X-Panda

[erik16]

I figured that me being (most probably!) the only Estonian on board it might as well be me, who creates a thread for these super talented and tasteful players. Why not earlier? I discovered them only a few months ago (along with Haken I might add, one more fine addition to my collection!) and just yesterday saw them for the 1st time. What great live sound, apart from my DT concert, the best thing I've ever witnessed! A feeling of relief and pride at witnessing something so good emerging from a country I never thought would have something like that to offer.

The band have released one album: Flight of Fancy, in 2011. The whole album can be listened on grooveshark: https://grooveshark.com/#!/artist/X+Panda/2173002 but if you like it then be sure to do my fellow countrymen a favour and lend them your financial support 

They also have their band website at https://x-panda.net and they operate on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace as well.

Personally I feel that their influences are mainly Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, Porcupine Tree and Derek Sherinian solo albums, with a flavour of Nightwish in some songs.

[MoraWintersoul]

I got the members of the band to promise to make a beer for the cover art maker once: https://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=9844 (comment section)

Great band. Are they working on anything new now, do you know?

[erik16]

According to a Facebook post on April 24th, they are/were recording a single that we'd be hearing "soon". This probably means that they've finished with the writing for the follow-up. They're gonna perform in the Netherlands on September 28th and I hope they're gonna be invited to some other festivals in Europe.

Unfortunately I couldn't discuss that with them after the concert, I had to go home along with my dad. I managed to briefly chat with the keyboardist (Kaarel Tamra). When I mentioned that I'm also a fan of Haken and told him it would be awesome to see them perform together, he agreed with that and added that they (X-Panda) have been trying to arrange that, IIRC. Knowing that Haken members post in their thread and xpanders are also active on the music forums, it would not be impossible for us to help along 

[MoraWintersoul]

If both bands are aware, then it's only a matter of time before that happens

[erik16]

Resurrecting this topic due to some news! The Estonian guys are being slow as the ethnic steretype demands (  ). But just witnessed some news from their Facebook site.

1) They're working on their 2nd album and a music video. They're trying to fund the video through a Kickstarter-alike funding site. Here's the link: https://www.hooandja.ee/en/projekt/x-panda-muusikavideo

2) They released their 1st album presentation concert on Youtube. It was filmed as a DVD. I tell you the sound is amazing, I can hear every instrument. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OgPaO5fLUU

To those who haven't listened to X-Panda before: it's a kind of progressive metal with symphonic and fusion influence. Most of it is instrumental. Bands they've been influenced by: Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, Nightwish and probably some more.