I get to the studio and immediately import my new CIRCA CD into itunes in preparation for a good listen of some the best progressive rock music in the world. While my clunky, bothersome itunes starts to import, I check out Facebook page. On the timeline is a picture of my friend Andrew Bennett holding a CD in his hand. Andrew writes,
”Silent Lapse‘s CD has arrived! A superb melodic/dark prog metal band from Westphalia, Michigan, who are as gracious as they are talented (the note included is classy). The album took four years to craft and it has been worth it. The download is free, but it’s worth buying as among the tops of 2009! “
Free? There is a “superb melodic/dark prog metal band” from Westphalia, Michigan giving away an entire album of progressive metal? Music that took them four years to create? Are you friggin’ kidding me? I WANT ME SOME OF THAT.
Then…and this is perfect…my better half (I have one of those too) walks in and tells me that her IT department screwed up and her access token expired. She now has to go into the office and review 5,000 lines of code that is due by midnight. That sucks! REVIEW ON!
You can download it for free, but the band would appreciate it if you made a paypal donation. The hard copy is gonna cost you. But is it worth it? My opinion is no better than yours. But I’ve this prog blog inferno and lots of you are showing up (thank you!) so I will answer… YES! It’s worth it. HERE DOWNLOAD HERE RIGHT HERE
While I’ve been writing this, a bunch of Silent Lapse songs have played through and we are at the track The Wake. These guys just took a beautiful Celtic arrangement and progressed it (without flaw) into a nasty metal riff. Yet the melodic theme never changed- a stunning achievement.
Their influences are Pink Floyd, Metallica, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, and Dream Theater. And yes, those influences are there…they are Metallican PTing Floydian Opethers of DT. And this next song, Solitude, is building to a fantastic climax…oh yeah…now they’ve stripped it bare to the guitar at the end…nice touch.
With bands like Silent Lapse and Dropshard creating such fantastic music for our ears, how stupid are we Americans? We buy into the Corporate Radio Oligopoly- where a handful of major media companies decide on every song that gets played. They dominate the airwaves and internet with their product- no longer than 3:30 please. We need a music revolution in the United States. Music this good deserves more than free downloads and a donation. Silent Lapse is a thousand times better than the crap we are fed every day over the airwaves.
Seed of Hope has little hope of getting played on U.S. commercial radio. So screw corporate radio. Download this excellent CD and make a donation to the band. Because Seed of Hope is an amazing song. Silent Lapse, you have created something so special here.
Ah haaa..that soft vocal in Birthright was excellent…and then you bring in a REALLY COOL beat….ok…I’m going to isolate that vocal transition if the band doesn’t mind..and allow the readers to listen to this sweetness as it melts into funky wickedness.
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That vocal was somewhere East of Floyd, and North of Porcupine Tree. (the slight vocal warbling was my audacity burping, apologies to the band)
Here is the truth. We bash all these social services (me too) the moment they make a change that forces us to think and adapt. Yet isn’t that what we do best as a species? We adapt. The greatest chance for freedom we will ever see in our lifetime is on the screen in front of us. It is playing in our earbuds. In Beyond the Garden, the lyrics tell that tale of power and control
Far beyond the gardens They're taking the life of the young Playing powers that should never, could never be The others questioning nothing and leaving the sameYou are the same You're all the same
We don’t all have to be the same. We don’t have to sell out or be controlled. In Europe, metal lives, and progressive rock thrives. Fans pack clubs and arenas to hear rich, expressive, expansive music like this incredible album from Silent Lapse. We can have hope. We can create blogs and websites and share the story of Silent Lapse with each other. You’re the seed of hope.
Never believe the saddest of lies You'll never achieve your birthright Become what you were planted here for You're the seed of hope-from Seed of Hope by Silent Lapse
Silent Lapse is:
Mitchell Feldpausch, Instrument: Guitar
Taylor Feldpausch, Instrument: Drums
Scott Martin Instrument: Vocals, Keys
Matt Schrauben, Instrument: Bass
Wyatt Aldrich, Instrument: Guitar
Superb contribution, nice page design and style, stick to the good work