SUBSIGNAL - A Poetry of Rain

SUBSIGNAL

Album : A Poetry of Rain

Genre: Heavy Progrock

Release Date: September 22nd, 2023

Country: Germany

Label: Gentle Art of Music

Band-Links: WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

For their album “A Poetry of Rain”, which will be out on September 22nd via Gentle Art of Music, German proggers SUBSIGNAL drew inspiration from personal experiences and social topics, and now share 10 new songs with us that work well on their own, but also in the overall context. While rain might be easily connected with sadness in a metaphorical way, it also can have a cleaning, calming, or life-giving impact, so the album's name is open for interpretation. Let's see where they'll take us musically.  

The first (and also title) track is a dreamy, little piece with acoustic guitar, that makes you listen up before they rock straight forward with "The Art of Giving In", where we see the band moving into more progressive fields thanks to great rhythm patterns, amazing instrumental arrangements, and a marvelous vocal performance. The following “Marigold” has a strong “Streets of Philadelphia” vibe at the beginning before opening into an awesome chorus, with the guitar overtaking the melody afterwards, and I'm absolutely digging this full drum sound (that can be found throughout the whole record).    

Next up is the very personal "Sliver (The Sheltered Garden)", that also got a mystical video (see above), and they continue by alternating between peaceful songs like "Impasse" and more powerful tracks, also adding some surprising elements like a bit of carribean flair in "A Wound is a Place to let the Light in" or a sax solo for "The Last of its Kind". “A Room at the Edge of Forever” is a touching closer, leaving the listener in a thoughtful, yet positive mood.

All-together, SUBSIGNAL share an amazing progrock album with us, wonderfully composed and skillfully performed, on which they manage to hold the listeners' attention by keeping the right balance between variety and accessibility. The music comes along with a certain melancholy, catching the atmosphere of a rainy day in a beautiful way, carried by the expressive vocals as well as the playing joy of all musicians involved. Last but not least, the production is crystal clear and supports the songs' great dynamic the best way. 

While diving into “A Poetry of Rain” I noticed a welcomed, soothing effect on myself, and I'm looking forward to see how the songs will unfold in a live setting (find the upcoming tour dates below). 

Written by Katha

Track-List: 

1. A Poetry of Rain 

2. The Art of Giving In 

3. Marigold 

4. Sliver (The Sheltered Garden) 

5. Impasse 

6. Embers Part II: Water Wings 

7. Melencolia One 

8. A Wound is a Place to let the Light in 

9. The Last of its Kind 

10. A Room on the Edge of Forever (Bonustrack, nur auf CD & Streaming)

Line-Up: 

Arno Menses – Gesang

Markus Steffen – Guitars

Markus Maichel – Keyboards

Martijn Horsten - Bass

Dirk Brand - Drums

Gäste:
David Bertok – Keyboards “Embers Part II – Water Wings)
Marek Arnold – Saxophon “The Last of its Kind”
Yogi Lang – Keyboards
Dietmar Waechtler – Pedal Steel “The Art of Giving In”
Iraklis Choraitis – Backing Vocals “Sliver (The Sheltered Garden)”

Tour-Dates: 

12.10. DE-München, Backstage
13.10. DE-Oberhausen, Zentrum Altenberg
14.10. DE-Rüsselsheim, Das Rind
20.10. DE-Stuttgart, Club Zentral
21.10. NL-Hengelo, Metropool
22.10. DE-Bremen, Meisenfrei