progressive rock and hard/heavy rock/metal from Iran

Unicorn Digital

Agah Bahari : The Second Sight Of A Mind (CAN/IR,2009)****

It took me a lot of effort to get a copy of this album. The label promised a copy, but I never received one, I ordered a copy, but waited for months, and the guitarist said he would send me one, but still I didn’t see any results. But finally after many weeks, the local shop got hold of the album.

I really wanted to give attention to it, because Agah Bahari’s album is part of the new wave of guitar talents and vision, which through circumstances was able to develop in contemporary Iran. All guitarists within this wave face the same sort of difficulties to use their talent as a musician in an acceptable form to the theocracy and limitations towards natural evolutions in such a restricted society. Slightly frustrated they find a form of technical qualities in the most technically interesting heavy metal examples, while they also learned how to keep certain essences of Persian traditions intact, both technically as well as musically. In this struggle they learned to play the electric guitar very well, and found their own style neutralising the metal effect which transformed the total energy of creativity into something new, which because it has to prove it's value to exist, has an almost classical and very serious compositional approach. More than once I have shared my enthusiasm before for the talented guitarist/composer Farzad Golpayegani who still didn’t find permission to release any of his instrumental albums even not when it is inspired from Persian traditions mixed with new and heavier ideas, including progressive and even a portion of Bach. Agah Bahari in his turn was part of one of the first, softrock groups in Iran, Meera, but now he left Iran to develop his own expressions with a freedom he perhaps never had experienced before but would have worked out too if this would have been given the chance (the last message from the government was that they forbid him to be a musician within Iran no longer). “Collective Amnesia” (what’s in a title ?) immediately sets the tone with rather complex inner rhythm breaks and an almost technical guitar approach, while the composition follows melody rhythmic spans in time. This has become a form of progressive rock of electric guitar and electric bass, skilful drums and some keyboard textures and (if I hear it well it really is the keyboard player (?)) also a few solos that sound like progressive electric guitar, by Dream Theatre’s Derek Sherinian. This approach is, to start with, a rather fast heavy rock-symphonic approach. I can hear some technical metal influences in certain guitar compositions, but also a few Persian riffs and themes, and to balance the intellectual approach somewhat out, also calmer and more emotional guitar led ideas (like on “Everlasting perfection”), with some occasional piano as additional instrument. The tracks perfectly switch from one stronger aspect to the next. A strong and well worked out album. A well developed talent.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/agahbahari & http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/agahbahari

Audio also on http://www.youtube.com/... & http://amiestreet.com/...

Label info : http://www.unicornrecords.com/agahbahari.html

Homepage : http://www.agah-bahari.com/

French review : http://www.progressivewaves.com/frmchronique.aspx?pro_id=4412

PS. Meera on http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/meera

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Salim Ghazi Saeedi : Human Encounter (IR,2011)***'?

The new album is made under the solo name of Salim’s own name. Except for the intro, which is like a dramatic introduction somewhat classically inspired in composition (gothic keyboards and electric guitars), most of the album is a bit more into jazz inspirations played by drums, piano and double bass only. The second track holds the middle between contemporary classical ideas and jazz with an interesting complexity, this thorough understanding of this kind of combinations shows itself more often, but it is especially on the 11th track where the contemporary vision meets jazz very well in a more complex control over the composition. Of course some of the Persian influences seep through, the grooves and progressions are mainly jazz inspired.

The foundation of themes reveal a hopeful but saddened, disappointed vision of the human race and its tendencies to name good and evil only to misunderstand it further and increase the amount of destruction. At the same time all that is to survive longer, the creative capacities are from a human nature as well. The album is divided in that way in a thematical dark and bright side.

The early tracks are inspired by some bad teacher in Iran, the Iran/Iraq bombing and all of the evil rulers (of course this includes the ones who are responsible for their vision on degrading all organisation in Iran now), who are standing for the negative side, and Eugene The Blaas, Ali Moini, Kurt Cobain, Thelonious Monk and Jeremy Brett for the positive part.

Other review : http://www.therocktologist.com/ghazi-saeedi-salim---human-encounter.html

Info : http://www.seaoftranquility.org/article.php?sid=2005 (page dissapeared ??)

Composer's info : http://www.gepr.net/sa.html#SAEEDI & http://www.reverbnation.com/salimghazisaeedi

Homepage : http://www.salimworld.com/ & http://www.salimworld.com/album-human-encounter.htm

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Explode : Temptation (IR,2005)**°

"Explode is a Persian rock/metal band. we're jamming together and work on heavy and thrash metal songs since 1999. All in all we've started as a cover band, with wide range of influences from Death/Thrash Metal bands like Megadeth, Death, Slayer, Sepultura, Metallica or Classic heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath to more progressive genres with more Rock feels like Pink Floyd, Dream Theater and Joe Satriani."

This Tehran band now released a home studio recorded demo album.

While the group has an interesting mix of interest in styles, I’m glad we can hear this in some of their guitar arrangements. The main guitarist Mohammad surely proved he learned to play some instrumentals (just hear him play the Bach tunes or hear the group play some Megadeth/Dream Theatre interpretations). The forced rough voice is a bit less convincing, especially on “Earthquake” or “Third Slave”. The group could sound better I think with an extra second vocalist or some extra vocal arrangements, or with some extra effect on the voice. “Death Jungle” has only a few vocal arrangements, which improves what the group has in its core. When singing softer, like in the beginning of the more progressive “Holy Saviour” I like the vocals best. I think elsewhere they might have been influenced by a group like Metallica, which in some way still suits this particular track.

Audio demo : "Intro", "Earthquake", "Death Jungle", "Third Slave", "Holy Saviour", "Last Soldier"

More audio : "Soheil's New Heavy Riffs and Ideas", "Mohamad - Bach , Toccata Fugue In D minor",

"Mohamad - Bach , Int. Dminor"

Homepage : http://www.explode-band.com

Info : http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?...

Persian review : http://wahm.blogfa.com/post-2.aspx

& (with audio) http://www.cafe-tehran.com/AlbumInfo.asp?id=75

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Shidi : Gemini (IR,2000)***'

Masih Mohaghegh, also known as Shidi, started his career playing in two Iranian cover rock bands during the 70's, called 'Scorpio' & 'Mummies'. At the stage of the foundation of Mummies he was only 14, with two of his older Brothers (Farokh on Drums and Shahrokh on Bass guitar) and Farshid on rhythm guitar. They began to play in dance clubs, night clubs concerts and too many other places almost every night, till 1976 when the two brothers left Iran for Europe (Germany and England}. Then Shidi joined Scorpio, a band that already was working for about two years and because their guitar player left Iran for Italy he replaced him. They worked together until early 1978 when the band collapsed. Masih still worked with other musicians and singers untill the Revolution. These bands were two of the best available professional bands on that time and he performed with them as a Singer and Guitar player. But nothing was ever recorded. After the revolution progressive rock was taboo. So Masih searched for another way of expressing a universal feeling in his music. He studied 'Tar' and 'Setar' at the “Center for the preservation and dissemination of Persian music”. There he did extensive research in the field of classical Persian music, looking for a renewed foundation of his musical ideas. From 1992 until 2000 he used computers and electronic instrumentation for this musical collection by the name of “Gemini”.

This project used "both contemporary and traditional rhythms and instruments" with the intention of "providing a new approach to a traditional art form". Masih played tar, setar, computer programing and synthesizers. Guest musicians are Reza Abaee on three tracks playing kamancheh and ghejak, Pedram Derakhshani with santur on one track and Kamran Khashe, keyboards on another track.

A few tracks tend to be an interpretation of Persian classical music with contemporary elements, like a reconsideration of old music, with the inclusion of a computer programmed control, with some use of atmospheric electronic passages, and with combinations of old instruments with a kind of softrock programming. Here the very rhythmic “Third Tone” might be my favourite example. This expression ranges to even more contemporary expressions so that make the music (also because of the use of electric bass and drums) become like a soft progressive rock expression. Here the last track, “Nava” I think for this direction is a favourite example. In total the album is really enjoyable, because it’s a good example that keeps intact an instrumental Persian music feeling while at the same time the progressive softrock and electronic music touches add to this, a very individual and personalised mood and expression.

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Shidi : A true lover is proved (IR,2003)****

The second album by Shidi is very different compared to his first instrumental album. This is basically a singer-songwriter album which has an even more “universal” style. Stylistically, just roughly taken, this could as well be an expression from the best days of English pop/rock/singersongwriter music, or from any other country expressing something similar (like Bülent from Turkey, or from some of the more expressive new songwriters from Korea I’ve heard, or from just anywhere else).

All texts are based upon the great Persian poems, like Rumi, Sohrab Sepehri and Farrokh Yazdi. The liner notes say “In these days of global tension, the songs are an attempt to introduce some of the pre-occupations and complexities of Iranian culture to a wider audience. Listeners are invited to accompany the composer on his search to understand the universal concepts of love, friendship and the meaning of live.” “Shidi has spent forty years playing and studying both traditional and contemporary music. This is an album combining the best of both genres.” The poetry is translated into English for foreign listeners. Some songs are in English, others are in Farsi.

The album is professionally recorded and combines traditional instruments (tar and setar mostly, with one track using tonbak, santour, kamancheh, ghejak and nay) with modern instruments (drums, acoustic and electric guitar and some keyboards). In combination the arrangements are just perfect, and very subtle, mostly acoustic, and they express a recognisable singer-songwriter style for a world interest.

The arrangements are truly wonderful. Just listen to the splendid female and male harmony vocals on “Where’s the friend’s home” combined with beautiful acoustic guitar. Any of these kinds of arrangements should definitely interest lovers of the best progressive, but also acid folk driven singer-songwriters. “Loneliness (part1)” has a beautiful moody ambient electric guitar passage, while part 2 has a Persian folk body, mixed with electric bass and drums played in a rather progressive way. “Vain Shadows” have a complete orchestration arrangement, which fit perfectly to the warm voice of Shidi and his acoustic guitar & setar playing. Also “My living” has some similar arrangements with melancholic expressions, besides a wider emotional expressiveness and richness which ranges to expressive rock and adds some additional electric guitar. The last, title track is a great, slightly rhythmic conclusion again combined with old and new instruments and very beautiful song expression. This is a recommended album which deserves international attention.

The album is described by The Iranian as "Imagine mixing Simon and Garfunkel and Faramarz Aslani." Personally I found it hard to pick out a real comparison with some singer, and I think a real pick would limit the true essence. I hope my descriptions give at least some idea of what to expect.

Audio : "Khaaneye Doost Kojaast", "Doing Kindness", "Vain Shadows", "Asheghi Peydaast"

Info : http://www.shidi.ir/index.asp?status=discography

Homepage : http://www.shidi.ir & (with audio) : http://www.myspace.com/shidifreinds

Navaaye Homayoon/private

Farzad Golpayegani : One (IR,rec.2002,pub.2004)****'

Farzad is a graphic designer with a deep interest in music. This album he describes himself as an Instrumental Fusion-Metal album, but I personally want to say his music style goes way beyond this description. As a guitarist and composer, here he definitely sets out an intelligent, conscious and crafted vision on guitar driven instrumental music. He has a great technical ability in playing the 7 string Electric Guitar, he uses eastern tunings for Acoustic Guitar, mixes easily different Persian styles from flamenco-like or Persian classical origin with metal and progressive rock.

The recordings are built up around two guitars mostly (both electric or electric with acoustic), electric bass, drums and some Persian percussion. The percussion is not played live but is composed and played by computer programming in a way that it is hardly noticeable, especially the rock and Persian percussion.

But also on the metal passages the compositions are just perfect as they are. While a part of the tracks uses metal as first fundament, this is mixed in the same composition with progressive rock, heavy metal or even has acoustic guitar to it. A few tracks focus more on the Persian fusion, always with tremendous guitar, from Persian acoustic to thoughtful heavy metal solo’s.

The album is so interesting it will be hard to choose highlights for airplay. Recommended !!

The album did not get permission to be released in 2002, but is now available on line in MP3 since 2004.

For live concerts this is the group who performs : Farzad Golpayegani : 7 string electric guitar & acoustic guitar, Behrang Bashash : bass guitar, Mahyar Vosoughi : electric guitar, keyboards, Mahyar Pour Hesabi : drums, Reza Shafeghati : setar, Amir Djadid-Al-Eslam : tombak, daf.

Audio : "33"(-the first, darker heavy metal driven track, mixed with a more progressive rock passage-),

"7" (-a wonderful track in more eastern tunings, with Persian percussion and electric bass-)

Homepage : http://www.farzadonline.com & http://www.myspace.com/farzadgolpayegani

More Info : http://www.vampire-magazine.com/bands/farzad_golpayegani/info/...

& http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=34154

Info on this release : http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?...

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Farzad Golpayegani : Two (IR,rec.2004,2005,unreleased)****°

The second album by Farzad mostly has a progressive heavy metal foundation, but here are added even more ideas and talent in the mix, like a symphonic rock element, or classical music and some bluespsych.

On a couple of tracks the blend of metal, progressive rock and Persian elements, expressed in a mix of acoustic with electric guitars is more than brilliant and rather unique. If this wasn’t enough, a few tracks have additional keyboards which give the compositions even more contrast, depth and content and make the expression even more complete. “21” in this way has symphonic rock capacities within a heavy metal context. On “20” the piano has a truly adapted classical music aspect. Then we also hear an expressive Bach-like tune on organ mixed with some heavy metal guitar, with also some cello added. “19” is progressive/symphonic metal with incredibly fast keyboards and guitars and some modern mixing ideas. “31” is symphonic with a baroque piano and very fast heavy metal electric guitar and bass. “18” used some blues theme mixed with a complex heavy metal composition. Also “10” used some blues riffs, but is again progressive metal, mixed with bluesppsych. “38” surprises once more because of tiny percussive ideas and eastern tuning acoustic guitar mixed with some incredible heavy metal, and some modern mixing.

The album surprises all the way. It is really a shame that such a truly incredible, must-have album couldn’t get any official release yet in Iran. I think it surely deserves the world’s recognition, in the metal as well as the progressive rock milieu.

Last track, “43” is a perfect conclusion, and an example of a blend of all different guitar approaches, starting with progressive Persian guitar rock, with some original rather experimental percussion, acoustic guitars, fuzz guitar and heavy metal guitar.

I must make the same remark as with the first album : it is really hard to take out highlights from the album, because all tracks show some brilliance.

The album surprised me much, even after having heard the first album just before this. I’m sure Farzad’s third album, which is nearly finished, and which is supposed to have a few 20 minute tracks will be as much rewarding.

Audio : "30" (-a wonderful track fusing/blending a great variety of styles just perfectly-), "38" (-another brilliant and perfect blend of acoustic guitar in eastern tuning mixed with heavy and dark metal, with some tiny percussive ideas and a brilliant modern production-) ; Video on youtube

Homepage : http://www.farzadonline.com & http://www.myspace.com/farzadgolpayegani

Info on this release : http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=108464

Article and interview : http://www.zirzamin.se/iranian_guitar/farzad_gholpayegani.html

This release is now available through http://www.clear-spot.nl/catalog/view.php?item_id=273761

Next release->

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Farzad Golpayegani : Three (IR,rec.2008,unreleased)****°

Described as being a “medley of various themes with obvious influences from Iranian and Middle Eastern music” we get here 2 large tracks (of over 16 and 18 minutes), and one of over 6 minutes, with a hidden track which more sounds like a real medley of themes, most of this sounds like a symphonically often guitar arranged advanced and heavy piece of music with many surprises. Heavy metal is a strong influence (bass, the shredding parts of electric guitars, some of the dark metal drumming), but also progressive rock, with melodic and harmonic electric guitars, besides Middle Eastern and Persian themes (also acoustic : on guitars and percussion), touches of Bach (melodies), surprises with additional keyboards (piano, heavy sequenced bass electronica). Farzad succeeds in sounding rather essential once more. Such a shame this didn’t get a permission for a release in Iran, or anywhere else yet. The bonus medley sounds good too but less essential because here it remains more into the heavy metal inspiration mostly without switching and moving creatively from style influence to style influence as much as before. Recommended. Only available as a free download for now.

Downloads : "14","39","47"

Homepage : http://www.farzadonline.com & http://www.myspace.com/farzadgolpayegani

Info band : http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=3540262829

Interview : http://www.regiomusik.de/...

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Farzad Golpayegani : Four -digital release- (IR,rec.2009)****

This more acoustic album is reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/guitar15.html

Info : http://www.last.fm/music/Farzad+Golpayegani

Homepage : http://www.farzadonline.com

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/farzadgolpayegani

& http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/farzadgolpayegani2

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Arashk : Sovereign (IR,2007)***'??

This new album by Arashk continues from the musical foundations of a private studio based metal music inspiration, still it expands this to a bigger concept, musically and intellectually and perhaps with a much deeper interest in connections. There’s a description in the liner notes it is as if this is the story of a jester inside an epic of Persian kings, taken as a metaphor, about finding excuse to find its own way in life and society, in expression. The use of the instruments like the metal guitar interests is like the aggressive surroundings of the fundamentalist state of control, which Iran represents today. The studio environment, the use of a rhythm box as drums (well done as the drumming part) all represents the closed environment, the studio from which all free inspirations cannot escape. It is a shame because here we hear a composer’s vision with an open mind, and with an open progressive sound and compositional evolution, the elements are free within its limitations, as if getting a professional vision trapped within an amateurish situation, the position of a joker amongst kings showing a different way, not able to lose its own small position.

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Arashk : Ustuqus-al-Uss (IR,2008)***'??

This next album by Arashk shows an enormous variety while the main core remains the guitar and partly sort of classical symphonic ideas in some tracks. The album starts immediately with a fully classically arranged composition with keyboard driven string imitations, with a minor rhythm inside leading to a next track that has metal guitar, violin synths and programmed drumming. Some smaller string elements will return here and there. The programmed drumming is done with clever complexity. The sensibility in rhythm changes more often, almost thematically with some surprising and even more up-tempo changes too. Different pedalled guitars are used, with a returning heavier fuzz guitar. Many musical themes follow with their own driven grooves in each track. The album succeeds to keep the attention and the compositions are well worked out with a progressive (music) vision. Although it is a full album it sounds short with a wish for a longer continuation.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/arashkband

& http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arashk2 & http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arashk3

& http://www.arashkband.com/album-Ustuqus-al-Uss.htm

& http://www.arashkband.com/album-Sovereign.htm

Band info : http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/groupe-groupe-Arashk-l-en.html

Homepage : http://www.arashkband.com/

Other review (2008) : http://www.prognaut.com/reviews/arashk.html

& http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=21768

& http://gnosis2000.net/reviews/arashk.htm

Dutch review : http://progopinion.blogspot.com/2011/08/wat-een-week.html