German progressive metal band Vanden Plas awaken after a four year hiatus and have made sure everything on this new album is long and complex. The title, the songs, the run times, its six tracks clocking in at 54 minutes of music. The final track March Of Saints a whopping 16 minutes! If this is a case of ‘beat this’ to other prog metal bands I don’t know but The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things really highlights what a brilliant and perhaps under-rated prog metal band Vanden Plas are.
Guitarist Stephan Lill wrote all the music on this album with singer Andy Kuntz provided the lyrics, these founder members, alongside co-founder drummer Andreas Lill and long term bassist Torsten Reichert are joined by Mr Frontiers Music Alessandro Del Vecchio on keys. It’s been a while since Del Vecchio has been a part of something this heavy and progressive so he’s really on form, an ideal foil for Stephan’s virtuoso guitar while adding cinematic touches to songs such as My Icarian Flight. Though he didn’t co-write the record, his addition adds a new element to the Vanden Plas style and his production is top notch like usual.
On Sanctimonarium there’s huge organs, which add Deep Purple-isms alongside Dream Theater comparisons too, the 10 minute playtime making it an epic mid-point. I’ve always enjoyed Vanden Plas as a band, their last four albums were quite dense conceptual pieces with and overarching story, so with a Del Vecchio on board and no need to write conceptual songs, this new album sounds a bit more free and expressive. Vanden Plas hit the mark again on this eleventh studio album, are they still underrated? In my opinion yes, should they overlooked? Not on the strength of this record. 8/10
Praying Mantis – Defiance (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]
Still touted as one of the NWOBHM originators, in recent years Praying Mantis have been much similar in their music to the melodic rock/AOR scene. Leaving a lot of the NWOBHM bands behind as they become more increasingly melodic and proggy, this is more Saracen or Saga that Maiden or Priest. On their 13th album this doesn’t seem to changing anytime soon, with the duo of From The Start and the title track fixed in the melodic rock/AOR sound.
Praying Mantis – Defiance (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]
Still touted as one of the NWOBHM originators, in recent years Praying Mantis have been much similar in their music to the melodic rock/AOR scene. Leaving a lot of the NWOBHM bands behind as they become more increasingly melodic and proggy, this is more Saracen or Saga that Maiden or Priest. On their 13th album this doesn’t seem to changing anytime soon, with the duo of From The Start and the title track fixed in the melodic rock/AOR sound.
Big keys, dramatic vocals and some searing emotive guitars Praying Mantis continue where Katharsis left off celebrating 50 years as a band in 2024, brothers Timo (guitar/vocals) and Chris (bass/vocals) still lead the band into their fifth decade, joined by a professional band made up of drummer Hans in’t Zandt, guitarist Andy Burges and vocalist Jaycee Cuijpers, whose pipe make Feelin’ Lucky sound like a Graham Bonnet number, useful then that the next track is cover of Rainbow’s I Surrender, which was sung by Joe Lynn Turner but retained that latter day Rainbow melodic rock format.
Not a shred of NWOBHM so it makes me think why they still refer to it in their PR, Def Leppard don’t, anyway that’s a personal thing as Praying Mantis’ in their current guise play appealing melodic rock, showing off their guitars chops on instrumental Nightswim and channelling Giorgio Moroder on Standing Tall but overall Defiance is a little too ballad heavy for me. However you have to give the band props for being able to make a living in the music industry for 50 years. Suited perfectly to Frontiers Praying Mantis continue their legacy wit Defiance. 7/10
Valley Lodge - Shadows In Paradise (Tee Pee Records) [Rich Piva]
Valley Lodge is a power pop band out of New York that wear their love for bands like Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, and Big Star on their sleave. With a former member of Cobra Verde in the band I bet they may have some Guided By Voices records too. Maybe the Fountains Of Wayne records too. They have released four records till date, with Shadows In Paradise, their new one and their fifth, an excellent addition to their discography.
In my power pop I want catchy, like the opener, Daylights, that also reminds me of my favourite power pop band, Sloan, I Wrote A Song, with a melody that will not leave my head, and Trouble that has a slick as hell chorus that will leave you humming it. Hanging Around sounds like The Cure meets GBV and I am here for it for sure.
Valley Lodge - Shadows In Paradise (Tee Pee Records) [Rich Piva]
Valley Lodge is a power pop band out of New York that wear their love for bands like Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, and Big Star on their sleave. With a former member of Cobra Verde in the band I bet they may have some Guided By Voices records too. Maybe the Fountains Of Wayne records too. They have released four records till date, with Shadows In Paradise, their new one and their fifth, an excellent addition to their discography.
In my power pop I want catchy, like the opener, Daylights, that also reminds me of my favourite power pop band, Sloan, I Wrote A Song, with a melody that will not leave my head, and Trouble that has a slick as hell chorus that will leave you humming it. Hanging Around sounds like The Cure meets GBV and I am here for it for sure.
Give me song jangle in my power pop too, which you get with Secret Lover, which also sounds like a 70s disco song at times including the cheese yet wonderful lyrics. Doorstep leans towards 70s psych pop, executed excellently, while After School gives off some fellow nice dressers Urge Overkill vibes. I mentioned Sloan before, I will mention them again as I listen to Dyin’. Out Of Time sounds like a hit from the 90s for sure and is probably my favourite track on Shadows In Paradise.
Valley Lodge is a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously but does seem to take their love for all things power pop extremely so. Try not to hold the fact that they do the theme song to Last Week Tonight against them, because if you dig power pop check out this and the other Valley Lodge records. 7/10
Drudge - Into The Blue EP (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
UK stoner/metal/grunge band Drudge bring to us the follow up to their 2021 debut in the form of an EP, Into The Blue. I missed the first record the first time around but the four songs on Into The Blue had me immediately correct that mistake because these guys bring the heavy rock in a style right in my wheelhouse.
What style would that be you ask? Well, check out the opening track, Swallow The Sun, where you get some fuzzy stoner goodness with hints of early QOTSA and Fu Manchu. Can’t get too much more in said wheelhouse. This is high energy fuzzy goodness with a great riff and cool drums that, at least in the files I have, are way too low in the mix. This doesn’t ruin the track but I would love to have the production a bit more even. The guitar work however is excellent and right in your face. The title track leans more grunge, with a Thayil type low end riff and more of a plodding track that complements the opener nicely. This one has the Pacific Northwest all over it, and that is, of course, a good thing.
Valley Lodge is a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously but does seem to take their love for all things power pop extremely so. Try not to hold the fact that they do the theme song to Last Week Tonight against them, because if you dig power pop check out this and the other Valley Lodge records. 7/10
Drudge - Into The Blue EP (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
UK stoner/metal/grunge band Drudge bring to us the follow up to their 2021 debut in the form of an EP, Into The Blue. I missed the first record the first time around but the four songs on Into The Blue had me immediately correct that mistake because these guys bring the heavy rock in a style right in my wheelhouse.
What style would that be you ask? Well, check out the opening track, Swallow The Sun, where you get some fuzzy stoner goodness with hints of early QOTSA and Fu Manchu. Can’t get too much more in said wheelhouse. This is high energy fuzzy goodness with a great riff and cool drums that, at least in the files I have, are way too low in the mix. This doesn’t ruin the track but I would love to have the production a bit more even. The guitar work however is excellent and right in your face. The title track leans more grunge, with a Thayil type low end riff and more of a plodding track that complements the opener nicely. This one has the Pacific Northwest all over it, and that is, of course, a good thing.
Covert Betrayal has a simple but effective fuzzy riff and is just a sweet straight-ahead rocker that would fit nicely on any stoner and/or modern grunge playlist. I especially like all of the cool tempo changes on this one. I heard you wanted to hear an eleven-minute stoner/grunge epic? I am here to please, so check out the closer, Unrivalled Sin, where you get slower doomy grunge, a tempo change to a more straight ahead stoner feel until a more atmospheric stoner vibe transitions us back to the front and then home.
These are four high quality tracks from a band that you should be hearing more about soon, because Drudge brings it. I wish the production was a bit different to really extenuate the band’s strengths, but overall, the four songs on Into The Blue are great and will be a nice placeholder until we get album number two. 8/10
These are four high quality tracks from a band that you should be hearing more about soon, because Drudge brings it. I wish the production was a bit different to really extenuate the band’s strengths, but overall, the four songs on Into The Blue are great and will be a nice placeholder until we get album number two. 8/10
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