One heck of a show/ My favorite albums

Hey S.I.Q. fans!

   After this past Saturday's practice, all five of us are feeling pumped and ready for this weekend. We weren't sure if one of our newest songs, an instrumental, would be completely polished enough for you, the Society, to hear it yet. Fortunately, we discovered that we have the song down-pat. Therefore, this weekend, we are going to unleash all the new music that we have been preparing for the past two and a half months. We've already seen from fan posts on our Facebook page that you are just as eager to hear it as we are to perform it for you!
   You will have two opportunities to see us this weekend. This coming Saturday the 22nd at 8:00 pm at The Money in Rock Hill, we have been invited to share the stage with our good friends, The Jupiter Tide. The cover charge is $5, and we will begin playing at around 10:30pm. It's a good time to see us play on one of our favorite stages and to hear some other good bands as well. Also, the following day, Sunday the 23rd at 2:00 pm, we will be headlining at Amos' at the Lake for the first time. The preceeding act will be a Streetwise Music Instruction sponsored battle of the bands (we are not battling, just performing). We will be taking the stage at around 5:00 pm, and the cost of entrance is $10. This one is even giving us chills.
   Also, just to let you know far enough in advance, we have two planned shows in February. One, February 6th at Amos' at the Lake, playing with Luna's Lament, and two, February 26th, the finals for the Gorilla Productions battle of the bands that we participated in last August. The prizes for this will be contributing to the recording and subsequent release of our first FULL STUDIO ALBUM, so please, mark your calentdars and come show Tremont Music Hall and Gorilla Productions just how much dedication the Society has!
   Just a little bit of info on my own personal music endevours, I will once again be playing in the Blair Road United Methodist Church's youth band. It will be under new direction, so I hope it will bring about welcome changes and improvements in our sound. Because even in worship, it helps to sound professional.
   And now, a little treat for you prog fans. I have prepared a list of my favorite albums to share with you. Believe me, it wasn't easy trying to pick my favorite from discographies of bands whom I adore. But here it is:

Dream Theater's Octavarium. My single most favorite progressive metal album. Why do I love it? Because the entire album follows a grand concept, each song presenting a different feeling, yet all connected in ways too numerous to list here on this blog. Not to mention the album holds my favorite prog song as well: the 24 minute long colossus and title track "Octavarium."

Moving on...

Andromeda's II=I. This is one of my absolute favs, not for any one song, but for ALL of them. The first several songs, consisting of Encyclopedia, Mirages, Reaching Deep Within, II=I, Morphing Into Nothing, and Castaway all exhibit a mastery of the prog metal style, ranging from heavy, to adrenaline pumping, to soft and soothing. The final three songs, Parasite, One in My Head, and This Fragile Surface (which make up a suite), venture into new territory in the prog genre. All three are full of erie vocal harmonies and keyboard effects as well as frequently changing time signatures.

Andromeda's The Immunity Zone. It was too difficult for me to pick between this one and II=I so what the heck? Why not both? This album shows a heavier musical side and a more politcal lyrcal side of Andromeda. Most of the tracks explore the concept of the progress of the human race, and whether we are "doing well enough or not." In my opinion not all the tracks are as good as those on II=I, but the 17 minute long "Veil of Illumination" more than makes up for it. The lyrics bring up a subject I have given much thought, and the instrumental makes one wonder how the HECK these guys do it live. And I have Phil to thank for turning me on to this one. Thanks buddy!

Circus Maximus' Isolate. There's no particular concept to this album, I just really admire the command over their music that Circus Maximus has, especially in this album. And I know it's weird, but one of the main reasons I like this album is because of their use of triplets in their rhythm. Straight up cool.

Threshold's Dead Reckoning. Threshold definitely displays more of the metal and a little less of the prog in this one, but still, "Pilot in the Sky of Dreams" and "Fighting for Breath" are two killer tracks.

Silent Memorial's Retrospective. This is a recent discovery for me, and already I'm in love with the music of this album. There's definitely a lot of 80's influence in most of the tracks, saving the most proggy and intricate music for the 22 minute long title track "Retrospective." Beginning to detect a pattern in the types of songs I like?

Myrath's Desert Call. Typical prog mixed with some Middle Eastern influence. Surprisingly to me, it has a really great sound. It flows really really well. So how about that? Probably the only prog metal band from the Middle East and they sound amazing!

And I suppose this last one doesn't technically count as an album, but still...

Dream Theater's Score: Live at Radio City Music Hall. I own this on DVD and OMAGOSH, it has to be the best live show Dream Theater has ever performed. Without a doubt. The setlist is flawless, ending with my favorite song, "Octavarium", extended to 27 minutes long because of the solo at the beginning, and "Metropolis pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" as the encore. I never tire of watching it.

   So there you have it! My list of favorite albums. I know, it's lengthy, but its next to impossible for me to choose between some of them. These are the source of most of my musical influence, so you're bound to hear it come out in future works by S.I.Q. I urge you to pick up a copy of one (or several) of these and give them a listen. I assure you, if you are as much a prog fan as me, you will love them.

So get to it!

Cole Millward
S.I.Q. bassist