PROGPOWER USA XXIII

[Glasser]

Yes,it's very processed. These guys will be big!

They should be big, I agree 100%. To me they are a cross between Teramaze and A.C.T.. The Queen influences are strong. Can't wait for the new album, hopefully this year. The new single is outstanding.

[hefdaddy42]

It's about time to start my listening to bands who will be playing with whom I am unfamiliar.  Should be fun.

[hefdaddy42]

So they still have a TBA listed for Wednesday.

[jingle.boy]

It's about time to start my listening to bands who will be playing with whom I am unfamiliar.  Should be fun.

I've been chugging thru a few that I'm not already pretty familiar with

Dark Tranquility - pass
Monuments - same
Nospun - damn that was sweet!
Victorius - good thing I'm not lactose intolerant
Northtale - decent and enjoyable enough
Striker - really like them - I'd heard their covers in the past, their original stuff is pretty good too.
Elegy - ditto.  The earlier stuff I wasn't familiar with, and it's right up my alley

[King Postwhore]

Yeah, Chad. I can't stop spinning that Nospun album.  It's fantastic.

[cramx3]

Striker seems like a cool AOR band.  I checked out a song or two and enjoyed them but havent gone back.

Victorius are proabably a power metal band that is more fun in person, but from sampling, it's too cheesy for me.

Dark Tranquility just released a new single yesterday that was awesome.  I need to listen to them more, but everything I've heard so far from the past I have enjoyed.  But it's melodeath, I'm sure a lot here aren't too into it.

Nospun - I need to listen to the album more.  I listened to a couple songs and they didn't click, but it's prog and I need to give it more time and more serious listens.

Northtale - I'm not interested.  I have one of their albums and never really enjoyed it.

Monuments - Need to listen more, enjoyed what I have heard.

Elegy - haven't sampled at all.

Darkwater - pretty good, have one of their albums that I really enjoy

twilight force - Im not crazy about them, but they are fun cheese power metal.  Actually was supposed to see them last night but I wasn't feeling too hot yesterday so I didn't go.

love bites - actually a band I need to put higher on my listening list.  I've enjoyed a bunch of the songs I've sampled, but haven't listened to an album,

Soen - saw them at Progpower before, thought they sounded a lot like Tool.  Thought they were solid, but I never want back to dig into them and still havent.  I should change that.

Disillusion - havent checked them out at all

Damian Wilson - I'm honestly just not that interested in his set. 

Fifth angel - havent checked them out at all

[jingle.boy]

I would suggest investing an hour to sit down with the entire Nospun album. 

[Glasser]

I would suggest investing an hour to sit down with the entire Nospun album.

I second this motion.

[Dr. DTVT]

I would suggest investing an hour to sit down with the entire Nospun album.

I remember NoSpun not being good enough to get someone into your roulette.

That said, it really is an album experience and no individual song does it justice

[jingle.boy]

I would suggest investing an hour to sit down with the entire Nospun album.

I remember NoSpun not being good enough to get someone into your roulette.

That said, it really is an album experience and no individual song does it justice

True... poor choice of song. Plus, the album as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

[hefdaddy42]

OK, I have started my listen-through of bands with which I am not familiar.  I figured I would go by day they are playing, so I have started with four bands playing day 1.

Angra
Circus Maximus
Victorius
Darkwater

My first thought was to listen to 4 (or so) albums for each group to really get a feel for them, starting with each band's first release.  May not continue that with Victorius, because that was a heavy dose of cheese in their first album lol.

I remember that first album from Circus Maximus from first listening to it years ago.  It's kind of an Images & Words lift.  Which turned me off at the time, so I never listened to them again.  I understand they didn't remain a DT knockoff with subsequent releases, so I'm looking forward to those.

That first Angra album was not for me, but I have also understood they get better as well.  Wow, that initial vocalist was really going for it.

Based on just these four initial release albums, my favorite was easily Darkwater.   We'll see how the subsequent releases go.

[jingle.boy]

Fascinating.  Darkwater's first two albums are somewhat inconsistent in my ears - I don't actually care much for Where Stories End.  Human (2019 release - wow!  It's been that long!?!?!) is amaze.

Circus Maximus - all four albums are great (other than a 3-song run I can't stand in Havoc).

Angra ... they're an acquired taste for sure.  My recommendations:
Matos era - Fireworks
Edu era - Rebirth is my preference
Fabio era - Secret Garden (Omni is great too; nothing wrong with Cycles of Pain, just got too samey)

If you're a Spotify user, you can always hit the "This is XX" curated playlist to get a broader sample without having to hit the entire discography.

[hefdaddy42]

Fascinating.  Darkwater's first two albums are somewhat inconsistent in my ears - I don't actually care much for Where Stories End.  Human (2019 release - wow!  It's been that long!?!?!) is amaze.

Circus Maximus - all four albums are great (other than a 3-song run I can't stand in Havoc).

Cool.  Obviously great musicians and capable of writing interesting prog metal music.

Angra ... they're an acquired taste for sure.  My recommendations:
Matos era - Fireworks
Edu era - Rebirth is my preference
Fabio era - Secret Garden (Omni is great too; nothing wrong with Cycles of Pain, just got too samey)

Just listened to Rebirth.  It was a TON better than their debut.

If you're a Spotify user, you can always hit the "This is XX" curated playlist to get a broader sample without having to hit the entire discography.

I am, but if they only have 4-ish albums, I am just listening to them. 

Angra looks like they've released 10 or more albums, so I'm not doing that.

[cramx3]

No surprise Victorius is not your cup of tea, not sure it's anyone from DTF who's going interest.  It's even a bit too cheesy for me.  Although, I am interested in seeing them since that type of power metal is usually fun live.  i haven't even listened to an album of theirs yet because the singles alone have been enough.

Darkwater's Human is great, but I haven't listened to anything else of them.

Angra is pretty good, but I only have the two latest Fabio albums.  I enjoy both and I suspect they'll play a ton off the newest based on their recent set lists.

Circus Maximus, I never listened to the 1st Chapter.  I'm probably not going to dig into them too much, I like their last 3 albums and will probably listen to those in the coming months to freshen up.  I was definitely hoping for some sort of news of new music since though.

Both Angra and CM played PP before (I think Darkwater has too, but before I started attending) and both were really good sets so I expect those two to be the highlights for day 1 for me.

Of course there's still one more band for Day 1 so I'm hoping for something extra to look forward too but even if it's something I hate, the rest of the day makes up for it already.  I'm good with whatever band they get basically.

[jingle.boy]

I'm hoping with everything I have that it's Night Flight Orchestra

[lonestar]

Since I'm not hitting night one, I'll wait to chime in on night two...

[cramx3]

I'm hoping with everything I have that it's Night Flight Orchestra

Same.  Definitely feels like a stretch, but I think there's a chance and that would probably change my perspectives immensely on day 1, positively of course.

[hefdaddy42]

No surprise Victorius is not your cup of tea, not sure it's anyone from DTF who's going interest.  It's even a bit too cheesy for me.  Although, I am interested in seeing them since that type of power metal is usually fun live.  i haven't even listened to an album of theirs yet because the singles alone have been enough.

I am listening to their second album now, and even at the beginning here, this is really some kind of cheesy.  Not worried about it live, because it will almost be BETTER if none of us like it lol

Of course there's still one more band for Day 1 so I'm hoping for something extra to look forward too but even if it's something I hate, the rest of the day makes up for it already.  I'm good with whatever band they get basically.

Yeah, not sure why they are taking so long to announce it.  Is that common?  Seems weird.

[jingle.boy]

Very much not common.  I don't think I've ever seen something "TBD".  Cancellations and re-bookings happen every year, but never seen something TBA with the comment that they know who it is, just can't announce it.

[TAC]

I was wondering why Hef posted Victorius in the album thread.

Seemed very unHef-like.

[hefdaddy42]

I was wondering why Hef posted Victorius in the album thread.

Seemed very unHef-like.

lol

Yeah, I've heard all the Victorius I need to hear.

[cramx3]

Looks like we got a ProgPower tag along tour:

[lonestar]

Shame it's Leprous.... I may go anyways just to see Monuments.

[Dr. DTVT]

My hot take - Leprous is one of the most overrated bands.  I wish last tour they would have opened for The Ocean, not the other way around.

[lonestar]

They do absolutely nothing for me....

[jingle.boy]

They do absolutely nothing for me....

The three of us can grab some pizza during their set.

[Dr. DTVT]

I realize at some point I will have to eat, but the thought of spending money to see a band and not being there breaks my cheapskate brain.

[King Postwhore]

I like Leprous.  I hope Hef wants to see them.

[jingle.boy]

I realize at some point I will have to eat, but the thought of spending money to see a band and not being there breaks my cheapskate brain.

Cuz the other 21 bands isn’t enough?

[hefdaddy42]

I like Leprous.  I hope Hef wants to see them.

Anything for you

[King Postwhore]

Love you too, baby.

[cramx3]

I realize at some point I will have to eat, but the thought of spending money to see a band and not being there breaks my cheapskate brain.

There should be some food at the venue and there's also a solid break between bands.  I'm kind of the same way where I feel a bit obligated by the ticket purchase to check the bands out, even the ones I don't like or know.  But sets are long so you could watch a song or two and then go leave the venue if you wanted. 

[jingle.boy]

There should be some food at the venue and there's also a solid break between bands.  I'm kind of the same way where I feel a bit obligated by the ticket purchase to check the bands out, even the ones I don't like or know.  But sets are long so you could watch a song or two and then go leave the venue if you wanted.

Don't know about post-COVID, but the two other times I was there, they had someone bring in some bulk / catered trays of food for sale.  I remember some BBQ and Mexican.  It'll do in a pinch if there's ever a day where all the dinnertime bands are of interest - which Day 1 might be for me dependent on who the TBA act is.

[Ben_Jamin]

There should be some food at the venue and there's also a solid break between bands.  I'm kind of the same way where I feel a bit obligated by the ticket purchase to check the bands out, even the ones I don't like or know.  But sets are long so you could watch a song or two and then go leave the venue if you wanted.

I planned my eating time to be around the band I wanted to see the least. I stayed to see some songs, then left.

[cramx3]

Last year they had korean fried chicken in the venue that was really really good.  I have no idea what to expect this year as it's been different vendors the last year post covid.  But I do expect some food on site.  Also, I've never done it, but like you can also uber eats food to the venue.  I personally just hate walking around too much outside when it's super hot so historically, I don't roam too far from the venue.