Now that we've gotten our feet wet, for Match 2 of the first round, our friend Jethro has given us a different kind of a contest. This time out, we've got a Japanese Symphonic Prog Rock band from the 1980s taking on a Finnish experimental/post metal prog band from the modern era. Here's what it looks like:
Novela - Sanctuary
The way the vibrato-filled singing keeps bouncing around may not be every westerner's cup of coffee (tea?), but this Japanese album from 1983 surely deserves to be heard by progheads because of how modern it feels, from the impressively clean production (Wilson-y?) to that rhythmic bass 20 seconds into the first song that sounds like something a modern prog metal band could have come up with. An album that could have come out yesterday.YouTube: https://youtu.be/MTlONv33Xdk
vs.
Sisare - Leaving the Land
Northern European band abandons metal to explore prog rock stylings. Gee, have I heard this story before? This Finnish band actually made the switch seem quite easy with Leaving the Land, blending heavy prog with psychedelic, indie and post-rock influences to produce a surprisingly accessible and cohesive experience.
https://youtu.be/Y2L7q9WiBSs
Now here's the rub: If all goes well, by next Saturday night, when the results of this contest are finalized, I should be on my cruise ship, heading to Nassau, Bahamas and rocking out to a host of 80's bands. I plan to have my work laptop on the ship, and we have the internet package, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get onto this website to post the results. So you might not see them until more than a week later on Monday or Tuesday (March 14 or 15).
So wish me a good cruise, and know that I'll post the results of this round as soon as I can.
Have a great couple of weeks my friends! I plan to.
