So what are you listening to?

[David L]

Thin Lizzy - Black Rose
Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes
Kansas - Song for America
Rush - Grace Under Pressure

[pxr5]

Beardfish - The Void
Marillion - Brave

[Slim]

Hatfield And The North - The Rotter's Club
Erykha Badu - Baduizm
John McLaughlin - Belo Horizonte

[Nickslikk2112]

Riverside - ID.Entity (White winyl - revision for next week)
Jethro Tull - Stormwatch

[Thenop]

New Metallica:

Bookmarked between 2 fantastic songs (72 Seasons and Inamorata) is a collection of songs Lars Ulrich decribes as 'the most friction free recording' he ever did with the band. And it sounds like that. Never do I get the feeling there was a statement by any of the members on a song, nor do I hear any real gems, apart from the 2 already mentioned tracks. Midway through the record the first single Lux Aeterna is a nice break from what is otherwise just, well, Metallica.  This band of course has never been the same after ...And Justice (yes I know some will say Kill 'em All was never bettered). The self titled "Black" album that propelled them into stardom also made them somewhat lazy but Death Magnetic and Hardwired cannot be called bad albums by any means. Mediocre, perhaps, but somehow the band always manages to create a set of earwurms that need not listened to more than 2 or 3 times before they never leave me.
Aside from the three tracks mentioned I don't see a point in lifting out singular tracks - they sound similar in intent. Some will be more popular than others, some might even be heard on a stage at some point.
One thing though is for sure: this LP is overlong. Clocking in a 77 minutes is an audacious thing to do, even when your name is Metallica but modesty has never been their strong suit. Nor has the "Kill Your Darlings" principle. They best learn that. Or not. They don't care. And why should they? After all, this will sell a million or more even in this day and age.
The tour is already lined up, it is where they excel anyway.

[pxr5]

Haken - Aquarius   CD
Haken - Visions   CD
Beardfish - The Sane Day
Beardfish - Mammoth

[Thenop]

Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra - Postcards from the Asylum.

I was completely unaware Bieler was still making music to this extent. He was the man behind Saigon Kick, they produced one of my favourite 90's albums: The Lizard. An album released in the midst of the melodic turning grunge era with one major hit: 'Love is on the Way', an acoustic ballad that was just very good. What drew me most to that album was its' eclectisism (is that a word?). It had so many styles and all of it was fantastic. Like a ADD trip in a good way.
Fast forward 30 years and Bieler is still at it! In fact, he never stopped and his latest 2 installments under this new name are brilliant. Devin Townsend guested on his last effort prompting some reviewers to make a comparison between the two. Now, I have never really listened to Townsend, just a little maybe when he first started with Steve Vai, but somehow he never stuck with me.
Bieler did, and I am happy for that.
So what's the music like? Well, metal-ish proggy, but with very layered vocals and all sorts of quirks, unexpected turns and twists but above all, it is all so very melodic that I can't resist it.
I'd almost say King's X fans would probably enjoy it, it is that kind of prog-ish. It might not be for all but I still highly recommend it.
And while you're at it: he has a list as long as my arm of releases on his Bandcamp page just waiting to be checked out.

https://jasonbieler.bandcamp.com/album/postcards-from-the-asylum

Lovely man too on his 'discovery' of the prog community:

[pxr5]

RanestRane - Apocalypse Now  Superb, modern Italian prog
Genesis - Foxtrot
Yes - Close to the Edge (Steven Wilson Remix)

Vinyl:
Pendragon - Fallen Dreams and Angels and All the Loose Ends  maroon vinyl
The Tangent - Pyramids, Stars & Other Stories The Tangent Live Recordings 2004-2017

[Red Lenses]

Yes - Big Generator
Rush - Different Stages (Discs 1 & 2)

[pxr5]

Karfagen - Echoes From Within Dragon Island
Jethro Tull - A Passion Play

[David L]

Pat Travers - Putting it Straight
UFO - No Heavy Petting

[David L]

Eagles - Hotel California
Hall & Oates - Abandoned Luncheonette
Hall & Oates Rock 'N Soul Part 1
BÖC - Imaginos
Supertramp - Crime of the Century

[pxr5]

The Emerald Dawn - Nocturne
LITE - Phantasia

[pxr5]

Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray
Queensrÿche - Operation Mindcrime
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind

[pxr5]

Beardfish - Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se
Beardfish - The Sane Day
vinyl:
Pendragon - Believe
Frost* - Day and Age
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (Steven Wilson Remix)