Best Male Vocalist: Peter Nicholls
Best Female Vocalist: Olivia Sparnenn
Best Bass Player: John Jowitt
Best Drummer: Gavin Griffiths
Best Keyboard Player: Clive Nolan
Best Guitarist: Bryan Josh
Best Album: Go Well Diamond Heart – Mostly Autumn
Best Track: Satellite – Panic Room
Best Band: Mostly Autumn
Best New Band: Parade
Best CRS Live Act: Mostly Autumn
CRS Personality: Anne Marie Helder

I got off to a slow start to my gig-going this year but when I finally got around to it I could not have picked a better start. Pallas was at the Peel this saturday to launch their new album XXV.

I have a dark secret. Sometimes I listen to dark progressive metal. What do you expect!? I am Norwegian and was born the same year as Varg Vikernes. That is where the similarities end. Anyway my 6qs this time is for Hal Sinden, singer in Talanas, one of the best up-and-coming bands on the progressive metal scene.

Who are your musical influences?

The band’s primary influences are acts such as Opeth, Akercocke, My Dying
Bride, Fields of the Nephilim, Decapitated, Killing Joke etc. Ewan is a fan
of some quite obscure acts such as Kayo Dot, Maudlin of the Well & Giant
Squid as well as arguably more conventional acts such as Neurosis,
Einsturzende Neubauten & Enslaved. Joe is in to a fair mix, from Mudvayne &
Dream Theater to PJ Harvey, Goldie & Roni Size. Duff is really an open book
with a lot of what he listens to, being a fan of a number of Country &
Western artists, Burzum, Dimmu Borgir & Napalm Death.

Personally, I’ve been listening to a lot of Scott Walker recently, both
early & recent. I’m heavily influenced by bands like Tears for Fears, Dead
Can Dance & the Sisters of Mercy, whilst I’d also cite Colin Vearncombe (of
‘Black’ fame) as my most significant vocal influence. Of recent acts that
I’ve been influenced by I’d say that Esben & The Witch have really done
something for me lyrically alongside Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) &
From Great Height.

What has Talanas been up to lately?

We’ve been preparing ‘the waspkeeper’ (our first full length album) for what
seems like half a century. In actual fact it’s technically just over 6
months, however it seems longer when you’ve been walled up in a studio
throughout the whole of each Friday night since the beginning of last
Summer. All this has been whilst promotion for the ‘reason & abstract’ EP
has been ticking along nicely, we’re thankfully still selling copies of it 6
months on from its release, plus rather encouragingly to a lot of overseas
listeners.

I’ve also *really* got back into Patum Peperium (or Gentlemen’s Relish, as
it’s also known). It’s not just anchovy paste, it’s something altogether a
lot more refined and must always, as guided, be used very sparingly.
Additionally I’ve discovered quite a taste for white tea (not through mixing
it milk, I mean the proper kind) but I can’t confidently say that it’s had
an overwhelming effect on our sound as a band.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Oddly, ‘pray speed the fever’ despite it not actually being my favourite on
the EP. It seems to ilicit a strong reaction and it keeps the pace up
throughout so those wonderful young people at the front get a chance to be
non-committally violent towards eachother. I love seeing that happen, but I
have to admit to hating being a direct part of it. If I were ever to fall
into a pit from the stage, I’d be in a lot of trouble, and quite possibly
traction for a few months.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

It’s come a long way, to be honest. We went through merry hell in the
lead-up to releasing our debut EP, but in some senses the 2 year gap from
forming the band to getting the CD out meant that we had a *lot* of time to
go over styles, bounce ideas back & forth and develop a really solid sense
of objectivity about what we were doing. I’m not really sure that we’d be
getting the same degree of positive reaction to our music as we are now if
we had released something within months of emerging as a working band, as
was originally planned.

When Joe & I formed talanas straight after the split of interlock (our
previous band) and were jamming as a two-piece, it definitely sounded like
the sum of its parts - fairly blockish and in danger of being a little two
dimensional whilst we tried to discover an apparent style. I’d say that it
definitely took the inclusion of the current members to bring a more
considered feel to the sound, but even then we must’ve discarded about 3 or
4 songs before resting on the 3 you can hear in ‘reason & abstract’.

Fair amounts of the new album were written in the same period as the EP so
there’s a noticeable relevance to the style, however given the palatte of an
entire full-length we’ve managed to play around with a lot more that we had
in mind but couldn’t squeeze into a 3 track EP without sounding awkwardly
schizophrenic. I currently have only demo versions of the album as
reference, but I’m confident in saying we cover a lot of ground over 11
tracks.

If you could play a concert with a band of your choice, who would it be?

There are really so many choices and each dependent on so many things - do
they have to be active as a band still? If not then personally I’d say
Tears For Fears depite knowing how much it might shock their fans, maybe
even Fields of the Nephilim but with their old lineup. In reality though,
I’d love to go on tour with My Dying Bride as headliners, Akercocke as main
support & then us, I feel we’d suit both bands really well. Some others
might be bands like Riverside, Pineapple Thief, Paradise Lost etc.

What’s your favorite board game?

Darts, or frankly any that I can be the Chairman. I work best when in a
position of influence, such as missionary.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Y-y1rTIIQ

While we are waiting for their debut album ‘the waspkeeper’ to be released, Talanas excellent EP ‘reason & abstract’ is a steal at £5 from their website.

This week’s featured video is Brother Ape’s Ultramarathon from the album “A RARE MOMENT OF INSIGHT” released on Progress Records 2010.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hov25ROIriY

Phideaux was a revelation at last years Summer’s End. And I am very excited to get the chance to see them again this year at RosFest. Phideaux Xavier answers my 6qs.

Who are your musical influences?

The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Jethro Tull, Moody Blues

What has Phideaux been up to lately?

Lately- Phideaux, the band, has been rehearsing new repertoire for our appearance at Rosfest in May 2011. We are going back a little further for some of the songs. We are also finishing up our new album Snowtorch, which will be our first album to also appear in vinyl edition.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Probably what we call The Doom Suite, which is the first four songs from our album Doomsday Afternoon, although lately we’ve been rehearsing some other songs which I quite like – Railyard (from 313) and a hybrid of Darkness At Noon/Formaldehyde.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

The “band” emerged out of a few albums I made which included contributions from dear friends. When we had the opportunity to perform live at Festival Crescendo in 2007, we had to form the live band. It has really gelled into a band and I can enjoy the more substantial contributions from the other members, which I think pushes the music further into territories that I couldn’t get on my own.

If you could play a concert with a band of your choice, who would it be?

We would love to open up for Jethro Tull! We would like to play on a double bill with a lot of current bands – IQ, Discipline, Edensong, Manning. There are a lot of great bands out there!

What’s your favorite board game?

It used to be a game called Candyland. It looks so bright and delicious. However, that has been supplanted by backgammon. I quite like that!

This week’s featured video comes all the way from Durham. DeeExpus - Greed.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oip2xjx23y0

See my 6qs with Andy Ditchfield.

Lee Abraham answers my 6qs.

Who are your musical influences?

Sting, Neal Morse, Steven Wilson mainly, but other than them anything thats melodic/heavy and had some thought put into it!

What has Lee Abraham been up to lately?

I have just finished producing the debut solo album by Sean Filkins who used to sing for Big Big Train. Its called” War and Peace (and other short stories)” and features Sean and myself with Dave Meros from Spocks Beard, John Mitchell from Frost*/It Bites, Gary Chandler from Jadis plus a host of other great people. Its a classic sounding prog album with a modern twist! Look out for it in 2011!!

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Black from my album Black and White. It has power, emotion, progressive sections, lite sections and a great guitar solo!

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Its certainly more mature, but thats always going to happen the more you plug away at it. I have certainly grown as a producer and mixing engineer too in the last 5 years. I know how i want things to sound and won’t stop until its right!!

If you could play a concert with a band of your choice, who would it be?

Dream Theater without doubt. Always the band that gets more of my respect with each album. They’ve grown and they deserve it too. they’ve worked hard. Be good to see their next chapter this year.

What’s your favorite board game?

Monopoly – I fancy myself as a property developer!!

Vocalist of Credo, Mark Colton answers my 6qs.

Who are your musical influences?

The obvious ones, Genesis, Marillion, Frank Dunnery, Pendragon, IQ, SAHB, some more obscure ones like Can, Liaison, Crack The Sky, Pavlovs Dog, and then some others that would probably surprise people like, The Doors, The Stranglers.

What has Credo been up to lately?

We’re putting the final touches on our new album, “Against Reason”,… It’s sounding really impressive….. but it absorbs huge amounts of time.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Interesting, probably the “Cradle” section of Cradle to the Grave or Too Late To Say Goodbye, that song always gives me goosebumps.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Well, hopefully its got better lol! I think we’ve improved as a band and as individual musicians since we started, and we’re a lot more comfortable.

If you could play a concert with a band of your choice, who would it be?

The Beatles, Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Misplaced era Marillion, Genesis…..

What’s your favorite board game?

Risk

Credo will be hosting a launch party for their new album at the Peel, Saturday 23 April.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVZmOstJF4Y