Progzilla Radio

The Show That Never Ends!

Los Angeles (-8) New York (-5) Progzilla Time! Brussels (+1) Sydney (+11)
  • Home
  • Presenters
    • Alan “The Krazz” Kraslow
    • Andrew Wild
    • Anthony Rowsick
    • Brian ‘Ocelot’ Watson
    • Cliff ‘Progzilla’ Pearson
    • David Elliott
    • Ed Wilkins
    • Emma ‘Chrysoprasia’ Roebuck
    • Graham Harfleet
    • Ian Fairholm
    • Jim Lawson
    • Joel Horwitz
    • Mike Pollack
    • Mike Whitfield
    • Peter Jones
    • Shaun Geraghty
    • Sid Smith
    • Simon & Stacy Godfrey, Mike Lord and Tom Roche
    • Stacy ‘The Sock’ Doller
    • Steve Blease
    • Steve ‘Progmeister’ Petch
    • Ziggy the AutoDJ
    • Former Presenters
      • Andy Tillison
      • Dave Watkins
      • Francis Dunnery
      • Geoff Banks
      • Ian Oakley
      • Jon ‘Twang’ Patrick
      • Peter Munro
      • Tom Slatter
  • Shows
    • 101 Dimensions
    • A Certain… Prog Prog
    • Epileptic Gibbon
    • Friday Rock Show
    • Heavy Elements
    • Krazzloft Vinyl Show
    • Live From Progzilla Towers
    • New Music Mornings
    • Northern Star
    • Not The American Prog Show
    • Podcasts From The Yellow Room
    • Progressive Tracks
    • Prog-Watch
    • Progzilla Sundays
      • American Prog
      • Halcyon Daze
      • The Progzilla Files
    • Sounds That Can Be Made
    • Tabletop Genesis
    • Tales From The Tiger Moth
    • The Ancient One
    • The European Perspective
    • The PM Show
    • The Prog Mill
    • The Prog Squad
    • The Progressive Rock Show
    • Former Shows
      • Dance On A Volcano
      • Focus On…
      • House Of Progression
      • In The DogHouse
      • Prog Britannia
      • Stuff
      • The Big House
      • The Francis Dunnery Radio Show
      • The Progzilla Files presents The A-Z of…
      • To Infinity And Beyond
      • Tom Slatter’s Sunday Bootleg
  • Schedule
  • Listen Live
  • Chat Room
  • Podcasts
  • Poll
  • About
    • Contact
    • Submit Your Music

Phideaux – Infernal

Posted by on August 9, 2018
Posted in: The Progressive Aspect. Tagged: The Progressive Aspect News.
This news story was originally published here: http://theprogressiveaspect.net/blog/2018/08/09/phideaux-infernal/

Phideaux Xavier has been a creative leader in the progressive rock genre since the early part of this century. He deserves credit for producing some of the most innovative music of his generation and Infernal should be the album that solidifies his star in the constellation of progressive rock geniuses who have made this genre so much fun to listen to and explore.

Long anticipated, Infernal (subtitled The End We Saw Begin) completes a trilogy of albums started with The Great Leap (2006) and Doomsday Afternoon (2007), both of which were heralded by critics for their deeply creative images, lyrics, and music.

Infernal is a double album laid out in four parts – like a double vinyl record – with gatefold art designed and created by Molly Rutten, who lists her inspirations as Salvador Dali and Hieronymus Bosch. The artwork reminds me so much of King Crimson’s earlier works, In The Court Of The Crimson King, Lizard and In The Wake Of Poseidon, not copies by any means, just inspired by. The gatefold is a piece of art for sure.

Opening track Cast Out and Cold is like an excerpt from King Crimson’s eternal In The Court Of The Crimson King: you can almost feel the doom, the “rusted chains of prison moons” remembered in the sound of the piano beating out time, with the surrounding soundscape reverberating like a vacant marble hall. The aura is dark and mystical, like worlds of old, a mysterious dystopia permeating the stage, as Valerie Gracious sings, “In spite of all we saved, the mortal cast away…”, with drums pounding out the grinding wheel’s cadence from The Crimson King’s Court. It simply is one of the best album openings I have heard in a long while. Later, Xavier sings, “The spider sitting pretty in his web”, sounding like Ian Anderson in his ‘70s vocal prime.

“The bringer of tomorrow has been fed
The crowd is into gloom,
They worship dread.
Castaways, like flies above the dead.
Tell me cloud about the sun,
Got to stop the darkness that’s begun.
Nothing seems to make the beams come through,
Every invocation is refused.”

Welcome back to the aura of In The Court Of The Crimson King, however I’ll stop the comparison there because this is an original composition, I only compare to one of the greatest works of the progressive rock era to emphasise the power and majesty of Infernal: “What more is there to lose? To the fuse we lit and let loose…”

Bringing back memories of the past two chapters of the trilogy, The Error Lives On sees Xavier and Gracious singing, “Must the whole of civilization just collapse in to chaos and greed? Just a quick enhanced interrogation – we must find out all they know… While we’re having this chat, the question escapes: can all this be wrong? I swear the error lives on…”. One of the best moments from the early section of the album. Xavier quotes Mao’s famous speech with “Let a hundred blossoms bloom”, the expressed purpose of which was to promote thought, but which was later used as a weapon to turn all society members into the eyes of the Communist Party, watching for any freedom or independent expression that contrasted The Red Book. There is significant intrigue in Xavier’s storyline, which can be interpreted in many ways, and you may find similarities to current events throughout the lyrics. The pace of the music picks up to indicate the motion of the story, the way that Gracious and Xavier share stanzas throughout the production is perfect. No one perspective or voice is dominant as they share the stage, and the music playing around them is riveting.

A reminder of the decline of global ecology caused by a warming planet is the subject in Crumble. Valerie Gracious sings a cappella, helping to paint a dark, foreboding picture which is supplemented well in the album artwork;

“Who will speak for everything,
The world at war, the stolen spring.
Like a memory of the promise of ‘The Great War’ to end all wars – the Meuse-Argonne.
The winds that rage across the plain in silence and in pain…
Who will weep for what we’ve lost,
Glaciers melted, permafrost.
For sands that trespass far from home to choke all that we’ve known.”

The music takes a decidedly Pink Floyd, Animals, direction on Inquisitor, which is just perfect. All that’s missing are the howls of synthesized dogs. The piano and keyboards, along with the bass and lead guitar, reminds of the organ opening to No Quarter, Xavier singing, “Further on the tiger waits, he knows his meal is close to taste. The factions fighting blindly keep him smiling. And just when he may want to pounce the voice of reason starts to sound”. A little too close to home, isn’t it? I think Phideaux has captured time in a bottle, so many similarities to current events with POTUS 45. “But the debtor court is gleaming brightly. Meanwhile as the tiger smiles, we gather in a single file… and sleepwalk, sleepwalk nightly… All they want to know is what we’ve done. Abandon any hope, it has begun. No, they can’t believe we struggled on in the silence, ‘cos we were convinced that the answer was coming”. A warning to the present to take what is happening seriously, before it’s too late.

If Inquisitor brought images of Animals, We Only Have Eyes for You conjures thoughts of Run Like Hell: “You better run, you better hide, leave it all behind you, leave it all and go”, but with a much more spirited rhythm and melody. “Take it to the mountains. You gotta know there’s no compromise. Pray that they don’t find you. No time for goodbyes”.

Gabriel Moffat’s spectacular and original guitar solo in Sourdome is one of the best instrumentals here. Following this is Walk on Water, another great track, cosmic and surreal, with Ariel Farber and Valerie Gracious sharing vocals: “He walks on water ‘til the end of days. He walks on water and then he walks away. And if you’re standing close at hand. We’ll smile together as it all ends”. Simply mesmerising. Wake the Sleeper is magical; the solo electric guitar suggests Ennio Morricone’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly soundtrack and the guitar of Pino Rucher, Xavier singing with powerful emotion and feeling; “Some days it takes me down. With useless conversations of things that we can’t see”. C99 on the other hand is mostly instrumental and features another deep electric guitar solo from Moffat.

Closing out disc one is Tumbleweed – and it is deeper than Crater Lake. I will not give it all away, but by this point in the album you should already be convinced, like me, that not only is this a profound album, but maybe the best of a decade… maybe longer. If not, Xavier’s singing of the emotional heart of the story on this track will convince you. It is unforgettable. The piano, keyboards and lead guitar create a dynamic and profound soundscape.

The second disc opens with The Order of Protection (One), full of deep piano key strokes, violins and orchestration, with Farber, Xavier and Gracious singing in unison. The synths and keyboards that follow are unique and spellbinding, echoing the electric guitar, a perfect addition. Metro Deathfire has some wonderful guitar and sitar sounds of its own, the orchestration, bass and perfect drum timing throughout the album reaching its pinnacle here, concluding with soothing strings.

In Dissonance We Play repeats the theme of the album with Xavier singing like he’s on top of a mountain; “We came down from the stars and into light, we came unto this world from out of night”. Farber, Xavier and Gracious singing together is magic every time it happens, and this is no exception. Continuing, The Sleepers Wake opens with Foxtrot-like acoustic guitar: you just don’t want it to end. Keyboards play between the guitar strings perfectly, Gracious singing with harpsichord-like support, “The battlefield is set with pieces of an endgame in dissonance of mind we all play, we all play…” Orchestration galore, there is so much going on musically that you will need to go back several times to try to separate each instrument out and squeeze the last morsel of enjoyment from it.

The Order of Protection (Two) is a return to the earlier instrumental, this time with Farber and Gracious decorating it with their voices. The building orchestration later in the piece may bring Supper’s Ready to mind, Xavier reminding us, “I believe we are witness to reprieve, once forsaken, now in league, and I’m here to guarantee there’s nothing else you need but me!”. Where have I heard that before? There are Biblical dimensions to this message, as well as the early days Trump’s presidency.

Opening the final part of the double album set is From Hydrogen to Love, at over 14 minutes the longest and maybe the most important piece here. With all the destructive power of Supper’s Ready or IQ’s Harvest of Souls, it’s full of buildups, towering orchestration, references and majesty that a song of this calibre invites. The penultimate track, Eternal is a wonderful synopsis of all we must learn from the story, sung with beautiful calm by Gracious first, then Xavier whispers with her, before Farber joins in to form a trio: just beautiful, despite the hard reality of which they sing: “Rain, carrying the ocean – rage carrying the day. Rain, showering emotion – rage. Bring down the rain”. Yes, of course, let Love Reign O’er Me. And finally Endgame – An End closes the album with Johnny Unicorn on ‘high destroyer’. Xavier and Gracious speak and sing the final verses, the backing guitar reminding again of the films of Sergio Leone… just where I was hoping it would end, harnessing the power and majesty of both the Crimson and Leone’s classics. Epic throughout.

Phideaux Xavier has captured the emotions and majestic music of past masters, and he now stands on the shoulders of those who created such celebrated works as The Court of the Crimson King, Harvest of Souls, and of course the monumental Supper’s Ready. He has climbed to the peak of Mount Doom and, like Frodo, holds the magic ring of prog posterity.

The question remains… will others see it? Much thought and preparation were included in the planning for this conclusion of the trilogy. Drones, government interference, deception, and all the preparation a dictator would relish. There are many ways this story can be interpreted: Good vs evil, human vs alien invasion, government corruption, etc. Infernal includes all the classic scenarios, false prophets, inquisitors, evil henchmen and deceivers, along with modern warfare techniques and mind control. A gripping story filled with turns and some of the best and most original music I’ve heard in a long while.

TRACK LISTING
Disc 1
‘Side One’

01. Cast Out And Cold (5:32)
02. The Error Lives On (7:15)
03. Crumble (0:56)
04. Inquisitor (8:21)
‘Side 2’
05. We Only Have Eyes For You (4:00)
06. Sourdome (1:31)
07. The Walker (4:39)
08. Wake The Sleeper (1:30)
09. C99 (3:25)
10. Tumbleweed (4:58)

Time – 42:07

Disc 2
‘Side Three’

10. The Order Of Protection (One) (4:35)
11. Metro Deathfire (4:58)
12. Transit (1:14)
13. In Dissonance We Play (2:49)
14. The Sleepers Wake (5:22)
15. The Order Of Protection (Two) (4:33)
‘Side Four’
16. From Hydrogen To Love (14:04)
17. Eternal (5:46)
18. Endgame – An End (3:29)

Time – 46:50

Total Time – 88:57

MUSICIANS
Phideaux Xavier – Vocals, Piano, Various Guitars
Valerie Gracious – Lead Vocals
Gabriel Moffat – Dobro, Electric Guitar, Production & Engineering
Ariel Farber – Vocals, Violin
Molly Ruttan – Vocals
Linda Ruttan-Moldawsky – Vocals
Johnny Unicorn – Saxophone, Keyboards, High Destroyer
Mark Sherkus – Keyboards
Matthew Kennedy – Bass Guitar
Rich Hutchins – Drums, Low Destroyer
~ With:
Andy Camou – Trumpet
Stefanie Fife – Cello
Frank Valentini – Handclaps
Doug Moldawsky, Nina Moldawsky, Caroline Oster, Mary Kelly Weir – Backing Vocals

ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Bloodfish Music
Country of Origin: U.S.A.
Date of Release: 9th September 2018

LINKS
Phideaux – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp

Tweet

Related

Posts navigation

← Prog-Watch 532 is Available at Progwatch.com!
SINNRS: Doubters & Believers →

  • Broadcasting live 24/7/365
  • Connect with Progzilla


    Login Manually
  • Join our mailing list

    Please use the form below to sign up for the Progzilla Radio newsletter and hear about forthcoming events and special shows!
  • Meet The Progzilla Team


  • Recent Tracks

    Loading ...
  • PayPal Donation

  • Upcoming Shows

    Feb
    16
    Sat
    12:00 Tales From The Tiger Moth
    Tales From The Tiger Moth
    Feb 16 @ 12:00 – 15:00
    Presented by Peter Jones
    15:00 The Ancient One
    The Ancient One
    Feb 16 @ 15:00 – 18:00
    Presented by Jim Lawson
    18:00 Prog Mill
    Prog Mill
    Feb 16 @ 18:00 – 20:00
    Presented by Shaun Geraghty
    20:00 KrazzLoft Vinyl Show
    KrazzLoft Vinyl Show
    Feb 16 @ 20:00 – Feb 17 @ 00:00
    Repeat of Alan’s KrazzLoft Vinyl Show
    Feb
    17
    Sun
    00:00 101 Dimensions
    101 Dimensions
    Feb 17 @ 00:00 – 02:30
     
    02:30 Progressive Tracks with Mike Pol...
    Progressive Tracks with Mike Pol...
    Feb 17 @ 02:30 – 04:00
    Progressive Tracks Show with Mike Pollack !
    12:00 Not the American Prog Show
    Not the American Prog Show
    Feb 17 @ 12:00 – 13:30
     
    13:30 Prog-Watch
    Prog-Watch
    Feb 17 @ 13:30 – 15:00
    Presented by Tony Rowsick
    15:00 A Certain Prog … Prog
    A Certain Prog … Prog
    Feb 17 @ 15:00 – 18:00
    Presented by Ed Wilkins
    18:00 Progzilla Sundays
    Progzilla Sundays
    Feb 17 @ 18:00 – 20:00
    Rotated Presenters 1st Sunday of the month Progzilla Files with Andy Wild 2nd Sunday of the Month  Halcyon Daze with Emma Roebuck 3rd Sunday Sid Smith from The Yellow Room 4th Sunday The American Prog[...]
    View Calendar
    Add
    • Add to Timely Calendar
    • Add to Google
    • Add to Outlook
    • Add to Apple Calendar
    • Add to other calendar
    • Export to XML
  • RSS ProgArchives Reviews

    • DISEN GAGE The Big Adventure (Eclectic Prog, 2019)
      Review by LearsFool — Disen Gage is a band that has never been afraid to try completely different things to make fine prog. I last listened to "Hybrid State", which was a spaced out take on the band's sound. This time, the group has focused on a particularly heavy sound that features various different sounds […]
    • NEAL MORSE The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventure (Symphonic Prog, 2019)
      Review by kayd_mon — Morse's solo output has been marked by a tendency to sound samey. The records often have highlights, and more than a few moments that make them worth a listen, but they often kind of blend together in your memory. Testimony, Sola Scriptura, and Similitude were all solid efforts.Enter the Great Adventure. […]
    • SHALASH BAND Shalash (Symphonic Prog, 2018)
      Review by jamesbaldwin — Also, like Kempokid and others, after receiving (with a private message) the request to review "ROZMAINSKY & MIKHAYLOV PROJECT - Adventures at the Babooinumfest 2017", published in last month, I received the request to review this album (Shalash, 2018) by the group keyboard player Dmitry Karavaev. And so, flattered, now I'm […]
    • KARFAGEN Echoes from within Dragon Island (Symphonic Prog, 2019)
      Review by dannypereznec — Karfagen - "Echoes from within Dragon Island" (2019)Limited Edition (2CDS)A new edition of the project of Antony Kalugin, Karfagen, is present very early in this 2019, in its two versions: a single CD or the limited edition in double CD."Echoes from within Dragon Island", is the tenth album of Karfagen, a […]
    • MOTORPSYCHO The Crucible (Eclectic Prog, 2019)
      Review by TCat — 'Motorpsycho' just keeps putting out great albums, especially recently, with their music being more progressive than ever. All throughout their years of releasing many studio albums, EPs and singles, the main two individuals who formed the band have been there; Bent Saether on vocals, bass and etc., and Hans Magnus Ryan […]
    • MUSE Simulation Theory (Prog Related, 2018)
      Review by Kempokid — Wow, Muse did something that I was starting to believe would never happen again, they made an album that I love, even more surprising is how it was from an album with such a terrible cover. I personally have found their albums from The Resistance up to Drones to be quite […]
    • LAZULI Saison 8 (Eclectic Prog, 2018)
      Review by Booba Kastorsky — Two previous reviewers did a great job to describe what this album is, and I agree with their assessment. It was my first introduction to Lazuli's, and I have to say I loved them immediately! They don't play quirky, intricate compositions with tricky time signatures or epic-scale compositions. But they […]
    • OVERWORLD DREAMS Voyage (Neo-Prog, 2018)
      Review by musicman8 — Was told of this album by a friend who heard it on a Polish station so I gave a listen. Interesting music full of rich hamonics (is that the right word), counterpoint, and deep lyrical meaning not found in most prog music. I never heard of the keyboard player before (Ken […]
    • DISEN GAGE The Big Adventure (Eclectic Prog, 2019)
      Review by TCat — 'Disen Gage' is a clever name for a Russian Eclectic Prog band that was formed in 1999. The original members were going to the university at the time and didn't have a lot of time for the music they wanted to play, however, and they could only play a gig every […]
    • NEAL MORSE The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventure (Symphonic Prog, 2019)
      Review by AlanB — What other people have said really. This is an excellent album which Neal Morse fans will love, but there's nothing really new here - except perhaps a bigger emphasis on a more heavy metal sound than previous albums. Morse has a good ear for melody though, so we're not talking thrash […]
  • Recent Posts

    • Podcast 205: Northern Star 14th February 2019
    • Podcast 87: Tales from The Tiger Moth
    • Edition 276 – Live From Progzilla Towers
    • Sounds That Can Be Made #181
    • Heavy Elements #173
  • Recent Comments

    • Podcast 191: Northern Star 8th November 2018 - Progzilla Radio on Northern Star
    • Podcast 190: Northern Star 1st November 2018 - Progzilla Radio on Northern Star
    • Podcast 189: Northern Star 25th October 2018 - Progzilla Radio on Northern Star
    • Podcast188: Northern Star 18th October 2018 - Progzilla Radio on Northern Star
    • Episode 243: TV Themes Special 3 | The Epileptic Gibbon podcast music show on Epileptic Gibbon
  • Subscribe To Podcasts

    • 101 Dimensions
    • American Prog
    • Dance On A Volcano
    • Heavy Elements
    • Live From Progzilla Towers
    • Northern Star
    • Not The American Prog Show
    • Podcasts From The Yellow Room
    • Prog Britannia
    • Progressive Tracks
    • Prog-Watch
    • Sounds That Can Be Made
    • Stuff
    • Tales From The Tiger Moth
    • The Ancient One
    • The Francis Dunnery Radio Show
    • The Prog Mill
  • Categories

    • FaceBook (1,786)
    • Gigs, Tours & Festivals (88)
    • News (3,088)
      • DPRP (7)
      • Inside Out Music (276)
      • Press release (3)
      • ProgSphere (1,455)
      • Reviews (1)
      • The Progressive Aspect (622)
    • Podcast (1,928)
      • 101 Dimensions (79)
      • American Prog (41)
      • Dance On A Volcano (6)
      • Francis Dunnery Radio Show (42)
      • Friday Rock Show (37)
      • Halcyon Daze (15)
      • Heavy Elements (177)
      • In The DogHouse (21)
      • Krazzloft Vinyl Show (23)
      • Live From Progzilla Towers (198)
      • Northern Star (207)
      • NotTheAmericanProgShow (117)
      • PM Show (16)
      • Podcasts From The Yellow Room (83)
      • Prog Britannia (16)
      • Progressive Tracks (141)
      • ProgWatch (141)
      • Sounds That Can Be Made (185)
      • Special (8)
      • Steve Petch The Progmeister Show (3)
      • Stuff (18)
      • Tales From The Tiger Moth (88)
      • The Ancient One (100)
      • The Prog Mill (142)
      • The Progzilla Files (1)
    • Poll (14)
    • Uncategorized (1)
  • Archives

    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • January 2015
  • Powered By…


    Clocks by: TimeAndDate.com
  • Internet Radio Directory

    Internet Radio
Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Parament by Automattic.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy