marcusalmightygemineye
Wow...what a great album. Fantastic production by Billy Sherwood and the band. If you lover classic prog rock. .you have to get this. The Man Who Died Two Times and Eggshell Man will be prog classics years from now.
Favorite track: The Man Who Died Two Times.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Includes digital PDF with lyrics and artwork.
Purchasable with gift card
$10USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Autographed Edition! A six-panel digipack with 8 page booklet containing fully illustrated lyrics and credits. Cover artwork by Paul Whitehead.
Includes unlimited streaming of In Extremis
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 3 days
$25USDor more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Six-panel digipack with 8 page booklet containing fully illustrated lyrics and credits. Cover artwork by Paul Whitehead.
Includes unlimited streaming of In Extremis
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 3 days
$20USDor more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Limited first pressing of 450 hand-numbered black 180g double vinyl. Gatefold sleeve with artwork by Paul Whitehead. Printed inner bags with lyrics and credits.
Includes unlimited streaming of In Extremis
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 3 days
edition of 450
$30USDor more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
AUTOGRAPHED EDITION! Limited first pressing of 450 hand-numbered black 180g double vinyl. Gatefold sleeve with artwork by Paul Whitehead. Printed inner bags with lyrics and credits.
Includes unlimited streaming of In Extremis
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Visionary man of the world
Emissary so far from home
In solitary silence so loud
The truth often lies behind a shroud
Flashing back, to the beginning
Retracing all of the memories
Revolving, ever rotating
Opening doors that are waiting
Relentlessly turning the table
Blazing a trail wherever able
Leading the pack, never retreating
Life standing still, time ever fleeting
Visionary man of the world
There’s no replacing what’s been left behind
There’s no returning to that place and time
In sight were all the distant horizons
In flight were all the dreams alive
Traveler,
wonder,
ascend to sky
Black suit, black tie
Fallen over the edge
Gravity will always win
Head down
And bracing for the ground
In an instant
Life turns around
Staring back into yourself
Drifting hello and goodbye
Living two lives
Yours and mine
Drifting hello and goodbye
The man who died two times
Atoms dancing to a metronome heart
Face down on track
Train’s rounding the bend
Waiting to depart again
The distant light is bearing down
In an instant
Life turns around
Staring back into yourself
Drifting hello and goodbye
Living two lives
Yours and mine
Drifting hello and goodbye
The man who died two times
Atoms dancing to a metronome heart
All the angels cried
For the man who died two times
And they wiped away tears of laughter
And helped him to survive
Going to station to station
Always ready to revive
Black suit, black tie
Falling over the edge
All the angels cried
For the man who died two times
And they wiped away tears of laughter
And helped him to survive
Going to station to station
Always ready to revive
The man who died two times
Atoms dancing to metronome heart
Falling down
From so high
Eggshell man
Best laid plans
Dead and gone
Eggshell man
Everything is so clear
Though everyone is so near
I’m still so alone, so alone
Falling down tumbling to the ground
Rising up only to fall back down
Everyone’s disappeared
The innocence has gone
Mesmerized by the fear
Life goes on and on
Fragile worlds crashing down
Eggshell man
A paper tiger’s memoirs
Eggshell man
Legacies falling down
Empires return to dust
No last chances left
No words can save it now
Legacies falling down
Empires return to dust
No last chances left
There’s only
Falling down tumbling to the ground
Rising up only to fall back down
I. MASS (Instrumental)
II. ON THE GROUND
Looking down
Shadows dancing on the ground
No one’s here
The memories play
And then disappear
In future tense
The sole consequence
Of every lie
Show no defense
Accept what comes next
For every life
Overland
Overland
They show us their designs
On the Ground
On the Ground
We just don’t seem to
understand
Hollow men or architects
Of chaos or design
Accidents of chemistry
Forever falling down
Hollow men or architects
Forever falling down
But we don’t make a sound
We don’t make a sound
III A REQUIEM
Summer’s Done
Mother’s gone
Hide away in your denial
Growing old
Growing cold
Seems the key to your survival
Say a prayer
Childhood’s end
Now your fragile world’s been stolen
Love and pain
A requiem
In the end we are all broken
Moving on….
IV. WRITING ON THE WATER
(Instrumental)
V. OVERLAND (Instrumental)
VI. IT NEVER ENDS
So many restless souls screaming out
Always looking for a second time around
Ghosts of old films playing over
Flickering frames without a sound
Images upon the screen
Recanting all the memories
From the first breath
To the last goodbye
Dust dancing on beams of light
Through open windows
Revolving in 3/4 time
Traveler
Hollow man
Always writing on water
Falling down
Eggshell man
Disappeared with no warning
And as the band begins to play
There’s only one thing left to say
That Chaos will die of a broken heart
When Entropy smiles on the broken man
And in the end
love‘s the only thing you can save
And in the end it never ends,
it never ends, never ends
It never ends, never ends.
about
Released in 2013, “In Extremis” is the second album by Days Between Stations.
With a title like ‘In Extremis’ (Latin, In extremity – A term used in reference to the last illness prior to death) one can begin to understand the intensity and sepulchral mood of the musical direction.
Keyboardist Oscar Fuentes explains the concept behind the album, “There’s the saying that your life flashes before your eyes in near death – and, presumably, actual death – experiences, so the album begins at the climax with ‘No Cause For Alarm’ and, as told on ‘Visionary’, ‘flashes back to the beginning’ and then in not strictly chronological order tells the story of our protagonist’s life. Not cheerful stuff, I know, but there’s some humor in there and if you read the lyrics I think ultimately it’s a positive message. I’ve had some personal losses in the last few years, so I tend to grapple with that in my lyrics, while Sepand is going to be a father soon…we tried to integrate those two themes, birth and death, into the lyrics.”
Billy Sherwood comments, “I really enjoyed working with Days Between Stations, the music is very deep and has a mystique about it that was intriguing from the first time I heard the songs. I can’t wait for people to hear this record. Rick Wakeman and Peter Banks of YES, Colin Moulding of XTC and Tony Levin of Peter Gabriel and King Crimson (playing all the bass), all appear as guests on this record which makes it even more unique. I played drums and sang lead vocals on the record and it was a pleasure to do so.”
Founded in 2003 by guitarist Sepand Samzadeh and keyboardist Oscar Fuentes, the duo named themselves after the cult novel by Steve Erickson and have devoted themselves to, as they say, Art Rock and Post Prog – music that reflects their varied influences, as well as shared disregard for stylistic boundaries. This eclecticism continues apace on this follow-up. At times the music recalls Peter Gabriel or ‘Duke’-era Genesis (as on the propulsive “Visionary”, which features Sherwood’s multi-layered vocals and Levin’s driving Stick bass work), or an ambient marriage between Pink Floyd and Lisa Gerrard and Debussy (“In Utero”), or even a cross between Ultravox and Marillion and ‘Abacab’-era Genesis (the Moulding-sung “The Man Who Dies Two Times”), but the band is about more than influences. As Oscar says, “We always try to create something new and not just re-hash a particular sound from the past. Sometimes it’s the unlikely pairing that gives you something fresh.”
Although, Days Between Stations ‘In Extremis’ in some ways retains the dark somber mood of the group’s first album (released to great acclaim in 2007), in other ways the music is completely different. Says Sepand, “There are four clear distinctions between the two albums. The first, is that we are five years older. Which means we have grown as players and have higher expectations of ourselves. The second, which is most noticeable is that we have vocals (with lyrics) on this album. The debut album provides landscapes and layers of sound that allow the imagination to run free. One negative aspect of having vocals is that the mind mainly focuses on the rhythm and lyrical content and often times constrains the music. We wanted a healthy marriage between the two. Even so, there are several instrumental tracks on this album, one in particular is ‘Blackfoot’.” Oscar continues, “It wasn’t really a conscious decision to add vocals to this one – I mean vocals with lyrics. It’s just how the writing went. Sometimes a song tells you what it needs. So that’s different. Also, the album is more thoroughly composed or let’s say it’s more structurally thought out. Although Sepand and I entirely wrote the music, the lyrics were written collaboratively with Billy Sherwood, who was invaluable in bringing more focus to the whole theme, and who in some cases took the idea in a different direction.”
Sepand concludes, “I feel the third difference on the new album is the extensive use of classical and exotic instruments; a full orchestra was employed on the first track, ‘No Cause For Alarm’, an instrumental overture that weaves together many of the main themes from the album. While the track ‘Waltz In E Minor’ is performed by a string quartet, the full orchestra returns (along with an unexpected Barbershop quartet) on the closer, ‘In Extremis’, a 21-plus minute multi-part epic that also features founding YES guitarist Peter Banks. Additionally, a Persian lute called a Tar is featured on the track ‘Eggshell Man’, a song that also features a blistering Moog solo from YES maestro Rick Wakeman. In fact, on ‘Eggshell Man’ Rick Wakeman, Billy Sherwood and Peter Banks play together. This brings me to my final point; when all these legends came together to contribute on this album, we developed a certain obsession to be at our best. Sadly Peter Banks passed away during the making of ‘In Extremis’, making these recordings even more meaningful and special to us.”
Although not necessarily connected to the Prog world, legendary XTC member Colin Moulding graced the album with a sublime lead vocal on the track “The Man Who Died Two Times”, which has also been issued as the album’s first single. Says Oscar, “Billy Sherwood had the idea that Colin’s voice would be perfect for the song and he was right. ‘Oranges and Lemons’, ‘Skylarking’, ‘The Big Express’…all of these I’ve listened to a million times. Another surreal moment for me!” Sepand adds, “Colin began communicating his thoughts on his first listen. I felt so much excitement and creativity from him, there was a great vibe between us. He really brought the song to life.”
Colin Moulding comments, “I had been doing some fun sessions for producer Billy Sherwood when he approached me with a side project that he was working on. It was this band Days Between Stations – an LA group I had never heard of before. It was inventive, extremely melodic, and had a lot of the qualities that got me excited about songs. So it was agreed that I would sing lead vocal on this track ‘The Man Who Died Two Times’. As things have turned out it seems to have been a marriage made in heaven; I think with a little careful handling and the right choice of material, this lot could go a long way.”
Along with the legendary guest artists, the ‘In Extremis’ album cover art was created by famed artist Paul Whitehead, best known for his work with Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator. Says Sepand, “To us, the artwork for an album is just as important as the music. We met with Paul at a coffee shop and I vaguely discussed the concept of the album – as the songs were not fully conceptualized at the time. He came up with some great images – on the spot – about this guy lying on a hospital bed while he was – as our lyrics say – ‘retracing all of the memories’. These memories are whirling around him, while he is in extremis. The great collaboration that we shared with Paul allowed the music and the artwork to become symbiotic…creating a true, tangible concept.”
Veteran engineer William Kaylor (Fleetwood Mac, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson) was also recruited to the project in order to improve the sound quality of the recordings. Once again, Grammy Award winner Evren Göknar, from Capitol Mastering, joins Days Between Stations to master ‘In Extremis’.
credits
released May 15, 2013
Oscar Fuentes Bills & Sepand Samzadeh
Featuring Guest Artists
Peter Banks, Matt Bradford, Tony Levin, Colin Moulding, Ali Nouri, Jeffery Samzadeh, Billy Sherwood, Rick Wakeman
The Barbershop Quartet (Pat Claypool, Matt Gray, Eric Orr, David Rakita), Chris Tedesco & The Angel City Orchestra
Produced by Days Between Stations & Billy Sherwood
Artwork & Logo Design: Paul Whitehead
Photography & Layout: Erik Nielsen
Public Relations Agent: Billy James at Glass Onyon PR
Website and Social Media: Erik Nielsen
Produced by Days Between Stations & Billy Sherwood
Executive Producers: Sam H. Samzadeh & Days Between Stations LLC.
The Angel City Orchestra contracted by Chris Tedesco
The Barbershop Quartet contracted by Jussi Ratsula
Guitar Techs: David Phillips at LA Sound Design (www.lasounddesign.net), Eric Chaz & Brent Hoffort @ Eric’s Guitar Shop (ericsguitarshop.com)
Keyboard Tech and Programming: Josh Humphrey (on “Visionary” & “Man Who Died Two Times”)
Recorded at DBS Studios – San Fernando Valley, CA, USA and CIRCA: HQ Studios – Palmdale, CA, USA
Engineering:
► For Days Between Stations: Bill Kaylor at DBS Studios, San Fernando Valley, CA, USA
► For Peter Banks: Leigh Darlow at Earth Works Studios, Barnet, England
► For Tony Levin: Tony Levin, New York, USA
► For Colin Moulding: Colin Moulding, England
► For Billy Sherwood: Billy Sherwood at CIRCA: HQ Studios, Palmdale, CA, USA
► For Rick Wakeman: Erik Jordan at Tower Mill Studios, Norfolk, England
► For Orchestra: Damon Tedesco at Conway Recording Studios, Studio A, Hollywood, CA, USA
► For the Barbershop Quartet:
David Gebben at Audioman Studios, Fullerton, CA, USA
Mixed by Billy Sherwood @ CIRCA: HQ Studios – Palmdale, CA
Mastered by Evren Göknar at Capitol Records, Hollywood, CA, USA
Music written by Days Between Stations: Oscar Fuentes Bills (Days Between Stations LLC. BMI), Sepand Samzadeh (Days Between Stations, LLC. ASCAP).
Vocal Melodies and Lyrics: Oscar Fuentes Bills (Days Between Stations LLC. BMI), Sepand Samzadeh (Days Between Stations, LLC. ASCAP) and Billy Sherwood (Backyard Levitation Inc. ASCAP).
Publishing: Oscar Fuentes Bills (Days Between Stations LLC. BMI), Sepand Samzadeh (Days Between Stations, LLC. ASCAP) and Billy Sherwood (Backyard Levitation Inc. ASCAP).
Music Arranged by Days Between Stations except for:
► “The Man Who Died Two Times” arranged by Days Between Stations and Billy Sherwood
► Orchestral arrangements by Days Between Stations
► Orchestrated by Oscar Fuentes Bills
Absolutely hooked on this album from first listen. How rare is that with prog!??? Excellent songwriting and musicianship. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of the collection. Thomas Lock
The new live EP by Ryan W. Stevenson's project reminded me, that this debut album must have been gone down the wishlist... If instrumental Canterbury stuff is your thing, this should be a no-brainer. Firmly rooted in the past (late 60s, 70s), nevertheless with a fresh sound. Guests incude The Tangent's Andy Tillison and Soft Machine's Theo Travis. Carsten Pieper
Throwing mathcore, emo, and ambient into the mix, Estonia's Kaschalot push progressive rock's multitasking approach to its limits. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 10, 2021