John Macaluso & Union Radio - The Radio Waves Goodbye (2007)

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Metal / Rock / Fusion

Release Date: 2007

Label: Lion Music

John Macaluso - Drums

James LaBrie - Vocals

Mike Dimeo - Vocals

Don Chaffin - Vocals

Dina - Vocals

Shelly - Vocals

Adrian Holtz - Vocals

Suzy - Vocals

Jack Frost - Lead Guitar

Alex Masi - Lead Guitar

Marco Sfogli - Guitars/Bazuki

Chris Caffery - Guitars

Alex Rastopskin - Guitars

Larry Meyeer - Bass/Guitars

Robert Katrikh - Guitars

Vitalij Kuprij - Keyboards/Piano

Dimuti - Keyboards/Rhythm Guitars

Marty Mallinger - Keyboards

Derrik Weiland - Piano

Randy Coven - Bass

John Macaluso is one of the most respected drummers in rock. He has played on close to 200 albums, including on the highly acclaimed Ark albums, Yngwie Malmsteen's Alchemy, and TNT's Realized Fantasies. Obviously, this has helped him get some of progressive metal's finest musicians on his first solo album, which he set out to make the best ever album of his career.

The list of singers appearing on the album is stunning. From Dream Theater's James Labrie to Riot's Mike Dimeo and the new Ark vocalist Adrian Holtz, the vocal performance on the whole record is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The disc begins with the Labrie-sung "Soul in Your Mind", whose overall flow recalls Dream Theater circa Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence thanks to Vitalij Kuprij's atmospheric keyboard contributions. Macaluso's drumming is central on this song, and is arguably among his greatest performances ever. Kuprij weaves moody synth lines around the drums and a thudding bass figure while Labrie sings aggressively, leaving plenty of space for both a synth and guitar solo respectively.

Ark came to a halt when Jorn Lande left the band after 2001's amazing Burn the Sun, still among prog metal's greatest offerings. Many fans questioned whether Macaluso and Ostby could find a replacement, but despite numerous rumours, nothing much came of it. Finally, Macaluso introduces the new Ark singer Adrian Holtz (with whom they were planning to cut a new CD before shelving the idea). Holtz' vocals are incredible -- he is a monster singer and is poised to become my discovery for new voice of the year. Possessing a brilliant midrange tone, he has the ability to shift from smooth, delicate phrases to soaring screams without overdoing it. He sings on five of the songs, all of which are amazing in different ways.

Obvious reference points while describing this truly progressive metal disc would be Pink Floyd's psychedelic parts blended with the gripping melodic edge of Ark and the hallmarks of instrumental music. "The Prayer Pill" and "Dissolved", arguably the best songs on the album, are both delivered by Holtz. Both pieces are more keyboard-dominated than guitar; dark-toned synth patches cover Holtz' indelible vocal melodies, supported by sweet back-up singing courtesy of Donna and Laura Macaluso. "Dissolved" boasts modern keyboard effects drilled into the mix, juxtaposed with some Middle Eastern flavour, and is carried by jazzified soundscapes and an eerie blend of psychedelic guitars and funky bass groove. The production of this song is totally mindblowing -- perhaps the best I've heard on a Lion Music artist.

Riot and Masterplan singer Mike Dimeo's unique vocal style should also be attributed to this album's success. There are only a handful vocalists who are capable of singing any style this perfectly, and Dimeo is one of them. Vitalij Kuprij's somewhat electronic snynth intro on "Mother Illusion" is so progressive and different from 98% of music out there that I'd never believe a singer like Mike Dimeo would be asked to sing on it. This guy is simply unbelievable, and actually reminds me a good deal of Jorn Lande. Despite never picking up pace, it feels especially tailored for him, and Macaluso's kick drum tones are still unmatched. Dimeo also sings on "Gates to Bridges", which also features Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery ripping it up, but Kuprij's laidback, mood-intensive playing saves the piece from being a typical hard rocker.

On the guitarist front, besides Chris Caffery, John Macaluso has also hooked up with the rising force Marco Sfogli, whose work on James Labrie's Elements of Persuasion blew everyone away. Sfogli first weaves dense acoustic guitars on the Floydian cut "Shimmering Grey"; and then shows us the real deal when he injects a searing guitar force on the seven-minute instrumental "T-34". Having heard this song like a dozen times on repeat, I can't help but wish Macaluso would release another solo disc, all instrumental this time. It is the absolutely inspired songwriting that sets this piece apart from hundreds others; there are dazzling synths, pianos, octopus drumming, and of course the godly Marco Sfogli on this song.

If you, like me, always hoped to hear a full-blown drum solo by Macaluso, for a good four minutes, "Pretzel" is going to be your song. The dialogue between the young girl and John in the intro is hilarious, and pokes fun at all those fans who tend to go to the bathroom during shows while the drummer cuts it loose. It is one long yet totally disciplined drum solo by one of rock's best. Period. Being a solo album, Macaluso also sings lead vocals on one song, the totally jazzy "The Six Foot Under Happy Man", but I wouldn't really consider it among the album's strongest cuts. What I, however, must mention is Dimuti, who is credited as guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist on various songs, and every time I was blown away by something and checked out who it was, I came across his name. I bet lots of prog fans will want to check him out if they're unfamiliar with him.

Another high point of the CD is "Things You Should Not Know", again featuring Adrian Holtz at the helm, and if anything on the new Ark CD is going to be in this vein, everyone be prepared to be blown away. It features some nice flute melody, cool Kuprij acrobatics, phenomenal drumming, and face-ripping guitar work by Alex Masi, another Lion Music artist. Speaking of which, Lion Music reminds me a lot of Magna Carta in the 90's (remember when they were still a cool label?) where every musician would guest on each other's albums, and add their own signature to the compositions. This disc reminds me a lot of that -- and it contains striking melodic strength with top-notch musicianship without overstepping the limits of the compositions.

Lyrically, the album seems to explore themes of religion, the occult, and spirituality; but fear not, there is nothing preachy here. In fact, the airy keyboards, creepy sound structures, and somewhat spacey overall vibes unite seamlessly with the subject matter discussed.

This is going to be a top release of 2007. Highly recommended.
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz

Planet X - Universe 2000

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock

Release Date: 2000

Label: Inside Out

Derek Sherinian - Keyboards

Virgil Donati - Drums

Tony MacAlpine - Guitar

Tom Kennedy (guest) - Bass

After a little bit of confusion whether if Derek Sherinian's "Planet X" was the first album, Universe made it clear that Planet X (the band) was to be a trio. With Derek and Virgil Donati already on the list, they just needed a rip-roaring guitarist - Tony MacAlpine answered the call! Tom Kennedy guest starred on bass on some of the tracks of the album. Tony also layed down a couple of bass tracks while working on Universe.

Adagio - Sanctus Ignis 2001

Genre: Neo-classical Metal, Progressive Metal
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 2001
Label: SPV

01. Second Sight

02. The Inner Road

03. In Nomine...

04. The Stringless Violin

05. Seven Lands of Sin

06. Order of Enlil

07. Sanctus Ignis

08. Paneut et Circences

09. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)

10. Niflheim [Instrumental-Demo]

Dirk Bruinenberg: Drums
Stephan Forte: Guitars, Keyboards
Franck Hermanny: Bass
Richard Andersson: Keyboards
David Readman: Vocal

Sabine Hartel: Violin

Fans of Adagio do know that its leader has always been Stephan Forte. A French guitarist heard Yngwie Malmsteen in his youth and was convinced what he should do in the future. He studied at CMCN (International Music Academy in Nancy) and graduated from it in the year 1997. His musical taste surely took a right shape after listening to the greatest world's composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paco De Lucia, baroque, jazz and fusion music. Stephan recorded an instrumental demo "Visions" in 1996 that was a herald of Adagio in a sense. It was the same with another guitar virtuoso - Michael Romeo who recorded the instrumental album "The Dark Chapter" before the debut of Symphony X. Mr. Forte played as a support artist for Yngwie Malmsteen and he has been unfairly compared to a Swede since that moment. Both Stephan and Yngwie play neoclassical elements in their music, but the French guitarist comes from more extreme and progressive school, however the Swedish wizard derives from classic hard rock tradition. You needn't be a music critic to pick out these differences between them. Moreover, Adagio performed live with the likes of Majestic, Double Dealer, Symphony X, Devin Townsend, Matthias Eklundh, Misanthrope, Uli Jon Roth and others.

In the year 1999, Mr. Forte went to Philadelphia in order to record a 4-track demo alongside Vitalij Kuprij. They were going to found a new band together, but never happened so far. Fortunately, their efforts didn't go to waste, and both men's talents were used in Adagio's music. To be formally correct, I inform that the band was founded in the year 2000.

I'd like you to be aware that "Sanctus Ignis" ("Holy Fire") was written by 25-year old Stephan Forte (guitars, keys programming; Red Circuit). As you see, it doesn't matter if you are young or elder, the most important thing is to be a gifted artist who can express his (her) emotions in a right way. I have no doubt he is a talented instrumentalist, and its proof are many musicians who are and were willing to cooperate with him: David Readman (vocals; Pink Cream 69), Dirk Bruinberg (drums; Elegy, Patrick Rondat, The Consortium Project), Franck Hermanny (bass guitar; Cyril Achard, Venturia), Vitalij Kuprij (keys; Artension, Ring Of Fire) and Richard Andersson (keys; Majestic, Time Requiem, Space Odyssey). There is also less known violinist player - Sabine Härtel whose solo can be audible on one of tracks. I don't believe that the Stephan Forte crew could produce something mediocre. Such a conviction accompanied me before the listening, and I confirmed myself in this conviction after it. I am also not surprised that Mr. Forte called his band Adagio, since the music is full of dramaturgic elements and solemnity, and most compositions are performed in minor keys. Listening to the likes of "In Nomine..." and "Seven Lands of Sin", we come back to more extreme Stephan's roots and convince ourselves that he ably managed to transfer death metal heaviness to progressive music. Here are impressive and complex orchestrations varied by Andersson's and Kuprij's keyboard progression. To be honest, I can't imagine myself Adagio's music without the keys. We can pick out some similarities in Stephan's playing to Michael Romeo's and Roger Staffelbach's manners, however his performance is characterized by an absolute precision in execution (typical of a mentioned three instrumentalists). We can't forget about David Readman whose vocal is as melodic and expressive as John West's and Russell Allen's. An unquestionable advantage of "Sanctus Ignis" is a diversification within the genre. Beside the traditional fundament of progression, on which a whole Adagio's output is grounded, we can as well select the baroque influences, oriental ones (on instrumental masterpiece "Order of Enlil"), film ("Niflheim" demo version) and even more direct inspirations by a Hungarian composer - Bela Bartok's violin concertos. A great surprise turned to be one of Led Zeppelin's classics - "Immigrant Song" that sounds like Adagio's original track. This one immersed into the progressive sauce discloses us a completely different face of the first version, keeping only a faint outline of the original.

With this stuff Adagio opened themselves the doors to the progressive world lining up next to Symphony X and Artension. It's great that Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Vanden Plas, DC Cooper, Symphorce, Axxis) produced "Sanctus Ignis", since he secured a solid and own sound for Adagio. Such a professional producer can't let himself any shortcomings. The international crew did a work very well and presented us neoclassical progpower made of a pure ore.

Limb Music Products

Patrick Rondat - On The Edge 1999

Genre: Neo-classical Metal
Format: APE + cue + log
Released: 1999
Label: Inside Out Germany

01. Duality Intro

02. Duality Part I

03. Duality Part II

04. Duality Part III

05. Destinies

06. Into the Wild

07. If Ever I Come Back

08. On the Edge

09. Burn Out

10. Why Do You Do Things Like That?

11. Cloudy Mountain

12. Across the Bridge

13. Our Paths Crossed

Patrick Rondat: electric & acoustic guitars
Phil Woindrich: piano & keyboards
Patrice Guers: bass
Tommy Aldridge: drums

French guitarist of Jean Michel JARRE is back with the follow up to his magnificent "Amphibia" album from 1996. This one has equally complex compositions as its processor. He has got a well-known drummer in Tommy Aldridge, known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and WHITESNAKE among others. On this one he also got two guest jazz musicians, Didier Lockwood and the late Michel Petrucciani.

The music is instrumental progressive hard rock / heavy metal. Patrick is a very skilful guitarist with a great technique, and his inspirations are Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie Montrose, Eddie Van Halen, and Al Di Meola among others. His guitar playing is also reminiscent to Tony McAlpine, Gary Moore, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. The highlights are "On The Edge", "Burn Out (acoustic version)", "Why Do You Do Things Like That?" and "Cloudy Mountain".

This is an incredible album from a talented guitar virtuoso, and probably one of the best guitar albums to come out this year.
Review by Greger

Kamelot - The Black Halo 2005

Genre: Progressive/Power Metal
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: SPV

01. March of Mephisto

02. When the Lights Are Down

03. The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)

04. Soul Society

05. Interlude I - Dei Gratia

06.Abandoned

07. This Pain

08. Moonlight

09. Interlude II - Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso

10. The Black Halo

11. Nothing Ever Dies

12. Memento Mori

13. Interlude III - Midnight/Twelve Tolls for a New Day

14. Serenade

Khan: vocals
Thomas Youngblood: guitars
Glenn Barry: bass
Casey Grillo: drums

In the beginning of this album, the sounds of military marching leading to a moderately paced but heavy guitar riff immediately draws this album away from the sound created in previous albums. Unlike Epica, which has a sound reminiscent to their power metal albums: Karma, The Fourth Legacy, etc. This album is of a final stage in the bands prog evolution, which did not carry over as well as it should have to Ghost Opera.

This is not a traditional power/prog album. There is much more compositionally progressive and musical prowess than found in your average power metal band. The use of sound effects, chord progressions, riffs, technical ability raises this bands music to a level not commonly attributed to any other genre than that of prog.

Musically, the album has many subtleties which give it an unusual atmospheric, haunting, sad, eerie feeling which supports a compelling melody, no matter which song you choose. Khan's vocals communicate an emotional feeling fitting perfectly to the nature of any given song. Youngblood's guitar work lifts the songs to a point that would not be the same had anyone else written or played them. However, much the same circumstance with Dream Theater, the bass is hardly noticeable becoming muddled with the bass drum, though, not to the extreme of DT. One must not forget the drummer, Casey Grillo, who gives an impressive show of talent and technical skill that often goes over looked. Keyboard gives the melody it's true foothold, and when special guests such as Jens Johansson are at the keyboard mast, one is guaranteed a truly spectacular song.

The story is based on the transcendentalist Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe's Faust. The story follows the typical Hero's Journey with the subtle transcendental themes, including the balance of evil and good, religion, ascendancy, the Alchemical Process, etc. Musically, these themes are expressed quite appropriately but it remains unclear if Kamelot actually knew the intricacies of this philosophy/psychology (but most likely so). Lyrically, the concepts are expressed, but yet may have been entirely rooted in the basic story-line.

All in all, a magnificent album that artistically transcends power metal to become entirely progressive and a simply beautiful album from start to finish. This is Kamelot's finest album and in my opinion, an essential album to not only metal heads but to all proggers.

Ark - Burn The Sun (2001)

Genre: Progressive Metal
Format: FLAC + cue + log
Released: 2001
Label: Favored Nations Entertainment

01. Heal The Waters

02. Torn

03. Burn The Sun

04. Resurrection

05. Absolute Zero

06. Just A Little

07. Waking Hour

08. Noose

09. Feed The Fire

10. I Bleed
11. Missing You

Like all other metal fans, I have known disappointment and pain over the years when bands that I loved called it quits—be it because of internal disputes, lack of commercial success, or general fatigue. But a particularly tough loss came in 1998, when the Norwegian progressive/power outfit Conception disbanded after disagreeing with their label about the direction the band was taking. The backbone of Conception was their wonderfully emotive singer, Roy Khanatat, and their gifted, virtuoso guitarist, Tore Шstby. "Khan" quickly signed on with another prog act, Kamelot, and before long, I heard that Шstby had formed a new group by the name of Ark. The first time I heard Ark I was stunned. It was so progressive-minded, so different, so eclectic—the aural embodiment of a man trying to shake off the chains imposed on him by earlier record executives.

Ark's origin actually dates back to 1990, when a friendship was struck between TNT drummer John Macaluso and Шstby. Eight years later, when TNT was defunct and Conception was calling it quits, the two musicians decided the time was right for a musical collaboration. After auditioning a number of vocalists, the right man finally emerged in the form of Jorn Lande, singer of The Snakes. With a shared background in commercial hard rock (Шstby was coming off a brief gig with DC Cooper), the trio decided to venture out into uncharted creative territory. Ark's self titled debut was released in 1999 and met with considerable critical praise from journalists around the world.

2001's Burn The Sun sees the group rounding out its talented line-up with bassist Randy Coven (Steve Vai, Steve Morse) and keyboard player Mats Olausson (Yngwie Malmsteen). The new album is much more direct and businesslike than its predecessor, but retains a distinctly progressive flavor. How to describe the music? It is an intriguing mix of hard rock and metal which at times recalls bold 70s/80s acts like Rainbow, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder. But it goes further than these bands did by experimenting with tempos, metres, voices, effects, and styles. The result is a very unpredictable and enjoyable album.

On one hand we have heavy, crunching numbers like "Noose" and "Heal the Waters" with Lande roaring like a Coverdale-scorned. Then the group will bring things way down with a John Sykes-ian ballad such as "Missing You" or "Just a Little." An interlude in "Torn" brings strange babbling voices and cries that become a chorus of the absurd before another riff breaks. "Feed the Fire" has much of the feel of an 80s postmodern love song in the mold of The Tubes with its guitar/keyboard interplay and heart-on-the-sleeve lyrical content. Шstby is at his creative best throughout it all, trying his hand at flamenco guitar one minute and launching into Yngwie-esque scales the next.

Lyrically, Burn The Sun explores the relentless, collective destiny of mankind as a theme. Where is our "progress" leading us to? And what of the unrest and disturbance in the universal balance of our planet that is a natural result of man's machinations? The band themselves describe part of the idea behind the album's many themes: "When you think about it, you really can't burn the sun - still we all try every day of our lives, pushing to get ahead not taking notice of the people around us, on a course or mission leading to the unknown."

Burn The Sun is one of the more eclectic metal albums I have ever heard. And yet, the band manages to retain a sound that is uniquely their own in each individual track. While mankind might be unsure of what its energies will ultimately bring, it would appear that Tore Шstby and company suffer from no such existential confusion. Ark's shared destiny is firmly rooted in creative freedom and principled individualism.


Reviewed by: Ladd Everitt

Royal Hunt - Paper Blood 2005

Genre: Hard Rock, Progressive Metal
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1992
Label: Frontiers Records

01. Break Your Chains

02. Not My Kind

03. Memory Lane

04. Never Give Up

05. Seven Days

06. SK 983

07. Kiss Of Faith

08. Paper Blood

09. Season’s Change

10. Twice Around The World

Paper Blood celebrates a new era for Royal Hunt and it captures the very essence of the whole concept behind the band: aggressive yet highly melodic, symphonic but still very much in your face. Outstanding song writing combined with excellent musicianship results in a collection of ten highly energetic catchy songs. Royal Hunt have a new lineup: joining keyboard player Andre Andersen and the awesome singer with native American origins, John West are Marcus Jidell (ex Jekyll & Hide, The Ring) on guitar and Kenneth Olsen, the original drummer now back for good in the lineup! Frontiers Records. 2005.

Ark - Ark 1999

Genre: Progressive Metal
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1999
Label: SENSORY

01. Burning Down

02. Where the Winds Blow

03. Hunchback of Notre Dame

04. Singers at the World's Dawn

05. Mother Love

06. Center Avenue

07. Can't Let Go

"Burrn!" magazine

John Macaluso, who is known as the drummer for TNT, RIOT and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN etc, Tore Ostby who is the guitarist of DC COOPER and was a member of CONCEPTION, Jorn Lande was the singer of THE SNAKES and is now working with ULI JOHN ROTH.

John, Tore and Jorn have formed the new band "ARK" and released their 1st album. Their basical music style is progressive, technical and North Europian HM style and a little like CONCEPTION.

Some songs on the album have a Latin flavour or the bluesy parts with Jorn's voice like David Coverdale. Their new songs have various music tastes. This new album is a tour de force!!

"Young Guitar" magazine

Tore Ostby, who was the guitarist of CONCEPTION, started this new project. This new album is on a basis of the hard rock style, but inluding the inquisitive mind as an artist, it also has an experimental style of sound. Examples of this are; track#2 jazz up solo part and track#3 which has the phrase of Spanish taste.Also, these tracks have the variations of the rhythm. They gave the album various expressions. This is the one of their unique characteristics!

On the other hand, I feel this work is the progressive rock from a point of view of having several musical elements. But it is not the difficult music beyond words. Just simply listen to their music from the artist side and you will get to the core of this album!

SCREAM magazine, Norway
Score: 5/6

Some of you have been waiting a very long time for this release. It is a pleasure to tell you that Tore Шstby, Jшrn Lande and John Macaluso have made a very strong record, although those of you who thought, and hoped, Tore would continue where he left with Conception, might get a little disappointed. Ark has very little in common with the former band of the excellent guitarist.

The Coverdale/Lynnot-sounding voice of Lande injects some influences from the seventies in the music, while the playing of Шstby, and the quite technical drumming of Mr. Macaluso makes it progressive.

This combination is very hard to beat. There are a lot of strong songs here, especially "Burning Down", "Where The Winds Blow" and "Singers At The Worlds Dawn".