"I have followed Aethellis for a very long time. Their brand of progressive rock features plenty of links to the classic era of the genre, but it also gets into fresh territory. This new album is fairly short, but it's got some great music within its playing time. It's a fine addition to the group's catalog."
"I’m not sure if it’s just me, or do you sometimes hanker after some classic sounding prog from new bands? I’m after a classic, long piece that offers room for improvisation, uses strong reoccurring melodies and has some emotional value to it. Well in this Baltimore based band I think I may have found what I’m looking for, or at least something akin to it."
The band returned to two favorite venues in August 2024. Also, bassist Erik Marks and keyboardist Ellsworth Hall joined guitar virtuoso and auxiliary member Vince Vigliotti at The North Carroll Center in Hampstead again along with percussionist Larry Hale and multi-instrumentalist Kim Myers on January 21 and February 18, 2025.
By Boulevard Denim (reprinted with permission from the Boulevard Denim Den blog)
The latest Aethellis release differs from the previous three as the spotlight is on guitarist/vocalist Mark Van Natta, both compositionally and vocally. Keyboardist Ellsworth Hall only sings on two tracks, "Anandia" and "Another Car." It's not clear who is singing on "Pathdancer" as it sounds like neither Ellsworth or Mark.
The album personnel this go-round consists of just Ellsworth Hall (keyboards, vocals, guitar, drum controller), Mark Van Natta (guitar, vocals, bass, keyboard) and Erik Marks (bass). Absent is drummer Mike Harrington who contributed top-drawer playing on the previous two albums with such tracks as "Sounds Good" and "Janice." However, it has come to light that while those previous releases were touted in reviews as having "full band" performances (and thereby satisfying the reviewers' bias that they were more desirable), Ellsworth actually contributed a major portion of the drum tracks, as well as some guitar and keyboard bass. But no surprise there as he handled all that and vocals on the first album; this is well known.
But Mark Van Natta is a strong influence on The Affinity Oeuvre, contributing Pop, Funk and Jazz tracks to the mix.
The album kicks off with a 12-minute Prog tune, "Anandia" (about a child refugee of war) with piano intro, Mellotron sounds, catchy melodies and odd time signature riffs. And a bit of dissonance in the instrumental section. This track is Ellsworth's sole prog contribution with some soaring vocal harmonies. Of Aethellis epics, only "A Home In Your Thoughts/Second Home In Your Thoughts" (from the previous release) clocks in longer at 15 minutes.
Mark's influence is evident with "Affinifunk," a Funk tune with a nice groove and fabulous blistering guitar solo.
"Pathdancer" is Ellsworth's sole Jazz contribution to the album complete with scat singing towards the end. Tasteful playing with lots of modulations. Like many of Tony Banks' compositions, Ellsworth never stays in one key for very long.
Then we move into Pop territory with Mark's tunes "Do Like I Do" (complete with a brass ensemble finale) and "Dreams On Pause," a lament to the confinements of the COVID period. Another Mark Van Natta pop tune with a Greg Hawkes-style synth solo, "Let Me Be Me" rounds out the pop selections. Mark also played bass on these tracks as well as a bit of keyboard. And, of course, performed the vocals. An all-arounder as well!
"Another Car" (music by Ellsworth with lyrics by Ed Hopf) is an amusing homage/satire of New Wave songs from the early 80s. But a bit more dissonant in places than actual songs from the period. Progressive New Wave?
Another excursion into Jazz, the Hank Levy-inspired "Chicago News" penned by Mark Van Natta, is a tour de force of odd time signatures and big band arrangements.
We return to Funk with bassist Erik Marks' "The Stennis Compromise" (a Watergate reference?). A solid bass groove and jazz chords are the highlight of this short ditty.
The album is rounded out with Mark's reggae-influenced "Why Do You Keep Fighting" (a call for peace) and the bizarre jazz-fusion track "RIP" which is rather dissonant, with fast and furious guitar work. The guitar's quartal harmonies add to the jazz flavor although Jazz-Fusion has been called prog rock's cousin. "RIP" is a co-written track with Ellsworth from their Affinity Band days (hence the album title).
So, if you're looking for a full-on prog album, you might be disappointed in The Affinity Oeuvre.. While it contains some prog elements, it spans other genres such as New Wave, Jazz-Fusion, Funk and Pop. "RIP" for example is far from mainstream, if not strictly prog. But if you're willing to be open to Aethellis' take on other genres you might enjoy it. Prog is an eclectic melting pot of different styles after all. The album has some of Mark Van Natta's best guitar solos.
The album is on the Revolution Records label.
Note: This review originally posted on Boulevard Denim's new blog, Boulevard Denim's Den.
Aethellis' next (4th) release is due soon from release in 2023 on the Melodic Revolution Records label.
Keyboardist/vocalist/composer Ellsworth Hall received the gift of a Mellotron in 2018 from his wife Cheryl and is using it on the new album (and at gigs).
Ellsworth and guitarist/vocalist Mark Van Natta have composed and recorded the tracks for most of the new album with another track co-authored by Ellsworth and bassist Erik Marks.
The album title is The Affinity Oeuvre as it features new versions of several tunes originally written by Ellsworth and Mark during their Affinity/Affinity Music Library era. Plus there will be all new material.
The album release is scheduled for 2023 on the Melodic Revolution Records label.
Aethellis' recording for the next (4th) release is underway if a bit delayed due to COVID-19.
Keyboardist/vocalist/composer Ellsworth Hall received the gift of a Mellotron last year from his wife Cheryl and is using it on the new album (and at gigs).
Ellsworth and guitarist/vocalist Mark Van Natta have composed and recorded the basic tracks for most of the new material with a few tracks yet to be done. Once the basic tracks are all completed they will be forwarded to bassist/vocalist Erik Marks for his contributions. Erik is expected to compose his own solo composition for the new album.
The album title is tentatively The Affinity Oeuvre as it features new versions of several tunes originally written by Ellsworth and Mark during their Affinity/Affinity Music Library era. Plus there will be all new material.
The album release is scheduled for 2021 on the Melodic Revolution Records label.
I have been a fan and admirer of Phil Collins for around four decades and certainly consider him to be one of the finest musicians in Rock music as a songwriter, arranger, producer, drummer and singer.
I really have enjoyed his witty and clever writing in his new book Not Dead Yet ("pram perambulation" among other gems). Mr. Collins' writing comes off more as more erudite than his public persona would let on. His approach is breezy yet creates a colorful imagery in my mind's eye of the people, places and events that he describes. He is an amazingly good writer.
However, in reading one passage from his new book Not Dead Yet, I feel compelled to respond.
He states in an early chapter that he never learned to read music. I'm absolutely fine with that, many great musicians never learned to read music. Phil says he has a great ear and I don't doubt it in the least. I loved ear training when I took lessons and was quite good at it and while I can read, I find the ear training invaluable and enjoy learning pop, rock and even jazz tunes with it.
However, I disagree wholeheartedly that somehow learning to read music limits one's musical vocabulary or creativity. Mr. Collins states that some trained musicians he's known that read tend to be stiff and mechanical in their playing. So what? I don't think you can generalize about trained musicians sounding "regimented, taught, and clinical" (although I'm sure there are some). As for other creative greats in Rock, musical training and learning to read certainly didn't hurt the likes of Stewart Copeland, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, Eddie Jobson, Geoff Downes, Tony Kaye, Carl Palmer, etc. They had quite a musical vocabulary and I don't think sound "regimented, taught, and clinical." But I can certainly see reading music to be less of an concern in the Rock and Pop world and it't certainly not a prerequisite. But it might have helped Mr. Collins with the arrangements for his Big Band concerts as he said he had to invent his own phonetic way of doing the charts. To his credit he did continue to think about learning to read particularly imagining himself in later years playing in an orchestra pit!
I don't think learning to read music limits your musical vocabulary, but rather can increase it since you'd be able to play certain music in its entirety that would otherwise quite difficult to pick up by ear (Rachmaninoff for example). Tony Banks (also of Genesis!) could read music and in fact learned to play Rachmaninoff, particularly the C# Minor Prelude. Mr. Banks adapted Rachmaninoff's crossed hand techniques into his own playing creating unique (for Rock) passages like the intro to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and even No Reply At All and Fading Lights (in the synth solo section). Reading certainly didn't limit his creative use of what he read and adapted.
I suppose I do take umbrage at the old chestnut in the Rock world that musical training hurts your creativity. That you can break the rules when you don't know them. Mr. Collins states he probably wouldn't have written the "unconventional" In The Air Tonight had he been able to read. "Unconventional?" Not compositionally, it uses pretty much only three of the most common chords in Rock and Pop, the minor vi, V and IV. Arrangment and recording-wise it is certainly fresh sounding (at the time) but compositionally, no. That's not to take away from it being a great, moody song.
Interestingly Sting (Gordon Sumner) said in an interview with The Guardian, "In pop music, there's no such thing as composition. We collate from pre-existing tropes and then the originality comes in the interpretation."
I would argue KNOWING the rules helps you realize what you need to do to break them rather than the other way around. Otherwise you THINK you are breaking rules but really without the knowledge of what has gone before you really don't know. I would have to say as far as people in Mr. Collins' circles who could read music, Tony Banks' chord progressions and solos are much more unconventional than what you heard in Pop and Rock. His music would often constantly modulate so the frame of reference you had for what you thought was the tonic was tossed out the window!
Anyway, this quibble aside, a truly engaging book and I felt I got to know the man better and appreciation for his musical and personal motivations. Kudos, Mr. Collins!
UPDATE - Aethellis' new EP will now contain 4 (four) songs instead of the originally reported 3 songs. They are (not in any particular order):
"Believe In Somebody"
"Janice"
"A Home In Your Thoughts"
"Second Home In Your Thoughts"
The EP will be digital only and will be available from Melodic Revolution Records on its website late Spring 2017.
The band lineup for the EP is
Mark Van Natta - guitar / vocals
Ellsworth Hall - keyboards / vocals
Erik Marks - bass
Mike Harrington - drums
Joe Dwyer - sax
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Aethellis' keyboardist/vocalist/guitarist/composer Ellsworth Hall writes: I'm pleased and honored to be an interviewee in Gary Hill's new book, Poetry of the Air: A Collection of Love Letters to Music from Musicians. Gary (of the Music Street Journal) interviewed many influential musicians such as Jon Anderson, Allan Atkins, Larry Fast, Steve Hackett, Tony Levin, Jordan Rudess, Billy Sherwood, Rick Wakeman and many more. The goal was to uncover the inspirations that motivated the artists to pursue music. It's available now at Lulu.com and will soon be available at Amazon.
