[nicola]

How they judged the 2018 others ....
the ranking of the best albums of 2018 according to
sputnikmusic.com


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From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Koenji Hyakkei biography
Founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1991

Take MAGMA, AREA and ELP at their most excessive, feed them an overdose of caffeine and you'll get the gist of what KOENJI HYAKKEI sound like. Or imagine the speed of DEUS EX MACHINA and then add many more tempo changes and musical ideas. Anyone not ready for some insane, amphetamine-driven prog are advised to stay clear of this foursome. As for others, they're in for the musical roller coaster of their lives. Headed by vocalist, composer and drummer extraordinaire Tatsuya Yoshida, this Zeuhl quartet is an offshoot of Japanese cult duo RUINS. In addition to RUINS' own bassist Shigekazu Kuwahara and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida, KOENJI HYAKKEI also feature excellent female vocalist/keyboardist Aki Kubota (who is replaced by Nami Sagara on their third album). From the second album on, Shigekazu Kuwahara was replaced by Sakamoto Kengo on bass and vocals. The third album also saw the addition of Keiko Komori on reeds and AH on vocals, as well as keyboard contributions by Taku Yabuki (now the keyboard player for the band).

All of the group's albums are insanely hyper, all exploding with flashy keyboard lines, intricate death-metal guitar riffs, speedy, convoluted bass/drum patterns, operatic female vocals that border on apocalyptic war cries and chanted in a language of their own (a nod to MAGMA); all this combined with a superhuman technique and catchy, complex arrangements. As of 2010, the group has released four albums and four DVDs. The current lineup is Tatsuya Yoshida (drums, vocals), Kengo Sakamoto (bass, vocals), Keiko Komori (reeds), Taku Yabuki (keyboards) and AH (vocals). The newest DVD includes two new songs not yet available on any studio albums.

If you like bizarre, wild and zany prog such as MAGMA, Mr. BUNGLE or PRIMUS, you'll have your hands, ears and a few other things full with these guys. Definitely recommended.


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From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ANTIMATTER
Experimental/Post Metal • Multi-National

Antimatter biography
Formed in Liverpool, England in 1997

Antimatter was formed by ex-Anathema bass player and song writer, Duncan Patterson, and Mick Moss, a musician who had up to that time, played with several unsigned bands. As a pair, Patterson and Moss released three albums together: Saviour, Lights Out and Planetary Confinement. Shortly after the completion and release of the third effort, Planetary Confinement, Duncan Patterson left the pair to form his own group, Íon. Continuing without his former partner, Mick Moss kept the project alive, releasing its fourth and most recent album, Leaving Eden, with current Anathema guitarist Danny Cavanagh.

The first two albums released by this collaboration were made with a musical focus on melodic, layered vocal lines and an often borderline techno melancholic rock sound, with ambient post-rock overtones. This was often achieved by using techniques such as layering the vocals of female guest musicians to create an eerie effect and ambience. Acoustic guitar riffs and rhythmic sections also helped to give this duo their unique sound. After the departure of Duncan Patterson from the project, the sound rapidly changed and evolved, now developing a more metallic based sound brought on by Danny's input. The early atmospheric sounds are now mostly gone, replaced with a more guitar oriented rock sound, which has earned the band a favor amongst prog metal lovers the world over.

Antimatter is easily recommendable to fans post-metal, post-rock and prog metal, their two most recent albums containing a sound akin to Anathema, Porcupine Tree, Katatonia and many other rock groups with atmospheric overtones.


(Biography by Joel G, Australia)

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