Is the mission of music to better humankind? Not necessarily, though messages in the music created by Jon Anderson (lyricist/front man for Yes) and avant garde composer Vangelis inspire us to see the world from an altruistic perspective. Remember “We Are the World”? Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1985, the song was influential enough to have two artist-studded releases 25 years apart.

There are those who’ll say that music, in and of itself, betters humankind. I’m one of them. And thankfully, today’s method of distribution for music has leveled the playing field, so thought-provoking indie bands are having their say—in a big way. The debut album of Six Elements, aptly named Primary
Elements, definitely has something to say, a distinct way to say it, with a couple of progressive-rock greats adding to the conversation.

Wise Words

Stanley Whitaker (Happy the Man, Oblivion Sun) and Dave DeMarco (Oblivion Sun, Battery Apple) join eyboardist/composer Michael (Misha) Shengaout in reminding us of powerful ideals for living expressed so eloquently in Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem “If”. You might have had to memorize it in high school—“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” The poem not only sparked Shengaout’s quest for the purpose in life’s ups and downs and how to face them with integrity, Kipling’s classic was the genesis of the music.

The poem “If” set to music is the album’s centerpiece, and the band applies the same harmonic treatment to William Henley’s poem “Invictus”. (The film “Invictus” with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman refers to the poem in the title. If you want to be the master of your fate and the captain of your soul, it’s worth the read.) The entire album advances a thought-provoking idea—that the harmonies of music can help us see the harmonies in life if we can look past the frenetic daily grind, our personal challenges and the woes of the world. Raise your hand if you think we can all use a heavy dose of that wisdom.

Rock Meets “Rach”

I’m particularly intrigued by their musical influences—shades of Pink Floyd’s sweet guitars, Peter Gabriel and early Genesis, beautifully infused with the symphonic styles of Russian composers Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky—proving that seemingly disparate grooves can come together to produce rich, ear-worthy harmonies. The core band, along with a couple of session musicians, all contributed a share of their soul to the album as well.

Whitaker, a cancer survivor, translates the emotional effects of his life experience into moving vocals. Jeff McGahren, who put his faith in the concept album as soon as he learned about it, unleashes his guitar talents. Misha Shengaout, on keyboards and samples, composed much of the music and lives up to his potential in many ways—this project is a dream his positivity made real. Renowned bassist Dave DeMarco sat in on the session as did Marc Norgaard on drums. The result speaks for itself.

If you’re into progressive rock, you should check out the Six Elements web site. It tells their story better than I ever could and expands on the motivation behind their music. It deserves to be heard.

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Susan Hawkins is a writer for online literary magazine All Things If, a longtime fan of indie bands and a great believer in the message Six Elements hopes to deliver .

Souljacker deliver powerful songs that have soul and an unashamed stadium rock feel. A five piece band from the North Cotswolds, Souljacker have earned the reputation of representing Classic Rock in a classy manner. The band’s sheer hard work and raw talent create their accomplished sound. Grooving bass, BIG drums, funky keyboards, pure guitar solos and gritty powerful vocals are what Souljacker are about. The band showcase their musical ablity from the bluesy ‘Moonshine’ and full on rock ‘Eat My Dust’ to the smooth classic ‘Oracle Bones’. ‘This band looks like it absolutely loves to play together, and the joy is infectious’.

Originally formed by Patrick Burley (guitar/vocals), Rowan Mayo (bass) and Josh Catling (drums) as ‘Devious Steve’ in September 2004, the band rapidly built up an enthusiastic following in the Oxon/Glos area playing their own rock tracks. In the summer of 2005 they appeared on the Riverside Stage at the Oxford Cornbury Festival and the acclaim they won there inspired them to continue developing their brand of original material, renaming as Souljacker in late 2005 with guitarist Hamish Denny on board. In 2006 they were joined by keyboard player Robbie Moore and their song writing has since gone from strength to strength. ‘Musically, each band member brings something to the party, but none of them fall into the trap of gratuitous soloing. To them the song is king, and they band together to deliver it within an inch of its life’.

Ultimate Guitar voted Souljacker Best Unsigned Band for March 2008 and named it one of their Band’s of the Year for 2008. Souljacker was also this year’s winner of the Mooncalf Battle of the Bands competition, which was entered by nearly 300 bands nationwide. The band have achieved airplay on Kerrang Radio, Rock Radio UK and Rock Radio USA. This year has seen the band nominated for two awards in the Exposure Music Awards. ‘Oracle Bones’ was nominated for Best Blues/Jazz song and the band was also nominated for Best Live Act. The band is also taking part in The Surface Unsigned 2009 and has already reached Stage 2 which takes place in May. ‘I have no doubt that Souljacker will impact heavily onto a larger musical world which is lacking good, classic rock and roll’.

After 24 years of keeping the faith & the exit of yet another drummer, on October 15th 2008 remaining members of the band Lynzee created a basic Myspace as a tribute to their history and a place for fans past & present to meet. They had no idea what would come of this little endeavor…By December 2008 the band found new life when they were discovered by Kimmy from RETROSPECT RECORDS one the worlds largest independent rock/metal reissue labels. They were immediately offered a multi-release record deal. They agreed to re-release 3 of their classic albums complete with new unreleased material as well as a 4th new release in 2010. The ultimate bonus was the return of one of the original drummers Bill Haertel… as of 2010 Lynzee is BACK IN BLACK.

Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, LYNZEE was formed by Canadian Artist Richard Lindsey in 1985. Transplanted to the streets of Hollywood in 1977, Richard began his obsession with Heavy Metal when he picked up his first KISS, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath albums & a Les Paul. After years of playing in local bands & backyard parties Richard formed LYNZEE. The band hit the Hollywood scene in the 1980′s performing at many of the legendary nightclubs & abroad.

In Your Face ARENA Rock n Roll, with Metal groove to spare. Guitars, Solos, Pounding Bass, Killer Drummer, Memorable hooks, put it all together and you have a Fantastic collection of Ultra Cool Heavy Melodic ARENA Metal, MONSTER musicians & Kick Ass Rock n Roll born in the 1980s!

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