Arcane

ARCANE is a band from Brisbane that is frequently dubbed progressive metal, but their actual sound is not quite that simple. Formed sometime in the early 2000's, ARCANE was made up of Jim GREY (vocals), Matthew MARTIN (keyboards), Michael GAGEN (guitar), Mick MILLARD (bass), and Stephen WALSH (drums). This lineup played local gigs for a couple of years, the role of bass player going momentarily to Shirley JACKSON before settling on Brendon BLANCHARD in 2006, who has stayed with the group to this day. In 2007, the band released the album 'Ashes'. Originally intended as an EP featuring only the epic 20-minute title track, enough material was added to create a full length record. A warm reception caused the band to stop touring in 2008 in order to create a new album, to be called 'Chronicles of the Waking Dream'. 2009 saw the group on tour again (with new drummer Blake COULSON, who had joined the band for the recording of the new album), acting as an opening act for senior prog metallers Queensrÿche during their Australian tour to support 'American Soldier', as well as the release of rock opera Chronicles of the Waking Dream. Musically, ARCANE often do play an aggressive style of progressive metal, but occasionally temper it with sweeping orchestral arrangements and poetic narration, resulting in a style that shows a fine pedigree including ANGRA to PORCUPINE TREE and OPETH. They will provide an intriguing listen for fans of prog metal, particularly those fond of the more alternative rock side of the genre. Additionally, the band is very fond of blurring the lines between the music and the show. No stranger to electronic media, they created a secondary Myspace page dedicated to the Chronicles of the Waking Dream album, which revealed the storyline rather than music, and did not release any singles until playing the entire album live after its release. Though ARCANE has evolved since their early days, they have stayed with the indie label OzProg Music and continue to play mostly local gigs, staying true to their Brisbane roots.