It happens at The Underworld, and the bands playing are:

Tin Spirits (pictured here)

Panic Room

Sanguine Hum

The Reasoning

Tickets cost £17.

Words: Malcolm Dome

Any band called Fun must be boring, right? It’s that ancient rule (which I’ve just made up) that musos who use a name which suggests rock ’n’ roll action are usually drab. Not here, though. The album Aim And Ignite (Fueled By Ramen) comes at ya like a combination of Cheap Trick, Queen and ELO. If you recall Something Corporate, then this lot aren’t too far removed. New heroes of pop-rockism.

The Reasoning proved at High Voltage earlier this year that they’re a class act. Now you can see the young prog band’s set that day on the DVD Highway To High Voltage (Comet Music). You know what? They really were damn good that day. The band also enhance their growing reputation with acoustic album Acoustically Speaking (Comet Music), proving that the combination of quality musicianship and good songs is a winner.

Veteran boogie band Foghat return with new album Last Train Home (Angel Air). It’s business as usual for this lot. High grade blues-rock with that southern momentum. At this stage in their career, you’d not expect the ’Hat to suddenly do something different, would you? No sign of emo influences here!

Wolf People are a psychedelic/folk band. They come from Bedford (hardly prog central!), and make music that’s intricate, off the wall and at times just a touch disturbing. But Steeple (JagJaguwar) is the sort of album that will keep you coming back for more. Not exactly full of festive cheer, it’s the sort of album that demands you’re slightly stoned and in need of something stimulating and challenging.

While Heaven Wept are among the finest of all the current epic melancholic metal acts (EMMA, if you wanna go the mnemonic route). But can they deliver live? Oh yes. As is proven by Triumph: Tragedy: Transcendence (Cruz Del Sur). This is a majestic album, with the band in tremendous form. There’s also a bonus DVD. While Heaven Wept really are among the best metal bands around, and word has it they’ve just signed to Nuclear Blast. Their profile is sure to rise in 2011.

Survivor seemed to have been dogged by that song (you know the Rocky horror one!) throughout their career. But the fact is that they’re one of the best AOR bands around. The reissue of 1984’s Vital Signs (Rock Candy) shows their pedigree. This is perhaps their best album, and it’s been lovingly restored and enhanced. Every track’s a winner.

The massive reissues Triumph campaign by Frontiers Records gives us all another chance to witness of the great Canadian bands in their pomp. Hard to cherry pick selected albums from the 10 on offer, so just go for the box set featuring them all. Oh, alright if you really insist in narrowing it down, then Progressions Of Power, Allied Forces, Never Surrender and The Sport Of Kings are maybe the ones to target.

Veteran extreme metallers Atheist return with perhaps the best album of their career. Jupiter (Season Of Mist) is their first since reuniting in 2006, and not only does it have the brutality and technical excellence which punctuated their work in the 1990s, but also a ferocious groove. A modern album with the traditional touch.

Finally, Savannah’s Kylesa are part of the same tradition as Baroness and Mastodon. They’ve elements of sludge, psychedelia and early 70s heavy rock in there. And Spiral Shadow (Season Of Mist) brings it all together in a brilliant package of quiet passages and blaring power. If you can imagine a metallic version of cult prog rockers Jade Warrior, then you’re on the mark.

Words: Geoff Barton

The first band of Day Two were The Reasoning on the Prog Stage. The big surprise was seeing frontwoman Rachel Cohen dressed in a decidedly non-prog outfit of a plain-looking white vest and matching shorts; close your eyes and it could almost have been (utter heresy, we know) Lily Allen. Otherwise it was business as usual – moments of delightful waftiness set against periods of extreme heaviness, with unexpected Yes-style veers in direction to keep you on your toes. There was an amusing nudge-nudge moment when Cohen proclaimed: “It’s our job to get your vocal cords lubricated for the day – oo-er!” Closing song Aching Hunger was ace, the crowd chanting along with the mantra: ‘I’ve got that aching hunger, won’t you help me feed it.’ A singalong challenge for an ordinary rock crowd maybe, but the prog hordes, naturally, took it in their stride.

Somehow in recent years The Quireboys – who at one point seemed destined for the dumpster – have become A National Treasure. Frontman Spike has a real swagger about him these days, and he’s got that perilous mic-stand-twirling thing completely off pat as well – something that never used to happen back in the old days (we’ve got the forehead scars to prove it). Spike’s voice has matured as well, somehow becoming gruffer but also richer. Mona Lisa Smiled exuded class and There She Goes Again was celebratory and spectacular.

“To your prog-rock collection point please.” Yep, it was time to venture toward the Prog Stage again, this time to hear Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash play their classic Argos* album in its entirety. If you’ve been following the epic debate on the Classic Rock website, you’ll know that many doubt the legitimacy of Turner’s version of the Ash. Well, everything sounded mighty fine to us; songs such as Time Was and The King Will Come (a near-perfect rendition) were gentle, measured and stylish – the perfect accompaniment to a glorious English (note: English) sunny summer’s day. This was an epic, 70-minute set but to the Ash’s credit it never flagged. There was a fine moment when, after a particularly tasty guitar solo from Ray Hatfield, Turner bellowed: “Ray Hatfield – rubbish!” Which, of course, he wasn’t. Turner also reminisced about the time when the Ash played outdoors in London at the Oval (we believe it was a Melody Maker Poll Awards concert) “in 1927… sorry, it was 1972.” A nice bit of self-deprecation. *Alright, we know it’s really called Argus.

Over at the Metal Hammer stage, Wales’ finest young rock band, Lethargy, proved their worth with a storming set full of angsty complexity. This was a monstrous performance peppered with true class; surely there are great things in prospect for this fresh-faced and enthusiastic four-piece. Show closer Purification – also the title of their current album, out now on Classic Rock’s Powerage label – sounded suitably mayhemic and maniacal. Breathtaking stuff.

UFO’s first song on the Main Stage, Save Me, was a curious choice of set-opener with its slow pace, acoustic slide-guitar intro and all. Then things went horribly wrong when Vinnie Moore’s guitar (the electric variety this time) refused to work on Only You Can Rock Me. Singer Phil Mogg remained remarkably unphased, however, remarking: “This is why we never got on the X Factor, give us a slow handclap.” Moore’s guitar was eventually restored and from there UFO never looked back, bombarding the crowd with classic after classic: Lights Out, Love To Love et al.

A quick dash back to the Metal Hammer Stage, where we found Audrey Horne kicking up a storm. We’ll admit to being totally unfamiliar with this Norwegian combo’s music, although we do know that they took their name from Sherilynn Fenn’s character in Twin Peaks. So there! But we were massively impressed by their hard rock/post grunge shtick. Even though singer Toschie was dressed like a hospital porter in his all-white outfit, he had something of the Geoff Tate about him. Audrey Roberts (sorry, Horne) might sound intense and overwrought at times, but they’re never less than interesting.

We wish we could say the same of High On Fire, who followed the Horne on the MH Stage. This alleged power trio did nothing for us, and frontman Matt Pike’s guttural vocals were, to be honest, rubbish. There were precious few clues to the band’s stoner metal background – Pike having been the guitarist in the totally legendary Sleep – which struck us a trifle odd. Still, if you like the thought of Slayer being played at 33-and-a-third rpm on a hi-fi made of soggy cardboard, HOF could be right up your street. For those bemoaning the lack of a Pete Way arse-crack moment during UFO’s set – Way being replaced in UFO by Barry Sparks these days – Pike provided that very experience, his beer-gut pushing the waistband of his jeans down repeatedly to reveal you-know-what.

Back on the Prog Stage – a spectacular success for High Voltage; who would’ve thought it?! – Steve Hackett’s supremely musicianly set had the crowd in raptures. Interestingly, the ex-Genesis guitarist had two gals in his band: rhythm guitarist Amanda Lehmann and bassist… oh, hang on a minute… it’s actually Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo! Wearing a skirt! Now we’ve seen everything. A special mention, too, for saxophonist Rob Townsend who supplied some memorable interjections in the manner of the parp-meister himself, David Jackson of Van der Graaf Generator fame.

We saw Bachman Turner at Sweden Rock a few weeks back, and the best phrase we could come up with to describe them was ‘entertainingly decrepit’. That still held true for High Voltage, but you couldn’t knock it. BT had a great groove and songs such as Roll On Down The Highway, Rolling Along and Hey You were simplistic but highly effective. Still, that didn’t stop the couple in front of us from sitting cross-legged on their straw mats, reading the Sunday papers in seemingly bored fashion. More fool them. There was a memorable moment when Randy Bachman proclaimed: “We’re back!” (Shouldn’t that be: “We’re Bach?” – Ed.) And did they play You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet? Well, to answer that question, the words ‘bears’, ’shit’ and ‘woods’ spring to mind.

* Stay tuned to the Classic Rock website for Malcolm Dome’s verdicts on the rest of Sunday’s bands.

WHERE: London Victoria Park

WHEN: July 24 and 25

‘Custom built by rock fans for rock fans’ goes the quote – and that’s no hype. Because this festival has been created by the promoters with one thought in mind: what would we like to see, and how would we like to be treated?

Over the days, across three stages (Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog), there’s an entire spectrum of excellent bands. The giants such as ELP, ZZ Top,  Black Label Society, Transtlantic, Marillion and Down. There’s the reunion of the original Argent line-up. There’s Uriah Heep doing the whole of their classic album Demons And Wizards (with guest guitarist Micky Moody). And Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash doing Argus in its entirety. There are the young talents like The Reasoning, Touchstone, New Device and Lethargy getting the chance to impress. There’s the chance to see Joe Elliott and Ian Hunter together in the Down ‘N’ Outz. And there’s also the chance to pay a fitting homage to Ronnie James Dio with the last ever Heaven & Hell performance.

You’ll also have the chance of getting official souvenir edition CDs on the spot of performances from seven bands on the bill: ELP, Marillion, Asia, Argent, Focus, Uriah Heep and Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash. This is being done by Concert Live, the instant music specialists.

But there’s a lot more going on beyond the three stages. For a start there’s Eagle Vision pop-up cinema, showing some of the best rock and metal documentaries, and also playing host to Q&A sessions with both Rick Wakeman and Randy Bachman.

The famed Ace Café relocates to the festival, serving up some fine rock ‘n’ roll and also a display of rare hot rods and classic motorbikes. There’s also an exhibition of vintage cars and bikes, out together by the Classic Car Club. You can also enter an air guitar competition, overseen by Air Guitar UK, and visit the Ronnie James Dio Tribute Gallery.

It’s gonna be two special days of all round, essential rock entertainment.

Find out more at www.highvoltagefestival.co.uk

The band, who started in 2005, have been very busy since the release of their third album Adverse Camber earlier this year. On July 19, they will put out an acoustic album called Acoustically Speaking. Say the band:

“Since the band’s inception, we have always enjoyed performing acoustic versions of our songs. On the recent Adverse Camber tour, we introduced In The Future and Sacred Shape as full acoustic songs. This went down so well that we had many requests from the audience to release these as commercially available studio recordings. We’ve decided to go one better and record an entire album of alternative, acoustic interpretations of many of our best known tracks.”

The Reasoning – Rachel Jones (vocals/percussion), Dylan Thompson ((guitar/vocals), Owain Roberts (guitar), Maria Owen (vocals/acoustic guitar), Tony Turrell (keyboards/vocals), Matthew Cohen (bass) and Jake Bradford Sharp (drums) – have also lined up a special High Voltage warm-up show at The Peel in Kingston, Surrey on July 23. They’ll also be playing:

Aug. 13: Cheltenham Frog & Fiddle

Aug. 14: Wimbledon Prince Of Wales

Aug. 20: Pollington (near Doncaster) Simply Indian

Aug. 22: Newhall (near Derby) St. John’s Hall

Aug, 30: Bridgnorth Music Festival

Now you can download the song 14 for free at http://www.thereasoning.com/14.html

Find out more about the band at www.thereasoning.com

The US four-piece are signed to Classic Rock’s Powerage label in the UK.

The band are an amalgam of many sounds – part classic rock and part prog.

As the legendary Mike Portnoy (Dream Theatre, Transatlantic) said in 2009: “Big Elf blow my mind. Cheat The Gallows is my favourite album of the year.”

The latest line-up by day for High Voltage is as follows:

Saturday, 24 July 2010:

Main Stage: ZZ Top, Foreigner, Gary Moore, The Answer, The Union

Metal Hammer Stage: Black Label Society, Saxon, Cathedral, HammerFall, Orange Goblin, Black Spiders, New Device

Prog Stage: Transatlantic, Asia, Dweezil Zappa, Big Elf, Focus, Pendragon, Touchstone

Sunday, 25 July 2010:

Main Stage: Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Joe Elliott with very special guest Ian Hunter, Down ‘N’ Outz, Joe Bonamassa, Bachman & Turner, UFO, Quireboys

Metal Hammer Stage: Down, Opeth, Clutch, High On Fire, Audrey Horne, Lethargy

Prog Stage: Marillion, Argent, Uriah Heep, Magnum, Steve Hackett, Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash, The Reasoning

High Voltage also offers a wide range of added attractions to make it the ultimate festival experience.

These include:

* Air guitar championship

* The Victoria, a pub serving award-winning real ales

* Fine food including Spectacular Suasages, Roaming Rotisserie. Pure Pie and Goodness Gracious Healthy Foods (the UK’s leading mobile vegetarian caterers)

* Classic car and motorbike exhibition

* A fairground including 1950s dodgems and a Victorian helter skelter

* Wall of death – the legendary, death-defying test of nerve and skill

* Vinyl exchange area filled, of course, with classic rock and metal!

High Voltage takes place on July 24/25 at London’s Victora Park.

For ticket details go here.

For info about VIP tickets, including the recently launched ‘Rock God’ package, go here.

WHERE: Poole Mr. Kyp’s

WHEN: Wednesday, April 21

As proggies The Reasoning prepare to release new album Adverse Camber (out on May 3), their third, they also go back on the road – for the first time in 18 months!

“We haven’t toured properly since we supported Fish,” says bassist Matthew Cohen. “We’re gagging to go out and play live again.”

The Reasoning have undergone a major line-up transformation recently. The look band also has Rachel Cohen (vocals/percussion), Dylan Thompson (guitar/vocals), Owain Roberts (guitar), Maria Owen (vocals/acoustic guitar), Tony Turrell (keyboards/vocals) and Jake Bradford-Sharp (drums).

“I think we are a lot more focused now and, dare I say it, also more mature,” laughs the bassist. “All of us feel the new album is more cohesive. What we’re gonna do on this tour is everything from Adverse Camber, but in one block. That can be too much for fans to take, so we’ll spread it throughout the set, mixing it up with songs from our other albums, Awakening (2006) and Dark Angel (2008).

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how the fans react to the new stuff. I remember going to see Iron Maiden at Cardiff St. David’s Hall in 1986, and I was so excited to hear songs from the new album at the time, Somewhere In Time.”

This is the start of a hectic period for the band, with dates planned throughout the year as well as more recording, plus work on other projects.

Right now, here’s how The Reasoning’s UK touring schedule looks after Poole:

April 22: York Fibbers

April 23: Bristol Fleece

April 24: London Islington O2 Academy

April 25: Bilston Robin 2

April 29: Bury Met

April 30: Glasgow Cathouse

May 2: Leicester Y Theatre

May 13: Cambridge Junction

July 25: London Victoria Park High Voltage Festival

Find out more at www.thereasoning.com

The Swedish progressive death metallers, led by Mikael Akerfeldt, are celebrating their 20^th anniversary this year. High Voltage will be the only UK festival they play in 2010.

Opeth join a roster that also includes Heaven & Hell, Black Label Society, Foreigner, Asia, UFO, Gary Moore – and headliners ELP and ZZ Top.

Our stellar line-up runs across two days and three stages – Main Stage, Prog Stage and Metal Hammer Stage.

The line-up confirmed to date is as follows:

Main stage – Emerson, Lake & Palmer, ZZ Top, Foreigner, Heaven & Hell, Bachman Turner, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, UFO, The Answer, The Quireboys, The Union…

Prog Stage – Opeth, Transatlantic, Asia, Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa, Marillion, Argent, Steve Hackett, Focus, Pendragon, Uriah Heep, Magnum, Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash, The Reasoning, Touchstone…

Metal Hammer Stage – Black Label Society, Down, Venom, Clutch, High On Fire, Audrey Horne, New Device, Lethargy, Orange Goblin…

The High Voltage Festival is set to take place in London’s Victoria Park on July 24 and 25.

Standard tickets are priced £135 (for weekend tickets) and £75 (for day tickets).

Tickets are available from www.highvoltagefestival.com or 24hr cc ticketline 0871 230 5582.

More bands will be added soon, so stay tuned to the Classic Rock website.

The latest bands add to an already stellar line-up that will run across two days and three stages – Main Stage, Prog Stage and Metal Hammer Stage.

The High Voltage Festival is set to take place in London’s Victoria Park on July 24 and 25, with headline appearances from Emerson Lake And Palmer and ZZ Top.

Tickets are available from www.highvoltagefestival.com or 24hr cc ticketline 0871 230 5582.

Here’s the scam on our six new High Voltage additions:

Transatlantic (Prog Stage) – A rare performance from the prog-rock supergroup made up of Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), Pete Trewavas (Marillion), Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater). The band released their latest album The Whirlwind in late 2009 to widespread critical acclaim.

Venom (Metal Stage) – Venom’s seminal 1982 album Black Metal spawned an entire genre. Acknowledged as a major influence by Metallica, Slayer and countless extreme metal bands, Venom are still led by iconic frontman Cronos, who was a guest star on Dave Grohl’s Probot album.

UFO (Main Stage) – One of Britain’s all-time great hard rock bands. Say no more.

The Quireboys (Main Stage) – One of the surprise stars of last year’s Hard Rock Hell, The Quireboys are, in their own words, “purveyors of the finest English good-time rock’n’roll since 1984” – a band in the tradition of The Rolling Stones and The Faces. But then you probably knew that already.

The Union (Main Stage) – The Union are a new band formed by Luke Morley, formerly the guitarist for Thunder, and ex-Winterville vocalist/guitarist Peter Shoulder.

Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa (Prog Stage) – Dweezil Zappa and band play a greatest-hits set of the music from his father, the maverick rock legend Frank Zappa. The band return to the UK for the first time since a sell-out tour in 2008.

…All of which means that the confirmed High Voltage line-up to date is as follows:

Main stage – Emerson, Lake & Palmer, ZZ Top, Foreigner, Heaven & Hell, Bachman Turner, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, UFO, The Answer, The Quireboys, The Union…

Prog Stage – Transatlantic, Asia, Zappa Plays Zappa, Marillion, Argent, Steve Hackett, Focus, Pendragon, Uriah Heep, Magnum, Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash, The Reasoning, Touchstone…

Metal Stage – Black Label Society, Down, Venom, Clutch…

More bands will be added soon, so stay tuned to the Classic Rock website.

Heep will be playing their classic 1972 album Demons & Wizards in its entirety.

Not to be outdone, one of the previously announced bands – Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash – will be performing the Ash’s equally classic 1972 release Argus from beginning to end.

The High Voltage line-up is shaping up as follows:

HEADLINERS:

•    ZZ TOP (July 24) and ELP (July 25)

PLUS:

•    HEAVEN & HELL

•    FOREIGNER (whose new album Can’t Slow Down is released in Europe on March 1)

•    BACHMAN & TURNER

PROG STAGE:

•    ASIA

•    MARILLION

•    ARGENT

•    STEVE HACKETT

•    MARTIN TURNER’S WISHBONE ASH (performing Argus)

•    URIAH HEEP (performing Demons & Wizards)

•    THE REASONING

•    TOUCHSTONE

•    PENDRAGON

•    FOCUS

METAL HAMMER STAGE:

•    BLACK LABEL SOCIETY

•    CLUTCH

The High Voltage Festival is set to take place in London’s Victoria Park.

More bands will be added to the line-up soon – so stay tuned to the Classic Rock website.

For ticket details go here.