We Breathe Together (Dead Heroes Club, 2013)

Dead Heroes Club actually are one of the most interesting prog bands out there. They come from Ireland, not an usual place for prgo, and their prog is a somehow unusual one, so full of energy and so poor in useless tinsels. Liam Campbell's voice is strong and slightly black, while all the other members of the fivesome are brilliant in their effective, almost essential sound. This song comes from their third studio album, "Everything Is Connected".

I think Dead Heroes Club are improving their music:

each new album adds a little more to the previous one.

The progressive core is there, of course, made of tempo and mood changes, a rich choice of effects and instruments, but there is never too much or too tidy in this track (and in all DHC's discography). You'll appreciate the neat rythm section, and also some very fast arpeggios on the electric guitar, something not too far from U2's lesson. And when the piano comes in you'll see how fresh and new this song is and how original a prog band can be if they're proud enough.

Stranger in The Looking Glass (Dead Heroes Club, 2009)

When I bought the album including this song - titled "A Time of Shadow" - I was just expecting another neo-prog issue with just the extra feature of the Irish origin of the band. Well, this was a neo-prog album, but I foud more than this. Take this song, for example. It starts with a mysterious atmosphere, not so uncommon in neo-prog tracks, but when Liam Campbell's voice comes in there's an unexpected change.

Ted Nasmith's cover art for "A Time of Shadow".

 

This man has a strong and slightly hoarse voice with a r'n'b scent, leaving a special mark on the whole song, kind of Pendragon meets black music. The rest of the track is also very interesting, including sweet chords and psychedelic guitar riffs, surpriseing tempo changes, let alone a pretty melody. Neo-progressive this is, but with a temper of its own.