Steven Wilson – ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ [Review]

steven wilson hand cannot eraseIn today’s world of shuffled playlists and single-track cherry picking, there still remain artists firmly committed to the album as valid self-expression format. The progressive rock world is home to a good many of those individuals – and within that world, Steven Wilson’s name carries a lot of weight.

Given Wilson’s status as a prog-rock luminary and the calibre of his backing band (Guthrie Govan on guitar; Nick Beggs on bass; Adam Holzman on keys; Marco Minnemann on drums; and Theo Travis on sax and flute), it goes without saying that Read more…

Posted on 24 February 2015

The Aristocrats – ‘Culture Clash Live!’ [Review]

culture clash live aristocratsGiven that Marco Minnemann’s EEPS was TMMP’s #2 album of 2014, the fact that I love Culture Clash Live! to pieces is probably not that much of a surprise.

For the uninitiated, the Aristocrats are one of the fusion community’s hottest tickets right now. A power trio comprising lead drummist Minnemann, lead bassist Bryan Beller, and axe-wielding maniac Guthrie Govan, the Aristocrats’ collective moniker is synonymous with Read more…

Posted on 22 January 2015

Nick Johnston – ‘Atomic Mind’ [Review]

nick johnston atomic mindOver the past few decades, the instrumental guitar community has done little to silence its critics, the “It’s all just wanking over a lame backing track” lot. With Atomic Mind, Nick Johnston is coming to the rescue – and his efforts definitely deserve acknowledgement.

Backed up by two of the ever-classy Aristocrats in Marco Minnemann and Bryan Beller (and inviting third fusion luminary Guthrie Govan to share the spotlight during Silver Tongued Devil), Nick Johnston infuses every note with character and soul – which is an impressive feat considering just how many notes get pumped through your headphones over the course of Atomic Mind‘s ten tracks. This is instrumental music, after all – but there’s still no sense of ego-gratifying profligacy, provided you can hear fast enough. Instead, Johnston, Minnemann, and Beller brew up consistently moving and hard-grooving sketches that grow on you with each listen. Read more…

Posted on 15 October 2014

Dragons That Make Love To Pandas – ‘Roundabouts EP’ [Review]

dragons that make love to pandasTheir name might evoke images of seedy backstreet Chinatown massage parlours, but Dragons That Make Love To Pandas offer much more than just happy endings. Every moment on Roundabouts is masterfully tuned to elicit maximum pleasure of a different sort – the kind of excitement that comes from having one’s auditory cortex stimulated by a unique combination of stylistic elements. DTMLTP drop ska, math, guitar-pop and more into the musical equivalent of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, and what emerges is appropriately awe-inspiring. Read more…

Posted on 24 September 2014

Marco Minnemann – ‘EEPS’ [Review]

marco minnemann eeps

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If I’d recorded my reaction to this album’s opening bars, it’d be viral on YouTube by now. You have to ask: How does this guy do it? Most drummers would struggle with that very first high-speed drum flourish, let alone everything that follows. Let’s get stuck in.

Cheap As Fuck And Awesome As Hell sounds like Jeff Beck at his finest. The guitar is brutally tortured, notes squeezed to within an inch of their lives, there’s a super-cool keyboard line and some immense effects, and it all adds up to a fusion tour-de-force that, you’d assume, was created by a group of virtuosi working in collaborative harmony.

Only…it isn’t. On EEPS, Marco Minnemann plays everything. Everything. Vinnie Colaiuta may well be known as “The Alien”, but maybe it’s time that nickname jumped ship. Read more…

Posted on 16 July 2014

Black Peaks – ‘Closer To The Sun’ [Review]

black peaks closer to the sun

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There are three kinds of bands: Those who sound good on record, those who sound good live, and those who do both. Ideally, every band would fit the third mould – but even if that were the case, Black Peaks would still stand out by a dozen country miles. Read more…

Posted on 13 July 2014

Marco Minnemann [Interview]

marco minnemann eepsGiven his status as one of the world’s top drummers, it’s safe to say that Marco Minnemann is a bit of a legend. Whether drumming for Joe Satriani, recording and performing as one third of The Aristocrats alongside Guthrie Govan and Bryan Beller, or working with the likes of Jordan Rudess, Tony Levin, Alex Machacek, Mike Keneally, Terry Bozzio, Nina Hagen, Necrophagist, Kreator, Buddy Rich Big Band, and Steven Wilson, Marco never fails to bring his A-game to each and every project he throws himself into. While most players would be content to hit one of the above achievements and then rest on their laurels, Marco Minnemann is clearly not.

In addition to his long list of collaborative victories, Marco Minnemann is also an immensely talented solo artist in his own right. On his latest release, EEPS – which drops today, and can be previewed and ordered via the links at the end of this post – Marco wrote and performed every note and lyric and even got involved with the production, alongside Lazy Bones Recordings head honcho Scott Schorr. In an increasingly DIY-oriented industry, Marco Minnemann is showing every up-and-coming solo artist exactly how it’s done.

In our very first Artist Interview, Marco tells TMMP about EEPS, the future, and the importance of good sex. Read more…

Posted on 09 July 2014

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