Between Nothingness & Eternity

"This fifth album for the underground Norwegian Prog / Power Metal kings starts with a short Flamenco guitar and compass handclap pattern intro named “Esperanto”, luckily DIVIDED MULTITUDE will quickly manage to change everything soon with a real Metal riff and a double kick onslaught, they set the power to maximum heaviness mixed with sheer elegance, indeed since then the remaining 10 tracks on the album are pretty sharp with furious drums and almost Thrashy rhythmic guitars but moderated with ultra-catchy vocals in the real Scandinavian method. I like to think of them about as an heaviest version of CIRCUS MAXIMUS (“What I See”), applicant of a few hyper challenging Melodic motifs with a stunning Schizophrenic vocal rendition, indeed Mr. Sindre Antonsen alternates brilliantly between "testo-tenroic" multi layered singing like Jekyll & Hyde, in the great PRETTY MAIDS & Ronnie Atkins tradition with a two-faced styled that switch from velvet to sandpaper in the same sentence.Of course all the players are ultra-competent, Christer Harøy (PS: his other band with his brother Rayner called TEODOR TUFF is also warmly recommended by yours truly) is a solid guitar player but stay quite discrete leaving much room to another essential strong element in their sound: the fantastic yet subtle Eskild Kløften, who provides some fine effective performance in multipl(a)ying synthetic ambient waves & Progressive Rock keyboards.In this genre the songwriting should be uselessly complicated, well it’s not exactly the case with “Feed On Your Misery”, but don’t get me wrong please, there is plenty of weird or cerebral moments as some strange structures mixed with passionate and luxurious arrangements quite rich in complexity with an average over six minutes in length without never sounding hermetic or rigid.The smartest cuts like the title track “Feed On Your Misery”, the delicious “Crimson Sunset” or the dark “Vicious By Heart” are also pretty much influenced by early QUEENSRYCHE or CRIMSON GLORY with some modernized vocals taken from the inherent omnipresent obvious reference while speaking about Prog Metal singer, the soulful, the one, the only: Sir Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X / ADRENALINE MOB) himself (“Scars”).Finally, the best comparison could have been PAGAN’S MIND meets ANUBIS GATE meets CONCEPTION. I already said it, I will say it again: “Feed On Your Misery” by DIVIDED MULTITUDE, that’s Scandinavian Melodic Prog at its Best." - Metal Temple

"My first introduction to Brazil's Hibria came with last year's DVD/CD live package Blinded By Tokyo. It seems, besides their popularity in South America, they've been a hit in Japan from earlier on in their career. The live set was good showcase for their power metal skills. Now seeking more international recognition, Hibria releases Silent Revenge through AFM Records.I'll admit I was almost put off by Silent Revenge from the start, thanks to the first, and title, cut. Silent Revenge features Andre Meyer of death metal act Distraught offering competing death vocals. I get the addition, but it's still annoying. Later, with Walking to Death, Hibria vocalist Iuri Sanson nears hardcore screamo vocals. All this makes me wonder if, in attempt to be edgier or more commercial, Hibria wants to move more towards modern metal.Alternatively, listening to Silence Will Make You Suffer, Lonely Fight, or the powerful anthem Shall I Keep on Burning (unplugged version is even better), you find both Sanson and Hibria straying little from their traditional heavy power metal roots, with emphasis on heavy. However, sometimes they get a little over ambitious as with The Way It Is. It's decent power metal, just too long. One thing Hibria has always been known for is powerful guitar leads, and there's a truck load of ripping leads all over this album. This simple, but necessary element, puts Silent Revenge beyond a better than average album. Their traditional South American and Japanese fans should enjoy this album, and the band will probably collect more fans in Europe as well. Recommended." - Danger Dog

Well I guess the Odin tape vault has been opened after all these years. In addition to Long Hair Music's SWF release we get this live recording from Maxim club in Schweinfurt, Germany in September 1971. Its a mix of original and voer tunes. Detailed liner notes from Jeff Beer round out the package.

"SBB, a legendary progressive rock/jazz band from Poland, return with a brand new studio album simply entitled “SBB”. The band, comprised of the phenomenal composer and multi-instrumentalist Józef Skrzek and the excellent guitarist Apostolis Anthimos, present a new sound - fresh, mature yet spontaneous and full of youthful energy. The new album includes 16 new tracks which bring freshness and lots of new ideas. The album title is a reference to the band’s history – their past and current story. Each song relates to the important events and situations related to the history of the band, but also to the people who played an important role in SBB’s life. The new music is colorful, subtle and at the same time dynamic, sonically different in terms of the used instruments. The album was recorded in studio Wojkowice (Upper Silesia). The cover artwork was created by the well-known Polish architect Tomasz Konior."

"The title of Even in the Quietest Moments... isn't much of an exaggeration -- this 1977 album finds Supertramp indulging in some of their quietest moments, spending almost the album in a subdued mood. Actually, the cover photo picture of a snow-covered piano sitting on a mountain gives a good indication of what the album sounds like: it's elegant yet mildly absurd, witty but kind of obscure. It also feels more pop than it actually is, despite the opening single, "Give a Little Bit," their poppiest song to date, as well as their biggest hit. If the rest of the album doesn't boast another song as tight or concise as this -- "Downstream" comes close but it doesn't have the same hook, while "Babaji," a pseudo-spiritual moment that falls from the pop mark; the other four tracks clock in well over six minutes, with the closer, "Fool's Overture," reaching nearly 11 minutes -- it nevertheless places a greater emphasis on melody and gentle textures than any previous Supertramp release. So, it's a transitional album, bridging the gap between Crime of the Century and the forthcoming Breakfast in America, and even if it's not as full formed as either, it nevertheless has plenty of fine moments aside from "Give a Little Bit," including the music hall shuffle of "Loverboy," the Euro-artiness of "From Now On," and the "Fool on a Hill" allusions on "Fool's Overture."" - All Music Guide

New 2CD "Definitive Edition".  The second disc features the live "A Live Time In Eden" release.Third studio album picks up from where Arcana leaves off. Gorgeous soaring progressive symphonic metal with a bombastic touch. Vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher continues to develop as one of the great voices in metal. Composer/guitarist Lanvall is great at coming up with anthem-like melodies. Sabine finally meets her male counterpart match in D.C. Cooper who guests on the 9 minute epic "Red Ball In Blue Sky".