do the same, but in all objectivity, I prefer Landberk.
smaugman 04.13.16	ah okay, i guess it's fair if others have done it too
gagnonov 04.13.16	as much as it pains me to do so, my vote goes to seven impale
Friday13th 04.13.16	1:2
bnelso55 04.13.16	Tough choice to make, but here's a vote for Landberk. I seriously dig City of the Sun. There's so many fun riffs on that record and I know I'll jam it after the tourney, but I find that only the opener and closer truly stick with me. The dark, consistent atmosphere of One Man Tells Another made for a more complete and immersive experience for me.
tmthycnnlly 04.14.16	@bnelso55 I agree completely, vote goes to Landberk
Friday13th 04.14.16	3:2
TwigTW 04.14.16	"Valentinsong" is my favorite from this round, So I'm going with the beautiful melancholy of Landberk over the ass-kicking power of Seven Impale. My vote goes to One Man Tells Another, but both were great--best round so far.
Friday13th 04.14.16	4:2
Friday13th 04.15.16	Going with Landberk for give or take the same reasons as bnelso 5:2
Friday13th 04.15.16	Sput servers are back, guys. Let's get this rolling!
manosg 04.15.16	After further inspection, I seem to have underestimated Landberk. Really enjoyed the dark-ish, melancholic nature of the album. Seven Impale has a lot of things going on and is great as well so this is not an easy choice. Vote goes to Landberk.
Friday13th 04.15.16	6:2
zakalwe 04.15.16	landberk cos jethro
Friday13th 04.15.16	haha "cos jethro." As invalid as that reason is, I'll take the vote as long as you heard both albums. 7:2
Sabrutin 04.15.16	I quote what I said in my first post and add that the album managed to forcefully bring me in the right mood to listen to it, that's worthy of praise for sure. First listens weren't that warm but today I have no more doubts. Another vote for Landberk.
Friday13th 04.15.16	8:2
SCREAM! 04.15.16	I think Jethro summed it up well enough. With 2 you get these brilliant instrumental moments with a ton of flair and energy but then they intersperce them with this kind of bland retro symphonic prog parts where the singer himself sounds like he might falls asleep. With more of those zazzy moments these guys would have something truly great but right now there just isn't quite enough. Although Landberk doesn't reach the same heights and I have some reservations about their singer, the instrumentation is great from front to back and I can dig the dark moody tone of it. So chalk me up for another Landberk
Friday13th 04.15.16	9:2
Jethro42 04.15.16	Wow, what an exponential rise of Landberk! I honestly did expect a lead by Seven Impale for its strenghts, but I'm happy that Landberk gained some new listeners on the way. I encourage you to try Lonely Land, or Riktigt Akta (Swedish version). You'll still find the same band (maybe more moody still, but always with catchy melodies) and Fiske's unique guitar tone and style that made the Landberk trademark. @manosg; glad you enjoy Landberk more, friend! @zak; I choose zak cos Landberk :) @SCREAM; good to see someone else with the same point of view. City of the Sun is their first album, so the band has full of promises. As for the vocals of Landberk, you have to take note that English is not his native language, but I suppose it won't change your mind about the singer's abilities.
Jethro42 04.15.16	*so the band IS full of promises
Snowdog808 04.15.16	Both these albums sound fantastic so far. I'm not sure who I'll end up voting for once I finish 1, but I may vote against my own proposal.
Snowdog808 04.15.16	I'm actually going to vote for the opponent of my own entry. I clearly don't enjoy anything from One Man Tells Another as much as the two amazing City of the Sun epics, but I think this particular Landberk release is stronger as a collective whole. This is just the beginning for Seven Impale though, with their sophomore release supposedly coming out later this year. I think they have an exciting career ahead of them for themselves and eclectic prog fans.
Jethro42 04.15.16	I'm looking forward to the 2nd Seven Impale album. Glad that you enjoyed Landberk as much as that, Snowdog. I tip you my hat for voting for the opponent. At first, I was expecting a 10:2 in your favor, not the other way around. Now I feel less alone in enjoying Landberk.
Friday13th 04.15.16	10:2 Yeah def gonna check the 2nd Seven Impale. Pretty safe to say Landberk is the winner, so get ready for the final match!
Onirium 04.15.16	There's a considerable amount of great ideas in Seven Impale, and it's especially impressive since its a debut album. Still, I feel a slight lack of identity and variety in their sound. The saxophone and experimental jazz elements are a very interesting asset though. The sound is overall a bit reminiscent of Gutbucket, King Crimson and some exalted instrumental passages of The Mars Volta, in my opinion. So it's a soup of excellent ingredients which would need a bit more cooking, if I may use a poor metaphor. My vote goes to Landberk, even though at this point I probably don't matter. The band have a much more effective sense of drama and melancholia than what prog used us to
Friday13th 04.15.16	11:2 We still want everyone to vote, but check the new match too.
Jethro42 04.15.16	@Onirium, you're right about The Mars Volta for Seven Impale. Never heard of Gutbucket, but I will change that. Personally I can hear some Panzerballett (jazz metal) if we talk power and clever tempos shifting.
Onirium 04.15.16	My favourite album of Gutbucket (a playful, completely disjointed jazzy avant-prog record, if such a thing exists): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khj-44soG_A I was about to shoutbox you the link, Jethro, but since I had considered submitting the album in this contest, I figured it could be interesting listen for some
Jethro42 04.17.16	Sounds interesting, Onirium. I'm gonna listen to them more carefully tomorrow.
TwigTW 05.08.16	@ Jethro: now that the prog tourney is over, I can start tackling your list of interesting modern prog. " To name a few; Anglagard, Anekdoten, Porcupine Tree, Finisterre, Landberk, The Flower Kings, Gazpacho, Echolyn, Spock's Beard, etc . . . Out of these, I highly recommend Finisterre, an Italian modern prog band." thanks again for that!
Jethro42 05.08.16	Your all welcome, TWIG, it's my pleasure. I have noted some other great bands recently, but I don't find that sheet for now. It's a question of time. I'm gonna give you those right here. Cheers!
Jethro42 05.08.16	ok I found my other list of modern prog. Discipline. : Push & Profit Discipline. : Unfolded Like Staircase Kingston Wall : Kingston Wall II Big Big Train : English Electric part I Mostly Autumn : ''The Spirit of Autumn Past'', ''The Last Bright Light'' and ''Passengers'' Sinkadus : Cirkus Solaris ; ''Nostradamus'' and ''Martians Chronicles I'' I hope you'll find something you like!
TwigTW 05.09.16	Thanks again Jethro, I'm sure I will find much to like on this list. I'll keep you posted.