Rickter Scale Show 147 - Recent purchases

[Rick and Roll]

airing Sunday, September 16 from 8-11 PM EST and
Monday, September 17 from 1-4 PM EST

My never-ending attempt to return to themes is continually thrawted by great music that keeps popping up. Here's some recent additions to my library....

Fall of Echoes - Red Tree (2006)

Groaning
Mr. Orion
Darkness Inside
9th Floor
Little Girl Lost
Red Tree
Land of No Choices
You Freak Me Out
Behind My Closed Eyes
She Fits Well
When I'm Alive

Rob Perez (Visual Cliff) and Shane Lankford (Orphan Project) team up with Rick Malz (drums and lead guitar) and fellow Orphanite Bill Yost on bass. Tony Corelli adds some keyboards and mixing (also of Orphan Project). Rob writes some great songs, and adding Shane on vocals to his usual instrumental fare adds greatly.

Groaning is a bit heavier than the rest of the record, with an undeniable King's X rhythm. Mr. Orion and 9th Floor are absolutely wonderful compositions, certainly the highlight of Red Tree. You Freak Me Out is a wild composition, and When I'm Alive is a flat-out rocker. Some real diversity if you stick with it.

Trettioariga Kriget - Krigssang (1975)

Krigssang
Metamorfoser
Jag Och Jag Och "Jag"
Mitt Mirankel
Murar
Krigssang II
En Kvall Hos X
Dagspress - 76
Moln

It's Sweden again. What a great musical land. TK is a band that passed me by when I was younger, but I'm making amends. This is the second time this summer I've featured one of their CD's, and I'll be sure to feature the latest one (put out this year) soon. A great effort.

Altura - cuts from "Mercy" (1996)

The Calling
The Continuum
Alternate Lines
Alone

I picked this up for 3 bucks at Progday. It's on the Magna Carta label...reminds me a bit of Dream Theater meets Enchant. Some of the music is unnecessarily complicated...it's difficult to mix extreme technicality with cohesive songwriting. But some of the moments are killer.

songs from "CPR Volume 2" (2004)

Dave Bainbridge - Over The Waters
David Wallimann - Waiting For The Sun To Rise
Soulful Terrain - Secrets In The Valley
Eric Parker - Under The Sun
Scott Rice - Quantum Fizzix

There's some great music on this disc. CPR is short for Christian Progressive Rock. Along with The Fall of Echoes, I decided to pair them together for the show. Dave Bainbridge is an outstanding musician, and the piece here soars, ala Oldfield. The David Wallimann song is very interesting, a lot to keep you occupied. The Fizzix tune is a fusion instrumental. There's also Neal Morse, Orphan Project, and Simon Apple songs (no originals) along with a few others.

Cross - "The Battle of Thalyma", from "Playgrounds" (2004)

A song to fill out and close the show.

Rock on!