Castle Oranto

Nuova Era - Return to the Castle (2016) {AMS Records}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 510 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 176 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 300 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2016 AMS Records | AMS273CD
Rock / Progressive Rock / Symphonic Rock

A 75-minute symphonic progressive rock, sung in English for the first time in the history of the band, which ranges from baroque sections to other ones more dreamy and atmospheric. Nuova era was one of my favourite bands from the 90s and their 1992 masterpiece "Io e il tempo" I still hold as one of my favourite albums of all time. About 20 years after their last proper album, "Il passo del soldato" from 1995, they release a new album! The titel is in english, as are all the songs. Let me get back to that. The music on the album is like the band never left and continued playing and recording their music, this album could easily have been a follow up a couple of years later after their last album. The sound is almost the same, lots of keyboards dominating the music with additional guitars.

Over four nights at Tilburg's 013 venue (scene of the Ayreon Universe series of live shows in 2017) Lucassen, his band and one of modern progressive music's most emphatic of casts celebrated the 20th anniversary of the third Ayreon album in front of thousands of adoring fans who had flown in from around the world. Originally released in 1998, 'Into The Electric Castle' is a classic tale of an epic quest. Set in 'no time and no space', it tells the story of eight individuals who are guided by a mysterious voice and tasked with finding the mysterious Electric Castle and discover what's inside. The entire album was performed live, featuring original album singers and musicians, such as Thijs Van Leer, Fish, Damian Wilson, Edward Reekers, Anneke van Giersbergen, and several special guests including Simone Simons (Epica) and Star Trek's John De Lancie as narrator. The 'Other Tales' are deep cuts from Arjen Lucassen's other projects, such as The Gentle Storm, Ambeon, Stream of Passion, Guilt Machine, Star One, his solo-album Arjen Anthony Lucassen and a very special Marillion cover. Step into the Electric Castle!

Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys - Castle Studio 1950-1951: Complete Sessions (2017) {5CD Set RWA ACD 12522}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.12 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 739 Mb
Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 22 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1950-51, 2017 Castle / Decca / Richard Weize Archives | ACD 12522
Bluegrass / Country / Close Harmony / Old-Timey / Traditional Bluegrass / Bluegrass-Gospel

5-CD hardcover album (CD-size) - 68-page booklet - 181 tracks -(366 min.). For devotees of Bill Monroe's music, the CD box sets issued by BEAR FAMILY beginning in 1989 were the answer to a listener's dream: having the bluegrass originator's complete recordings tastefully collected in boxes, with informative books included. What we now have is something even more dreamlike: all the familiar Monroe recordings for DECCA in 1950-51, featuring lead singers Jimmy Martin, Carter Stanley, and Edd Mayfield, presented next to – unbelievably – all the outtakes (none pre- viously issued) of all the tracks. Among other things, this means multiple takes of Raw Hide.