Dark Matter

Product Description
Dark Matter is the new studio album from England’s legendary IQ. With a career that spans nearly 25 years, IQ remains one of the biggest names in the world of Progressive Rock. Dark Matter marks a new beginning for IQ as this album will be their first US domestic release in nearly 20 years and it is their first for Inside Out Music America. As would be expected from the title, this is a dark, brooding album, bristling with attitude and aggression reminiscent of the band’s early days but Dark Matter also contains moments of great melodic beauty. It is pure progressive rock in all its glory with soaring guitar melodies backed up with the classic sounds of Mellotrons, Moog and Hammond organ and offset by Peter Nicholls’ ever impenetrable lyrics. The classic IQ line-up of Nicholls, Martin Orford, Mike Holmes, John Jowitt and Paul Cook remains very much intact and they are all in great form on Dark Matter.

Dark Matter,IQ,Inside Out U.S.,Neo-Prog,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

Dark Matter

Average customer rating:

IQ - 25 Year Veterans Put Out Their All Time Best Album
Two thums up for you IQ
Best progressive record in many years!
An Old Dog Learns New Tricks
Bumping up the average and I don't care

Dark Matter
IQ
Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Subterranea
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ASIN: B00029RTHG
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

Sacred Sound
Red Dust Shadow
You Never Will
.Born Brilliant
Harvest Of Souls

Album Description

Dark Matter is the new studio album from England's legendary IQ. With a career that spans nearly 25 years, IQ remains one of the biggest names in the world of Progressive Rock. Dark Matter marks a new beginning for IQ as this album will be their first US domestic release in nearly 20 years and it is their first for Inside Out Music America. As would be expected from the title, this is a dark, brooding album, bristling with attitude and aggression reminiscent of the band's early days but Dark Matter also contains moments of great melodic beauty. It is pure progressive rock in all its glory with soaring guitar melodies backed up with the classic sounds of Mellotrons, Moog and Hammond organ and offset by Peter Nicholls' ever impenetrable lyrics. The classic IQ line-up of Nicholls, Martin Orford, Mike Holmes, John Jowitt and Paul Cook remains very much intact and they are all in great form on Dark Matter.

Customer Reviews:

IQ - 25 Year Veterans Put Out Their All Time Best Album.......2007-05-31

IQ have been around now for more than 25 years, but the band just keeps getting better. "Dark Matter" ranks right up with the very best output of the band and continues their reign as one of the masters of the neo prog style. In fact after listening to this album again, I think it may very well be IQ's all time best. The first half of the album "Sacred Sound", "Red Dust Shadow", and "You Never Will" are all great. The band employs a slightly heavier sound on this one and as the title might suggest the lyrics are a bit darker than usual IQ fare. As good as the first three tracks are the real meat of the album can be found in the last two songs. "Born Brilliant" is a driving anathematic rocker. Clocking in at only 5 minutes it is short by progressive rock standards, but man does this song cook. I remember this song being performed at NEARfest 2005 (available on DVD) and the sound of the pounding beginning of this track over the massive festival sound system sent shivers up my spine. My home stereo is not quite the same level of intensity, but I can't help but crank this one up each time I pull it out. I also love the lyrics "You, like me, were raised to be a million times admired. Unlike mine, your family line, we're all born brilliant liars". Some of Peter Nichols best stuff. The final track "Harvest Of Souls" clocks in at close to 25 minutes. This may be the best individual musical work that IQ has ever done. I have to give the band credit in one area. "Dark Matter" is the first CD to be officially released in the U.S. in many years after signing to Inside Out America. For their first non-import album in such a long time it took guts to write a 25 minute epic basically about the world's perception of the United States. For me the lyrics really hit the mark, although some in this country may not agree with Nichols point of view. Musically the whole thing is brilliant as well, showing off all of IQ's strengths from soaring guitars, wall of sound keyboards and the invigorating rhythm section. I love this album and after a 25 year career think that IQ is currently at the top of their game.

Two thums up for you IQ.......2007-03-19

Very very good cd, IQ wasn't one of my favorite band in the early days.
Since the album "Ever", fourteen years ago, they have done really great prog albums and "Dark Matter" is one of the best album of the band. From the beginning to the end, this cd is full of powerful music, great transitions, good feelings and melodic instrumentation as we, prog music fans, really like. Highly recommanded. A jewel in my cd collection.

Best progressive record in many years!.......2006-07-22

Dark Matter is an album with progressive, symphonic rock with a new, fresh and dark approach mixed with the ingredients that characterizes the music of early Genesis and Yes. Beautiful harmonies, well played and harmonic guitar sounds reminding of the style of Yes' Steve Howe, a pumping melodic bass and well played drums. The keyboardist Martin Orford's playing reminds of Rick Wakeman's; in some bits I can hear resemblances from Close to the edge, in some others just the same type of playing; it's beautiful, harmonic and well played and its sounds fills the music with the sound the progressive music with a new and fresh approach. Peter Nicholl's singing is extremly good, the best I've heard from him so far; sounds like a young Peter Gabriel.

Dark Matter is a mix between the music that characterizes the early Genesis and Yes years mixed with the Promised Land era of Queensryche and the music played by Placebo. And even though I'm not a fan of the latest band mentioned I still find this music extremly good. The first four songs all have something original and fresh and differ from each other. The 25 minutes long Harvest Of Souls that has resemblances of Gates of Delirium with Yes and Supper's Ready with Genesis. It's a song with extremely beautiful music, with lovely harmonies mixed with the aggressiveness that Yes gave us with Gates Of Delirium and the spirituality of Awaken; the one you just should sit down with a cup of coffee and turn up the music and relax. It takes you on a journey through the wasting lives of war to the aftermath of this war and has give you a multidimensional lyrical approach that makes you think and interpret in the way that fits your own life. Highly recommended!

An Old Dog Learns New Tricks.......2006-05-31

To start off.....I am the old dog referred to in the title. I have been a prog rock fan since the seminal work of King Crimson, ELP, Yes, Genesis (Gabriel/Hackett era), Camel and still consider them the Masters. My music purchases typically were CDs of these classics (to replace my vinyl, well-worn record albums) and I gobbled up the recent releases of these bands or various solo projects by the band members. I was stuck in a seventies time warp.

There were few outlets to hear new and exciting prog rock so it seemed to me that the genre was dead. I was really not finding too many new prog rock bands that tripped my trigger and all still paled in comparison to the Masters. There would be an occasional band that would show some promise, such as Marillion, but with repeated listening I would tire of them.

How wrong I was......I seemed to have missed a whole host of great prog rock bands during the 80s to the present. Just recently, I discovered and enjoyed bands such as Pallas, Pendragon, Arena, Porcupine Tree and others. I thought to myself.....how in the heck did I miss this great music? However the big find for me was IQ!

IQ really pays homage to the Masters, especially capturing the essence of Genesis when it was in the golden era of Gabriel and Hackett. Dark Matter was the first IQ album I purchased (it was recommended through Amazon and I checked some songs out on Progarchives.com which sounded wonderful to me so I made the purchase). Since then I have bought several other IQ CDs and enjoy them immensely as well.

Overall, Dark Matter is my favorite. It captures the spirit of classic progressive rock. I repeatedly find myself relistening to it and do not tire of it. One reviewer had stated that the keyboards sounded like they were purchased at a Tony Bank's yard sale and that really does ring true.....more than any other neoprog band, IQ's keyboards have the feel of the seventies keyboards....I love it.

Why, despite my rave about the CD do I only give it 4 stars? My problem is that I want more instrumental work and less vocals. The vocalist is great, however, there is too much of him. What made the Masters great was their virtuosity and the long instrumental breaks....the keyboard solo of Tony Bank's on "Cinema Show," Steve Hackett's etheral guitar solo on "Firth of Fifth," etc, etc. The musicianship of IQ is great but all too often they get to a musical break and it seems like they are going to stretch out into a long instrumental but then the vocalist begins to chirp in once again. I just wish they would let it all go for a while! It is a minor criticism, but if you are an old prog rocker like myself who cut their teeth on the Masters you know exactly what I am talking about.

Yes....an old seventies era prog rocker has learned some new tricks and I am sure glad I did. I highly recommend IQ and Dark Matter in particular. There are alot of oldtimers out there like me (and young prog rock fans who are wise beyond their years) who will truly enjoy this band and their music....I eagerly anticipate their next release.

Bumping up the average and I don't care.......2006-05-28

I've listened to two other IQ albums, and this one just kicks those albums into oblivion as far as I'm concerned. "Sacred Sound" and "Harvest of Souls" are excellent epics, but it's the shorter songs that really make the punch. I have been singing "Red Dust Shadow" and "You Never Will" for the past year constantly. They're catchy, moody, and intensely emotional.

Peter Nicholls may come off at first as a Peter Gabriel-wannabe, and there's no doubt that the album follows a similar format to "Foxtrot" by Genesis. But over several listens, this album gains an identity of its own. Michael Holmes' subtle guitar work blends in nicely with the bombast of Martin Orford's keys. This album is a wonderful find and along with Porcupine Tree and the new Neal Morse-less Spock's Beard is one of the true champions of hook-worthy art rock.

Average customer rating:

The best of modern progressive...
Good times
Finally

Hooray for Dark Matter
Enemy
Manufacturer: Five Knuckle Bullet Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fantastic Planet
Replicants
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Secrets of the Lost Satellite
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ASIN: B000BB18B8
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Action
Clean
Freeway
The Treatment
Locust Sky Zone
It's No Joke
Sucker
Hostile
All Escapes Part 1
Target
Vacancy
All Escapes Part 2
City Of Refuge
Sketch
Cozy
All Escapes Part 3

Album Description

Troy Van Leeuwen, live and studio guitar player for Queens Of The Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, and Failure, along with Eddie Nappi, bassist for Handsome, deliver a slice of hard rock heaven with this debut. Enemy effortlessly blend crushing riffs of bands like Helmet with atmospheric guitar playing that would make The Cure's Robert Smith jealous. Hard rock/pop precision at its finest.

Customer Reviews:

The best of modern progressive..........2005-11-16

Troy Van Leeuwen has been involved in some great, high profile acts such as A Perfect Circle and Queens Of The Stone Age, but he steps out on his own with "Hooray For Dark Matter," the debut album from his band ENEMY.

ENEMY steps away from the from the "created for radio" predictable mold with this adventurous yet melodic dark Rock record.

I really like the anthemic track "The Treatment" which swells so big that you think the song might explode. And the murkier "It's No Joke" paints an erie and enigmatic sonic picture. I also really like ENEMY's version of Nick Cave's "City Of Refuge."

If you're looking for something different and moody yet stunningly bold, check this record out.

Good times.......2005-11-09

Although these musicians come from great bands, and do a killer job in them; it shouldn't be the reason that sells them...Especially when the music sounds exactly like their counterparts intermingled. Bad Mannerism in Music, and sales, at its best ladies and gentlemen!

Finally.......2005-11-04

It has been 6 years since I saw ENEMY live for the first time. They opened A Perfect Circle. Finally, I got the album, and I feel that now the circle is complete. Great music & Great sound. Thank you!!

Average customer rating:

Not to be missed!!!
Great year one compilation
An Excellent CD
Fantastic Future Score
Space 1999 Year One Soundtrack Available Once Again!

Space: 1999 Year 1

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Space: 1999 Eternity Unbound
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ASIN: B0006UEVQS
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

Space: 1999, Main Titles
Breakaway
War Games
Matter Of Life And Death
Space: 1999, End Titles (Alternate Version)
The Infernal Machine
Force Of Life
Ring Around The Moon
Black Sun
Mission Of The Darians
The Troubled Spirit
Space: 1999, Main Theme (Extended Alternative Version)
The Testament Of Arkadia
Another Time, Another Place
Space: 1999, End Titles

Customer Reviews:

Not to be missed!!!.......2007-04-30

This CD is simply excellent! Anybody who ever cared for TV soundtracks should give it a chance. The only better thing is Barry Gray's music for "UFO" TV series, which has been promised from Silva Screen (and has been published by "Fanderson" and since sould out). So, whatever somebody think of the series, this music will not fail to delight. Impressive and nostalgic, mysterious and enthralling, this music really deserves to be heard by everybody.

Great year one compilation.......2007-01-09

This remastered version of Space:1999 year one or series one sounds excellent. It is very clear and you can better appreciate Barry Gray wonderful job.

If you are Space:1999 fan, it is a must have.

An Excellent CD.......2006-07-27

Talk about bringing back memories. The music is crisp-clear & updated. For the 1999 fans-this is a must have.

Fantastic Future Score.......2005-04-01

Space:1999 - the series - may be one of the most controversial SF shows ever. People either love it, or they hate it... there seems to be little middle ground. As a kid I was thrilled with the series, although even then I could see the weaknesses in science, story, and characterization. But from a purely visual and aural standpoint, the first series rarely disappointed.

Especially when it came to the music. As many fans know, Barry Gray scored only 4 episodes - the rest being rounded out by reusing his cues for those episodes, plus liberal doses of library music. This disc gives a good overview of the magnificent music written specifically for the series, as well as a sampling of some of those library cues. As a previous reviewer said, the ultimate soundtrack to the series was released several years ago by the Fanderson organization ( which one had to join as a member to be able to order ) and is sadly out of print. Copies can be found on the internet, often selling for prohibitive prices. Unless you are a diehard collector, willing to shell out a good sized portion of your paycheck, this single disc is the way to go.

Sound quality is superb, and in some cases surpasses the previously mentioned two disc set, as several of the tracks have been remastered to remove wow, flutter, and distortion that could be heard on the Fanderson set. The main title was remixed to make it truer to the on-screen version, and the tracks from the episode "Black Sun" are in stereo on CD here for the first time ever. The previous release featured the episode's complete score, but only as a monophonic version, as many of the multitrack masters for that particular episode have been lost. For that alone, this disc is worth owning, even if you have the Fanderson set.

However, it is Gray's music that is the true reason to own this soundtrack - regardless of your feelings about the series. Full bodied, sweeping, emotional and grand... not at all your typical seventies television soundtrack. Years before John Williams revived the popularity of orchestral scores for science fiction projects, Barry Gray was filling small screen speakers with epic music that would have sounded perfectly at home in a motion picture theatre.

Space 1999 Year One Soundtrack Available Once Again!.......2005-03-09

I give this soundtrack 5 stars only because the soundtrack is awesome, but if you want a more complete compilation, you need to find the Fanderson version.
The year 1 music definately set the tone for the TV show back in 1975. It gave it beautiful character and feeling for the show. It was ashame that for the second year that they had changed so much (even the music) and lost that character and feeling (but that is a whole other debate).
In 1976, RCA records released the year 1 soundtrack with a beautiful gate fold cover and for about 20+ years, that is all we had, until Fanderson. The year 1 soundtrack is no longer available through them, but it is the most complete. This CD, however, does well to capture the feeling of year 1 and does throw an additional track for you sun bathers out there. It is a nice 30 year anniversary gift to myself. Happy 30th Birthday: SPACE 1999!!!

Average customer rating:

I have become less than a man

Our Lady of the Broken Spine
Reverend Glasseye
Manufacturer: Music for Cats
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

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Black River Falls
Happy End and Begin
Always Say Please and Thank You
The Bloudy Tenant Truth & Peace
Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots

ASIN: B000BQYDK6
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Promenade
God Help You Dumb Boy
17 Lashes
The Cold House Hymns
Belle's Palsy
Mother Is A Carpegian
Sleep Sweet Countrymen
King Of Men
Oh Lord, Why Have You Been So Cruel To Me?

Product Description

9 track CD

Customer Reviews:

I have become less than a man.......2005-11-24

Our Lady of the Broken Spine may initially disappoint fans of Reverend Glasseye's superlative debut album, Black River Falls. In the four-year gap between the two, it's only natural that their sound should not have remained static, but initially the change is a little disorienting. There is considerably less of the "midnight cabaret" vibe on Our Lady; it sounds, if not exactly anything approaching "conventional," then less aggressively stylized. MUCH less like Tom Waits. This at first disappointed the Waits fan in me, but the music here is strong enough to ultimately sweep away any misgivings.

The Reverend has always had great lyrics, even if they have frequently been nearly indecipherable; thankfully, this time they're included in the booklet. Thematically, this is actually a much more unified record than its predecessor: nearly all the songs are first-person narratives delivered by people who are horribly, cripplingly damaged-physically, mentally, spiritually, or, more often, some combination. Hence, the album's title: Our Lady being presumably their patron saint. They desperately struggle to escape their burdens, but-naturally-their efforts are inevitably doomed.

Take "Mother Is a Carpegian." The narrator rails against, and exacts horrible revenge on, a man who has seduced (or that he imagines might seduce) his daughter, as he exhibits a strange fascination with genetics: "I've got a daughter and she looks like me/well she oughta, she's got half of my genes." This is one seriously deranged individual; the song would be good enough as it is, but then at the end we queasily come to realize that the narrator's concern for his daughter is not entirely paternal in nature. It's deadly effective, and illustrates the band's increasing lyrical sophistication.

Or look at "The Cold House Hymns," which is pure coal-black Southern Gothic. It begins with the narrator at his birth praying to be able to exact violent Old Testament retribution on his parents: "Let my small hands grow stronger so I may hammer away your wrongs;" and ends with him setting fire to the house in question in an effort at achieving transcendence via immolation: "There's a fire! There's a fire in the cold house!/Planks rustle, the windows they crack/The Lord, the Lord bequeathed me a gift/I beg my master to take it back." Quite potent. Or my favorite, the wonderfully-titled "God Help You Dumb Boy," in which he rages futilely against his own impotence: "But I can't load the bullets and I can't use a gun/I can't have no children so I can't have a son/I can't get up early, so nothing will grow/I'll lay on my land `til the Sun hangs low/'til the sun hangs low." It evokes to me the same sense of apocalyptic, eschatological allegory as did "3 Ton Chain" from BRF.

This is just skimming the surface, of course. Some songs are a bit weaker than others, but overall, this is a dense and fascinating album. Let's hope we don't have to wait another four years for the next one.

Average customer rating:

Sun Caged

Manufacturer: Dark Matter Distribution
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mental Torments + 1 Bonus Track
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Angular Perceptions

ASIN: B0000DJ26Z
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Album Description

A progressive metal masterpiece from Holland's finest band in this genre to date. Killer production, fantastic songs & superb performances. Progressive metal in the vein of Dream Theater, Ayreon, & Symphony X. Lion Music.

Average customer rating:

Headstrong

Manufacturer: Dark Matter Distribution
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Blues | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000024IGC
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Average customer rating:

Monkeygrinder

Manufacturer: Dark Matter Distribution
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Blues | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005ABRX
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Average customer rating:

Bass Communion - 'Bass Communion II' (Resurgence)
Underrated, yet excellent
Trippy project from Steve Wilson
wow
Minor note

Bass Communion
Bass Communion
Manufacturer: Dark Matter Distribution
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000273HD
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Tracks:

Shopping
Drugged
Sleep etc
Orphan Coal
Drugged - Bass Communion, Robert Fripp

Album Description

Steve Wilson's (Porcupine Tree, No-Man) second release as Bass Communion creating a distinctive and emotionally resonant electro-organic fusion of ambient loop music from the roots of Brian Eno, Terry Riley and Paul Schutze. Limited edition includes a bonus E.P. with two tracks, 'A Grapefruit In The World Of Park' & 'Snakebird'. 1999.

Album Details

Project by Porcupine Tree Member Steven Wilson. Reminiscent of Brian Eno. First 1000 have Two Track Bonus Disc with Robert Fripp Guesting on One Track.

Customer Reviews:

Bass Communion - 'Bass Communion II' (Resurgence).......2006-12-23

Yet,another one of Porcupine Tree's main man Steve Wilson's side projects.He's got several,so I hear,like the three releases by Incredible Expanding Mindf**k(check them out).This is my first ever listen to Bass Communion and I like what I hear. In my humble opinion,it's best described as 'ambient progressive'. Tracks that make this import title a true keeper are the spaced out "Advert", "16 Second Swarm" and the thirteen minute, atmospheric "Wide Open Killingfield". Also liked the bonus two-track EP, but I don't understand why they simply couldn't tag those songs onto the one CD. Good release to have,just the same. Might appeal to fans of Flower Kings, Translantic, No Man and Flying Saucer Attack.

Underrated, yet excellent.......2002-11-12

I think this is a brilliant record. Not to over rate the record but it is very good. Not many ambient music makers lately have made an album like this one. I own the new 2002 version w an extra track but the rest is the same.
Couldn t resist to review it.

Expect a very straightforward yet mature and complete record from S Wilson here. I leave the rest to you. Get this cd, put on headphones or crank it up and enjoy it.

J G

Trippy project from Steve Wilson.......2001-11-01

Though an avid admirer of Porcupine Tree [S.Wilson`s brainchild],Bass Communion was unlike anything I expected.
The music can best be described as a sonic experiment of ambient nature. Although interesting,the tracks a very long and sleep inducing. I recommend this for; insomniacs,space travellers and curious potheads. I imagine this music to be interesting after you have done some time in an isolation tank, things would get weird quick.
No offense to S.Wilson`s brilliance. If you really want to hear his talents at work check out Porcupine Tree esp;``Lightbulb Sun``,``Sky Moves Sideways``and``Recordings``.
Fred

wow.......2000-07-20

yeeks this is good!!!

Minor note.......2000-06-14

Christian does a very good job of describing this album, so I just wanted to point out the one thing he missed - this is BC's second album. The first one, also eponymous, was released a couple of years ago on the Third Stone label, STONE 036CD, and is now quiet difficult to obtain.