EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH PAOLO COLAVOLPE OF DESTRAGE
ITALIAN RISING STAR !! TECHNICAL, POWERFUL, AND CHAOTIC !! INTELLIGENCE MODERN METAL BAND DESTAGE ARE GONNA COMING TO JAPAN ON 2015 AGAIN !!
ボーニョボーニョボニョザガナノゴ~~で図らずも自らの狂信的ジブリ愛、日本愛を世の中に広く知らしめる事に成功したイタリアン・ライジングスター、DESTRAGE。DISARMONIA MUNDI の奇才 ETTORE RIGOTTI の肝入りで製作した 2nd アルバム “王様はデブで老いぼれである” のイカレっぷりが各所で好評を博し、あれよあれよという間にメタル界の大御所 METAL BLADE と契約を結んでしまいました。今年そこから発表した彼らの最新作 “ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NO.” は弊サイトのリーダーズポールにランクされたように実に素晴らしい彼らの最高傑作となりました。確かにアルバムタイトルや曲名に象徴されるように彼らのイカレた部分は非常に魅力的なのですがこのアルバムでは良い意味で成熟し、荒削りだった部分が改善されています。とは言え SIKTH, PROTEST THE HERO, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME などをさらに闇鍋化させたようなその INSANE なサウンドは十二分に健在。昨今のバンドたちよりギターヒーロー的なプレイを連発するギターチームも最高にクールですね。二度目の来日も決まったようで止まるところを知らない彼らの快進撃。ボーカルの PAOLO に話が聞けました。
ANNA MURPHY OF ELUVEITIE TALKS ABOUT THEIR NEW ALBUM “ORIGINS”, PADE KISTLER, HURDY-GURDY, AND LIVE IN JAPAN !!
今年は FOLK / VIKING METAL が本格的に日本に上陸を開始した年になったように思います。11月には PAGAN METAL ALLIANCE という FOLK / VIKING 系のバンドを集めたフェスが開催され ENSIFERUM, MOONSORROW, OLPHANED LAND といったバンドの好演で盛り上がりました。そしてこのバンドの公演も大好評でしたね。ELUVEITIE。メンバーにハーディー・ガーディー、バグパイプ、ヴァイオリン奏者を含む本格的な FOLK METAL バンドです。8月に発表した最新作 “ORIGINS” も DARK TRANQUILIRY, IN FLAMES 直系の本格的なメロデスを骨格としながらケルト神話の世界観と民族楽器を使用したフォーキーなメロディーで肉付けを施した彼ららしい快作に仕上がっていますね。SWISS MUSIC AWARDS を獲得したり日本の HONDA とスポンサー契約を結んだりとバンドにとっても重要な年になりました。ただメンバーチェンジの多いバンドで先の来日公演でもバグパイプに日本国旗をブッ刺しながらステージ上をウロウロし、”KAMIKAZE WHISTLER” の異名を欲しい儘にした PADE KISTLER は脱退してしまいました。その辺りも含めてヴァイオリンの二コールちゃんと二人で ELUVEITIE の “KAWAII” を担当するボーカル/ハーディー・ガーディー奏者の ANNA MURPHY に話が聞けました。
Actually we just uploaded one whole track which is called “Carbon Phrases”. This song starts like modern rock/pop song but then transends into a tech death metal song. It is over 9 minutes long and the listener will be taken on a journey where tension is always created and reliefed. There are of course stunning guitar solos and blazing drum fills, but the main statement of this song is the variety in human life. The lyrics are about the tought process of a writer/artist, but in fact it has a double meaning. A “Carbon Phrase” literally would be a line of a script or play written on a paper with a pencil. But since carbon is the matter all physical beings on this earth share, “Carbon Phrases” is also a metaphor for our DNA.The other track is an album teaser. It’s just one minute of 4 different songs, just to get an impression of how the other material sounds.
“CARBON PHRASES” という新曲を公開したよ!この曲はモダンなロック/ポップ的に始まるんだけど徐々にテクデスに移行するんだ。9分を超える長尺曲でリスナーは緊張とその解放という旅に出る事になるね。勿論目を見張るようなギターソロと燃えるようなドラムフィルは健在だけどこの曲の要は人生の多様さについての主張なんだ。歌詞はライターやアーティストの思考プロセスについてなんだけど、これはダブルミーニング。”CARBON PHRASE” とは文字通りだと手書きの文章とか鉛筆で書き下ろしって意味だよね。だけどカーボンは地球上にある全ての物質の起源だから、”CARBON PHRASES” とは DNA の隠喩でもあるのさ。アルバムティーザーでは他の曲も聴けるよ。4曲が一分づつ。他の曲の印象も感じて欲しいな。
【ABOUT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OBSCURA】
The difference between Obscura is, that we take the music and the lyrics to much wider places. It is much “more” considering contrasts. The contrast of the parts and the whole songs to another is drastic. We finally want to prove with Alkaloid that metal doesn’t have to stay in a narrow field of one particular style. Since I wrote the biggest part of the music on Obscura’s last two albums, and also Chris’ guitar work was one of the most crucial factors to Obscura’s sound, there are of course elements in Alkaloid which are fairly similar to Obscura. Maybe Alkaloid is just the most logical consequence when taking the music on Obscura’s “Omnivium” to the next higher level.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our music with Japanese listeners. I’ve been to Japan twice (with Obscura) and it was one of the best touring experiences ever. So I’d be psyched if people in Japan were receptive for the music of this new band as well.
こちらは同時に公開されたアルバム収録曲でクリスのギターソロ曲 “C VALUE ENIGMA” です。フランツ・リストのピアノ曲をギターにおこしたかのような超絶技巧で同時に刹那的な美しさを放っています。ギタリストなら聴いて損はなし!!
【ABOUT CROWDFUNDING】
Producing a professional album is a lot of work. We need to invest a lot of time and money into recording our instruments. But this is just a small part of what needs to be done. We also need to get the album mixed and mastered. For this job we work with V Santura, who also has mixed most of the albums of the other bands we play(ed) in, like Obscura and Dark Fortress. But then we need to get the physical copies pressed, we need artwork, fotos, a booklet and a general album design. Even counting the unpaid hours of work we’ve to put into the album ourselves, we still need people to do all these jobs. And since we want to produce the best quality possible, we need to hire nothing but professionals. So none of the funded money will lead to personal enrichment! Everything will be used to deliver the best quality. We worked hard and are offering EXCLUSIVE perks which are LIMITED; and which YOU hopefully find interesting enough to eventually support our campaign.We appreciate everything you do in order to help us. May it be selecting a perk and thus advancing our album or just telling a friend about this campaign, consider our gratitude to be endless!
WORLD PREMIERE: NEW SONG!! “BACK ON MY TRAIL” OF REVOLUTION SAINTS !!
It’s a fun record. It’s not safe. It is a musician’s record,” states Castronovo.
DOUG, DEAN, JACK のバンド REVOLUTION SAINTS がもう一曲新曲を公開しました。アルバムオープナーの “BACK ON MY TRAIL”です。コード進行、声、コーラスの付け方などまるで勢いのある JOURNEY といった趣で素晴らしさしかないですね!!アルバムを楽しみに待ちましょう!!
WORLD PREMIERE: NEW SONG !! “TURN BACK TIME” OF REVOLUTION SAINTS !!
DOUG ALDRICH (ex-WHITESNAKE, BMR, LION), JACK BLADES (NIGHT RANGER), DEAN CASTRONOVO (JOURNY) JOIN TOGETHER AS A NEW BAND “REVOLUTION SAINTS !! THEY SET TO RELEASE THEIR DEBUT ALBUM “REVOLUTION SAINTS” ON 2/20 !!
WHITESNAKE を脱退した DOUG ALDRICH が NIGHT RANGER, DAMN YANKYS の歌って弾けるベーシスト、JACK BLADES, JOURNY, BAD ENGLISH の歌って叩けるドラマー、DEAN CASTRONOVO と結成した新バンド REVOLUTION SAINTS。 彼らのデビューシングル “TURN BACK TIME” が遂に発表となりました。誰が歌うのか?という点にも注目が集まりましたがこの新曲ではディーンがメインで歌ってジャックがヴァースやボーカルハーモニーを担当という形のようです。そもそも歌唱には定評のあるディーンですが STEVE PERRY 譲りの絶品のボーカルを披露しています。ダグのカッティングリフもキレキレで正統派メロディックロックの素晴らしさを凝縮したような曲ですね。デビューアルバム “REVOLUTION SAINTS” は 2/20 、日本では 2/18 に FRONTIER RECORDS から発売です!!
From the opening notes of “Back On My Trail” to the piano outro on the album-closer “In The Name Of The Father (Fernando’s Song),” it is clear Revolution Saints is a musical force to be reckoned with. Songs “Locked Out Of Paradise,” “Dream On” and “Here Forever” showcase the diversity that permeates throughout the entire album. Deen’s band mates from Journey also make an appearance on the album with guitarist Neal Schon showing up on “Way To The Sun” and vocalist Arnel Pineda singing on “You’re Not Alone.” The album’s 80’s vibe is reminiscent of some of the biggest hard rock tracks of the day, but with a modern feel, backed by top-level musicianship.
デビュー作 “REVOLUTION SAINTS” にはディーンのバンド JOURNEY からギタリストの NEAL SCHON が “WAY TO THE SUN” に、ボーカルの ARNEL PINEDA が “YOU’RE NOT ALONE” にそれぞれゲスト参加しています。トップレベルのミュージシャンシップに支えられたアルバムは 80年代のビッグなハードロックのヴァイブを残しつつそこにモダンな雰囲気も加わって完成しました。
KAL SWAN, DOUG ALDRICH, JERRY BEST, MARK EDWARDS という 80~90 年代のシーンにおいてそこそこ重要人物達を擁した悲運のバンド。何が悲運かは適当にググッて下さい。重要なのはカルとダグがこのアルバムでは非常に生き生きとしている事。
BAD MOON RISING – S/T
LION 解散後、ダグとカルの二人が結成したバンド。このアルバムはカルの歌唱が最大限生かされた英国の湿り気を帯びたメタルで実に素晴らしいです。グランジ/オルタナの台頭にしたがって徐々に彼らの音楽性も拡散して行きます。彼らの最終作 “OPIUM FOR THE MASSES” などはカルの歌唱力を生かしているとはお世辞にも言えませんがダグのギターはアイデア豊富でそれはそれで楽しめます。この後カルは音楽業を引退し、ダグは BURNING RAIN ~ WHITESNAKE, そして今に至ります。
HARDLINE – DOUBLE ECLIPSE
JOURNY 終了後、BAD ENGLISH で何か満たされなかった NEAL SCHON が新たに結成したバンド。ニール、ディーン以外にも JOHNNY GIOEL, TODD JENSEN というメロハー界隈ではそこそこ重要人物が参加しています。楽曲の出来はなかなか良いのですがニールのギタリストとしての良さを100%発揮しているかというと疑問です。ただこの曲は完璧な名曲。アーネル加入後の JOURNY がいかにロックとして素晴らしいかわかりますね。
10 BEST ALBUMS OF 2014, AS CHOSEN BY GREAT ARTISTS THEMSELVES !!
NICK JOHNSTON
1. Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun
2. Big Wreck – Ghosts
3. Lana Del Ray – Ultraviolence
4. Opeth – Pale Communion
5. Dirty Loops – Loopified
6. Devin Townsend – Z2
7. Destiny Potato – Lun READ THE INTERVIEW HERE : MARUNOUCHI MUZIK MAGAZINE
8. Tom Petty – Hypnotic Eye
9. Pink Floyd – Endless River
10. Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright in the End
Hello Marunouchi Muzik Magazine! I’m Nick Johnston and here are some of favorite records from 2014. There was so much amazing music released this year, so it was very difficult to narrow it down. However, these records seemed to want to stay in my stereo the longest, so I feel it is my duty as a music lover to put them on my list. Thank you so much for having me as a guest!
やあ、MMM!僕は NICK JOHNSTON, 2014 年のベストアルバムを選んでみたよ。今年は傑作が多かったから選ぶのがとても難しかったね。だけどこの10枚は僕のステレオに長く留まりたがっているように思えたんだ。だから音楽好きとしてリストにするのは義務のように感じたよ。ゲストに呼んでくれてありがとう!
ニックはカナダ出身のギタリスト。”ATOMIC MIND” は彼の3枚目のフルアルバムです。リズム隊に THE ARISTOCRATS, JOE SATRIANIで知られる BRYAN BELLER, MARCO MINNEMANN を迎え名実共に彼の最高傑作として仕上がりました。今回選んでくれた10枚を見ても判りますが彼の幅広い音楽的素養をそのままアルバムに閉じ込めたかのようなカラフルさです。ジョー的な正統派ギターインスト、ガスリー譲りのサーフミュージック、アイリッシュトラッドから OPETH な雰囲気の曲まで実に多彩。シングルコイルが生み出す絶妙なトーンコントロールがメロディーの良さを一層際立たせています。YOUNG GUITAR にコラムも執筆中。そちらもぜひチェックを!!
1. Alpha Male Tea Party – Droids
2. Axes – Glory
3. Body Hound – Rhombus Now
4. Gogo Penguin – v2.0
5. Tune Yards – Nikki Nack
6. First Aid Kit – Stay Gold
7. St Vincent – St Vincent
8. Bearcubbin’ – Girls With Fun Haircuts
9. Bad Grammar – Forced Fun
10. The Brackish – Big Guys
We’re having a lot of fun working on a new album at the moment, which we hope will be done by late 2015. We’re very grateful to our Japanese fans for liking our silly tunes! Hopefully we shall make it over there one day.
I guess I want to thank Japanese fans for giving me the best tour and travel experience i’ve ever had in my entire life! I had so much fun playing in Tokyo and I made so many great friends 🙂 I am very thanksful. Also I am excited to release music with my band Covet and maybe return to Japan on tour!
1. Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion
2. Lars Danielsson – Liberetto II
3. Itzamna – Metnal
4. A Sense of Gravity – Travail READ THE INTERVIEW HERE: MARUNOUCHI MUZIK MAGAZINE
5. Stimpy Lockjaw – Self Titled
6. CHON – Whoohoo !
7. Eric Harland – V ipassana
8. Monuments – The Amanuensis
9. Intervals – A Voice within
10. Peculate – Bouazizi
3. Itzamna – Metnal (EP)
A french band from Bordeaux doing their own stuff. Jazz / Mathrock quartet, with strong implementations of progressive stuff.
Feel refreshing and veeery fun at the same time.
They do not take themselves seriously and yet make a very original music
Listen to dat pianist tho !
FFO : Tigran Hamasyan – John Zorn – Mr Bungle – The mars Volta – Lite – Mouse on the Keys – TOE
FFO : Tigran Hamasyan – John Zorn – Mr Bungle – The mars Volta – Lite – Mouse on the Keys – TOE
2. Lars Danielsson – Liberetto II (LP)
Just look at that line-up. Tigran Hamasyan on piano (well ok… already bought)
Magnus Ôström on drums (ex- e.s.t … ok… damn)
Arve Henriksen on bass and John Paricelli on trumpet (shit…)
Smooth, sweet, contemporary jazz melting the smoothness of e.s.t, rich harmonies of Tigran, magnificent trumpet tones and melodies.
This is intelligent, remarkable, bewitching for the soul and charming for the heart. I’m dead serious.
Definitely could have been a n°1 if I hadn’t to choose a “classic” haha
FFO : Tigran Hamasyan, Esbjörn Svensson Trio
ラインナップを見てみてよ。TIGRAN HAMASYAN (うん、了解。これだけで買うよね・・・), ドラムがMAGNUS OSTROM (ex-e.s,t・・・スゲエ), ARVE HENRIKSEN がベースで JOHN PARICELLI がトランペットだって?(シット・・・)。e.s,t のスムースさと TIGRAN のリッチなハーモニー、目を見張るようなトランペットのトーンとメロディーを融合したかのようなスムースでスウィートなコンテンポラリージャズだね。知的で群を抜いていて魂を捕らえ心を魅了する。マジで死んだよ。”クラッシック”を選ぶ必要がなければ一位だっただろうね。(笑)
FFO : Tigran Hamasyan, Esbjörn Svensson Trio
1. Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion (LP)
This one is already a classic. Everything has already been said on that.
Progressive metal trio, two 8 strings, one drummer… And what a drummer.
It’s probably n°1 in my mind thanks to Matt Garstka. Crazy skills.
You love gospel chops, ghost notes, crazy polyrhythmic grooves and double bass insanity over melodic and expressive guitar solos (at least tosin !), unreal djent riffs and brillant tones…
Basically Animals as Leaders got it all, all blended in one unique style alternating between metal, jazz and classical… Brilliant.
CLEMENT BELIO はフランス出身のマルチプレイヤー。このアルバムでもA SENSE OF GRAVITYのメンバーをはじめとして多数のゲストが参加していますが基本的には全ての楽器を一人でこなしています。I SPY GAME と評され本人も以前の取材で語っているように “CONTRAST” は数々の偉大なミュージシャン達のマテリアルをオマージュし各所にちりばめています。以前弊サイトで公開した “KEIRO NO HI” は勿論坂本教授へのオマージュでしたし他にもメタルだけで DEVIN TOWNSEND, TESSERACT, AAL などのフレーズが確認できます。ただそれをただ切り貼りするのではなく彼の才能を存分に活用し、JAZZYでエクスペリメンタルなアレンジを施す事で唯一無二82分の大音楽絵巻が完成しました。彼のメッセージはこちらの過去記事からどうぞ。WORLD PREMIERE: KEIRO NO HI
WORLD PREMIERE: NEW SONG!! FRENESIA BY CLEMENT BELIO
OUR DIMENSIONS !! JAPANESE NEWCOMER OF DJENT. TWO GUITARISTS JOIN OUR VOTE.
PekeyG∅D
1.Invent,Animate – Everchanger
2.Silent Planet – The night got slept
3.Chelsea Grin – Ashes to Ashes
4.Architects – Lost forever//Lost together
5.Breakdown of Sanity – Perception
6.Intervals – A voice whithin
7.Animal As Leaders – The joy of motion
8.Surroundings – Of bane,burden&change
9.Emarosa – Versus
10.Artifex Pereo – Time in place
ODDMAN
1. Destiny Potato – LUN
2. Skyharbor – Guiding Lights
3. Fallujah – The Flesh Preveils
4. INTERVALS – A Voice Within
5. The Contortionist – Language
6. The Helix Nebula – Meridian
7. Volumes – No Sleep
8. Mammmoth – Polymorphism
9. Sunday Crunch – Sunday Crunch
10. Lu7 – Azurite Dance
ITALIAN MODERN PROG/DJENT BAND GARDENJIA SET TO RELEASE THEIR NEW ALBUM “NAISICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND” ON 12/21. IT IS A CONCEPT ALBUM BASED ON “NAUSIKA” AND MOVIE SCORE OF JOE HISAISHI.
BANDIERA DO MODERN PROG !! イタリアが生んだモダンプログの旗手、GARDENJIA。今年発表した良作 “MATERIA OSCURA” に続く新作が12/21に早くも届きます。タイトルは “NAISICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND“。宮崎駿の名作「風の谷のナウシカ」と久石譲のサウンドトラックを基にしたコンセプトアルバムです。そこから “SYMPHONIC POEM PART 1” を世界初公開です!!
【ABOUT NAUSICAA AND MESSAGE FOR JAPAN】
“The album is inspired by 1984 Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece Nausicaä of the valley of the wind. We tried to create an image of Nausicaa a bit different, firstly to respect the master work because the original character is untouchable. It is a conceptual album based on the film and on the original movie score of Joe Hisaishi, we selected the music to perform and re-arranged all in our style. The album turned out as one long song made of 16 chapters. The album art shows a “grown up” Nausicaä in a post-atomic context, she has also developed some special faculties as the third eye. The reasons that led us to create this project are many, first of all to pass in a certain sense, the message of the work of the master Miyazaki based primarily on respect and love for nature, a message more relevant than ever in these times. The hate for the war and to all manifestations of hate and violence that still reduces men to beasts. Cooperation, the rediscovery of a life lived in a community whose life and whose work is in close relationship with the elements of nature. Today might sound almost like a utopian message, but we believe it is important to reiterate these concepts, especially for future generations, also because our generations are destroying any possibility of future created in harmony and peace. Our work is also a tribute to the great geniuses, Hayao Miyazaki, Joe Hisaishi, Studio Ghibli, a large team of artists who created masterpieces that will remain in time forever. We recently had news of the announced end of the career of the master Miyazaki, who gave us a last masterpiece like “The Wind Rises”, an incredible work of extreme beauty, also giving us a great picture of us Italians. This work is also a tribute to Japan, wonderful land of contrasts.
Thank you Master.”
WORLD PREMIERE: BEARDFISH LAUNCH “HOLD ON”. FIRST TRACK FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM “+4626-COMFORTZONE”
Swedish progressive-rockers Beardfish recently announced the release of their new album ‘+4626-COMFORTZONE’ for the 12th January 2015 in Europe. Now the band are pleased to reveal the first track to be taken from the album in the shape of ‘Hold On’ which you can listen to exclusively here: http://prog.teamrock.com/news/2014-12-03/beardfish-premiere-hold-on
The band had this to say about the track: “Hold On was one of the first songs that came along for +4626-COMFORTZONE and it sort of set the mood for the rest of the album with the rhythm and the intertwined guitar riffs and melodies. The lyrics deal with trying to hang on to something that is slipping out of grasp and not being in connection with your inner self, to the point that you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror. A song that felt great right from the start and it still keeps getting better every time we play it live! Hope you’ll like it!”
The full track-listing for the album is as follows:
1. The One Inside Part 1 – Noise In The Background
2. Hold On
3. Comfort Zone
4. Can You See Me Now
5. King
6. The One Inside Part 2 – My Companion Throughout Life
7. Daughter Whore
8. If We Must Be Apart (A Love Story Continued)
9. Ode To The Rock’n’Roller
10. The One Inside Part 3 – Relief
Look out for more information in the coming weeks!