Damanek—ostensibly a progressive rock supergroup but in reality much more than words like ‘supergroup’ or ‘side project’ can represent—are one of those gems in the contemporary prog scene whose light gleams truly multifaceted. Their music incorporates arrangements owing as much to the 80’s & 90’s as to the 70’s, blends popular music influences from rock to soft rock to folk to cabaret to new jack swing, and ties high concepts down with crafted lyricism and musicality that remembers that music can be fun.
Recently, Damanek writer/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Guy Manning has been teasing new writing & recording for the band via social media. With a recent blast to the band’s email newsletter subscribers, Manning has expanded on those teases with an overview of what to expect from the upcoming Damanek album.
The new album is called Making Shore (working title), a continuation of the two-word traveling themes of the previous On Track and In Flight. Like On Track and the United Progressive Fraternity work from which it sprung, Making Shore makes a thematic return to ecological concerns—2018’s In Flight, while socially conscious by any standard, focused more on the experiences of human groups and individuals. The newsletter also provides working titles and brief descriptions for 9 compositions being prepared for the album:
“1. A Mountain of Sky (about the solitude and aloofness of Mount Everest)
2. A Crown of Thorns (about the decline of the Great Barrier Reef)
3. Back2Back (looks at the concern around Global arising from over population)
4. Reflections on Copper (a observation on the debilitation brought through Dementia)
5. In Deep Blue [Sea Songs Part One] (a tale of personal fear overcome!…)
6. Noon Day Candles (an appeal to the World Stage about child hunger and a belief that each and every voice makes a difference in addressing the issue)
7. Self-Composed (an introspective personal look at my own song writing)
8. Americana (narrates the impact of Climate change on a fictional US farm)
9. Oculus – this is an epic, Gothic tale dealing with the perils of inter-dimensional travel … it is a bit involved, but the story will unfold!!!”
Though Making Shore will likely not release until late spring 2020, the details revealed so far should more than whet the appetites of fans and hopefully will shine a lighthouse beacon for fans-to-be.
I’ve enjoyed Guy’s work over the years, from The Tangent through to his “solo” stuff as Manning. Looking forward to this one.
Thanks!