2020 : Live Albums of the second part of the year
At the start of 2021, I gathered concerts that came out in the second half of 2020 and that were not reviewed in myprogmusic. This playlist offers you two live performances every day during 11 days. You'll therefore find styles as varied as symphonic metal with 'Visions of Atlantis', classical with Christmas interpretations by 'Tarja', melodic hard-rock with 'Eclipse', progressive metal with 'Dream Theater', progressive rock with 'Big Big Train' or still blues/rock with 'Kenny Wayne Shepherd', in short a sample large enough for everyone to find their happiness. And of course, at this rather special end of the year, we cannot miss the reissue of 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' from 'Floyds' whose first release dates back to 1988 and which must revive many memories to those who were able to attend a gig during the big machinery era of 'Pink-Floyd' with the two world tours in 1987 and in the 90s. This very eclectic selection will make it possible to alleviate, undoubtedly partially, the health crisis which is raging now and which will have deprived us of concerts throughout this year 2020, hoping that 2021 will allow us to resume sharing these unique moments of communion with artists. And to complete this playlist, here are the reviews made in 2020 on myprogmusic on different lives : Imperial Age - Live on Earth (The Online Lockdown Concert) Roger Waters - Us + Them Nick Mason - Live at the Roundhouse Steve Hackett - Selling England by The Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live at Hammersmith Flying Colors - Third Stage : Live In London Kamelot - I Am The Empire - Live From The 013 Fortune - The Gun’s Still Smokin’ Live |
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| Riverside - Lost'n'Found – Live in Tilburg (12-11-2020) |
'Lost'n'Found - Live in Tilburg' is a concert recorded by the Poles of 'Riverside' in 2015 and which was already released on CD in 2017 and which is reissued with the DVD version and which appears on digital platforms at the occasion of this reissue. This concert is one of the last testimonials to hear their guitarist 'Piotr Grudzinski', who died suddenly in 2016. Since then, the group has overcome the loss of their guitarist by releasing a tribute to Piotr with 'Eye of the Soundscape' and especially the magnificent last album 'Wasteland' released in 2018. But let's come back to this 2015 concert which allows you to hear compositions from their already substantial discography at the time since they already had 6 albums and some EP for a dozen years of existence and the opus 'Love, Fear and The Time Machine' from 2015 is well represented with 4 titles played. We therefore find this creative progressive rock of the Poles which, even if it requires a few listenings to fully appropriate it, casts a wide net and offers us a kind of patchwork of progressive influences ranging from atmospheric rock to more sophisticated progressive metal going through 'Floydian' melodic rock. In short, this 'Lost'n'Found - Live in Tilburg' by the Poles of 'Riverside' is remarkable on all points, first of all thanks to the talents of these 4 artists who each bring their stone to the building but also thanks to a very homogeneous setlist which alternates different atmospheres, all this benefiting from an irreproachable production : beyond the fans, this live is recommended to all amateurs of progressive rock who like diversity in this style of music. |
Line Up / Musicians :Mariusz Duda (Chant, Basse), Piotr Grudzinski (Guitare), Michal Lapaj (Claviers), Piotr Kozieradzki (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/Riversidepl |
| Heather Findlay - Live White Horses (12-11-2020) |
Just one year after the remarkable 'Aces And Eights - a Night in the Saloon Bar' and after 'Wild White Horses' released in 2019, the former singer of 'Mostly Autumn' which continues a new career for 10 years with the 'Heather Findlay Band' was lucky enough to be able to tour earlier this year and this live was recorded during this tour in UK. This live makes it possible to discover her for those who have not yet listened to his last album 'Wild White Horses' because the entirety is played there with in addition some titles in acoustics. We therefore find the superb voice of 'Heather' in original compositions whether in a catchy style that draws its influences from the 70s with 'Fleetwood-Mac' that immediately comes to mind, as in 'Southern Shores' or 'Here's To You' or in 'Black Rain' but also in more subdued atmospheres where she also excels by releasing a real emotion as in 'The Island' or 'I Remember' or in 'Already Free' or even in 'Lake Sunday 'to name just a few titles. In short, this 'Live White Horses', thanks to a very talented artist, is still a beautiful moment to be savored quietly and will undoubtedly make it possible to console oneself for this lack of concert in 2020 while waiting to be able to return and share again moments of emotions as 'Heather Findlay' knows so well to do. |
Line Up / Musicians :Heather Findlay (Guitare, Chant), Stu Fletcher (Basse), Martin Ledger (Basse, Guitare, Choeurs), Nate Lee (Basse), Emily Lynn (Claviers, Piano, Choeurs), Dave McCluskey (Batterie), Georgia Rankin (Choeurs), Simon Snaize (Basse, Guitare, Choeurs), Hughes Taylor (Guitare), Adriana Thomas (Batterie, Percussions, Choeurs), Taylor Washington (Guitaree, Choeurs) |
https://www.facebook.com/HeatherFindlay.Music/ |
| Tarja - Christmas Together: Live At Olomouc And Hradec Králové 2019 (12-06-2020) |
For those who are closely interested in the Finnish singer 'Tarja Turunen', they know that she has a double career which highlights, on one side, the 'Tarja' metaller who was the singer in the 90s and 2000s of 'Nightwish' and who continues a solo career with several albums to his credit, the most recent 'In The Raw' from 2019 and the latest live 'Act II' of 2018 and then, on the other hand, there is the 'Tarja' classic who likes to do winter tours in different countries and offer Christmas interpretations or performing in concerts where she takes over classical composers with the key for example 'From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas)' in 2017 or 'Ave Maria – en Plein Air' in 2015. This new live 'Christmas Together: Live At Olomouc And Hradec Králové 2019' which is the second CD of the reissue of 'From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a dark Christmas)' is therefore part of this second category, the 'Tarja' classic in which she performs the usual titles of these Christmas concerts in a refine instrumental environment. We therefore find songs in Finnish like 'Sydämeeni Joulun Teen' or 'Varpunen Jouluaamuna' but also the well-known 'Walking in the Air' of 'Howard Blake' or instrumentals 'Little Drummer Boy' and 'Amazing Grace', then songs that were present in 'From Spirits and Ghosts' but also four 'Ave Maria'. In summary, this 'Christmas Together' is a real moment of tranquility during this troubled period and should appeal to an audience loving the classical side of this unique singer who has achieved a magnificent international career alternating classical and metal and who shows a once more that, when the talent is present, the magic operates, and that whatever the style. |
Line Up / Musicians :Tarja Turunen (Chant), Christian Kretschmar (Claviers), Doug Wimbish (Basse), Julian Barrett (Guitare), Max Lilja (Violoncelle), Timm Schreiner (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/tarjaofficial |
| Avatarium - An Evening With Avatarium (12-04-2020) |
After 'The Fire I Long For' released at the end of 2019 which was their 4th studio recording and after 7 years of existence, the Swedes of 'Avatarium' released at the end of 2020 their first live 'An Evening With Avatarium' recorded in January 2020 in Stockholm which highlights the last album since 6 titles are performed and shows the evolution since their creation, the doom having slowly given way to other compositions and even if the first titles are present with 'Avatarium' and its heavy melody, the whole is varied and we navigate between compositions powerful and energetic like 'Rubicon', 'Into the Fire / Into the Storm', 'Shake That Deamon' or even 'Girl With The Raven Mask' but also much calmer titles like 'Lay Me Down' or 'In My Time of Dying' or 'The Fire I Long For' without forgetting the remarkable 'Pearls and Coffins' in which 'Jennie-Ann Smith' releases a real emotion in the more stripped down parts and the final 'Moonhorse' with its alternations between power and much quieter part is not bad either and concluded the concert in a masterly way. In short, this live of 'Avatarium' is far from a concert of flavorless doom because the atmospheres deployed are multiple and contribute to having a great time and 'An Evening With Avatarium' is recommended to an audience loving a powerful metal with various facets with, icing on the cake, a singer who ensures throughout the concert in all registers. |
Line Up / Musicians :Jennie-Ann Smith (Chant), Marcus Jidell (Guitare), Andreas ‘Habo’ Johansson (Batterie), Rickard Nilsson (Claviers), Mats Rydström (Basse) |
https://www.facebook.com/avatariumofficial |
| The Cyberiam - Forging Nations LIVE! (12-04-2020) |
'The Cyberiam' is a new American band which is only a few years old and released a first album 'The Cyberiam' in 2018 and an EP 'The Butterfly Effect' in 2019. They offer us a sought-after progressive mixing rock and metal in compositions ranging from 5 to 10 minutes and, although their discography is quite small, they released a short live of an hour and a quarter which includes 6 titles out of the 10 of 'The Cyberiam' album and the whole of the EP 'The Butterfly Effect' which contains only one title divided into five parts. Although in the quieter parts, the melodic lines are easily tamed, this live is not necessarily accessible at first listening but requires that we linger there because it is full of rich and innovative compositions with multiple influences whether in the field of rock or metal and it is precisely this mixture that makes them a group apart : the typical example is the magnificent composition 'The Butterfly Effect' which makes successive sections quite distant from each other with changes of atmospheres which go from a muscular metal with many rhythmic breaks to atmospheric style through more peaceful rock with melodic lines that one appropriates immediately. In short, the Americans of 'The Cyberiam' show all their talent in this live which should appeal to an audience loving a varied progressive which explores different styles and which requires repeated listenings to get all the richness. |
Line Up / Musicians :Keith Semple (Chant, Guitare), Brian Kovacs (Basse), Frank Lucas (Claviers), Tommy Murray (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/TheCyberiam |
| Neal Morse - Jesus Christ the Exorcist (Live at Morsefest 2018) (12-04-2020) |
In my last column on the studio recording of 'Jesus Christ the Exorcist ' released in 2019, I had expressed the wish to have the live show of this progressive religious fresco. In fact, on the occasion of the 'Morsefest' 2018 (the annual progressive festival hosted by 'Neal Morse' in his hometown of 'Cross Plains', USA), this progressive opera had already been presented to the public and this album live with DVD/Blu-ray is now available. Around an impressive panel of guests from the progressive world, this live makes us relive this concert with the video essential in this kind of story showing all the work done by 'Neal Morse' to mount his story on 'Jesus Christ' with singers who become full-fledged actors as in all musical works of this style and we can cite for example exemple 'Transitus' by 'Arjen Anthony Lucassen' who just released or 'Beloved Antichrist' by 'Christofer Johnsson'. In short, beyond the musical aspect which shows all the talent of 'Neal Morse' to compose songs of great richness whether at the vocal and instrumental level, this live is a real performance and allows, thanks to the image, to add an even stronger emotional aspect to this historical fresco, which for me makes it one of the best live performances of 2020. |
Line Up / Musicians :Neal Morse (Guitares, Claviers, Chant), Paul Bielatowicz (Guitare), Bill Hubauer (Claviers), Eric Gillette (Batterie), Randy George (Basse), Ted Leonard (Chant), Talon David (Chant), Nick D’Virgilio (Chant), Rick Florian (Chant), Matt Smith (Chant), Jake Livgren (Chant), John Schlitt (Chant), Mark Pogue (Chant), Wil Morse (Chant), Gabe Klein (Chant), Gideon Klein (Chant), Julie Harrison (Chant), Wil Morse (Percussions, Claviers), Gabriel Klein (Percussions), Laura Epling (Violon), Jake Tudor (Violon), Michael Lucarelli (Alto), Maggie Chafee (Violoncelle), Gideon Klein (Contrebasse), Holly Smith (Corne), David Cooper(Trombone), Dominique Caster (Trompette), Gabriel Collins (Saxophone, Flûte) |
https://www.facebook.com/nealmorse/ |
| Mystery - Caught in the Whirlwind of Time (11-28-2020) |
It's still a nice surprise at the end of 2020 to have a new live from the Canadians of 'Mystery', 2019 having seen the release of the magnificent 'Live in Poznan' which I reviewed and which had already spoiled us with a concert exceeding two thirty and 'Caught in the Whirlwind of Time' is slightly longer and above all adds a blu-ray which is available on the 'Mystery' site. So I won't repeat myself with what I have already written about 'Live in Pozman' and I will just add the 3 presentation videos of this new live that you can find on you tube, here, here and here . |
Line Up / Musicians :Jean Pageau (Chant, Claviers, Flûte), Michel St-Père (Guitare, Claviers), Sylvain Moineau (Guitare, Claviers), Antoine Michaud (Claviers), François Fournier (Basse, Claviers), Jean-Sébastien Goyette (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/mysterysound |
| Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Straight To You: Live (11-27-2020) |
American blues/rock guitarist 'Kenny Wayne Shepherd' released a live 'Straight To You: Live' at the end of November 2020 which allows us to hear him perform songs from its latest albums, starting with 'The Taveler' of 2019, 2017 having seen the release of the very good 'Lay It On Down'. And what better in this blues/rock style to have a concert atmosphere to make even stronger all this positive energy that the members of the group send us starting of course with the magical solos of Mister 'Kenny Wayne Shepherd' himself well seconded by the admirable vocals of 'Noah Hunt', a remarkable rhythm section with 'Scott Nelson' on bass and 'Chris Layton' on drums and finally the three brilliant instrumentalists 'Joe Sublett' and 'Mark Pender' at the copper section and 'Joe Krown' ensuring the keyboards part. Impossible to remain unmoved by listening to all these songs that make you want to sway to the rhythm of the music like 'Woman Like You', 'Long Time Query', 'Talk To Me Baby' by Elmore James' or even the cover 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' of 'Jimmy Hendrix' and when the light is dimmed, the sensual blues are not forgotten with a phenomenal' Heat of the Sun 'or the blues' Shame, Shame, Shame' with admirable instrumental sections. In short, for all fans of a classic but so much efficient blues/rock, 'Straight To You: Live' is still a beautiful live to put itself between the ears while tasting all these timeless compositions that fill you with an intense happiness. |
Line Up / Musicians :Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Guitare, Chant), Noah Hunt (Chant), Chris Layton (Batterie), Scott Nelson (Basse), Joe Krown (Claviers), Joe Sublett (Saxophone), Mark Pender (Trompette) |
https://www.facebook.com/kennywayneshepherd |
| IT - Live At ProgDreams Viii (11-27-2020) |
The last album of the progressive rock group 'IT' dates from 2017 ('We're All In This Together') and 2020 saw the release of a fairly short live show because it was recorded at the 8th 'Progdreams' festival in the Netherlands and 'IT' was not in headliner that day which means that we have to be content with only 52 minutes of concert. We therefore find the band of 'Nick Jackson' in a concert highlighting an imaginative and melodic progressive rock with always very strong themes and multiple influences in a style mixing different atmospheres that can be powerful and energetic like 'Killing' or 'Power' but also much quieter in titles like 'The Working Man' or the magnificent long development 'The Path of Least Resistance' imaginative and sought after alternating different intensities and rhythms which make it a gem of progressive. We can also note an irreproachable concert production with a remarkable dynamic which puts even more forward all the details bringing a real pleasure of listening. In short, even if it remains a little short, this 'Live At ProgDreams Viii' is excellent and, beyond the fans of the group, will certainly allow others to have the desire to go see them in concert especially since the associated DVD brings an additional artistic dimension to this live. |
Line Up / Musicians :Nick Jackson (Chant, Guitare), Andy Rowberry (Guitare), Mark Gatland (Basse), Tom Ashcroft (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/ITofficial/ |
| Foreigner - B-Sides & Extra Tracks (11-27-2020) |
Since 2018, 'Foreigner', the legendary 70s band has released several live performances with 'Foreigner with the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (Live)' which celebrated the group's 40-year career, 'Live at the Rainbow '78' which took us back to the end of the 70s and which allowed to pay a well-deserved tribute to the original formation and 'Double Vision 40 Then And Now Live Reloaded' which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of the album 'Double Vision'. For 2020, with the reissue of their 2009 album, 'Can't Slow Down', the second CD comprises mainly titles performed live with some essential hits such as a version of 'Juke Box Hero' of nearly 12 minutes and 'I Want to Know What Love Is' which has been around the world but also titles less known from their eponymous 1977 debut album as 'Cold as Ice', 'At War with the World', 'Headknocker' or 'Feels Like the First Time'. This 'B-Sides & Extra Tracks' is therefore a kind of live testimony to the first period of 'Foreigner' which in the 70s became one of the references for all rock lovers who knew this period. |
Line Up / Musicians :Kelly Hansen (Chant), Mick Jones (Guitare, Piano, Choeurs), Thom Gimbel (Guitare, Saxophone, Choeurs), Michael Bluestein (Clavier, Choeurs), Jeff Pilson (Basse, Choeurs), Brian Tichy (Batterie, Percussions) |
https://www.facebook.com/Foreigner/ |
| Big Big Train - Empire (Live) (11-27-2020) |
The English people of 'Big Big Train' are quite familiar with live releases with DVD / Blu-ray because 'Merchants of Light' is from 2017 and this new concert release follows their tour in 2019 and, as the name suggests, this live was recorded at the Empire of London. This album gives pride of place to the latest releases including the last album 'Grand Tour' because 6 tracks are performed but also to the previous albums 'Folklore' from 2016 and 'Grimspound' for 2017. And unsurprisingly, this new concert once again demonstrates that 'Big Big Train' has become one of the essential groups of progressive rock with an admirable professionalism whether on the vocal or instrumental level, the production being also irreproachable whether it is in the sound level which is limpid and crystalline but also in the video because blu-ray once again brings another dimension to this concert. In short, 'Empire (Live)' is still a live album to have in its video library for all those who love an imaginative and refined progressive rock in the great tradition of major groups of this style. |
Line Up / Musicians :Greg Spawton (Guitare, Bass, Claviers, Chant), David Longdon (Chant, Flûte, Claviers, Guitare), Rikard Sjöblom (Chant, Claviers, Guitae), Nick D'Virgilio (Batterie, Chant), Dave Gregory (Guitare), Rachel Hall (Violon), Danny Manners (Claviers, Basse) |
https://www.facebook.com/bigbigtrain/ |
| Volbeat - Rewind, Replay, Rebound (Live in Deutschland) (11-27-2020) |
The Danes of 'Volbeat', after two very good albums, 'Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie' in 2016 and 'Rewind, Replay, Rebound' in 2019 and in the meantime a live 'Let's Boogie! Live from Telia Parken ' in 2018, a new live 'Rewind, Replay, Rebound (Live in Deutschland)' is released. And a 'Volbeat' concert, it starts with an impressive set list and this last opus is no exception to the rule with its 27 titles for 2 hours of melodies all as addictive as each other which deploy an overflowing energy from the beginning to the the end, an energy that the Danes communicate to their audience by transforming a banal concert into a real moment of communion, the interactions between the artists and their fans being permanent throughout the show. In short, this last live of 'Volbeat' shows once again that the Danes are made for the stage and 'Rewind, Replay, Rebound (Live in Deutschland)' is intended not only for fans but also for all those who love a muscular and lively rock with accessible melodic lines at first listening, all this in a live atmosphere of madness. |
Line Up / Musicians :Michael Poulsen (Chant, Guitare), Kaspar Boye Larsen (Basse, Choeurs), Rob Caggiano (Guitare, Choeurs), Jon Larsen (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/volbeat/ |
| Dream Theater - Distant Memories - Live in London (11-27-2020) |
After their studio recording 'Distance Over Time', the Americans from 'Dream Theater' toured in early 2020 just before the arrival of the coronavirus which definitely deprived us of a concert and this live 'Distant Memories - Live in London' was recorded on February 21 and 22, 2020 at the Hammersmith Apollo from London. The fans are used to these long concerts and this one is no exception to the rule and is divided into two parts, with first of all titles which highlight the last album and then, a full cover of 'Metropolis Pt2 : Scenes From A Memory' for the 20 years anniversary of its release and which alone already takes half from the set list. And as I usually say, nothing replaces the image and this is still more true for 'Dream Theater' because the interpretation of each title is quite close to the studio versions, the only difference being the concert atmosphere with gigantic sound which makes DVD/Blu-ray essential to fully immerse yourself in these two and a half hours of spectacle. 'Distant Memories - Live in London' is therefore a great gift for all fans of the group but also for all amateurs of progressive metal which took off in the 90s and of which 'Dream Theater' was one of the main actors. |
Line Up / Musicians :James Labrie (Chant), John Petrucci (Guitare), Jordan Rudess (Clavier), John Myung (Basse), Mike Mangini (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/watch/dreamtheater/ |
| Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound Of Thunder (2019 Remix, Live) (11-20-2020) |
The live 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' from the end of the 80s of 'Pink-Floyd' comes out at the end of 2020 and takes us back to this period of the two masterful world tours of the end of the 80s and during the 90s with memorable concerts in mythic places with among others the Palace of Versailles or the Doge's Palace in Venice and for my part, less prestigious, in France, the Grenoble stadium for the first tour and the Meinau stadium of Strasbourg for the second . Already released in 2019 in 'The Early Years' (but you had to break the bank if you wanted the whole box set), this new version has been remastered in terms of audio and completely re-edited in terms of video and we immerse yourself even more in this atmosphere of giant concerts with this fantastic sound in quadraphonic and all the spectacular effects that we know starting with the hospital bed crossing the stadium or the giant pig with its laser eyes. In short, 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' goes beyond the world of music and has become a full-fledged spectacle in which you cannot separate sound from video and, for this reason, Blu-ray / DVD is essential to enjoy new from this gigantic show. |
Line Up / Musicians :David Gilmour (Guitares, Chant), Nick Mason (Batterie), Richard Wright (Claviers, Chant, Choeurs), Jon Carin (Claviers, Choeurs), Scott Page (Saxophones, Guitare), Guy Pratt (Basse, Chant, Chœurs), Tim Renwick (Guitare, Chœurs), Gary Wallis (Percussions, Claviers), Rachel Fury (Chœurs), Durga McBroom (Chœurs), Margaret Taylor (Chœurs) |
https://www.facebook.com/pinkfloyd |
| Eclipse - Viva La Victouria (Live) (11-06-2020) |
The Swedes of 'Eclipse' who are now in the forefront of melodic hard-rock groups release a live recorded during the last tour in their country, in Gothenburg, on December 21, 2019, to promote their latest album a href='http://becker.cj.free.fr/myprogmusic/com/albums.php?langue=A&idspot=spotify:album:0WxqXKlhcm6ktQMFJ0emiZ'>'Paradigm'. And it all starts with the flagship title of this latest album 'Viva La Victoria' which immediately sets off a hellish atmosphere and the rest is like this first title filled with good positive energy with melodies all equally awesome and addictive as each other. And in addition to this concert, they offer us 6 other titles with first of all, a studio recording 'Driving One Of Your Cars' which is a cover of their compatriot 'Lisa Miskovsky', two acoustic covers of their last album, 'The Downfall of Eden' and 'When The Winter Ends' and finally three recordings which were made during the pandemic on the Swedish radio show 'Live from the Quarantine', April 1, 2020. In short, in these difficult times, if you are a fan of catchy melodic rock or hard-rock which gets you in shape for a whole day, do not look no further and go listen to this 'Viva La Victouria (Live)' or get the DVD/blu-ray which brings us even closer to these wonderful concert atmospheres. |
Line Up / Musicians :Erik Martensson (Chant, Guitare, Clavier), Magnus Henricksson (Guitare), Magnus Ulfstedt (Basse), Robban Back (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/EclipseSweden/ |
| Yes - The Royal Affair Tour (Live in Las Vegas) (10-30-2020) |
After a remarkable 'Live At Glastonbury Festival 2003' and 'Yes 50 Live' who celebrated their 50 years of career, the pioneers of progressive rock released a new live 'The Royal Affair Tour, Live in Las Vegas' recorded during their last American tour in 2019. Bringing together a kind of best of their compositions between 1970 and 1980 (see list below with the albums and their year) but also the cover of Imagine from 'John Lennon', they offer us an hour and 15 minutes of a short concert that should appeal to all aficionados of this legendary group and more generally to all those who fell into the magic cauldron of the progressive in the 70s. 01. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed ( Time and a Word – 1970) 02. Tempus Fugit (Drama – 1980) 03. Going For The One (Going for the One – 1977) 04. All Good People (The Yes Album – 1971) 05. Siberian Khatru (Close to the Edge – 1972) 06. Onward (Tormato – 1978) 07. America (Fragile – 1971) 08. Imagine (John Lennon – 1971) 09. Roundabout (Fragile – 1971) 10. Starship Trooper (The Yes Album – 1971) |
Line Up / Musicians :Steve Howe (Guitare, Chant), Jon Davison (Chant), Geoff Downes (Claviers), Billy Sherwood (Basse, Chant), Alan White (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/yestheband/ |
| HammerFall - Live! Against the World (10-23-2020) |
The Swedes of Hammerfall 'managed to make a last tour at the beginning of 2020 just before the health crisis which gives us the opportunity to hear them in a live album released at the end of October 2020. They have become an essential world power metal formation and the listenings on spotify are now around a hundred thousand in the first 4 or 5 songs. Failing to revolutionize metal, they continue to offer us a melodic and powerful metal which gives all its magnitude in concert. That's good because this 'Live! Against the World' is filled with what they have done best over the last 25 years and the set list is extensive with 20 tracks for one hour and 46 minutes which give pride of place to their latest opus 'Dominion' because 5 tracks are interpreted. In short, this live, in addition to having an excellent production shows all the professionalism of these Swedes who deliver on melodic hits one after the other to the delight of all their fans but also of all those who love a powerful power metal , melodic and effective to blackmail an entire stadium. |
Line Up / Musicians :Joacim Cans (Chant), Fredrik Larsson (Basse, Oscar Dronjak (Guitare), Pontus Norgren (Guitare), David Wallin (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/hammerfall/ |
| Ancient Veil - Ancient Veil (Unplugged Live) (10-08-2020) |
Since their remarkable comeback in 2013, the Italians of 'Ancient Veil' have released 4 albums including two new studio recordings 'I am Changing' in 2017, 'New' in 2018, the live 'Rings of earthly…Live as well as the reissue of the album 'Rings of earthly light' with also titles from 'Ancient Veil'. In a progressive rock inherited from the great Italian tradition, they offer us about forty minutes of an acoustic concert which is quite complementary to the live of 2018 and which mixes titles from 'Ancient Veil' and Eris Pluvia'. We rediscover these compositions from another angle which perfectly suits the atmosphere deployed by this group by bringing this warm classical side to their repertoire. In short, if you like poetic and sensitive progressive, this 'Ancient Veil (Unplugged Live)' is made for you... |
Line Up / Musicians :Alessandro Serri (Guitare, Chant), Edmondo Romano (Saxophone, Flûte, Clarinette, Whistle), Fabio Serri (Piano, Claviers), Massimo Palermo (Basse), Marco Fuliano (Batterie), Marco Gnecco (Hautbois) |
https://www.facebook.com/AncientVeil/ |
| Redemption - Alive In Color (Live 2018) (08-28-2020) |
The progressive metal group 'Redemption' which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year released a concert recorded at 'ProgPower USA' in 2018 and offers us an hour and a half of a very dense live and it's now 'Tom S . Englund' of 'Evergrey' who officiates as singer and who replaced 'Ray Alder' who has just released a new album with 'Fates Warning'. Moreover, for the occasion, the title 'Threads' is performed twice, once with 'Ray Alder' and the other time with 'Tom S. Englund' and the former guitarist 'Chris Poland' participates also on two titles. If you like dense and powerful progressive metal with artists of great talent, such as groups like 'Sons of Apollo' or 'Circus Maximus' ou 'Evergrey' or the powerful side of 'Vanden Plas' (upcoming review of their next album), you should definitely enjoy this last live of 'Redemption'. |
Line Up / Musicians :Tom S. Englund (Chant), Nicolas van Dyk (Guitare, Claviers), Bernie Versailles (Guitare), Sean Andrews (Guitare, Basse), Vikram Shankar (Claviers), Chris Quirarte (Batterie) + Invités : Ray Alder (Chant), Chris Poland (Guitare) |
https://www.facebook.com/RedemptionBand/ |
| Metallica - S&M2 (08-28-2020) |
Of course, I'm not going to introduce 'Metallica' to many people but this year 2020 was the occasion of a rather special release since the Americans wanted to do a sequel to the first live 'S&M' recorded in 1999 with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and at the time, it is true that the metal and the symphonic did not necessarily mix well although the symphonic metal pointed out the tip of its nose with precursors like 'Nightwish' and some bands like 'Deep Purple' already had it done, first very early in 1969 with 'Concerto for Group and Orchestra' and reissued 30 years later with 'In Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra'. But nowadays, the metal groups which perform with a symphony orchestra are numerous and 'Metallica' chose to release chapter 2 of 'S&M', 20 years later with again the same orchestra now conducted by 'Michael Tilson Thomas' and the start of the concert fully orchestral includes the first two tracks of the first live with 'The Ecstasy of Gold' by 'Ennio Morricone' and the grandiose 'The Call of Ktulu' which is magnified by the instruments of the orchestra and the second part of the concert begins with the second movement of the 'Scythe Suite' from 'Sergei Prokofiev' and with 'The Iron Foundry, Opus 19' from 'Alexander Mosolov'. The rest is of course devoted to the flagship titles of the group with the support of the orchestra which amplifies even more the imposing sound on certain compositions and the public often participates with impressive choirs as in 'Halo On Fire', the second part of concert bringing an additional symphonic dimension with a remarkable interpretation of 'The Unforgiven III', 'All Within My Hands' revisited in acoustics and the tribute by the double bassist 'Scott Pingel' to the bassist 'Cliff Burton', the concert ending in apotheosis with the essentials 'One', 'Master Of Puppets', 'Nothing Else Matters' and 'Enter Sandman'. In summary, this album is a great success for these metal giants who have been able to integrate a symphony orchestra into their discography which is not necessarily what comes us to mind when listening to the originals and, even if some fans won't not necessarily be won over and will find that the originals loose their energy, this 'S&M2' deserves our attention and, for my part, emphasizes even more the integration of the orchestra with electric instruments that the first 'S&M' version was doing. |
Line Up / Musicians :James Hetfield (Chant, Guitare), Lars Ulrich (Batterie, Percussions), Kirk Hammett (Guitare, Chœurs), Robert Trujillo (Basse, Chœurs), Michael Tilson Thomas (Chef d'orchestre), San Francisco Symphony |
https://www.facebook.com/Metallica |
| Blue Öyster Cult - 45th Anniversary – Live In England (08-07-2020) |
Before releasing their last album 'The Symbol Remains', the Americans of 'Blue Öyster Cult' had released a live which celebrated their 45 years of career and which was filmed in London, at the O2 Indigo during the Stone Free festival in 2017. Despite all the ups and downs during these past decades, they are always there to distill good hard-rock in a concert where you feel from start to finish, with all this experience accumulated over the years, this talent to transmit this positive energy to a whole audience for their great pleasure and suddenly, thanks to this '45th Anniversary - Live In England', also to all those who have grown up listening to hard-rock formations from the 70s to the present day. |
Line Up / Musicians :Donald « Buck Dharma » Roeser (Guitare, Chant), Eric Bloom (Chant, Guitare), Richie Castellano (Claviers, Guitare, Chœurs), Jules Radino (Batterie, Percussions), Danny Miranda (Basse, Chœurs) |
https://www.facebook.com/blueoystercult/ |
| Anneke van Giersbergen & Kamerata Zuid - Let the Light in (Live) (07-13-2020) |
After the concert 'Symphonized', 'Anneke Van Giersbergen' released a live performance with Kamerata Zuid chamber orchestra titled 'Let The Light In' which was recorded at several concerts in 2019 in his homeland, the Netherlands. We find the classic side of this singer with everything with magnificent interpretations of her compositions in a set list concocted for the occasion including the new composition 'Let the Light In'. For all lovers of beautiful female voices in a classic style with chamber orchestra. |
Line Up / Musicians :Anneke van Giersbergen (Chant), Kamerata Zuid (Orchestre) |
https://www.facebook.com/annekevangiersbergenofficial/ |