If you like Iron Maiden, I implore you to check out Australian rockers Eyefear.  I think you’ll be pleased with the music this band puts out.  The vocals of Danny Cecati immediately remind me of Bruce Dickinson’s aggressive melodic tone.  Keep in mind I am a bit biased here due to the fact that Iron Maiden has always been one of my favorite bands.  But Eyefear has their own approach to the progressive metal genre.  Since forming in 1994, the band has had quite a few changes in their band member lineup, but have maintained a strong sound through it all.  Their effort A World of Full Grey is awesome, released worldwide on the Dockyard 1 label earlier this year.  Go to their myspace page and listen to tracks from their latest..

Visit Eyefear at Myspace

The Official website of Eyefear

More free music for metal heads.  There’s a band from Spain called “Dawn of Tears” that is offering a free download of their album “Descent”.  All you have to do is visit their website for the link.  I don’t have too much info on the band yet, but I gave a listen to the album and I think it sounds awesome.  Their full bodied sound has a good melodic edge to it.  Some might find their music similar to Children of Bodom or maybe even Cradle of Filth.  I’m not going to make a complete comparison, so listen for yourself.  Definitely worth the download if you like this sort of music.

Visit the official Dawn of Tears website, download their album for free
Visit Dawn of Tears at Myspace

Fans of gloom Gothic metal might want to take notice of the band Eeriness if you haven’t already.  Eeriness, who hail from Switzerland, have been around for a little over ten years. During that time they have focused on accenting their music more and more.  The band has both lost and gained members over the years, but their core elements of sound remain strong. This can be found on their latest release “Paths”.  I love the blend of edgy metal riffs along with the operatic vocals of Sirkka Skald.  They have the ability to create a gloomy but beautiful sound.  If this type of music interests you, I suggest you learn more about the band at their official sites I have listed below.

Official Website of Eeriness
Visit Eeriness at Myspace

Finally, something new, something fresh, something amazing.  This is my easy way of describing the music of the band “3″ which I am quite fascinated by.  I generally am well focused and up to date on what I consider to be some of the best music out there today, but for some reason I have seem to missed this extraordinary group of musicians…but not for long.  I’m spreading the word, simply because this band based out of Woodstock NY deserves the recognition.

Their music can be described as a bit dark, but it’s the true energy and passion of what they put forth that really grabs my attention.  Those interested in progressive rock and melodic metal will absolutely love “3″.. I guarantee it.  Well, okay, I’m not much for placing a guarantee on anything, but I am well convinced that the genuine music coming from “3″ is easily well respected.

If you are a fan of the band Porcupine Tree, you may already be familiar with the band, seeing that they were on the road together earlier this year, and have some more upcoming dates together.  The group is made up of Joey Eppard on vocals, Billy Riker on guitar, Gartdrumm on the drums, Joe Stote on percussion and keys, and Daniel Grimsland on bass.

The band is out and about supporting their latest release “The End is Begun” on Metal Blade Records.  Check out their website and take a look at their tour dates below.  Catch them on the road with “The Scorpions” or “Porcupine Tree” if you can, you won’t be disappointed.

Official Website of 3
Visit 3 at Myspace

Listen to “All That Remains” by the band 3:

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Sep 10 2007    Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium – Calgary, Alberta
Sep 12 2007    PNE Forum – Vancouver, British Columbia
Sep 14 2007    Konocti Harbor – Kelseyville, California
Sep 15 2007    Gibson Amphitheater – Universal City, California
Sep 18 2007    AVA Amphitheatre – Tucson, Arizona
Sep 20 2007    The Clubhouse     Tempe, Arizona
Sep 21 2007    The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep 22 2007    Grand Sierra Theatre – Reno, Nevada
Sep 26 2007    Beacon Theater – New York, New York
Sep 27 2007    Mercury Lounge with The Bakerton Group – New York, New York
Sep 28 2007    Chevrolet Theatre – Wallingford, Connecticut
Sep 29 2007    Orpheum Theatre – Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 09 2007    City Hall – Nashville, Tennessee
Oct 10 2007    The Orange Peel – Asheville, North Carolina
Oct 11 2007    Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, North Carolina
Oct 12 2007    State Theater – Falls Church, Virginia
Oct 15 2007     Salle Albert-Rousseau – Sainte-Foy, Quebec
Oct 16 2007    Phoenix Theater – Toronto, Ontario
Oct 18 2007    The Egg – Albany, New York
Oct 19 2007    Webster Theater – Hartford, Connecticut
Oct 20 2007    The Shell at Trump Marina – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Oct 22 2007    House of Blues – Cleveland, Ohio
Oct 23 2007    Bogart’s – Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct 24 2007    Uptown Theater – Kansas City, Missouri
Oct 27 2007    Meridian – Houston, Texas
Oct 28 2007    House of Blues – Dallas, Texas
Oct 29 2007    Roxy Theatre – Atlanta, Georgia

The instrumental progressive rock band Dysrhythmia from Queens New York has a Split EP coming out with Rothko titled Fractures, which will be available on August 28th. Of course the band will do no less than showcase their mad skills as usual. If you never heard of Dysrhythmia, no better time than now to check them out. The band features the mighty talented Jeff Eber on drums, Kevin Hufnagel on guitar,and Colin Marston on bass. Dysrhythmia puts forth thought provoking music for the vast simple mind. Their music reshapes complexity, yet maintains a fine degree of structure. If instrumental music interests you, give them a listen.

The Official Website of Dysrhythmia
Vist Dysrhythmia at Myspace

Some killer noise is being splattered across Germany by the progressive metal band Concept Insomnia. I’m a new listener to their music, since I just heard about their stuff, and I’m already a fan. Their heavy riffs, crunching beats, and nice mix of melodic and growling vocals gives them a respectable original sound. Concept Insomnia has been around since 2004 and has a very decent following. Check the band out if you enjoy good powerful progressive metal, I highly recommend them. You can download a few of their tracks for free at their official site listed below.

Listen to “No Words” by Concept Insomnia:

The Official Website of Concept Insomnia

Visit Concept Insomnia at Myspace

Finally I’m getting an opportunity to share some new music with everyone. It’s been a busy past couple days, spending a bit of time in Chicago. Always a great city to spend time in. Anyway, back to the music. Something which has been occupying my listening senses is The Mörglbl Trio. Unfortunately I hardly ever hear their name mentioned when discussing progressive jazz, rock, and funk music with others. It’s quite a shame, and I can only hope that a lot more people can be made aware of their fantastic musical style. The band is made up of French musicians Christophe Godin(guitar), Jean Pierre Frelezeau(drums), and Ivan Rougny(bass). The music is primarily instrumental madness, graced with fine elements of funky jazz filled overlays, and a lot of crazyiness. The band has actually been around since 1997, and even fell apart in 2002, but thankfully put the pieces back together, and is still just as strong. They even have some tour dates lined up in France over the next few months. Their latest release “Grötesk” is one of my current top recommendations.

The Mörglbl Trio is incredibly entertaining, and I guarnatee those who appreciate progressive music will come to love their music. Another nice tidbit of information to munch on is that Christophe Godin’s side project Metal Kartoon is just as entertaining. So while you check out the Mörglbl, be sure to check out the humorous side project which is filled with even more blazing chord progressions and progressive anomalies. So, enter the world of worthy music, and get on over to the websites listed below to learn more about these well respected musicians.

Visit Christophe Godin’s Website
Visit The Mörglbl Trio at Myspace

See The Mörglbl Trio in live in action:

Since I’m somewhat in a trend of spreading the word of some killer progressive music, I have to bring attention to the band Circus Maximus from Norway. There is some incredible prog coming from the Norwegian music scene, which Circus Maximus is part of. I’m hyped up for their second studio release “Isolate” which is set to be released on August 31st 2007 in Europe, and September 4th 2007 here in the states.  Fans of progressive music such as Dream Theater, Symphony X, and the like, will appreciate what this band does. After spending time playing together as a cover band, they received great feedback from a variety of individuals, which has helped them carve their own path in the progressive music world. Visit their website to hear samples from the upcoming CD.

The Official Website of Circus Maximus
Visit Circus Maximus at Myspace

I completely love finding and sharing the unique musical talents of others. Another recent discovery is the music of the Diablo Swing Orchestra from Sweden. This avant garde metal / classical metal band formed in 2003 and have been releasing some amazing creations ever since. The band consists of Annlouice Loegdlund(vocals), Daniel Håkansson (vocals and guitar), Pontus Mantefors (guitars and effects), Andy Johansson (bass), Johnnes Bergion (cello), and Andreas Halvardsson (drums).

The band displays their raw emotion throughout all their songs and leave nothing behind. In 2003 they released an EP and followed that up with their first full length album in 2006 titled “The Butcher’s Ballroom”. They are working on new material and hope to have a new release in mid 2008. The Diablo Swing Orchestra honor the legacy of their ancestors through their music, and their music is worth experiencing. To read their ancient history and learn much more about the band, visit their website listed below.

Listen to Poetic Pitbull Revolutions from Diablo Swing Orchestra:

Visit the Official Website of the Diablo Swing Orchestra

Visit Diablo Swing Orchestra at Myspace

The popular Dutch rock band Within Temptation has just announced their US Tour Dates.  This is their first headlining tour, which is definitely something for them to be excited about.  The tour will be supporting their new album “The Heart Of Everything” which will be released in the US on July 24th, 2007.  The album produced by Daniel Gibson has been very successful on the Dutch album charts, as well in Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Japan, Sweden, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and France.

This band has come a long way over the past decade.  Their strong performances in both studio and live settings are what brings mass appeal to their music.  Fans of artists such as Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, and the amazing Nightwish will especially like the music of Within Temptation.  Below you can find a full list of upcoming tour dates for Within Temptation.  Don’t miss them!

The Official Website of Within Temptation
Visit Within Temptation at Myspace

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Jul 21 2007    Earthshaker Festival – Rieden – Kreuth
Jul 21 2007     Slim’s – San Francisco, California
Jul 28 2007    Zwarte Cross – Lichtenvoorde
Aug 08 2007    Sziget Festival – Budapest
Aug 10 2007    Skanderborg Music Festival – Skanderborg
Aug 16 2007    Open Air Gampel – Gampel
Aug 17 2007    Pukkelpop – Hasselt
Sep 01 2007    Rock ‘n Coke Festival – Istanbul
Sep 05 2007    Paradise – Boston, Massachusetts
Sep 07 2007    The Fillmore at Irving Plaza – New York, New York
Sep 08 2007    Recher Theatre – Towson, Maryland
Sep 09 2007    Theater of Living Arts – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 11 2007    Mod Club – Toronto
Sep 12 2007    House of Blues – Cleveland, Ohio
Sep 14 2007    St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, Michigan
Sep 15 2007    House of Blues – Chicago, Illinois
Sep 16 2007    Station 4 – St. Paul, Minnesota
Sep 18 2007    Cervantes – Denver, Colorado
Sep 21 2007    Slim’s – San Francisco, California
Sep 22 2007    Avalon – Hollywood, California
Sep 23 2007    Marquee Theater – Tempe, Arizona
Oct 01 2007    Tonhalle – Munich
Oct 02 2007    X-tra – Zurich
Oct 03 2007    Gasometer – Vienna
Oct 05 2007    Haus Auensee – Leipzig
Oct 06 2007    Columbiahalle – Berlin
Oct 08 2007    Le Zenith – Paris
Oct 09 2007     Messe Congresszentrum B – Stuttgart
Nov 24 2007    Beursgebouw – Eindhoven
Nov 27 2007    Brixton Academy – London
Nov 28 2007    Birmingham Academy – Birmingham
Nov 29 2007     Manchester Academy – Manchester
Nov 30 2007    Glasgow Barrowland - Glasgow