For the second show in a row, we feature a band with a powerful woman at the microphone, although this time, the music is decidedly heavier. Stockholm's The Murder of My Sweet (Daniel Flores [drums, keyboards, vocals], Christopher Vetter [guitar], Angelica Rylin [vocals], and Patrik Jonson [bass]) released their third album Beth Out of Hell this month, and it's a dark concept album about the interplay between good and evil that shows how the world and the forces many believe control it are not necessarily black and white. Host Mark Ashby talks with Flores about the research that went into the story for the album, their acceptance of the "cinematic metal" label that was applied to them early on, and what it means to be a female-fronted band that doesn't subscribe to all the conventions many expect from that genre. Find the band online at www.themurderofmysweet.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:

"Euthanasia"

"Always the Fugitive"

"Bleed Me Dry"

"The Awakening"

"Requiem for a Ghost"

"The Humble Servant"

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Originally posted 27 August 2015

"Full and fat." That's how Landmarq keyboardist Mike Varty (at far right) describes his band's sound. Joined by bandmates Steve Gee [bass], Uwe D'Rose [guitar], Tracy Hitchings [vocals], and Daniel Martin [drums], Landmarq has been around since the late 80s and is therefore solidly in the neo-prog realm inhabited by IQ or Pendragon. Initially fronted by Damian Wilson, the band made the switch to a woman singer in the late 90s, a move seen as daring by some. Host Mark Ashby talked with Varty about what Hitchings brings to the group, her cancer diagnosis and recovery, and the new CD/DVD RoadSkill: Live in the Netherlands. He also plays the Tournament of Prog Keyboardists -- Who is the winner? Find them online at www.landmarq.net.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Thunderstruck"
"Turbulence"
"Entertaining Angels"
"Glowing"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 9 August 2015

The term "power trio" has become a hallowed lineup formation among prog fans who revere bands like Rush, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and King's X, among others. Centreville, Virginia's Iris Divine (guitarist/vocalist Navid Rashid, bassist Brian Dobbs, and drummer/keyboardist Kris Combs) are a prog-metal three-piece that has come out of the gate about as powerfully as a band can with their debut Karma Sown. With echoes of some of the previously-mentioned groups as well as Alice in Chains and Pantera, Iris Divine is starting to get some attention outside of the mid-Atlantic and will be touring in late July and early August on the east coast. Host Mark Ashby talked with Combs about the switch from the early days as a quartet, the interesting perks they offered for their Kickstarter campaign, and his winner in an eight-band tournament of famous power trios past (it might not be who you think!). Find the album at https://lasersedge.bandcamp.com/album/karma-sown

Featured songs/excerpts:

"Prisms"

"A Suicide Aware"

"The Everlasting Sea"

"In Spirals"

"Mother's Prayer"

"Fire of the Unknown"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 14 July 2015

Is art rock progressive rock, or vice versa? Or are they different styles altogether? For UK multi-instrumentalist Grice Peters, the distinction has some meaning, although his brand of melodic yet atmospheric music isn't easily classified, anyway. With leanings toward the sound of David Sylvian and his associated projects, largely because of the involvement of Sylvian's ex-bandmates Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen, Grice's new album Alexandrine is a musical journey through space from the North African dunes to the shores of the British Isles. In this interview with host Mark Ashby, Grice gives his take on the art rock label, how his youth in London prepared him for the musical path he'd later follow, and the plethora of guest musicians and producers who have helped shape the sound of his albums. Catch up with Grice on the web at www.gricemusic.co.uk.

Featured songs/excerpts:

"Flaw 2 (Silica)"

"12 Syllables"

"Alexandrine"

"Frozen Water"

"Leftside"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 27 June 2015

Progressive filmmaking? You might be able to apply that label to Mathew Miller, who has turned the classic IQ double-album Subterranea and turned it into a feature film that he wrote and directed. Currently making the rounds of various festivals, the film Subterranea stars an Emmy Award nominee and other Hollywood names depicted in gorgeous Montana settings to tell this tale of a twisted social experiment and its aftermath. Host Mark Ashby chatted with Miller about what brought him to this particular prog rock album when there are so many concepts out there, the band's reaction to and involvement in his project, and what else from the prog realm he'd like to be a part of bringing to a visual medium in the future. Keep up with the film at www.subterranea-movie.com and with IQ at www.iq-hq.co.uk.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Failsafe"
"Capricorn"
"Subterranea"
"Unsolid Ground"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 13 June 2015

If you're a fan of audiobooks, radio plays, and the like, Hibernal out of Brisbane, Australia, might just be the type of prog rock project you're looking for. Mark Healy not only composes and performs the music on these albums, he writes the scripts that provide the spoken-word narration to the science-fiction stories contained on the three albums to date. The latest of these, After the Winter, is also the first in a trilogy of books that can be purchased, making Hibernal truly a cross-platform phenomenon. Host Mark Ashby spoke with Healy about the stories that drive Hibernal's albums, how he finds the voice talent to bring the stories to life, and whether he thinks his work could ever be performed live. The albums can be found at http://hibernal.bandcamp.com, and the books at www.amazon.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"A View of the World"
"After the Winter"
"Losing Touch"
"Evasion"
"Worn"
"Beginnings"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 29 May 2015

Their band name is a standalone sentence, full-stop. Their music bridges genres, incorporating spoken word, various vocalists, and stylistic touches reminiscent of the golden age of prog. Manchester, UK's We Are Kin (l. to r. Lee Braddock [bass], Lauren Smith [vocals], Adam McCann [guitar], Dan Zambas [keyboards, guitar, vocals], and Gary Boast [drums]) have just released their debut album Pandora on Bad Elephant Music, and it's a mindbender that will either carry you along on their story arc or have you making up a tale of your own. Host Mark Ashby talked with four of the band members about the reason behind their unusual name, their compositional process and how Zambas and Boast keep each other's more extreme tendencies in check, and the politics that creeps into their music, at least in Zambas's case. Look for them online at https://wearekin.bandcamp.com/.

Featured songs/excerpts:

"Faith"

"Home Sweet Home"

"The Door"

"The Speech"

"The Hard Decision"

"Without Them"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 15 May 2015

Naples, Italy, has a secret, but we think everybody should know about it. The quintet Soul Secret, previously profiled in Episode 006, is back with their first concept album, called 4, and members Luca Di Gennaro (keyboards), Antonio Vittozzi (guitars), Antonio Mocerino (drums), Lino Di Pietrantonio (vocals), and Claudio Casaburi (bass) - pictured here with Neal Morse - are picking up sonically where they left off with 2011's Closer to Daylight. Combining influences into their own progressive style that includes metal, fusion, and more, this album has already received worldwide critical acclaim. Host Mark Ashby talks to Di Gennaro about the new album, its story, and how their new vocalist came to the band, among other topics. Visit them online at www.soulsecret.net.

Featured songs/excerpts: "On the Ledge" "Our Horizon" "K" "The White Stairs" "Downfall"

To listen to the first episode featuring Soul Secret, go to http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-006-getting-closer-to-daylight-with-soul-secret

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 29 April 2015

With a name inspired by an early Marillion song, you might be surprised to know that Lisbon, Portugal's Forgotten Suns sound more like a combination of Pink Floyd and Symphony X. Members Ernesto Rodrigues (keyboards), João Samora (drums), Ricardo Falcão (guitars), Nuno Correia (bass), and Nio Nunes (vocals) play a brand of progressive metal that is refreshing in its stress on melody instead of overly-complex technique and its liberal use of spoken word samples to create often-epic-length works that include their newest album When Worlds Collide, released in March on Premiere Music. Host Mark Ashby talked with Falcão about the change in style for the band from their first two albums until now, why their songs tend to be longer, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of being located in out-of-the-way Portugal as a prog band. Find them online at www.premiere-music.net.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"When Worlds Collide"
"Doppelganger"
"Mind Over Matter"
"News"
"Rise & Fall"
"Fortress of Silence"
"The Road to Nowhere pt. 1"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 13 April 2015

It's not that difficult, we promise. This Swedish sextet currently comprising Jonas Engdegård and Tord Lindman on guitars, Johan Brand on bass, Anna Holmgren on flute and saxophone, Linus Kåse on keyboards and Erik Hammarström on drums is set to tour Europe in April with their style of progressive rock that hearkens back to the classic sound of early King Crimson and Genesis with modern production values (but still with mellotrons!). Host Mark Ashby chatted with Engdegård and Brand about the upcoming concerts, why they chose not to translate their song titles into English (or any other language), and which country they think has a great set of fans, and why. They're online at www.anglagardrecords.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Ur Vilande"
"Jordrök"
"Sorgmantel"
"Längtans Klocka"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 29 March 2015